End of Academic Year Convocation and Graduation Ceremony at the Canadian Forces College
News Release
June 22, 2016 – Toronto, Ont. – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Guy Thibault, was the guest of honour at the annual Convocation and Graduation Ceremony, which was conducted yesterday at the Canadian Forces College (CFC) in North York, Ontario.
CFC prepares selected senior Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officers, international military, public service and private sector leaders, for joint command and staff appointments or future strategic responsibilities within a complex global security environment. CFC is part of the Canadian Defence Academy – the Military Personnel Generation (MILPERSGEN) Education Group, composed of CFC, Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC) and Royal Military College Saint-Jean.
Quotes
“As the Canadian Forces College continues to operate as our military preeminent war college, it is also emerging as an educational nexus point for all security-minded leadership of the Government of Canada’s public service. Today’s graduation marks the reward of individuals and the institution alike.”
Lieutenant-General Guy Thibault, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
“The Canadian Forces College is one of three Colleges within our personnel generation system that generate the leaders of today and tomorrow who are prepared to deliver both institutional and operational excellence. Today’s ceremony highlights yet again the fact that the Canadian Forces College staff has accomplished its mission to prepare its officers for joint command and staff appointments or future strategic responsibilities within our complex global security environment.”
Major-General Éric Tremblay, Commander of Military Personnel Generation
Quick Facts
- The college annually conducts two ten-month residency programmes. This ceremony honoured the graduation of the National Security Programme (NSP) with 31 executive-level students and the Joint Command and Staff Programme (JCSP) with 158-mid-career students mostly heading towards command and staff appointments. This number includes some JCSP students graduating from the Distance Learning serial.
- As well during this ceremony, the RMCC performed the convocation of a Master in Defence Studies (MDS) on 106 students, and a Master in Public Administration (MPA) on two students.
- JCSP prepares selected senior officers of the Defence Team for command and staff appointments wherever the CAF operates. Students are commonly at the rank level of Lieutenant-Commander/Major or Commander/Lieutenant-Colonel. CFC also delivers JSCP through Distance Learning.
- NSP is a 10-month residential program designed to prepare selected military, public service, international and private sector leaders for future strategic responsibilities within a complex and ambiguous global security environment.
- The Generalissimo José-Maria Morelos (Mexico) Award is awarded to each of the top graduates of the NSP and the JCSP who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and leadership in the attainment of the highest standards in the programs: Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan (NSP); and Lieutenant-Colonel Todd A. Murphy (JCSP) were this year’s recipients.
- Four graduates of the NSP have been promoted to the General and Flag Officer level. Commodore Angus Topshee (Navy) is posted to NORAD Headquarters in Colorado Springs, USA; Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan (Army) is posted to the Canadian Army Headquarters in Ottawa; Brigadier-General Allan Benson (Army) is posted to ADM (Materiel) at National Defence Headquarters, working out of Gatineau, Quebec; and Brigadier Adnan Alqudah of the Jordanian Armed Forces will be returning home for a future assignment.
- As a graduate of the National Security Programme (NSP), Brigadier-General Jennie Carignan took multiple honours. She was awarded the Generalissimo José-Maria Morelos (Mexico) Award as the top military graduate of the NSP. As well, she was selected by her peers “as having contributed most to the overall success of the program” and was awarded the Sethi Inukshuk Award.
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Associated Links
Contacts
Captain Jon O’Connor
CFC Public Affairs
Phone: 416-482-6800 x 6543
Email: publicaffairs@cfc.dnd.ca
Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
Toll-Free: 1-866-377-0811
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca
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