The Canadian Forces announced major change to its senior ranks yesterday with the release of its General and Flag Officers promotions and appointments. The changes were prompted in part by the retirement of the commanders of the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Navy as well as the Vice Chief of Defence Staff. Most of the changes will take place this summer.

“It is my privilege to congratulate those General and Flag Officers who have recently been selected for promotions and senior appointments. I am certain the Canadian Armed Forces will be well served by their knowledge, experience and professionalism,” said General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff. “To those senior leaders who are retiring, I thank you for your service, counsel and comradeship. I also thank you and your families for all of the sacrifices you have made in the service of your country.”

From the press release:

The following General and Flag Officer retirements, promotions and appointments will occur in 2013:

Vice-Admiral A.B. Donaldson will retire from service, resulting in the following appointment:

Lieutenant-General G.R. Thibault will be appointed Vice Chief of Defence Staff at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ), in Ottawa, replacing Vice-Admiral A.B. Donaldson;

Vice-Admiral P.A. Maddison will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
Rear-Admiral M.A.G. Norman will be promoted Vice-Admiral and appointed Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Vice-Admiral P.A. Maddison;
Rear-Admiral J.E.T.P. Ellis will be appointed Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Rear-Admiral M.A.G. Norman;
Rear-Admiral M.F.R. Lloyd will be appointed Deputy Commander (Expeditionary) Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa, replacing Rear-Admiral J.E.T.P. Ellis;
Major-General M.D. Day will be appointed Chief of Force Development at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Rear-Admiral M.F.R. Lloyd;
Rear-Admiral D.C. Gardam will be appointed Director General International Security Policy, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Major-General M.D. Day;
Commodore J.F. Newton will be promoted Rear-Admiral and appointed Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic/Joint Task Force Atlantic, in Halifax, replacing Rear-Admiral D.C. Gardam; and
Captain (Navy) B.W.N. Santarpia will be promoted Commodore and appointed Director General Navy Personnel, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Commodore J.F. Newton.

Lieutenant-General P.J. Devlin will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
Lieutenant-General J.M.M. Hainse will be appointed Commander of the Canadian Army, in Ottawa, replacing Lieutenant-General P.J. Devlin;
Major-General J.H. Vance will be promoted Lieutenant-General and appointed Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command, in Naples, Italy, replacing Lieutenant-General J.M.M. Hainse;
Major-General M.J. Hood will be appointed Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Major-General J.H. Vance;
Major-General R.D. Foster will be appointed Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Major-General M.J. Hood;
Brigadier-General C.J. Coates will be promoted Major-General and appointed Deputy Commander (Continental) Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa, replacing Major-General R.D. Foster; and
Colonel J.P.A. Pelletier will be promoted Brigadier-General and appointed Deputy Commander Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, in Florida, replacing Brigadier-General C.J. Coates.
Lieutenant-General W. Semianiw will retire from service.

Major-General J.R. Ferron will complete his tour in Afghanistan, resulting in the following promotion and appointment:

Brigadier-General D.J. Milner will be promoted Major-General and appointed Deputy Commanding General Army – Combined Security Transition Command/NATO Training Mission Headquarters, in Kabul, Afghanistan, replacing Major-General J.R. Ferron.

Major-General A.J. Howard will retire from service, resulting in the following appointments:
Rear-Admiral A. Smith will be appointed Military Lead of the Defence Renewal Team, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Major-General A.J. Howard;
Major-General D.B. Millar will be appointed Chief of Military Personnel, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Rear-Admiral A. Smith; and
Brigadier-General D.W. Joyce will be appointed Military Advisor to the Privy Council Office, in Ottawa, replacing Major-General D.B. Millar.

Major-General P.J. Forgues will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
Brigadier-General J.G.E. Tremblay will be promoted Major-General and appointed Commander of the Canadian Defence Academy, in Kingston, Ontario, replacing Major-General P.J. Forgues;
Brigadier-General A.D. Meinzinger will be appointed Commandant of the Royal Military College, in Kingston, Ontario, replacing Brigadier-General J.G.E. Tremblay;
Brigadier-General J.J.R.G. Hamel will be appointed Deputy Director (Plans), Strategy, Policy and Plans – North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) Command Centre, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, replacing Brigadier-General A.D. Meinzinger;
Brigadier-General G.D. Loos will be appointed Commander, Joint Task Force North, in Yellowknife, replacing Brigadier-General J.J.R.G. Hamel;
Commodore D.C. Hawco will be appointed Director General Cyber at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General G.D. Loos;
Commodore S.E.G. Bishop will be appointed Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic, in Halifax, replacing Commodore D.C. Hawco; and
Captain (Navy) J.R. Auchterlonie will be promoted Commodore and appointed Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific, in Esquimalt, replacing Commodore S.E.G. Bishop.

