Mishall RehmanAbove image: LGen Lise Bourgon, Acting Commander MILPERSCOM, was recently promoted to her current rank in a ceremony presided over by Gen. Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff.
LGen. Lise Bourgon, Acting Commander of Military Personnel Command, was promoted to her current rank in a ceremony held earlier this month.
The ceremony was presided over by Gen. Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff. LGen. Bourgon’s promotion was one of several key senior promotions and appointments of General and Flag Officers for 2023, announced by the CDS in April.
The Face of Change
In more than three decades of serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), LGen. Bourgon has demonstrated her trailblazing qualities.
She joined the CAF in 1987 under the ROTP training plan and was then chosen to attend Le College Militaire Royal de St-Jean. She graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
She then completed wings training in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in 1994.
Throughout her career, she has served with 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron, Directorate of Air Requirements, and 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron.
She has also served in many prominent positions, such as:
- NATO Liaison Officer at the NATO Air Headquarters in Ramstein, Germany, 12 Wing Commander in Shearwater, Nova Scotia,
- Joint Task Force Commander for OP IMPACT, and
- Director General Operations Strategic Joint Staff.
- She was also Chief of Staff, Operations at the Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC).
In May 2021, she was promoted to the rank of Major-General and appointed as Deputy Commander Military Personnel Command and Assistant Chief of Military Personnel.
Role as Acting Commander of MILPERSCOM
LGen. Bourgon took on her role as Acting Commander of MILPERSCOM in October 2021, at a time of immense cultural change within the CAF.
Military Personnel Command covers a breadth of areas tied to the human resources needs of the CAF. From training, education, recruitment to health, benefits and family support, Military Personnel Command plays a significant role in the lives of every CAF member.
During LGen. Bourgon’s time as Acting Commander, the CAF has undergone tremendous changes. A number of these changes, headed by the Acting Commander, include gender-neutral dress changes, supporting women in the CAF, and taking concrete steps to address sexual misconduct.
Aside from her position with MILPERSCOM, LGen. Bourgon is the Canadian Armed Forces Women, Peace, and Security champion.
