Switching it up

DND has announced a new slate of senior appointments and promotions:

The following promotions and appointments for Regular Force senior officers will take place in 2010:

• Vice-Admiral A.B. Donaldson will be appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) in Ottawa, replacing Vice-Admiral J.A.D. Rouleau;


• Vice-Admiral J.A.D. Rouleau will be appointed Canadian military representative to the NATO in Brussels, replacing Lt.-Gen. C.J.R. Davis, who will be retiring;


• Maj.-Gen. P.J. Devlin will be promoted to Lt.-Gen. and appointed Chief of the Land Staff at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Lt.-Gen. A.B. Leslie whose next appointment will be announced at a later date;


• Maj.-Gen. W. Semianiw will be promoted to Lt.-Gen. and appointed Commander Canada Command in Ottawa, replacing Vice-Admiral A.B. Donaldson;


• Maj.-Gen. S.A. Beare will be appointed Deputy Commander – NATO Training Mission- Afghanistan (NTM-A) International Security Assistance Force HQ in Afghanistan, replacing Maj.-Gen. M.J. Ward;


• Rear Admiral N.S. Greenwood will be appointed Commander Joint Task Force Pacific and Commander Maritime Forces Pacific in Esquimalt, replacing Rear Admiral T.H.W. Pile, who will be retiring;


• Maj.-Gen. J.M.M. Hainse will be appointed Deputy Director General International Security Policy at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore D.C. Gardam;


• Rear Admiral P.A. Maddison will be appointed Assistant Chief of the Maritime Staff at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Rear Admiral N.S. Greenwood;


• Maj.-Gen. M.J. Ward will be appointed Commander Canadian Defence Academy in Kingston, replacing Maj.-Gen. J.P.Y.D. Gosselin;


• Commodore D.C. Gardam will be promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed Commander Joint Task Force Atlantic and Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic in Halifax, replacing Rear Admiral P.A. Maddison;


• Commodore R.W. Greenwood will be promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed commander Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (Washington), replacing Maj.-Gen. D.W. Langton, who will be retiring;


• Brig.-Gen. J.R.M.G. Laroche will be promoted to Maj.-Gen. and appointed Commander Land Force Doctrine and Training System Headquarters in Kingston, replacing Maj.-Gen. J.M.M. Hainse;


• Commodore M.F.R. Lloyd will be promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed Chief of Force Development at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Maj.-Gen. S.A. Beare;


• Brig.-Gen. J.A.J. Parent will be promoted to Maj.-Gen. and appointed Deputy Commander Canadian Expeditionary Forces Command at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Maj.-Gen. P.J. Devlin;


• Brig.-Gen. J.M.C. Rousseau will be promoted to Maj.-Gen. and appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Maj.-Gen. M.G. MacDonald, who will be retiring;


• Commodore A.M. Smith will be promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed Chief of Military Personnel at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Maj.-Gen. W. Semianiw;


• Brig.-Gen. R.V. Blanchette will be appointed Director General Assistant Deputy Minister (Public Affairs) at NDHQ Ottawa;


• Brig.-Gen. S. Bowes will be appointed Commander Land Force Atlantic Area Halifax, replacing Brig.-Gen. A.T. Stack;


• Brig.-Gen. J.A.G. Champagne will be appointed Deputy Commander Canada Command Headquarters in Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.P.P.J. Lacroix, who will be retiring;
  
• Commodore J.E.T.P. Ellis will be appointed Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific in Esquimalt, replacing Commodore M.F.R. Lloyd;


• Commodore P.T.E. Finn will be appointed Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore R.W. Greenwood;


• Commodore L.M. Hickey will be appointed Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic in Halifax, replacing Commodore M.A.G. Norman;


• Brig.-Gen. H.F. Jaeger will be appointed Director General Reserves and Cadets at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore J.R. MacIsaac, who will be retiring;


• Brig.-Gen. M.P. Jorgensen will be appointed Deputy J5, Joint Force Command (JFC) HQ Brunssum, the Netherlands;


• A/Brig.-Gen. C.R. King will be promoted to Brig.-Gen and appointed Director General Operations, Strategic Joint Staff at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. R.V. Blanchette;


