Gen. Jennie Carignan makes history as Canada's newest chief of the defence staff

Gen. Jennie Carignan has officially taken command of the Canadian Armed Forces as chief of the defence staff, making her the first woman ever to be promoted to the role.

Carignan was also promoted to the rank of general during Thursday's change of command ceremony at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

She replaced Gen. Wayne Eyre, who is retiring after 40 years in uniform.

«It's momentous because it's going to give young women a hope for their own dreams to come true,» said Sandra Perron, Canada's first female infantry officer and a retired major.

Carignan has long been considered a trailblazer in the forces. She became the first Canadian woman to command a combat arms unit in 2008.

A combat engineer by profession, Carignan has been front and centre for some extraordinary global events during her three-decade career.

She commanded the NATO training mission in Iraq in 2020, led the Task Force Kandahar Engineer Regiment in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 and served in Bosnia in 2002, clearing explosive ordnance from farmers' fields.

Until recently, Carignan was in charge of transforming the military's culture in response to a sexual misconduct crisis that saw multiple senior leaders removed from some of the most prestigious military positions.

Her appointment comes as Canada marks 35 years since women were first allowed to serve in most military occupations.

Carignan takes over at a very difficult time for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), which is struggling to reverse a massive shortfall in personnel.

«The military is in a state of crisis today,» said Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute who studies military culture and personnel. «Right now, we have aging equipment and a lack of