Canada appoints first woman to lead its armed forces

International.– The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeauannounced on Wednesday the appointment of Lieutenant General Jennie Carignan as Chief of the Defence Staffmaking her the first woman to hold that position in the North American country.

Carignan to be promoted to the rank of general and will replace General Wayne Eyre at a ceremony on July 18, the government said.

Trudeau described Carignan as “a great asset“for the Armed Forces and said he was “confident” that she “will help make Canada stronger, safer and more prepared to meet global security challenges.”

Speaking at an event in Montreal, he said the appointment of the new Chief of Staff was an “extraordinarily important choice,” particularly “in these times of complicated geopolitics and growing threats.”

Carignan enlisted in the Army in 1986. In 2008, she became the first woman to command a combat unit.She served in Afghanistan and subsequently completed missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Syria. From 2019 to 2020, she led NATO’s mission in Iraq and for the past three years served as Head of National Defense Conduct and Professional Culture, responsible for transforming the culture of the country’s Armed Forces.