• Brig.-Gen. J.C. Madower will be appointed Assistant Chief Military Personnel at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore A.M. Smith;


• Brig.-Gen. E.N. Matern will be appointed Chief of Staff (Operations) Canadian Expeditionary Forces Command in Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.A.J. Parent;


• A/Brig.-Gen. J.B.D. Menard was promoted to Brig.-Gen. and will be appointed Commander Land Force Quebec Area in Montreal, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.R.M.G. Laroche;


• Brig.-Gen. D.B. Millar will be appointed Director of Operations, Defence/International Security, Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat at the Pricy Council Office in Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.M.C. Rousseau;


• Brig.-Gen. D.G. Neasmith will be appointed to the Combined Security Transition Command Assistant Commanding General for Afghan national army development in Afghanistan, replacing Brig.-Gen. P.F. Wynnyk;


• Commodore M.A.G. Norman will be appointed Director General Maritime Force Development at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore J.E.T.P. Ellis;


• Acting Brig.-Gen. J.G.E. Tremblay was promoted to Brig.-Gen. and remains as Deputy Commanding General (US) I Corps in Fort Lewis, Washington;


• Brig.-Gen. J.H. Vance will be appointed Director General Land Capability Development at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.R.A. Tremblay;


• Brig.-Gen. J.Y.R.A. Viens will be appointed Director General Military Careers at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.C. Madower;


• Brig.-Gen. C.T. Whitecross will be appointed International Security Assistance Force Deputy Chief of Staff Communication in Afghanistan;


• Commodore K.E. Williams will be appointed Commander Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (London, England), replacing Maj.-Gen. J.D.A. Hincke, who will be retiring;
  
• Brig.-Gen. P.F. Wynnyk will be appointed Commander Land Force Western Area in Edmonton, replacing Brig.-Gen. M.P. Jorgensen;


• Capt. (Navy) M.S. Adamson will be promoted to Commodore and appointed Project Manager Canadian Surface Combatant at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore P.T.E. Finn;


• Capt. (Navy) B.W. Belliveau will be promoted to Commodore (acting while so employed) and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff Operations Maritime Component Command (MCC) in Northwood, United Kingdom;


• Col. J.C. Coates will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed Deputy Commander CONUS NORAD in Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.Y.R.A.Viens;
  
• Col. K.A. Corbould will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. (acting while so employed) and appointed Deputy Commander 10 Mountain Division HQ in Afghanistan;


• Col. M.D. Day was promoted to Brig.-Gen. (acting while so employed) and remains Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command in Ottawa;


• Col. J.J.R.G. Hamel will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed Commander Joint Task Force North in Yellowknife, replacing Brig.-Gen. D.B. Millar;


• Col. M.J. Hood will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed Director General Air Force Development at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. D.A. Davies, who will be retiring;


• Col. J.C.G. Juneau will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. (acting while so employed) and appointed Deputy Commanding General XVIII Airborne Corps in Fort Bragg, California, replacing Brig.-Gen. E.N. Matern;


• Col. F.A. Lewis will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed Commander Land Force Central Area in Toronto, replacing Brig.-Gen. J.G.J.C. Collin;


• Col. D.J. Milner will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. (acting while so employed) and appointed Commander Joint Task Force in Afghanistan replacing Brig.-Gen. J.B.D. Menard;


• Col. L.N. Russell will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed Director General Air Personnel at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. T.F.J. Leversedge, who will be retiring;


• Capt. (Navy) D.L. Sing will be promoted Commodore (acting while so employed) and appointed Director General Naval Personnel at NDHQ Ottawa, replacing Commodore L.M. Hickey;


• Col. J.P.J. St-Amand was promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed J5 Director Strategic Plans in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) HQ, Mons Casteau, Belgium; and


• Col. C.C Thurrott will be promoted to Brig.-Gen. and appointed Deputy Commander and Chief of Operations and Plans Canadian Operations Support Command in Ottawa, replacing Brig.-Gen. C.T. Whitecross.

