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 7 June, 2023 there are 138 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 December 7, 2023)
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| Rank | Rank Sort | Initials | Surname | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | S.J.R. | Whelan | Pending Formal Assignment |
| Major-General | 3 | P.S. | Dawe | Chief of Combat Systems Integration |
| Major-General | 3 | J.P.H.H. | Gosselin | Transition from the Canadian Armed Forces |
| General | 1 | W.D. | Eyre | Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | F.J. | Allen | Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Vice-Admiral | 2 | J.R. | Auchterlonie | Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Vice-Admiral | 2 | A.I. | Topshee | Commander Royal Canadian Navy |
| Vice-Admiral | 2 | S.E.G. | Bishop | Military Representative of Canada to NATO |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | M.A.J. | Carignan | Chief Professional Conduct and Culture |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | E.J. | Kenny | Commander Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | S.R. | Kelsey | Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command Naples |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | J.J.M.J | Paul | Commander Canadian Army |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | M.H.L. | Bourgon | Acting Chief of Military Personnel and Acting Commander Military Personnel Command |
| Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Chief of Staff Assistant Deputy Minister (Material) |
| Major-General | 3 | J.A.S. | Bernard | Chief of Staff Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.F. | Holman | Judge Advocate General |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.E. | Landry | Chief of Staff I Corps (United States) |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.M.M. | Godin | Director General Issues |
| Major-General | 3 | J.G.M. | Bilodeau | |
| Major-General | 3 | J.M.S. | Boivin | Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | C.F. | Sutherland | Deputy Commander Military Personnel Command and Assistant Chief of Military Personnel |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | D.A. | Charlebois | Director General Future Ship Capability |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | B.F. | Frawley | Deputy Commander North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) |
| vacant | vacant | vacant | vacant | Director General Financial Management |
| Major-General | 3 | M. | Gros-Jean | Chief of Staff Assistant Deputy Minister (Infrastructure & Environment) |
| Major-General | 3 | P.K. | Scott | Deputy Commander Canadian Army |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | L. | Carosielli | Chief of Staff Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management) |
| Major-General | 3 | S.T. | Boyle | Deputy Commander Continental United States NORAD Region |
| Major-General | 3 | J.R. | Speiser-Blanchet | Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Air Force |
| Major-General | 3 | P.J. | Peyton | Chief of Force Development |
| Major-General | 3 | I.S. | Huddleston | Commander 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Lieutenant-General | 2 | D.A. | Macaulay | Deputy Commander of United Nations Command in Korea |
| Major-General | 3 | S.Y. | Menard | Chief of Fighter Capability |
| Major-General | 3 | C.J.J. | Mialkowski | Deputy Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Major-General | 3 | R.L. | Simoneau | Chief of Staff Chief Professional Conduct and Culture |
| Major-General | 3 | J.P.R. | Prevost | Director of Staff Strategic Joint Staff |
| Major-General | 3 | D.E. | Molstad | Deputy Commander Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Major-General | 3 | G.R. | Smith | Director General International Security Policy |
| Major-General | 3 | R. | Pelletier | Commander Canadian Army Doctrine and Training Centre |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | S.M. | Waddell | Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Navy |
| Major-General | 3 | M.H. | St-Louis | Defence Attaché, Canadian Defence Liaison Staff (Washington) |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | C.A. | Robinson | Commander Maritime Forces Pacific |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | D.J. | Patchell | Vice Commander United States 2nd Fleet |
| Major-General | 3 | M.C. | Wright | Commander Canadian Forces Intelligence Command |
| Major-General | 3 | C.J. | Zimmer | Chief of Staff, Data Innovation and Analytics |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.T. | Ritchie | Chief of Staff for the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.J.C. | Potvin | Deputy Director General Continental Defence Policy |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D. | Chafai | Deputy Commander 2nd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | G.M. | Adamson | Commander 3 Canadian Space Division |
| Commodore | 4 | J.S. | Armstrong | Director General Naval Force Development |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | L.W. | Rutland | Chief of Staff Army Operations |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | P.F.A. | Demers | Director General Army Capability Development |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.G.L. | Belisle | Chaplain General |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.R.S. | Boivin | Director General Military Personnel Strategic |
| Major-General | 3 | J.E.S. | Boucher | Director General Culture Change |
| Commodore | 4 | M.D. | Bowen | Deputy J3 US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | T.A. | Morehen | TBD |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | K.D. | Brodie | Commander Military Personnel Generation Group |
| Commodore | 4 | K.H. | Coffen | Director General Maritime Equipment Program Management |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | F.G. | Carpentier | National Military Representative to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe |
| Commodore | 4 | K.W.A. | Monaghan | Director General readiness, Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D.P. | Conley | Privy Council Office Military Advisor |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.A. | Connor | Combined Air Operations Center Director, 609 Air Operations Center (December 2023 to June 2024) |
| Commodore | 4 | J.J.L.D. | Bouchard | Commander Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D.P.G.G. | Boucher | Director General Defence Security |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.M. | Parsons | Director General Digital Enterprise Modernization |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D.N. | Brais | Commander National Cadets and Junior rangers Support Group |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | B.S. | Cook | Chief of Staff to the Chief of Defense Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.G. | Deming | Director General Air and Space Readiness |
