Chief of the Defence Staff announces additional Canadian Armed Forces General and Flag Officer senior appointments, promotions, and retirements

July 7, 2017 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, is pleased to announce an update to the list of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) General and Flag Officer senior appointments, promotions, and retirements that will occur in 2017. These officers lead the CAF in defending our country’s values and interests, here at home and abroad. 

Promotions and appointments resulting from retirements are as follows:

• Major-General B.B. Cathcart will retire from service, resulting in the following promotion and appointment:
  • Captain (Navy) G. Bernatchez was promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Armed Forces by His Excellency the Governor General in Council, at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) in Ottawa, replacing Major-General B.B. Cathcart.
• Major-General T.L. Harris will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
  • Brigadier-General B.F. Frawley will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will be appointed Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Air Force, at NDHQ in Ottawa, replacing Major-General T.L. Harris.
  • Colonel K.G. Whale will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Director General Space, at NDHQ in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General B.F. Frawley.
• Brigadier-General D.A. Patterson will retire from service, resulting in the following promotions and appointments:
  • Brigadier-General L.A.B. de Sousa will be appointed Canadian Army Doctrine Training Centre Reserve Advisor, in Kingston, Ont., replacing Brigadier-General D.A. Patterson.
  • Colonel J.D.M. Robidoux was promoted to Brigadier-General and appointed Deputy Commander 2 Canadian Division, in Montreal, replacing Brigadier-General L.A.B. de Sousa.
• Brigadier-General S.A. Brennan will retire from service, resulting in the following promotion and appointment:
  • Colonel M. Misener will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed Commanding Officer Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU), at NDHQ in Ottawa, replacing Brigadier-General S.A. Brennan. The Commanding Officer of JPSU will become the Commander of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group once established.

The following promotions and appointments result from new and continuing service requirements:

• Major-General D.L.R. Wheeler will be appointed to a new position as Deputy Vice Chief of Defence Staff, at NDHQ in Ottawa.
• Brigadier-General acting while so employed M.C.D. Savard will be promoted substantive to the rank of Brigadier-General and will continue to serve in her current appointment as Director General Military Personnel Management Capability Transformation Project, at NDHQ in Ottawa.
• Brigadier-General acting while so employed S.M. Lacroix will be promoted substantive to the rank of Brigadier-General and will continue to serve in his current appointment as Director General Inter-American Defense Board, in Washington, D.C.
• Colonel J.P.R. Prevost will be promoted substantive to the rank of Brigadier-General and will be appointed as previously announced as Deputy Chief of Staff Plans, Canadian Joint Operations Command, in Ottawa.

After distinguished career to Canada and the CAF, the following General Officers and Flag Officers have retired or will retire in 2017:

• Major-General B.B. Cathcart
• Major-General T.L. Harris
• Brigadier-General S.A. Brennan
• Brigadier-General D.A. Patterson

Biographies of senior officers may be made available upon request by contacting Media Relations.