After distinguished service to the CF and Canada, the following senior officers will complete their careers and retire from the CF Regular Force in 2010:

• Lt.-Gen. C.J.R. Davis;


• Maj.-Gen. J.D.A. Hincke;


• Maj.-Gen. D.W. Langton;


• Maj.-Gen. M.G. MacDonald;


• Rear Admiral T.H.W. Pile;


• Brig.-Gen. D.A. Davies;


• Brig.-Gen. D.C Kettle;


• Brig.-Gen. J.P.P.J. Lacroix;


• Brig.-Gen. T.F.J. Leversedge;


• Brig.-Gen. J.J. Selbie;


• Brig.-Gen. C.S. Sullivan; and


• Brig.-Gen. K.W. Watkin.

I'm sure there are some whose significance I'll miss here, but a few of these appointments jump off the page to me:

• Rouleau goes to NATO after such a short stint as VCDS. As you'll recall, he was promoted very quickly - kind of came out of nowhere - to get to the VCDS slot in the first place. I don't know if this new appointment is further grooming, or if it's shuffling him off.


• Leslie leaves the CLS post and Devlin takes over. Leslie leaving is no surprise to me - I've been hearing rumblings since Natynczyk took over from Hillier, and Gauthier left CEFCOM. What's interesting is that, like Gauthier, they haven't announced what they're going to do with him. The scuttlebutt I've heard is that he's still interested in serving in uniform, but significant army LGen slots are rather scarce. I don't like situations like this where a senior officer is left in limbo - it reflects unfavourably on all involved. Leslie's an undeniably smart officer, but the last time I saw him, he came across as tired - not physically, but mentally and emotionally - and a little bitter. I hope he finds a position where his considerable talents can be of use, and he can find some energy and enthusiasm again. Sometimes a change is as good as a rest. Having said all that, I've heard nothing but good things about Devlin.


• Semianiw going to Canada Command is an interesting one. Everything I've heard about this guy is that he's a top-notch organizer. And from what I've heard, Canada Command continues to need one.


• As an Ex-Cadet, I'm overly interested in Ward's move: from NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A) International Security Assistance Force HQ in Afghanistan to Commander Canadian Defence Academy in Kingston. Foreign training to domestic training. The CF has so much operational experience in its ranks now, and it's good to see that experience being used to train the new cadre of leaders.


• I'll defer just this once to David Pugliese on the Blanchette appointment - see the link at the bottom of this post. Actually, I will say one thing: you could put an eight-foot-tall 56-star general with ribbons and bows and garland all over his dashing uniform into Public Affairs right now, and if he has no experienced PAffOs in his branch and no authority from the civilian political and bureaucratic leadership to get the CF's story out, that individual's rank doesn't matter one iota. The only way this appointment means a damned thing is if a BGen can get results where a full colonel never could. Otherwise, it's just another slot on a mostly-ignored org chart at NDHQ. The one thing I will give Blanchette is that he's coming from the Strategic Joint Staff at NDHQ, which means he's likely very familiar with the corridors of power in Ottawa. Hopefully that background in back-room skullduggery will enable him to procure the operating space so desperately needed by PA right now. But I ain't holding my breath.


• Coates' promotion from Col to BGen is unsurprising but welcome. His reputation is as a no-nonsense flyer, a leader by example, a guy who's all about getting the job done whichever way he can. I met him briefly in Afghanistan, where he was commanding the Air Wing at the time, and got the impression of a very serious individual. Going to Deputy Commander CONUS NORAD in Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida is not an insignificant appointment, and suggests to me he's being groomed for higher rank. Of course, 'the best laid plans of mice and men' and all that.

On a related note, I saw David Pugliese's piece on the senior appointments and promotions and had a good chuckle. I don't always see eye-to-eye with Pugliese, but that post of his is right on the money.

There are a whole pile of reasons DND Public Affairs is so ineffective right now. Some of it is their own fault, and some of it is the result of monumentally short-sighted and petty controls put on them by the civil service bureaucracy and the Ottawa political machinery. But no matter what the reasons, I'm with Pugliese on this one: the quality of the public product continues to drop (I can't speak to the internal advice they're giving, which is another less visible component of their work).