Woman becomes chief of defense staff in Canada

OTTAWA: The prime minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has appointed Lt Gen Jennie Carignan as the chief of the defense staff.

This is for the first time in the history of Canada that a woman has been posted to the top position of the armed forces.

Gen Carignan will take charge of the office on July 18, said the prime minister’s office in its website.

According to the prime minister office, Carignan became the first woman in CAF history to command a combat arms unit in 2008. She deployed to Afghanistan the following year, and also served in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Syria.

“From 2019 to 2020, she led NATO Mission Iraq, helping to strengthen Iraqi security institutions and forces to fight terrorism and stabilize the country,” it added.