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Commander of the Canadian Army

(Redirected from General Officer Commanding the Forces (Canada))

The Commander of the Canadian Army (French: commandant de l'Armée canadienne) is the institutional head of the Canadian Army. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Army Staff (French: chef de l'état-major de l'Armée) and is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario.

Commander of the Canadian Army
Chief of the Army Staff
Commandant de l'Armée canadienne
Chef d'état-major de l'Armée
Incumbent
Lieutenant-General Michael Wright
since 13 July 2024
 Canadian Army
TypeArmy commander
AbbreviationCCA
Member ofArmed Forces Council
Army Staff
Reports toChief of the Defence Staff
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
PrecursorChief of the Land Staff
Formation1875 (as General Officer Commanding the Militia)
2011 (as Commander of the Army)
First holderSir E.S. Smyth (as General Officer Commanding the Militia)
Peter Devlin (as Commander of the Army)
DeputyDeputy Commander of the Canadian Army
WebsiteOfficial website

History of the position

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Prior to 1904, militia forces in Canada were commanded by senior British Army officers appointed as General Officer Commanding the Canadian Militia.[1] British regular forces in the Dominion had their own commander until the withdrawal of the last British garrison in 1906. From 1903 to 1904, the Canadian Militia embarked on a new period of modernization that included the creation of a new office of Chief of the General Staff. Between 1904 and 1964, eighteen officers held the position of Chief of the General Staff, with the last of these, Lieutenant General Geoffrey Walsh, having officially stood down the appointment on 31 August 1964 following the official integration of the three armed services into a single Canadian Armed Forces.[2]

Following the unification of Canada's military forces[3] in February 1968, the majority of Canada's land element was assigned to the newly created Force Mobile Command and the senior Canadian army officer was then known as Commander of Mobile Command from 1965 to 1993. The command was renamed Land Force Command, and its senior officer was known as Chief of the Land Staff from 1993 to 2011.[4] Land Force Command was officially re-designated as the Canadian Army in 2011, at which time the appointment was also renamed Commander of the Canadian Army to reflect this.[5]

Appointees

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Flag of the Chief of the General Staff

The following table lists all those who have held the post of Commander of the Canadian Army or its preceding positions. Ranks and honours are as at the completion of their tenure:[6]

