Today, General Jennie Carignan assumed leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) from outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, General Wayne Eyre.
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, presided over this morning's ceremony, which took place at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Canada's highest-ranking military officer is responsible for advising the government, providing strategic leadership to the CAF, and ensuring military readiness and effectiveness to defend Canada's interests at home and abroad.
General Jennie Carignan, Chief of the Defence Staff, has had a distinguished career since commissioning into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1990. She commanded two Combat Engineer Regiments, Royal Military College Saint-Jean, and the 2nd Canadian Division. She participated in multiple international and domestic deployments, led NATO Mission Iraq and most recently held the position of Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture. General Carignan holds two master's degrees and has received several honours, including the Commander of the Order of Military Merit and an honorary doctorate. She was promoted to her current rank in July 2024.
Following today's ceremony, General Wayne Eyre will begin his transition to retirement following a career of more than 40 years of dedicated service to Canada. General Eyre joined the Army Cadets at age 12 and has had a prominent military career, including command roles at all levels and deployments in Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Korea. Educated at Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada, he holds a Bachelor of Science and three master's degrees. General Eyre has been the Chief of the Defence Staff since February 24, 2021, and has received numerous national and international decorations for his service.
