This is the first time in the history of Canada that a woman has been appointed as the supreme military commander of the country. The Canadian government led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who is facing all kinds of problems on the domestic front, has decided to appoint Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan as the Chief of Defence Staff. Jennie Carignan will take over as the Chief of Defence Staff of Canada on July 18.
There have been very few examples around the world when a woman military officer has been made the Chief of Defence Staff.
Lieutenant General Jennie Carignan , basically an engineer, has 35 years of experience working in the military service. Jennie has commanded troops in the Afghanistan War, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Syria.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Jennie has shown extraordinary leadership so far. She has amazing leadership abilities. Her dedication to the army and service has been her asset. And she has always been like a commander for our armed forces.
Jennie Carignan will replace the current Defence Chief General Wayne Eyre. He is retiring as Chief from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Canadian Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair said, “Lieutenant-General Jenny Carignan has served Canada with distinction, both at home and abroad. Throughout her career, she has built a proven track record of excellence in difficult operations. Her extensive experience makes her the right person to lead the Canadian Armed Forces through emerging security challenges and I have full confidence in the future of this important institution under her leadership. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Lieutenant-General Carignan on her appointment as Chief of Defence Staff and look forward to working closely with her.”
Lieutenant-General Jenny Carignan has commanded two combat engineer regiments, the Royal Military College Saint-Jean and the Canadian Division, where more than 10,000 soldiers have served under her command. In 2008, Jenny Carignan became the first woman in CAF history to command a combat arms unit. She was deployed to Iraq under the NATO mission from 2019 to 2020.
Lieutenant-General Jenny Carignan was promoted to her current position in 2021 and has been serving as Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture, National Defence for the past three years. She is the first person to hold this position, which was created to lead transformational change in the way systemic misconduct is understood and addressed within the department and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Lieutenant General Jenny’s husband Eric has also been a part of the military as an officer. Eric, who was an engineer in the army for 22 years, retired in 2008, the couple has four children. After retiring, Eric used to take care of the house. Those were the days when their children were young and Interestingly two of those children are also serving in the Canadian Security Force (CSF) now. Once upon a time there was an ordinary family of Jenny and Eric living in Quebec City of Canada but has become very special.
