• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

GOFO Musical Chairs... LGen Frances Allen to be first female VCDS / LGen Rouleau shuffled

brihard said:
Hopefully he's still there in six months.
Click to expand...
scheming homer simpson GIF
 
reveng said:
LGen Allen is probably the best thing for the CAF right now. She's an intelligent officer with some unique insights into the future of warfare (Ok, that warfare is here - today) Maybe she's not a pilot, never been a BWK, or had her head sticking out of a hatch in some god forsaken place. And maybe that's exactly why she is the right choice.

A consummate professional. Until I'm proven wrong - glad to see the LGen get the nod.
Click to expand...

So "no operational experience" now = "best choice to lead a nation's Armed Forces. I'll respectfully say I'm on the complete opposite side of the fence on this one.
 
Kilted said:
I'm guessing that he wasn't replaced in order to move into the CDS position. I will make another guess that this might have been planned awhile ago, however, I would have thought that they might of held off in till next year because of Macdonald. I'm not sure if the CDS and VCDS have ever been replaced this close together, other then the normal flow of promotions. I wonder if anything has come to light about him. From the sound of things, in the civi world, he could probably make a human rights complaint, because based on the available information, it appears that he lost his job based on his gender.
Click to expand...

Flip side; maybe he was asked and said "ummmm...I'll pass"; didn't want CDS, but not quite ready to retire/step over to the "after the CAF job".
 
Eye In The Sky said:
So "no operational experience" now = "best choice to lead a nation's Armed Forces. I'll respectfully say I'm on the complete opposite side of the fence on this one.
Click to expand...
VCDS does not lead the CAF. VCDS manages. Knowledge and background in the management of the Force is what the VCDS requires (together with similarly knowledgeable and experienced subordinates).
 
Great; then explain the choice of the now-previous VCDS...he strikes me more of the 'operator' side?
 
Eye In The Sky said:
So "no operational experience" now = "best choice to lead a nation's Armed Forces. I'll respectfully say I'm on the complete opposite side of the fence on this one.
Click to expand...

No operational experience in the classic 'trigger pulling' sense? I doubt that's a big impediment to doing a good job.

Being smart. Now there's a pre-qualification I can get behind! :)
 
Eye In The Sky said:
Great; then explain the choice of the now-previous VCDS...he strikes me more of the 'operator' side?
Click to expand...
CANSOF does a significant amount of in-house development and in-house management, generally on more rapid turnaround times than the institutional CAF; they are "special" in many ways. Bringing someone from there to try to accelerate CAF transformation makes sense. Now dedicating them to that task (and not having to worry about Junior Canadian Rangers, the Departmental Security Program, and the million and one other things the VCDS is responsible for) frees up time to focus on transforming the force.
 
Sounds like she’s one of our top people in the cyber domain and has done a lot in that realm on her way up. I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into a lack of shiny objects on her shirt if that’s the world she came up in. I get the sense that that’s been an institutional expertise gap, and one that Canada is well served by having represented that close to the top.
 
brihard said:
Sounds like she’s one of our top people in the cyber domain and has done a lot in that realm on her way up. I wouldn’t necessarily read too much into a lack of shiny objects on her shirt if that’s the world she came up in. I get the sense that that’s been an institutional expertise gap, and one that Canada is well served by having represented that close to the top.
Click to expand...
I can't find much information on her, but it appears that the only medals she has are the Order of Military Merit (I'm not sure which grade) and the CD. You would have thought that someone who reached Lt Gen would have at least received a jubilee medal or managed to spend 30 days somewhere. The Order of Military Merit is an achievement in its self, but how many GO/FO are there who don't have it?
 
dapaterson said:
CANSOF does a significant amount of in-house development and in-house management, generally on more rapid turnaround times than the institutional CAF; they are "special" in many ways. Bringing someone from there to try to accelerate CAF transformation makes sense. Now dedicating them to that task (and not having to worry about Junior Canadian Rangers, the Departmental Security Program, and the million and one other things the VCDS is responsible for) frees up time to focus on transforming the force.
Click to expand...
There are some really interesting support line opportunities over there; high tempo stuff but really interesting stuff where they run it from requirement developments at the way to procurement.

Really hoping General Rouleau is able to do that kind of work; was really impressed by him. Also seems like a good sneaky squirrel tactic to go to ground and get out of the spotlight during the ongoing inquisition.

Getting a good cyber capability in place makes a lot of sense (jinxing it again!) so cautiously optimistic this is a good thing.
 
daftandbarmy said:
No operational experience in the classic 'trigger pulling' sense? I doubt that's a big impediment to doing a good job.

Being smart. Now there's a pre-qualification I can get behind! :)
Click to expand...

My reply was more of a "generally (ha!) speaking" one, not directed at the VCDS (solely).

I also understand (vaguely) that the VCDS is the 2 I/C, so to speak...and has to "act as the CDS" in certain times/circumstances. I think that individual should have relevant operational experience.

Certainly, being smart / intelligent is crucial...but being smart can't make up for inability to relate to the 'warfighter'...stuff. [That's my oar-puller perspective...]
 
Kilted said:
I can't find much information on her, but it appears that the only medals she has are the Order of Military Merit (I'm not sure which grade) and the CD. You would have thought that someone who reached Lt Gen would have at least received a jubilee medal or managed to spend 30 days somewhere. The Order of Military Merit is an achievement in its self, but how many GO/FO are there who don't have it?
Click to expand...

I've been going off of this; I had no knowledge of the VCDS prior to this week/story either. What mainly jumped out at me was the EA to the VCDS and Dep VCDS positions.

www.nato.int

Frances J. Allen, Military Representative of Canada to NATO

www.nato.int www.nato.int

* I hope someone takes a minute to show the VCDS where the Command Badge properly goes...:cool:
 
Eye In The Sky said:
My reply was more of a "generally (ha!) speaking" one, not directed at the VCDS (solely).

I also understand (vaguely) that the VCDS is the 2 I/C, so to speak...and has to "act as the CDS" in certain times/circumstances. I think that individual should have relevant operational experience.

Certainly, being smart / intelligent is crucial...but being smart can't make up for inability to relate to the 'warfighter'...stuff. [That's my oar-puller perspective...]
Click to expand...

At that level, there are advisors to advise on warfighting stuff. The more important aspect is being a credible (the definition of credible changes with time - I would argue today credible at least partly means not having big skeletons in the closet) and being able to think strategically and politically. An Air Force CDS probably doesn't know much about Army ops and probably manages (some arguably better than others - that's true with every element) to do the job regardless.
 
Last edited:
SupersonicMax said:
Why do yo


At that level, there are advisors to advise on warfighting stuff. The more important aspect is being a credible (the definition of credible changes with time - I would argue today credible at least partly means not having big skeletons in the closet) and being able to think strategically and politically. An Air Force CDS probably doesn't know much about Army ops and probably manages (some arguably better than others - that's true with every element) to do the job regardless.
Click to expand...
Ummmmmmmm...............what?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top