A woman will finally hold the Canadian military害羞草研究所檚 top job, after the federal government named Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan as the new defence chief on Wednesday.
Carignan is currently the military害羞草研究所檚 chief of professional conduct and culture, a position created following the sexual misconduct crisis.
Several high-ranking leaders were forced to step down from their posts after they were accused of sexual misconduct in 2021.
The resulting scandal prompted a damning external report by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour that made a series of recommendations to change the toxic culture within the Armed Forces. Carignan has been the face of the efforts to reform that culture, providing updates to the public about efforts to implement those recommendations.
Carignan joined the military in 1986, and has commanded combat engineer regiments and led troops responding to floods in Quebec.
In 2008, she became the first woman to lead a combat force in the Canadian military.
She received the Meritorious Service Medal and the Governor General害羞草研究所檚 Order of Military Merit, and her deployments included Afghanistan, Bosnia and Syria. She led a yearlong NATO mission in Iraq that ended in late 2020.
Her official biography also notes that she has four children, including two who are members of the Armed Forces.
Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, said the appointment is 害羞草研究所渇antastic news,害羞草研究所� noting Carignan is taking over command 35 years after women were first allowed to serve in combat roles in the Armed Forces.
She also warned that there may be pushback or resistance, particularly because the appointment comes from the Liberal government.
害羞草研究所淎 lot of people have seen and perceived the Trudeau government efforts toward inclusivity and gender parity as performative,害羞草研究所� Duval-Lantoine said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Montreal on Wednesday that naming the new defence chief was an 害羞草研究所渆xtraordinarily important choice.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淧articularly in these moments of complicated geopolitics and increased threats, particularly to our Arctic,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淢aking sure that we have the right person to lead our Armed Forces in this pivotal time was something that I think Canadians appropriately felt that we needed to take seriously, which we did.害羞草研究所�
Carignan takes over a military in transition, amid the ongoing culture change efforts and the urgent task of trying to rebuild its ranks after years of declining recruitment and poor retention.
The Armed Forces is short of around 16,000 troops, and for several years it has failed to recruit more members than it has lost to retirement or release, something that Defence Minister Bill Blair called a 害羞草研究所渄eath spiral害羞草研究所� back in March.
That has been a source of tension between the government and military leadership, because it comes at the same time as increased demands on the Armed Forces to respond to weather-related emergencies in Canada and boost the country害羞草研究所檚 presence in eastern Europe as war rages in Ukraine.
Maya Eichler, a professor of political and women害羞草研究所檚 studies at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, said recruitment, training and retention of troops has to be the top priority 害羞草研究所� and argued that goes hand-in-hand with making the military害羞草研究所檚 culture more inclusive.
害羞草研究所淟t.-Gen. Carignan certainly has gained a lot of insight into culture change and reconstitution. But in the current security context, it will be a challenge for any (defence chief) to keep culture change on the list of priorities, even if it is absolutely necessary in order to address recruitment and retention issues,害羞草研究所� she said.
In a recent interview, the outgoing defence chief said the military is 害羞草研究所渟tarting to sense a turnaround害羞草研究所� in recruitment.
Gen. Wayne Eyre said Canada害羞草研究所檚 allies are facing similar challenges in recruiting for their militaries, and the problem is not fully understood.
He cited the 害羞草研究所渧ery tight labour market害羞草研究所� as one challenge, along with changing demographics.
Eyre said there are also issues with Canadians害羞草研究所� readiness to serve, with 害羞草研究所渋ncreased incidence of medical challenges, mental-health challenges.害羞草研究所�
The Armed Forces is experimenting with changes to its medical admissibility for people with certain conditions like allergies, or those who are taking medication for ADHD.
害羞草研究所淲e have started a pathway for significant change across the institution,害羞草研究所� he said, adding that an upcoming internal strategy will detail efforts to improve the military害羞草研究所檚 overall readiness.
Eyre was appointed in 2021 when Adm. Art McDonald stepped down weeks into his tenure as defence chief after being accused of sexual misconduct.
He said stabilizing the organization amid that scandal was the top priority.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a work in progress, and so that害羞草研究所檚 what I leave for my successor: unfinished work, but work that will never be finished because it continues to evolve,害羞草研究所� he said.
Carignan is set to officially take over command of the Armed Forces in a ceremony on July 18.
Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen, who was the first woman to be named vice-chief of the defence staff, also plans to retire this year and will be replaced in an early August change-of-command ceremony. Her successor has not been named publicly.
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