The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS; french: Vice-chef d’état-major de la Défense) is the second most senior member of the

Canadian Armed Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...

, reporting to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) as well as the Deputy Minister of

National Defence National security, or national defence, is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as p ...

. The Directorate General Executive Coordination, the

Canadian Forces Provost Marshal The Canadian Forces provost marshal (CFPM; french: links=no, Grand Prévôt des Forces canadiennes) is an advisor to the chief of the defence staff on policing matters. He or she is an active member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Po ...

, the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group and several other departments report to the VCDS, who is appointed by the CDS.

Recent history

Vice-Admiral Mark Norman was temporarily relieved as VCDS on January 13, 2017, due to an ongoing investigation by the

Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...

. As a temporary replacement, Vice-Admiral

Ron Lloyd Vice-Admiral (Canada), Vice-Admiral Maurice Frank Ronald "Ron" Lloyd is a retired Royal Canadian Navy officer who became the 35th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy on 23 June 2016. Naval career Educated at Royal Roads Military College, Lloyd j ...

was appointed the duties of VCDS on an acting basis, and he was subsequently replaced by Lieutenant-General

Alain Parent Lieutenant General J. Alain J. Parent is a retired senior Royal Canadian Air Force officer, who served as acting Vice Chief of the Defence Staff from May 2017 until his retirement in June 2018. Military career Parent joined the Canadian Forces ...

on May 30, 2017. On July 16, 2018, Lieutenant-General

Paul Wynnyk Lieutenant General Paul Francis Wynnyk, (born June 29, 1964) is a former Canadian Army officer who served from 2016 to 2018 as Commander of the Canadian Army. On July 16, 2018, he was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, until his resignation a ...

was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. On July 9, 2019, Wynnyk announced his retirement after he claimed that the Chief of the Defence Staff, General

Jonathan Vance General Jonathan Holbert Vance (born January 3, 1964) is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as a general in the Canadian Army. Vance was the chief of the Defence Staff from 2015 to 2021. In July 2021, Vance was charged with one cou ...

, planned to replace him as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff with Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Wynnyk then alleged that these plans were reversed when Vice-Admiral Norman settled with the government and retired from the military. Wynnyk was the fifth Vice Chief to serve under Vance. On July 12, 2019, Lieutenant-General Jean-Marc Lanthier was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, effective July 18, 2019. On March 16, 2020, it was announced that Lanthier was retiring in the summer, to be replaced by Lieutenant-General

Michael Rouleau Michael Norman Rouleau (born July 4, 1967) is a Canadian Forces officer serving as a lieutenant-general in the Canadian Army. He was the vice chief of the Defence Staff from July 15, 2020 until June 14, 2021. Education Rouleau obtained a Bach ...

. In March 2021, it was announced that Rouleau would be succeeded by Lieutenant-General Frances J. Allen, the first woman to hold the position. On June 28, 2021, she formally assumed the role of VCDS in a ceremony at National Defence Headquarters.

Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vice Chief of the Defence Staff Canadian Armed Forces Canadian military personnel Military appointments of Canada

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...