Mishall RehmanAbove images courtesy of CAF.
The Canadian Army is set to welcome its 52nd commander this week. LGen. Jocelyn Paul will pass the torch to LGen. Michael C. Wright as the new commander of the Canadian Army in a change of command ceremony on July 12.
The ceremony will be held at the Salaberry Armoury in Gatineau, QC, and will be presided over by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre.
Paving the Way for Many
LGen. Paul will retire from the military after an illustrious 36-year career. Most notably, during the course of his career, LGen. Paul paved the way as the first indigenous person to serve as Commander of the Canadian Army.
He began his career in 1988 when he joined as a reservist and infantry officer. He served with Régiment du Saguenay and Régiment de Maisonneuve.
He then joined the Regular Force in 1991 and served in the 3rd Battalion Royal 22e Régiment.
According to his official Department of National Defence (DND) bio, over the course of his career, he deployed to:
- Croatia in 1993,
- Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, in 2009, and
- Jerusalem under Task Force Jerusalem (Operation PROTEUS).
Other notable stints of Paul’s career include:
- serving in the Privy Council in 2015
- Serving as Chief of Staff (COS), Canadian Forces Intelligence Command in 2017.
- Commanding 4th Canadian Division and Joint Task Force Central in 2018
- Serving as Director General International Security Policy in 2019.
- Serving as Deputy Commander Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy, in 2021.
LGen. Paul is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross and the United States Legion of Merit Award for his service as Deputy of the US Security Coordinator (USSC) in Jerusalem, according to DND.
He has been serving as the Commander of the Canadian Army since 2022.
The 52nd commander of the CA
Stepping in LGen. Paul’s footsteps will be LGen. Michael Wright. Wright is currently the Commander Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Chief of Defence Intelligence and has served in the military for 34 years.
LGen. Wright joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1990 and joined the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) in 1994. Over the next three decades he would go on to serve in all three Canadian Mechanized Brigade Groups and deployed on operations with all three Regular Force infantry regiments, according to the military.
He has deployed to Bosnia, Afghanistan, and the Middle East and served on domestic operations supporting the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2011 Manitoba floods.
From May 2020 to May 2021, he commanded Joint Task Force Impact and Task Force Central, the CAF missions to enhance stability in the Middle East, according to DND.
He is a recipient of the Medal of Military Valour and the Meritorious Service Medal as a rifle company commander serving with the First Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group in Kandahar Province in 2006-07.
About Chief of the Army Staff
Although LGen. Wright steps into his role as the 52nd person to command the Canadian Army, he is the 8th Chief of the Army Staff and Commander of the Canadian Army. The position of Chief of the Army Staff and Commander of the Canadian Army was created in 2011 and was previously only known as Chief of the Land Staff.
Edited July 12, 2024 regarding About Chief of the Army Staff information.
