The army and navy are getting two new commanders due to a top level shake up of the Canadian Forces.
The new appointments are the result of promotions and departures of seven senior officer what will occur in 2016, according to Gen. Jonathan Vance, chief of the defence staff.
Under the changes, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, current commander of the navy, takes over the job of the vice chief of the defence staff at the National Defence headquarters in Ottawa. He will be the second in command of the Canadian Forces.
Norman is replacing Lt. Gen. Guy Thibault, who is retiring from the position.
Rear-Admiral Ron Lloyd, current chief of staff of development, will take over Norman’s post as commander of the Navy.
Lt. Gen. Marquis Hainse, the commander of the army, will be replaced by Maj. Gen Paul Wynnyk, who will be leaving his post as chief of defence intelligence. Wynnik is also being promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
Hainse will be serving as the Canadian military representative to the NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“I offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all those completing their honourable and selfless service to Canada and the Canadian Armed Forces,” the chief of the defence staff said in a statement. “Your leadership, dedication and decades of hard work have had a meaningful impact on both the organizations and those with who you served.”
Promotions and appointments resulting from retirements are as follows:
- Lieutenant-General G.R. Thibault will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
- Vice-Admiral M.A.G. Norman will be appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Lieutenant-General G.R. Thibault.
- Rear-Admiral M.F.R. Lloyd will be promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral and appointed Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), at NDHQ, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Vice-Admiral M.A.G. Norman.
- Rear-Admiral J.P.G. Couturier will be appointed Deputy Commander RCN, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Rear-Admiral M.F.R. Lloyd.
- Commodore A.G. McDonald will be promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral and appointed Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific, in Esquimalt, B.C., replacing Rear-Admiral J.P.G. Couturier.
- Captain (N) C.P. Donovan will be promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed Director General Naval Force Development (DGNFD), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Commodore A.G. McDonald.
- Vice-Admiral R.A. Davidson will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
- Lieutenant-General J.M.M. Hainse will be appointed Canadian Military Representative at NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, Belgium, replacing Vice-Admiral R.A. Davidson.
- Major-General P.F Wynnyk will be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General and appointed Commander of the Canadian Army, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Lieutenant-General J.M.M. Hainse.
- Rear-Admiral J.E.T.P. Ellis will be appointed Commander of Canadian Armed Forces Intelligence Command (CFINTCOM), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Major-General P.F Wynnyk.
- Rear-Admiral S.E.G. Bishop will be appointed Deputy Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Rear-Admiral J.E.T.P. Ellis.
- Major-General D.W. Joyce will be appointed Director General International Security Policy (DGIS Pol), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Rear-Admiral S.E.G. Bishop.
- Brigadier-General W.D. Eyre will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and appointed Deputy Commander Military Personnel Command (MPC) at NDHQ, Ottawa, Ont., replacing Major-General D.W. Joyce.
- Brigadier-General S.C. Hetherington will be appointed Commander of 3 Canadian Division, Edmonton, Alta., replacing Brigadier-General W.D. Eyre.
- Colonel J.R.M. Gagne will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed as Deputy Commander 18 Airborne Corps, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, replacing Brigadier-General S.C. Hetherington.
- Major-General D.J. Milner will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
- Brigadier-General O.H. Lavoie will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and appointed Commander 1 Canadian Division, in Kingston, Ont., replacing Major-General D.J. Milner.
- Brigadier-General D.J. Anderson will be appointed Director General Defence Force Planning (DGDFP), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General O.H. Lavoie.
- Colonel B.W.G. McPherson will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Pentagon Liaison Officer, in Washington, D.C., replacing Brigadier-General D.J. Anderson.
- Brigadier-General M.K. Overton will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
- Brigadier-General L.E. Thomas will be appointed Canadian Defence Attaché, in London, United Kingdom, replacing Brigadier-General M.K. Overton.
- Brigadier-General S.M. Cadden will be appointed Commander of 4 Canadian Division, Toronto, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General L.E. Thomas.
- Brigadier-General (acting while so employed) D.A. Macaulay will be promoted to the substantive rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Director General Land Capability Development (DGLCD), Ottawa, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General S.M. Cadden.
- Colonel G.R. Smith will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Chief of Staff Combined Forces Land Component Command Iraq (COS CFLCC-I), replacing acting Brigadier-General D.A. Macaulay.
