Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Wayne Eyre will retire this summer after 40 years of service, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday.
“I had the honor of serving our country as Chief of the Defense Staff at a pivotal time in our history, when we faced ongoing crises and challenges and the unwavering support of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF),” he announced to General Wayne Eyre.
General Eyre was appointed chief of the Army in November 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic – a time when the military was called upon to help in hospitals – and has participated in both domestic, natural disaster and overseas operations , especially with the doubling of the military contingent present in Latvia.
Under his leadership, the Army continued to try to improve the situation after numerous sexual scandals among troops were uncovered over the decades. Several senior officials have also had to resign from their posts in recent years to defend themselves against allegations.
Professional soldier
After attending military college in Ontario and British Columbia, Gen. Eyre held leadership or deputy leadership positions, the Prime Minister's Office said in a news release.
In addition to four U.S. tours, he was deployed to Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia and twice to Afghanistan.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to General Eyre for his commitment and service to our country and wish him success in all his endeavors,” said Bill Blair, Secretary of Defense. National Defense
In 2018, he became the first non-American deputy commander of the United Nations Command in Korea and the highest-ranking Canadian officer ever permanently assigned to the Indo-Pacific region.
At home, General Eyre has held command of various disaster relief operations, including the military response to the wildfires in Saskatchewan in 2015 and the Fort McMurray evacuation in 2016. He was appointed commander of the Canadian Army in 2019 and promoted to the rank of general in 2021.
“I thank General Eyre for his continued service to Canada as Chief of Defense Staff and throughout his distinguished military career. […] I wish him the best of luck in his projects,” said Justin Trudeau.