New Delhi: The Canadian government has appointed Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan chief of the defence staff — the highest position in the country’s armed forces. She will be the first woman to hold the post.
Carignan will be promoted to general and take office in a ceremony on 18 July. She will take over the reins from General Wayne Eyre, who is to retire from the Canadian armed forces after over 40 years in service.
She currently serves as chief, professional conduct and culture, National Defence – tasked with combating sexual harassment in the military, where she led “efforts to transform the culture of the CAF (Canadian Armed Forces)”, an official press release said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau congratulated Carignan on her appointment. “Over the course of her career, her exceptional leadership qualities, commitment to excellence, and dedication to service have been a tremendous asset to our armed forces. I am confident that, as Canada’s new chief of the defence staff, she will help Canada be stronger, more secure, and ready to tackle global security challenges,” he was quoted as saying in the press release.
Carignan joined the armed forces in 1986 and went on to become the first woman to lead a combat arms unit in 2008. She has commanded two Combat Engineer regiments and the 2nd Canadian Division, where she led more than 10,000 soldiers and spearheaded operations during flood relief efforts in Quebec, an official press release said. From 2019 to 2020, she led NATO Mission Iraq, which aims to strengthen that country’s security forces and institutions. She also served in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Syria.
She has also held leadership positions at the national defence headquarters.Her distinctive work has been acknowledged with a Meritorious Service Medal and the Governor General’s Order of Military Merit.
“Her extensive experience makes her the right person to lead the Canadian Armed Forces through emerging security challenges – and I am confident in the future of this crucial institution under her leadership,” Canadian Defence Minister Bill Blair said.
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Carignan’s challenges ahead
Canada, like other western nations, has been facing difficulties in military recruitment and retention in the past few years, a problem acknowledged by the outgoing defence chief, who referred to a “tight labour market”, although he said the armed forces had also seen a “turnaround” in recruitment. He cited issues with Canadians’ readiness to serve, with “increased incidence of medical challenges, mental-health challenges”, CBC News reported.
The shortage comes at a time when Canada is engaged in providing support to Ukraine. The first batch of built-in-Canada armoured vehicles arrived in Ukraine in June 2024. Canada has pledged support to Ukraine by providing monetary, ammunition and training assistance.
Military spending is another challenge Carignan faces. Calls for deployment in the Arctic in the wake of joint exercises by Russia and China in the Bering Sea, and falling short of NATO’s spending target of 2 percent of GDP, are areas of concern.
The official press release said: “In the face of new and evolving security threats, the CAF are more important than ever, from defending our continent — including in the Arctic — and providing life-saving assistance to Canadians affected by natural disasters to strengthening NATO’s collective defence and providing military support to Ukraine.”
The chief of the defence staff is charged with the control and administration of the armed forces and is also responsible for military strategy, plans, and requirements, it added.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
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