The commander of the Canadian Army (french: commandant de l'Armée canadienne) is the institutional head of the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also res ...
. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Army Staff (french: links=no, chef de l'état-major de l'Armée) and is based at
National Defence Headquarters in
Ottawa,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
.
History of the position
Prior to 1904,
militia
A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...
forces in Canada were commanded by senior
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
officers appointed as General Officer Commanding the Canadian Militia. 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.
Following the
unification of Canada's military forces 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. 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.
Appointees
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:
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, General Officer Commanding the Canadian Militia
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Chief of the General Staff
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Commander of Mobile Command
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Chief of the Land Staff
, -style="text-align:center;"
!colspan=6, Commander of the Canadian Army and Chief of the Army Staff
See also
*
Chief of the Defence Staff, the second most senior member of the
Canadian Armed Forces after the
Commander-in-Chief
*
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy
The Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy ( French: ''Commandant de la Marine royale canadienne'') is the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Naval Staff and is based at National D ...
, institutional head of the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...
*
Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force
The Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force (French: ''commandant de l'Aviation royale canadienne'') is the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Air Force. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Air Force Staff and is based a ...
, institutional head of the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
References
External links
*
{{Chief of the army by country
Canadian Armed Forces
Military appointments of Canada
Army chiefs of staff
Commanders of the Canadian Army