General Officers and Flag Officers
General and Flag Officers (GOFOs) are senior leaders in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) at the rank of Brigadier-General/Commodore and above.
The Canadian Armed Forces’ requirement for GOFOs is driven by the need:
- to lead defence priorities at the institutional level;
- to create and sustain a diverse and inclusive culture; and
- for Canada to project leadership and influence abroad.
GOFOs work closely with senior Defence Team and other Government department executives, and our Allies and Partners to ensure Canada is strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world.
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How are GOFOs selected?
Service as a GOFO is a tremendous responsibility and an opportunity that is founded upon the trusted relationship with Canadians, the Government, and those within the Defence Team.
The following processes have been introduced for promotion to or within the GOFO cadre from amongst the best of those with the right character, aptitudes, competencies, and behaviours:
- Evidence-based assessments of character
- The appraisal of inclusive behaviours
- Due diligence verifications
More information on the promotion selection process.
The promotion of an officer to the rank of commodore/brigadier-general or to any higher rank requires the approval of the Minister of National Defence on the recommendation of the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).
The CDS approves the GOFO employment plan based on advice from Armed Forces Council Executive, which is comprised of all serving vice-admirals/lieutenant-generals.
How many GOFOs are there?
The number of GOFO positions fluctuates as priorities evolve to support institutional priorities and the objectives of the Government of Canada which often demand that the most senior and experienced CAF leaders be employed in key roles across a broad spectrum of international and domestic military positions.
Although we have seen an increased demand for CAF GOFOs to assume positions with our Allies and Partners, as well as with other Government departments, every position is scrutinized through the lens of span of control, expertise and the results (including national influence) it creates.
As of 20 September 2024, there are 145 permanent and temporary Regular Force and Primary Reserve positions in the GOFO establishment.
The Canadian Armed Forces is structured to have 631 Regular Force members per 1 GOFO, which makes us lighter at the top when compared to like-sized military forces of some of our closest Commonwealth Allies.
Diversity in the Canadian Armed Forces
The Department of National Defence is working to build a Defence Team that comprises members who reflect the rich diversity of Canada and who are recognized and encouraged to contribute through their unique experiences, abilities and perspectives. While we know that developing this diverse force starts at recruitment and continues with addressing issues associated with retention, the CAF continues to provide professional development and advancement opportunities to deserving women and members from other underrepresented communities at all ranks. We are committed to promoting diversity through professional development, and by providing leadership opportunities and merited promotions that better represent the rich diversity of Canada.
List of current GOFOs in the CAF (effective September 20, 2024)
| Rank | Rank Sort | Initials | Surname | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | 1 | M.A.J | Carignan | Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | S.R. | Kelsey | Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | J.P.R. | Prevost | Chief Professional Conduct and Culture |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | E.J. | Kenny | Commander Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | P.K. | Scott | Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command Naples |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | M.C. | Wright | Commander Canadian Army |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | J.M.S. | Boivin | Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | M.H.L. | Bourgon | Chief of Military Personnel and Commander Military Personnel Command |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | B.F. | Frawley | Deputy Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | S.J.R. | Whelan | Pending Formal Assignment |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | D.A. | Macaulay | Deputy Commander of United Nations Command in Korea |
| Vice-Admiral | 3 | A.I. | Topshee | Commander Royal Canadian Navy |
| Vice-Admiral | 3 | S.E.G. | Bishop | Military Representative of Canada to NATO |
| Major-General | 4 | P.S. | Dawe | Chief of Combat Systems Integration |
| Major-General | 4 | S.F. | Malcolm | Surgeon General |
| Major-General | 4 | E.D. | Simoneau | Deputy Commander Military Personnel Command and Assistant Chief of Military Personnel |
| Major-General | 4 | D.P. | O'Reilly | Commander Canadian Defence Academy |
| Major-General | 4 | M. | Gros-Jean | Chief of Staff Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment) |
| Major-General | 4 | J.R.S. | Boivin | Deputy Commander Canadian Army |
| Major-General | 4 | S.T. | Boyle | Deputy Commander Continental United States NORAD Region |
| Major-General | 4 | J.R. | Speiser-Blanchet | Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Major-General | 4 | D.E. | Molstad | Chief of Force Development |
| Major-General | 4 | J.D. | Smyth | Chief of Fighter Capability |
| Major-General | 4 | D.R. | Yarker | Commander Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command |
| Major-General | 4 | I.S. | Huddleston | Deputy Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Major-General | 4 | J.E.S. | Boucher | Chief of Staff Chief Professional Conduct and Culture |
| Major-General | 4 | J.A.S. | Bernard | Deputy Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Major-General | 4 | W. | Radiff | J3 North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) |
| Major-General | 4 | C.J. | Zimmer | Chief of Staff, Digital Transformation Office |
