Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Gen. Jennie Carignan, is a candidate for a senior NATO command position, according to a report from the Ottawa Citizen. The report, published without a specific date, says Carignan is in the running for the role of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), a post based in Norfolk, Virginia.
The selection process involves a vote by NATO’s Military Committee, which is composed of the chiefs of defence of member nations. The committee’s recommendation would then go to NATO’s North Atlantic Council for final approval. The Ottawa Citizen did not specify when the vote would take place or when a decision might be announced.
Carignan became Canada’s first female chief of defence staff in July 2024. If selected, she would be the first Canadian to hold a top NATO military command since Gen. Ray Henault served as chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2005 to 2008.
The report notes that Canada has been pushing for greater representation in senior NATO leadership positions. The Canadian government has not officially confirmed Carignan’s candidacy, and no other candidates have been publicly named.
The NATO command position would be a major milestone for Canadian military leadership and alliance influence, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
Sources: Ottawa Citizen · Canadian Army Today · Canadian Army Today