General Jennie Carignan enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1986. She obtained a degree in Fuels and Materials Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and was commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1990.
Lieutenant-General Carignan’s command appointments include Commanding Officer, 5 Combat Engineer Regiment, Commandant of the Task Force Kandahar Engineer Regiment, Commandant of the Royal Military College Saint-Jean and Commander of the 2nd Canadian Division/Joint Task Force (East).
Serving in a variety of staff assignments over the course of her career, Lieutenant-General Carignan held the position of Chief Engineer for the Multinational Division South-West in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and was an instructor at the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College. More recently, she held the positions of Chief of Staff at the 4th Canadian Division and Chief of Staff of Army Operations at the Canadian Army Headquarters. Her overseas assignments include deployments to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Golan Heights, and Afghanistan.
Lieutenant-General Carignan is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and the School of Advanced Military Studies, where she earned a master's degree in Military Arts and Science. In 2016, she graduated from the National Security Studies Programme and was awarded the Generalissimo José-Maria Morelos Award as the top military graduate of the course. As well, she was selected by her peers as having demonstrated exemplary officership qualities and contributed the most to the overall success of the course, and was thus awarded the Kanwal Sethi Inukshuk award.
Lieutenant-General Carignan holds a master’s degree in business administration from Université Laval. She is the recipient of the Order of Military Merit and the Meritorious Service Medal. She has also received the Lieutenant-General Hans Schlup Award for excellence in international relations as well as being ranked amongst Canada's 2011 top 100 most powerful women. Brigadier-General Carignan recently received an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from Université Laval, as well as the prestigious Gloire de l'Escolle medal, which recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves professionally and in service to their communities.
Lieutenant-General Carignan took command of NATO Mission Iraq in mid-November 2019. She was promoted to her current rank in April of 2021 and appointed as Chief of Professional Conduct and Culture, a newly created position in the CAF.
Gen Carignan was promoted to her current rank in July 2024 and appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff. She is married and has four children, two of whom proudly serve in the Canadian Armed Forces.
18 Jul 24