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Australia’s Army leadership changeover has been marked in an official ceremony, welcoming Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the first woman to hold the position, into the role.
At a Canberra ceremony last Wednesday, outgoing Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart reflected on his tenure in the highest land forces position, noting that it has been the “privilege of a lifetime to have been an Australian soldier”.
“And I am grateful, indeed, for the privilege of having led and commanded our Army.”
LTGEN Stuart has more than three decades of experience in serving Australia and has commanded on operations in East Timor, Afghanistan, Egypt and Israel.
He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross and other foreign service awards.
“And I’m most grateful for the service of all those soldiers who wear our uniform today,” he said.
“I’m grateful for the way in which you have embraced our purpose, for building and maintaining trust.
“Trust in our teams, trust with our joint teammates, with our fellow Australians whom we exist to serve, trust with our government and trust with our allies and our partners.
“The story of the Australian Army, the story of 125 years of service, as a national institution, as a profession and as a fighting force.
“In short, I’m grateful for your devotion and endeavour every day, to create a future Army that is worthy of our past.”
LTGEN Coyle enters the leading Army position, making history as the first woman to hold the rank.
Across her decades-long career, she has commanded a multitude of operations in tactical and strategic environments. Most recently, she served as the chief of Joint Capabilities, leading the space, cyber, and national support operational domains.
In her first remarks, she looked ahead for the strategic and important position Australia’s Army is currently facing.
“As the next stewards, we have a clear purpose to ensure that our soldiers continue to be ready to fight tonight, tomorrow and together as part of the integrated force, with our allies and partners,” she said,
“Allied by design across all five domains. In our region, we are neighbours by geography but we are friends by choice.
“Together with the command teams throughout our Army, we will continue to focus on what is important – our people and warfighting.
“The Australian Army stands ready to defend our nation – as a national institution, as a profession and as a fighting force.”
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