- Brigadier-General M.A. Matheson will be retiring from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
- Commodore M.N. Watson will be appointed Director General Compensation and Benefits (DGCB), at MPC, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General M.A. Matheson.
- Commodore S.N. Cantelon will be appointed Director General Morale and Welfare Services (DGMWS), at MPC, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Commodore M.N. Watson.
- Colonel R.W. Ermel will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Director General Capability and Structure Integration (DGCSI), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Commodore S.N. Cantelon.
- Brigadier-General M.P. Jorgensen will retire from service, resulting in the following appointment:
- Major-General J.G. Milne will be seconded to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VAC), in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General M.P. Jorgensen.
The following promotions and appointments result from new and continuing service requirements:
- Major-General D.L.R. Wheeler will be appointed lead for the Canadian Armed Forces Targeting Implementation Initiative, at NDHQ, in Ottawa, Ont., resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
- Brigadier-General J.H.C. Drouin will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and appointed Commander 1 Canadian Air Division, in Winnipeg, Man., replacing Major-General D.L.R. Wheeler.
- Captain (N) A.I. Topshee will be promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed NORAD J5, in Colorado Springs, replacing Brigadier-General J.H.C. Drouin.
- Brigadier-General W.F. Seymour will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and appointed Chief of Staff Operations at CJOC, in Ottawa on, resulting in the following promotion and appointment:
- Colonel M. Leblanc will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed to Deputy J3 U.S Pacific Command, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, replacing Brigadier-General W.F. Seymour.
- Brigadier-General M.N. Rouleau will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Major-General and remain Commander of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command.
- Commodore H.C. Edmundson will be appointed Commander Combined Task Force – 150, in Bahrain.
- Brigadier-General J.R.A.S. Lafaut will be appointed Director General Military Careers (DGMC), at MPC, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Commodore H.C. Edmundson.
- Brigadier-General J.P.H.H. Gosselin will be appointed Commander 2 Canadian Division, in Montreal, Que., replacing Brigadier-General J.R.A.S. Lafaut.
- Colonel M.A.J. Carignan will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Canadian Army Chief of Staff Land Operations, in Ottawa, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General J.P.H.H. Gosselin.
- Brigadier-General P.S. Dawe will be appointed to a new position as Deputy Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command, in Ottawa, Ont.
- Colonel M.H.L. Bourgon will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Director General Operations at Strategic Joint Staff, Ottawa, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General P.S. Dawe.
- Brigadier-General J.P.A. Pelletier will be appointed to Operation FOUNDATION Rotation 16 as Combined Aerospace Operations Center (CAOC) Director, in Qatar.
- Brigadier-General P. Ormsby will be appointed to Deputy Commander Continental U.S North American Aerospace Defence Command Region NORAD, in Tyndall Florida, replacing Brigadier-General J.P.A. Pelletier.
- Brigadier-General S.A. Brennan will be appointed Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander for Operation IMPACT Rotation 3, replacing (acting rank while so employed) Brigadier-General J.A. Irvine.
- Brigadier-General F.J. Chagnon will be appointed to a new position as Deputy Chief Of Staff Operations, at CJOC, in Ottawa, Ont.
- Colonel T.J. Cadieu was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed to Operation PROTEUS, replacing Brigadier-General F.J. Chagnon.
- Brigadier-General J.J.M. Girard will be appointed as Permanent Representative Mission New York with the United Nations, in New York, NY.
- Colonel A.T. Benson will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed Director General Land Equipment Program Management (DGLEPM), in Gatineau, Que., replacing Brigadier-General S.G. Kennedy who retired in 2015.
- Colonel R. Delaney will be promoted (acting while so employed) to the rank of Brigadier-General and will remain Canadian Forces, Provost Marshal.
After distinguished service to Canada and the CAF, the following General and Flag Officers will retire in 2016:
- Lieutenant-General G.R. Thibault
- Vice-Admiral R.A Davidson
- Major-General D.J. Milner
- Rear-Admiral E.M. Stuart, previously announced to retire in 2015, will retire in 2016
- Brigadier-General M.K. Overton
- Brigadier-General M.P. Jorgensen
- Brigadier-General M.A. Matheson
“I also extend my congratulations to those taking on new appointments and responsibilities,” Vance said. “I have the utmost confidence that you will continue to serve and lead beyond expectation in your new positions.”