# Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)

The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS; French: Vice-chef d’état-major de la Défense) is the second most senior member of the Canadian Armed Forces, reporting to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) as well as the Deputy Minister of National Defence. The Directorate General Executive Coordination, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group and several other departments report to the VCDS, who is appointed by the CDS.

## Recent history

Vice-Admiral Mark Norman was temporarily relieved as VCDS on January 13, 2017, due to an ongoing investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. As a temporary replacement, Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd was appointed the duties of VCDS on an acting basis, and he was subsequently replaced by Lieutenant-General Alain Parent on May 30, 2017.
On July 16, 2018, Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. On July 9, 2019, Wynnyk announced his retirement after he claimed that the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance, planned to replace him as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff with Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Wynnyk then alleged that these plans were reversed when Vice-Admiral Norman settled with the government and retired from the military. Wynnyk was the fifth Vice Chief to serve under Vance.
On July 12, 2019, Lieutenant-General Jean-Marc Lanthier was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, effective July 18, 2019. On March 16, 2020, it was announced that Lanthier was retiring in the summer, to be replaced by Lieutenant-General Michael Rouleau.
In March 2021, it was announced that Rouleau would be succeeded by Lieutenant-General Frances J. Allen, the first woman to hold the position. On June 28, 2021, she formally assumed the role of VCDS in a ceremony at National Defence Headquarters.

## Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff

| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Home Province | Defence branch | Appointed by | Ref. |
| 1 | Walsh, GeoffreyLieutenant-General Geoffrey Walsh (1909–1999) | 1964 | 1965 | 0–1 years | Ontario | Canadian Army | Miller, FrankFrank Miller | |
| 2 | Moncel, RobertLieutenant-General Robert Moncel (1917–2007) | 1965 | 1966 | 0–1 years | Quebec | Canadian Army | Miller, FrankFrank Miller | |
| 3 | Sharp, FrederickLieutenant-General Frederick Sharp (1915–1992) | 1966 | 1969 | 2–3 years | Saskatchewan | Royal Canadian Air Force | Allard, JeanJean Allard | |
| 4 | Dare, MichaelLieutenant-General Michael Dare (1917–1996) | September 1969 | 1972 | 2–3 years | Quebec | Canadian Army | Sharp, FrederickFrederick Sharp | |
| 5 | Hull, ChesterLieutenant-General Chester Hull (1919–2012) | 1972 | 1974 | 1–2 years | Ontario | Royal Canadian Air Force | Dextraze, JacquesJacques Dextraze | |
| 6 | Falls, RobertVice-Admiral Robert Falls (1924–2009) | 1974 | 1977 | 2–3 years | Ontario | Royal Canadian Navy | Dextraze, JacquesJacques Dextraze | |
| 7 | Withers, RamseyLieutenant-General Ramsey Withers (1930–2014) | 1977 | 1980 | 2–3 years | Ontario | Canadian Army | Falls, RobertRobert Falls | |
| 8 | Allan, JohnVice-Admiral John Allan (1928–2014) | 1980 | 1982 | 1–2 years | Ontario | Royal Canadian Navy | Withers, RamseyRamsey Withers | |
| 9 | Thériault, Gérard Charles ÉdouardLieutenant-General Gérard Charles Édouard Thériault (1932–1998) | 1982 | 1983 | 0–1 years | Quebec | Royal Canadian Air Force | Withers, RamseyRamsey Withers | |
| 10 | Mainguy, DanielVice-Admiral Daniel Mainguy (1930–2010) | 1983 | 1985 | 1–2 years | British Columbia | Royal Canadian Navy | Thériault, GérardGérard Charles Édouard Thériault | |
| 11 | Vance, JackLieutenant-General Jack Vance (1933–2013) | 1985 | 1988 | 2–3 years | Ontario | Canadian Army | Thériault, GérardGérard Charles Édouard Thériault | |
| 12 | Chastelain, JohnLieutenant-General John de Chastelain (born 1937) | 1988 | 1989 | 0–1 years | Romania | Canadian Army | Manson, PaulPaul Manson | |
| 13 | Thomas, CharlesVice-Admiral Charles Thomas (born 1936) | 1989 | 11 May 1991 | 1–2 years | British Columbia | Royal Canadian Navy | Manson, PaulPaul Manson | |
| 14 | Sutherland, FredLieutenant-General Fred Sutherland (born 1942) | 1991 | 1992 | 0–1 years | Nova Scotia | Royal Canadian Air Force | Chastelain, JohnJohn de Chastelain | |
| 15 | Anderson, JohnVice-Admiral John Anderson (born 1941) | 1992 | 1993 | 0–1 years | British Columbia | Royal Canadian Navy | Chastelain, JohnJohn de Chastelain | |
| 16 | O'Donnell, PatrickLieutenant-General Patrick O'Donnell (1940–2015) | 1993 | 1995 | 1–2 years | Ontario | Canadian Army | Anderson, JohnJohn Anderson | |
| 17 | Murray, LarryVice-Admiral Larry Murray (born 1947) | 1995 | 1997 | 1–2 years | Ontario | Royal Canadian Navy | Chastelain, JohnJohn de Chastelain | |
| 18 | Garnett, GaryVice-Admiral Gary Garnett | 1997 | 2001 | 3–4 years | British Columbia | Royal Canadian Navy | Baril, MauriceMaurice Baril | |
| 19 | Macdonald, GeorgeLieutenant-General George Macdonald | 2001 | 2004 | 2–3 years | . | Royal Canadian Air Force | Henault, RayRaymond Henault | |
| 20 | Buck, RonaldVice-Admiral Ronald Buck | 2004 | 2006 | 1–2 years | Quebec | Royal Canadian Navy | Henault, RayRaymond Henault | |
| 21 | Natynczyk, WalterLieutenant-General Walter Natynczyk (born 1957) | 28 June 2006 | 15 June 2008 | 1 year, 353 days | Manitoba | Canadian Army | Hillier, RickRick Hillier | |
| 22 | Rouleau, DenisVice-Admiral Denis Rouleau | 15 June 2008 | 25 July 2010 | 2 years, 40 days | Quebec | Royal Canadian Navy | Hillier, RickRick Hillier | |
| 23 | Donaldson, BruceVice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson | 26 July 2010 | 11 September 2013 | 3 years, 47 days | . | Royal Canadian Navy | Natynczyk, WalterWalter Natynczyk | |
| 24 | Thibault, GuyLieutenant-General Guy Thibault | 11 September 2013 | 5 August 2016 | 2 years, 329 days | Quebec | Canadian Army | Lawson, ThomasThomas Lawson | |
| 25 | Norman, MarkVice-Admiral Mark Norman (born 1964) | 5 August 2016 | 13 January 2017 | 161 days | Ontario | Royal Canadian Navy | Vance, JonathanJonathan Vance | |
| - | Lloyd, RonVice-Admiral Ron Lloyd (born 1963) Acting | 13 January 2017 | 30 May 2017 | 137 days | . | Royal Canadian Navy | . | . |
| - | Parent, AlainLieutenant-General Alain Parent Acting | 30 May 2017 | 16 July 2018 | 1 year, 47 days | . | Royal Canadian Air Force | . | . |
| 26 | Wynnyk, PaulLieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk (born 1964) | 16 July 2018 | 9 July 2019 | 358 days | Alberta | Canadian Army | Vance, JonathanJonathan Vance | |
| 27 | Lanthier, Jean-MarcLieutenant-General Jean-Marc Lanthier | 18 July 2019 | 15 July 2020 | 363 days | . | Canadian Army | Vance, JonathanJonathan Vance | |
| 28 | Rouleau, MichaelLieutenant-General Michael Rouleau (born 1967) | 15 July 2020 | 14 June 2021 | 334 days | . | Canadian Special Operations Forces Command | Vance, JonathanJonathan Vance | |
| 29 | Allen, FrancesLieutenant-General Frances J. Allen | 28 June 2021 | 1 August 2024 | 3 years, 260 days | . | Royal Canadian Air Force | Eyre, WayneWayne Eyre (acting) | |
| 30 | Kelsey, StephenLieutenant-General Stephen Kelsey | 1 August 2024 | Incumbent | 226 days | . | Canadian Army | Carignan, JennieJennie Carignan | |