Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance is calling it quits as the head of Canada’s military.
Vance announced the decision and said he has notified the government that he will relinquish command “in the months to come. ”Until I relinquish command, I will continue to serve you and Canadians with the same energy and effort I always have,” Vance said in the statement.
“In the meantime remember, you mean everything to Canada, you are more important to the success of Global news is reporting that the decision comes after the Liberal government declined to nominate Vance for the position of chairman of the Military Committee of NATO, which is the alliance’s top military officer, sources say.
READ MORE: Canada ‘very fortunate’ to have Vance as defence chief, minister says
Vance has been chief of defence staff since July 2015, when he was appointed by former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government shortly before that fall election.
During his time in the office, he has been responsible for the military response to the fight against ISIS as well as Operation Honour, which was formed in response to a damning report that found an endemic culture of sexual misconduct throughout the Canadian military.
He has also overseen efforts to recruit more women and LGBTQ2 Canadians into the military, as well as the military’s response to the government’s 2017 defence policy review and its as yet unsuccessful attempts to procure a new fleet of military fighter jets.
But his leadership has also faced criticism at times, including questions on his handling of the high-profile court case against his former colleague, retired Vice. Adm. Mark Norman.
Norman had been charged with breach of trust but the case was dropped in 2018.
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