March 2020 - Commander Canadian Army - LGen Wayne Eyre, MSC, CD

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Biography

  • Appointed 20 August 2019, 35 years of service
  • Experience as an embedded senior leader with the United Nations, NATO and the US Army’s prestigious XVIII Airborne Corps
  • Commanded forces in Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and South Korea
  • First non-American Deputy Commander of the United Nations Command in South Korea
  • Was a key contributor of the human resources portions of the defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged.

Mandate

  • As part of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Army force generates land capabilities for the achievement of Canadian defence objectives across the full spectrum of operations
  • Work alongside whole-of-government, whole-of-nation colleagues, non-governmental agencies and international partners
  • Commander Canadian Army is the Departmental Champion for Indigenous Peoples. The Army promotes engagement with Indigenous communities through a variety of programs, such as summer programs for Indigenous youth

Key facts

The Army consists of:

  • 23,000 Regular Force
  • 19,000 Army Reserve
  • 5,200 Canadian Rangers
  • 3,300 Civilians

Budget:

  • $935M Operating Budget (Fiscal Year 19-20)

Allocation of Capital Project Funding:

  • $17.8B for Army equipment projects over the next 20 years (managed by ADM (Materiel)

Primary location(s):

  • 11 Army Bases and 169 Armouries in 117 communities across Canada
  • 185 Ranger patrols in over 200 remote communities
  • 1150 personnel currently (31 July 2019) on expeditionary operations (Eastern Europe, Africa, Iraq/Kuwait, etc.)

Key Partners

Internal:

  • Vice Chief of Defence Staff
  • Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Airforce
  • Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
  • Strategic Joint Staff
  • Canadian Joint Operations Command
  • Chief Military Personnel
  • Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure and Environment)
  • Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)
  • Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance)
  • Assistant Deputy Minister (Science and Technology) Defence Research and Development Canada

External:

  • North Atlantic Treaty Organization
  • US, Australian, British, and New Zealand Armies
  • Public Safety
  • Veterans Affairs Canada
  • Law enforcement (federal, provincial, municipal)
  • Local communities (through bases and Reserve units); service clubs Post Secondary Institutions

Top issues for the Canadian Army

Posturing for Concurrency of Operations

  • Conduct a thorough review of the system we use to ensure committed elements of the Army are ready for domestic and international tasks
  • Maintain the level of training in basic warfighting skills across the Army
  • Reinforce the leadership skills of our emerging leaders with the skillsets that allow us to adapt to the ever-changing security environment

Strengthening the Army by Operationalizing the Army Reserve

  • Grow the Army Reserve by reducing hiring times from more than 90 days to less than 30 days
  • Continue to provide Full Time Summer Employment for the first four years of Army Reserve service (7,200 in 2018, projected 9,000 in 2019)
  • Continue to assign Army Reserve units enhanced roles to provide full time capabilities through part time service

Total Health of the Force

  • Develop soldiers’ resilience (physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and family health)
  • Take swift and judicious action to stamp out inappropriate behaviour
  • Promote diversity and integration, ensuring we optimize effectiveness and attract the best talent from across Canadian society
  • Raise awareness of the rich tradition experience, and contribution of our Indigenous Peoples

Managing Capability Gaps and Introducing New Capabilities

  • Work with stakeholders to deliver the Army’s portion of the Capital Program
    • 52 major projects to be implemented by 2025
  • Ensure interoperability of our capabilities with our key partners
  • Continue to adopt business analytics to enhance decision making

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