Commodore E.M. Steele will be seconded to Treasury Board Secretariat, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
Brigadier-General A.C. Patch will be appointed Deputy Chief of Staff – Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel), at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Commodore E.M. Steele; and
Colonel S.G. Kennedy will be promoted Brigadier-General and appointed Director General Land Equipment Program Management, replacing Brigadier-General A.C. Patch.

Brigadier-General D.C. Hilton will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
Brigadier-General J.R. Giguère will be appointed Commandant of the Canadian Forces College, in Toronto, replacing Brigadier-General D.C. Hilton;
Brigadier-General J.M. Lanthier will be appointed Commander Land Forces Québec Area, in Montréal, replacing Brigadier-General J.R. Giguère; and
Colonel C.J. Turenne will be promoted Brigadier-General (acting while so employed) and appointed Deputy Commanding General United States (U.S.), I Corps in Fort Lewis, Washington, replacing Brigadier-General J.M. Lanthier.
Brigadier-General H.F. Jaeger will retire from service.

Brigadier-General M.K. Overton will retire from service, resulting in the following appointments:
Commodore L. Bisson will be appointed Assistant Chief of Military Personnel, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General M.K. Overton;
Brigadier-General N.E. Russell will be appointed Director General Compensation and Benefits, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Commodore L. Bisson; and
Brigadier-General M.P. Galvin will be appointed Director General Air Personnel, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General N.E. Russell.
Brigadier-General T.E. Putt will retire from service upon completion of his deployment with the U.S. V Corps in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Joint Command, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Brigadier-General C.C. Thurrott will be appointed Director General Land Capability Development, resulting in the following promotion and appointment:
Colonel N. Eldaoud will be promoted Brigadier-General and appointed Commander Land Forces Atlantic Area, in Halifax, replacing Brigadier-General C.C. Thurrott.

Brigadier-General M.A. Matheson will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
Commodore J.P.G. Couturier will be appointed Director General Plans – Strategic Joint Staff, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General M.A. Matheson; and
Colonel J.R.A.S. Lafaut will be promoted Brigadier-General (acting while so employed) and appointed Deputy Director Plans – U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) in Tampa Bay, Florida, replacing Commodore J.P.G. Couturier.

Brigadier-General K.R. McLean will retire from service, resulting in the following promotion and appointment:
Colonel J.M. Fletcher will be promoted Brigadier-General and appointed Chaplain General, in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General K.R. McLean.

The following General and Flag Officers will be promoted substantively to their rank:
Acting Commodore M.J.M. Hallé will be promoted Commodore and remain Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management, in Ottawa;
Acting Commodore M.B. Watson will be promoted Commodore and remain Director General Personnel Family Support Services, in Ottawa;
Acting Brigadier-General S.A. Brennan will be promoted Brigadier-General and remain Director General Capability and Structure Integration, at NDHQ, in Ottawa;
Acting Brigadier-General R.G. Mazzolin will be promoted Brigadier-General and remain Director General Information Management Group, at NDHQ, in Ottawa;
Acting Brigadier-General P. Rutherford will be promoted Brigadier-General and remain Director General Security Transformation, at NDHQ, in Ottawa;
Acting Brigadier-General L.E. Thomas will be promoted Brigadier-General and remain Chief of Staff – Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa;
Acting Brigadier-General H.J. Kowal will be promoted Brigadier-General and remain Director General Military Careers, at NDHQ, in Ottawa; and
Acting Brigadier-General D.L.R. Wheeler will be promoted Brigadier-General and appointed Deputy Commander Support at 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg.

The following Colonels will be promoted Brigadier-General (acting while so employed):
Colonel T.N. Balfe will be promoted Brigadier-General (acting while so employed) and appointed ISAF Deputy to the Deputy Chief of Staff Communications in Kabul, Afghanistan, replacing Brigadier-General J.C. Madower; and
Colonel W.F. Seymour will be promoted Brigadier-General (acting while so employed) and appointed to the Joint Staff in Pacific Command Headquarters (U.S.) in Hawaii.

After distinguished service to Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces, the following General and Flag officers will retire in 2013:
Vice-Admiral A.B. Donaldson;
Vice-Admiral P.A. Maddison;
Lieutenant-General P.J. Devlin;
Lieutenant-General W. Semianiw;
Major-General P.J. Forgues;
Major-General A.J. Howard;
Brigadier-General D.C. Hilton;
Brigadier-General H.F. Jaeger;
Brigadier-General M.A. Matheson;
Brigadier-General K.R. McLean;
Brigadier-General M.K. Overton; and
Brigadier-General T.E. Putt.