| Major-General | 4 | R.B. | Dundon | Chief of Staff (Material) |
| Major-General | 4 | G.R. | Smith | Director General International Security Policy |
| Major-General | 4 | M.H. | St-Louis | Defence Attaché, Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (Washington) |
| Major-General | 4 | J.A.D. | Abboud | Commander Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Chief of Defence Intelligence |
| Major-General | 4 | J.W. | Errington | Commander Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre |
| Major-General | 4 | D.J.A. | Goulet | Director for Commonwealth Integration, United States Defense Intelligence Agency |
| Major-General | 4 | S.J. | Hunter | Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command |
| Major-General | 4 | J.J. | Major | Director General Military Personnel - Strategic |
| Major-General | 4 | J.S. | Trudeau | Canadian Forces Provost Marshal |
| Major-General | 4 | C.A. | McKenna | Commander 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Major-General | 4 | R.T. | Ritchie | Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | M.A. | Hopper | Chief of Reserves |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | M.T.J. | Kurtz | Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | S.M. | Waddell | Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Navy |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | D.A. | Charlebois | Director General Future Ship Capability |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | L. | Carosielli | Chief of Staff - Chief Information Officer Group |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | S.M. | Thornton | Chief of Programme |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | C.A. | Robinson | Commander Maritime Forces Pacific |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | D.J. | Patchell | Vice Commander United States 2nd Fleet |
| Rear-Admiral | 5 | J.P. | Olivier | Director General Culture |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.G.P. | Lemyre | Commander 2nd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.F. | Holman | Judge Advocate General |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | S.M.M. | Godin | Director General Issues |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.N.M. | Parent | Director General Professional Conduct and Development |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.J.C. | Potvin | Deputy Director General Continental Defence Policy |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D. | Chafai | Deputy Commander 2nd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | C.J. | Horner | Commander 3 Canadian Space Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | T.M. | Arsenault | Chief of Staff for the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | B.S. | Cook | Director General Air and Space Force Development |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | C.I. | Oberwarth | Commander 4th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.D.S. | Masson | Director General Army Capability Development |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.G.L. | Belisle | Chaplain General |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | E.M.C. | Harvey | Director of Operations - Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat, Privy Council Office |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D.J.J. | Poitras | National Military Representative to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | L.S.J. | Cox | Director General Defence Security |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.D. | Hawthorne | Deputy Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans NORAD and United States Northern Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.T. | Strickland | Commandant Canadian Forces College |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | L.W. | Rutland | Commander 3rd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | S.G. | Graham | Director General Military Careers |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.P.P. | Godbout | Commandant Royal Military College |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | P.H.G.H. | Robichaud | Director General Capability and Structure Intregration |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | N.P. | Corriveau | Chief of Staff Canadian Special Operations Forces Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | L.J. | Girouard | J4, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | K.A. | Gallinger | Director General Military Personnel Support Services and Chief of Staff Operations |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | E. | Laforest | Assistant Chief of Staff J5, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.G. | Langelier | Director General External Review Implementation Secretariat |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D.C. | Moar | Alaskan NORAD Region Deputy Commander |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | M.J. | Stalker | Director Training (J7), Strategic Advisory Group - Ukraine |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | C.F. | Pruneau | Task Force Commander Operation PROTEUS |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D.S. | MacGregor | Deputy Commander Canadian Armed Forces Cyber Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | M.L. | Lapointe | Commander 1st Canadian Division Headquarters |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | S.A. | Connor | Chief of the Defence Staff Liaison Officer to the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.P.S. | McKenzie | Director General Support, Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.P. | Huet | Director General Operations, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.J. | Alexander | Commander 2 Canadian Air Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | K.E. | Osmond | Vice J5 United States Cyber Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.D.V. | Vass | Director General Operations - Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | S.M. | Parsons | Commander 5th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | C.L. | Robidoux | Director