Frances J. Allen
AllegianceCanada
Service/branchRoyal Canadian Air Force [lower-alpha 1]
Years of service1983–present
RankLieutenant-General
Unit764 Communications Squadron
76 Communications Group
Commands heldVice Chief of the Defence Staff
Joint Force Cyber Component
Canadian Forces Information Operations Group
Canadian Forces Network Operations Centre
National Systems Management Centre Ottawa
AwardsCommander of the Order of Military Merit
Canadian Forces' Decoration

Lieutenant-General Frances Jennifer Allen, CMM, CD is a senior officer serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force. On June 28, 2021, she assumed office as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, becoming the first woman to hold the position.[1][2]

Military career

Allen's prior roles included serving as the Canadian military's director general for cyberspace, the National Defence Headquarters director general for information management operations, the joint force cyber component commander, and deputy Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.[3][4]

In July 2020, Allen was appointed as Canada's military representative at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Allen was considered a contender to become Chief of the Defence Staff after the departure of General Jonathan Vance in January 2021, but that position was given to Admiral Art McDonald.[5]

On March 9, 2021, it was announced that Allen would succeed Lieutenant-General Michael Rouleau as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, making her the first woman to serve in that role.[5][3] Allen's appointment to the vice chief position came amidst increased public and political scrutiny of the senior leadership of the Canadian Armed Forces because of sexual misconduct investigations into the two previous chiefs of the Defence Staff (Vance and McDonald).[4]

Allen was appointed an Officer of the Order of Military Merit on 6 March 2017,[6] and advanced to a Commander of the Order of Military Merit on 27 May 2019.[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known as Air Command until 2011

References

  1. ↑ "Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen becomes first woman appointed as Canadian military's vice-chief of defence staff". nationalpost. Retrieved 2021-04-09.
  2. ↑ "Lieutenant-General Allen assumes the role of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff". National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces. June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Stephenson, Mercedes; Cossette, Marc-André; Connolly, Amanda (March 8, 2021). "Canada getting first female vice chief of defence staff after military shake-up". Global News. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Brewster, Murray (March 9, 2021). "Canadian military gets its 1st female vice-chief of the defence staff in major shakeup". CBC News. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen becomes first woman appointed as Canadian military's vice-chief of defence staff". National Post. Canadian Press. March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Order of Military Merit List". The Governor General of Canada.
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