No. Portrait Name Took office Left office Time in office
General Officer Commanding the Canadian Militia
1Smyth, E.Lieutenant-General
Sir Edward Selby Smyth
(1819–1896)		187518804–5 years
2Luard, R.Major-General
Richard Luard
(1827–1891)		188018843–4 years
3Middleton, F.Major-General
Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton
(1825–1898)		188418905–6 years
4Treowen, I.Major-General
Ivor Herbert
(1851–1933)		189018954–5 years
5Gascoigne, W.Major-General
Sir William Gascoigne
(1844–1926)		189518982–3 years
6Hutton, E.Major-General
Sir Edward Hutton
(1848–1923)		189819001–2 years
7Haly, R.Major-General
Richard O'Grady Haly
(1841–1911)		190019021–2 years
8Dundonald, D.Major-General
The Rt Hon. Earl of Dundonald
(1852–1935)		190219041–2 years
Chief of the General Staff
1Lake, P.H.N.Major-General
Sir Percy Lake
(1855–1940)		190419083–4 years
2Otter, W.D.Major-General
Sir William Otter
(1843–1929)		190819101–2 years
3Mackenzie, C. J.Major-General
Sir Colin Mackenzie
(1861–1956)		191019132–3 years
4Gwatkin, W.G.Major-General
Sir Willoughby Gwatkin
(1859–1925)		191319205–6 years
5MacBrien, J. H.Major-General
Sir James MacBrien
(1878–1938)		192019276–7 years
6Thacker, H. C.Major-General
Herbert Cyril Thacker
(1870–1953)		192719291–2 years
7McNaughton, A. G. L.Major-General
Andrew McNaughton
(1887–1966)		192919355–6 years
8Ashton, E. C.Major-General
Ernest Charles Ashton
(1873–1957)		193519382–3 years
9Anderson, T. V.Major-General
Thomas Victor Anderson
(1881–1972)		193819401–2 years
10Crerar, H. D. G.Major-General
Harry Crerar
(1888–1965)		194019410–1 years
11Stuart, K.Lieutenant-General
Kenneth Stuart
(1891–1945)		194119431–2 years
12Murchie, J. C.Lieutenant-General
John Carl Murchie
(1895–1966)		194419450–1 years
13Foulkes, C.Lieutenant-General
Charles Foulkes
(1903–1969)		194519515–6 years
14Simonds, G. G.Lieutenant-General
Guy Simonds
(1903–1974)		195119553–4 years
15Graham, H. D.Lieutenant-General
Howard Graham
(1898–1986)		195519582–3 years
16Clark, S. F.Lieutenant-General
Samuel Findlay Clark
(1909–1998)		195819612–3 years
17Walsh, G.Lieutenant-General
Geoffrey Walsh
(1909–1999)		196119642–3 years
Commander of Mobile Command
1Allard, J. V.Lieutenant-General
Jean Victor Allard
(1913–1996)		196519660–1 years
2Anderson, W.Lieutenant-General
William Anderson
(1915–2000)		196619692–3 years
3Turcot, G.Lieutenant-General
Gilles Turcot
(1917–2010)		196919722–3 years
4Milroy, W.Lieutenant-General
William A. Milroy
(1920–2006)		197219730–1 years
5Waters, S.Lieutenant-General
Stanley Waters
(1920–1991)		197319751–2 years
6Chouinard, J.Lieutenant-General
Jacques Chouinard
(1922–2008)		197519771–2 years
7Paradis, J. J.Lieutenant-General
Jean Jacques Paradis
(1928–2007)		197719813–4 years
8Belzile, C. H.Lieutenant-General
Charles H. Belzile
(1933–2016)		198119864–5 years
9Fox, J.Lieutenant-General
Jim Fox		198619892–3 years
10Foster, K.Lieutenant-General
Kent Foster
(born 1938)		198919911–2 years
11Gervais, J.Lieutenant-General
Jim Gervais
(born 1938)		199119931–2 years
Chief of the Land Staff
1Reay, G.Lieutenant-General
Gord Reay
(1943–2000)		1993September 19962–3 years
2Baril, M.Lieutenant-General
Maurice Baril
(born 1943)		September 1996September 19971 year
3Leach, W.Lieutenant-General
William Leach
(1942–2015)		September 1997August 20002 years, 11 months
4Jeffery, M.Lieutenant-General
Mike Jeffery		August 2000May 20032 years, 9 months
5Hillier, R.Lieutenant-General
Rick Hillier
(born 1955)		May 20034 February 20051 year, 9 months
6Caron, M.Lieutenant-General
Marc Caron
(born 1954)		4 February 2005June 20061 year, 3 months
7Leslie, A.Lieutenant-General
Andrew Leslie
(born 1957)		June 2006June 20104 years
8Devlin, P.Lieutenant-General
Peter Devlin		June 201021 July 20111 year, 1 month
Commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of the Army Staff
1Devlin, P.Lieutenant-General
Peter Devlin		21 July 2011July 20131 year, 11 months
2Hainse, M.Lieutenant-General
Marquis Hainse
(born 1964)		July 2013January 20162 years, 6 months
3Wynnyk, P.Lieutenant-General
Paul Wynnyk
(born 1964)		January 201616 July 20182 years, 6 months
4Lanthier, J.Lieutenant-General
Jean-Marc Lanthier		16 July 201820 August 20191 year, 1 month
5Eyre, W.Lieutenant General
Wayne Eyre		20 August 201916 June 20222 years, 9 months
6Paul, J.Lieutenant-General
Jocelyn Paul		16 June 202213 July 20242 years, 4 months
7Wright, M. C.Lieutenant-General
Michael Wright		13 July 2024Incumbent3 months

See also

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References

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  1. ^ British Strategic Withdrawal from the Western Hemisphere, 1904–1906 Archived 2012-07-20 at archive.today University of Toronto Press
  2. ^ "Lieutenant-General Geoffrey Walsh". Army cadet history. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  3. ^ Integration and Unification of the Canadian Forces Archived January 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Chasing the Silver Bullet: the Evolution of Capability Development in the Canadian Army by Major Andrew B. Godefroy CD, Page 59
  5. ^ Canadian Navy, Air Force 'Royal' Again With Official Name Change Huffington Post, 15 August 2011
  6. ^ "List of commanders of the Army". Government of Canada. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
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