Wayne Eyre

General Wayne Donald Eyre (born ) is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as the chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) from 2021 to 2024. Eyre was named acting CDS on February 24, 2021, and appointed to the full position on November 25, 2021. He was also the commander of the Canadian Army and chief of the Army Staff.

Early life Eyre was born on a farm near Wadena, Saskatchewan, joining the Army Cadets at age 12. He spent his high school years in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Military career Eyre was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in 1988.

In 1993, Eyre, who was a captain at the time, was deployed to Croatia as part of the United Nations Protection Force. He took part in Operation Medak Pocket in which he commanded a reconnaissance platoon, which witnessed the aftermath of ethnic cleansing in the village of Lički Čitluk.

He became commanding officer of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in 2004. He went on to become commander of 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in 2009 and, Eyre became the first non-American to serve as deputy commander of the United Nations Command in South Korea. He was succeeded by Vice Admiral Stuart Mayer of the Royal Australian Navy in June 2019, and returned to Canada as Commander Military Personnel Command.

On July 12, 2019, it was announced Eyre would be appointed the Commander of the Canadian Army, effective from August 20.

Eyre was appointed acting Chief of the Defence Staff on February 24, 2021, following the stepping aside of Admiral Art McDonald pending an investigation by the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service. He was promoted to full general on August 13, 2021 and appointed as the official Chief of Defence Staff on November 25, 2021.

Eyre was made a Commander of the United States' Legion of Merit on April 24, 2021. in 2020, was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster (second award) to the Legion of Merit.

On March 15, 2022, Eyre, along with 313 other Canadians, was banned from entering Russia, in protest of the Government of Canada's opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On January 12, 2024, Eyre announced that he would step down from Chief of the Defence Staff in the summer. The change came into effect on July 18, ending his career in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Honours and decorations

Source:

Gold Cross