General Air Strategic Resources and Air Reserve |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.A. | Mackeen | Deputy Commanding General - Operations, XVIII Airborne Corps United States |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.P. | Bourque | Chief of Staff Canadian Forces Intelligence Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | N. | Pilon | Director General Strategic Effects and Readiness, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D.N. | Brais | Commander National Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | V.C. | Tattersall | Director General Compensation and Benefits |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | T.J. | Teller | Director General Intelligence and Plans |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.F. | Cauden | Multinational Division North, Deputy Commander Maneuvre |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | E.M. | Vandenberg | Director General Intelligence Enterprise |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | K.C. | Paul | Deputy Commanding General-Transformation, United States Space Force |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.G.S. | Tardif | Director General Army Reserve |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | G.M. | Bourque | Deputy Commander Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | T.N. | Balfe | Fighter Capability Special Advisor |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.D.C. | Schmidt | Deputy Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.M.Y.D. | Rivière | Commander Joint Task Force (North) |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.Q. | Deming | Director General Air and Space Readiness |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.M.F. | Robichaud | Director General Defence Enterprise Modernization |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.W. | MacDonald | Deputy Commander 5th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.W | Robinson | Deputy Commander 4th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.J. | Walker | Deputy Commander Force Generation, 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | P.J. | Doyle | Deputy Commander 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | C.A. | Forestier | Director General Clinical Services |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | W.S.F | Norquay | Director General Information Capabilities Force Development |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | T.A. | Morehen | Chief of Staff to the Chief of Defence Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D.L. | Taylor | Director General Aerospace Equipment Program Management |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | C.C. | Moyle | Director General Equipment Program Management |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | P.A. | Lockhart | Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Professional Conduct and Culture |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.E. | Landry | Chief of Staff I Corps (United States) |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | R.W. | McBride | Deputy Commanding General, Operations, 11th Airborne Division (United States) |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | D.R. | Parsons | Defence Attaché, Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (London) |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | S.D. | Bindon | Director General Reserve Force Strategic Initiatives |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | M.S. | Chenette | Commander Health Services Division |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | K.L. | Solomon | Military Representative - Canadian Military Colleges Review Board |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | S.T. | Hatton | United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Deputy J3 |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.M. | Valtonen | Chief of Staff Army Support |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | J.P. | Thibert | Director General Military Communications and Space Systems |
| Commodore | 7 | P.L. | Belhumeur | Commander Military Personnel Generation Group |
| Commodore | 7 | J.S. | Armstrong | Director General Naval Force Development |
| Commodore | 7 | M.D. | Bowen | Deputy J3 US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) |
| Commodore | 7 | K.W.A. | Monaghan | Director General Readiness, Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Commodore | 7 | J.J.L.D. | Bouchard | Commander Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group |
| Commodore | 7 | J.R.M. | Thibault | Project Manager, Canadian Surface Combatant Project |
| Commodore | 7 | K.H. | Coffen | Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management |
| Commodore | 7 | J.L. | Murray | Director General Plans, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Commodore | 7 | T.W. | Bonnar | Director General Human Capital Management Modernization - Military |
| Commodore | 7 | P.J. | Montgomery | Commander Naval Reserve |
| Commodore | 7 | S. | Sader | Director General Joint Integration and Operational Support |
| Commodore | 7 | M.B. | Mulkins | Reserve Special Advisor to the Royal Canadian Navy |
| Commodore | 7 | R.B. | Creighton | Chief Financial Management and Deputy Chief Financial Officer |
| Commodore | 7 | A.S. | Williams | Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Maritime Component Command |
| Commodore | 7 | M. | Coates | Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 |
| Commodore | 7 | J.F. | French | Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic |
| Commodore | 7 | D.E. | Mazur | Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific |
| Commodore | 7 | J.J. | Hutchinson | Director General Defence Force Planning |
| Commodore | 7 | M.S.J. | Lessard | Director General Naval Strategic Readiness |
| Major-General | 4 | K.D. | Brodie | Chief of Staff Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | H.S. | Morrison | Chief of Staff Army Operations |
| Brigadier-General | 6 | P.V. | Ursich | Deputy Commander 3rd Canadian Division |
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