Changes of Command at the Top

Chief of Defence Staff

The new Chief of the Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier, received the standard of office from Her Excellency, the Governor General on February 4 in Ottawa before more than 700 guests and a guard of honour. Dignitaries present included Prime Minister Paul Martin, Defence Minister Bill Graham, Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams and the retiring CDS, Gen Henault who will assume his NATO military chairmanship in Brussels on 5 June.

Gen. Hillier joined the CF in Newfoundland in 1973 and graduated from Memorial University in 1975. His first regiment was 8^th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise’s) in Petawawa. He later commanded the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Canada and Germany. In 1998 Gen Hillier became the first Canadian appointed Deputy Commanding General of III Corps, US Army at Fort Hood, Texas. In 2000 he took command of NATO’s Stabilization Forces Multinational Division in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In May 2003 Gen Hillier was appointed Commander of the Army and subsequently that October, he became Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, Afghanistan. He returned last fall to continue as commander of the Canadian Army.

On assuming the top post, the new CDS said, "Change is necessary because the world has changed, the threats have changed, and the environment since 9/11 is dramatically different. In order to be relevant to what Canada needs we have to be prepared to respond to that environment and our challenge will be to give that response a vision and focus."

Army Commander

Lieutenant General Marc Caron took command of Canada’s Army February 3 during a change of command at Cartier Square Drill Hall, Ottawa. He succeeds General Rick Hillier, the new chief of the defence staff.

LGen Caron served as the Acting Chief of the Land Staff for most of 2004 while then LGen Hillier led NATO’s mission in Afghanistan. LGen Caron has served in Cyprus, Germany and Kosovo during his 34 years of service. He said he never could have imagined when he was a young platoon commander in the Royal 22e Regiment that one day he would be commanding the Army.

LGen Caron said that while Canada’s commitment to peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan has been scaled back recently, he promised that the operational tempo would pick up to a higher level of commitment by early next year.

Air Force Commander

Lieutenant General Steve Lucas will be appointed Chief of the Air Staff at National Defence Headquarters, replacing LGen Ken Pennie who will retire.

Major General Marc Dumais will be promoted lieutenant general and appointed as deputy chief of the defence staff, replacing Vice Admiral Greg Maddison who will retire.

Major General Angus Watt will be appointed assistant chief of the air staff, replacing MGen Marc Dumais. The above changes will take place this spring at ceremonies to be announced.

Chief Reserves and Cadets

Major General Herb Petgras was recently made Chief Reserves and Cadets. Prior to this, and at the request of the chief of the land staff, MGen Petras was appointed Director General Land Combat Development, making him the first reserve officer to fill this Regular Force position. His main role now is to provide credible advice and support to the CDS and to the Armed Forces Council on the employment of reservists. The Reserve focus also includes cadets and the junior ranger program.

Deputy US Army III Corps

Major General Walter Natynczk, once commanding officer of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, has been serving as the deputy commanding general of US Army’s III Corps Headquarters in Iraq. The corps, at 138,000 troops, is roughly seven times as large as the whole Canadian army. No Canadian general since World War II has commanded so many troops in a combat zone.

He is there with the approval of the Canadian government and supported by the CDS.

Until ordered to Iraq, III Corps was based at Fort Hood, Texas. It was responsible for North American defence, if such were needed, and traditionally, a Canadian general has been deputy commander, along with a US general, also a deputy commander.

The new CDS, Gen Rick Hillier, became the first Canadian deputy commanding general of III Corps in 1998.

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