| Major-General | 3 | R.B. | Dundon | Chief of Staff (Material) |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.D. | Hawthorne | Deputy Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans NORAD and United States Northern Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | W.S.F | Norquay | Director General Information Capabilities Force Development |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.T. | Strickland | Commandant Canadian Forces College |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.G. | Graham | Commander 3rd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | K.A. | Gallinger | Director General Military Careers |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.P.P. | Godbout | Commandant Royal Military College |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.W | Robinson | Deputy Commander 4th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | P.J. | Doyle | Combined Air Operations Center Director, 609 Air Operations Center (June 2023 to December 2023) |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | P.H.G.H. | Robichaud | Director General Capability and Structure Intregration |
| Commodore | 4 | J.R.M. | Thibault | Project Manager, Canadian Surface Combatant Project |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | M.F.J. | Pelletier | Chief of Staff Canadian Special Operations Forces Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | C.M. | Harding | Assistant Chief of Staff J4, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | L.J. | Girouard | J4, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.J. | Hunter | Chief of Staff Operations, Chief of Military Personnel |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D.L. | Taylor | Director General Aerospace Equipment Program Management |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.J. | Walker | Deputy Commander Force Generation, 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | M.T.J. | Kurtz | Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | E. | Laforest | Assistant Chief of Staff J5, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.G. | Langelier | Director General External Review Implementation Secretariat |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D.C. | Moar | Alaskan NORAD Region Deputy Commander |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | M.J. | Stalker | Director Training (J7), Strategic Advisory Group - Ukraine |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | T.J. | Teller | Task Force Commander Operation PROTEUS |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | D.R. | Yarker | Director General Information Management Operations |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | M.L. | Lapointe | Commander 1st Canadian Division Headquarters |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | C.C. | Moyle | Director General Equipment Program Management |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.G.P. | Lemyre | Chief of the Defence Staff Liaison Officer to the Pentagon |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.A.D. | Abboud | Commander 2nd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.F. | Malcolm | Surgeon General |
| Commodore | 4 | D.E. | Mazur | Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | C.A. | McKenna | Director General Air and Space Force Development |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.P.S. | McKenzie | Director General Support, Canadian Joint Operations Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | C.I. | Oberwarth | Director General Operations, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | P.A. | Lockhart | Deputy Chief of Staff, Chef Professional Conduct and Culture |
| Commodore | 4 | J.P. | Olivier | Director General Professional Conduct and Development |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.J. | Alexander | Commander 2 Canadian Air Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | K.E. | Osmond | Vice J5 United States Cyber Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.D.C. | Schmidt | Deputy Commander Canadian Special Operations Forces Command |
| Commodore | 4 | J.L. | Murray | Director General Naval Strategic Readiness |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | T.M. | Arsenault | Director General Operations |
| TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | Director General Public Affairs |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.D.S. | Masson | Commander 5th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.J.L.N. | Pilon | Director General Defence Force Planning |
| Major-General | 3 | D.P. | O'Reilly | Commander Canadian Defence Academy |
| Major-General | 3 | W. | Radiff | J3 North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.P. | Thibert | Director General Air Strategic Resources and Air Reserve |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.P. | Huet | Deputy Commanding General – Operations, (United States) XVIII Airborne Corps |
| Commodore | 4 | T.J.C. | MacLean | Commander Canadian Fleet Atlantic |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.J. | Major | Commander 4th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.P. | Picard | Director General clinical Services |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.M.Y.D. | Riviere | Appointed commander Joint Task Force (North) |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.W. | Errington | Director General Plans, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.A.D. | Goulet | Chief of Staff Canadian Forces Intelligence Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.M.M. | Godin | Director General Issues |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.T. | Hatton | Deputy J3 United States Central Command |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.F. | Holman | Judge Advocate General of the Canadian Forces |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.D. | Smyth | Director General Strategic Effects and Readiness, Strategic Joint Staff |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | V.C. | Tattersall | Director General Compensation and Benefits |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.W. | MacDonald | Deputy Commander 5th Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | R.W. | McBride | Deputy Commanding General, Operations, 11th Airborne Division (United States) |
| Commodore | 4 | R.M. | Dagenais | Chief Financial Management/Dep CFO |
| Brigadier-Genera | 4 | J.D.V. | Vass | Director General Intelligence and Plans |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | S.M. | Thornton | Chief of Programme |
| Major-General | 3 | J.S. | Trudeau | Canadian Forces Provost Martial and Commander Canadian forces Military Police Group |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.F. | Cauden | Multinational Division North, Deputy Commander Maneuvre |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | E.M. | Vandenberg | Director General Intelligence Enterprise |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | K.C. | Paul | Deputy Commanding General-Transformation, United States Space Force |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | G.M. | Bourque | Deputy Commander 3rd Canadian Division |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.M. | Valtonen | Director General Army Reserve |
| Commodore | 4 | S. | Sader | director General Joint Integration and Operational Support |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | G.B. | Thomson | |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | J.G.S. | Tardif | TBD |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | S.D. | Bindon | Deputy Chief of Reserves and Employer Support |
| Commodore | 4 | P.J. | Montgomery | Commander Naval Reserve |
| Commodore | 4 | M.B. | Mulkins | Reserve Special Advisor to the Royal Canadian Navy |
| Rear-Admiral | 3 | M.A. | Hopper | Chief of Reserves |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | M.B. | Larsen | Deputy Director General Military Personnel Strategic and Director Strategic Development |
| Brigadier-General | 4 | T. | Balfe | Fighter Capability |
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