Woman becomes head of Canadian Armed Forces for the first time, previously served in BiH

(Patria) - A woman has become the supreme commander of the Canadian army for the first time.

General Jennie Carignan officially took command of the Canadian Armed Forces at a ceremony on Thursday at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Carignan is the first woman to head the army of a G20 or G7 country.

- This could create a model and a change in terms of what is possible for women. It is a big step forward - Carignan said, as reported by RSE.

Carignan was promoted to the rank of general during the change of command ceremony, after being selected by the Canadian government to become the first woman to lead the country's defense.

- You are the first woman to become Chief of the Defence Staff in Canada, the first in the G7 and G20. You are a role model for all Canadians and the world - Trudeau said during the ceremony.



In 2018, Trudeau appointed the first woman to head the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and his cabinet has been 50 percent women since he took office in 2015.

Carignan is no stranger to being first. She is also the first woman to command a combat unit in the Canadian army, and her career has included deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Syria.

For the past three years, she has been head of professional conduct and culture, a role created as a result of a 2021 sexual misconduct scandal.

Carignan said the promotion was a natural step, adding that she was grateful.

- I am ready for this. I have been working all this time - she added.

Her appointment comes at a time when Canada continues to face criticism from NATO allies for not spending two percent of its gross domestic product on defense.

The Canadian government recently stated that it will meet its NATO obligations by 2032.