Petawawa Post

Lieutenant-General Marc Lanthier assumed his new position as Commander of the Canadian Army from LGen Paul Wynnyk on July 16. The ceremony was presided over by General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff.

Before assuming command of the Canadian Army in 2016, LGen Wynnyk was the Commander of Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. He will now assume the duties of Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.

“It has been a privilege and an honour to serve as Commander Canadian Army, and to work alongside the exceptional and professional military men and women who serve and sacrifice to protect and defend our nation and its Allies,” said LGen Wynnyk. “I thank each and every one of our soldiers, our civilians and their families for what they do in support of Canada and all Canadians.”

LGen Lanthier has served in a variety of command and staff appointments, including command of the 2nd Canadian Division/Joint Task Force (East) and the Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre; as well as Director of Land Requirements, and most recently, as Chief of Programme. His numerous operational deployments include three to the former Yugoslavia, two to Afghanistan, one where he served as the Commanding Officer of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team, and one to Haiti where he was the Canadian Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Force.

Along with his current appointment as Commander Canadian Army, he will also become the new Defence Team Champion for Indigenous Peoples.

“I am extremely honoured to be provided with such an incredible opportunity to command the Canadian Army and lead its proud soldiers,” LGen Lanthier said. “I look forward to building on the hard work and success of Lieutenant-General Wynnyk to ensure the Canadian Army is poised to achieve excellence in all it does.”

The Canadian Army is the largest element of the Canadian Armed Forces and consists of full-time soldiers in the Regular Force, part-time, volunteer soldiers in the Reserve Force, Canadian Rangers who serve in sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada, and civilian employees who support the Army.

“I would like to congratulate LGen Wynnyk on his new role, and thank him for his commitment and strong leadership as Commander Canadian Army for the last two years,” said Gen Vance. “I applaud his efforts to strengthen the Army Reserve, and his dedication to ensuring our soldiers receive the best possible training to meet the demands of any operation. I would like to congratulate LGen Lanthier on his appointment as Commander Canadian Army, and I have every confidence in LGen Lanthier’s abilities to lead Canada’s Army into the future.”