Photo Credit: WO Jerry Kean 5 Cdn Div PA
BGen Derek Macaulay takes command of 5th Canadian Division
By Lt Gregory Cutten,
5th Canadian Division Public Affairs
At the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site on May 1, 2017, select military commanders from across Canada and the United States gathered to witness the Change of Command for the 5th Canadian Division (5 Cdn Div) of the Canadian Army (CA). Under traditional Nova Scotian cloud and light rain, the Stadacona Band of the Royal Canadian Navy and a solo bagpiper from the Nova Scotia Highlanders welcomed the dignitaries and guests of honour with a martial flair that emphasized the location’s long-standing military and cultural significance to Canada.
LGen Paul F. Wynnyk, Commander of the CA, presided over the well-attended ceremony at which BGen Derek A. Macaulay accepted command of 5th Cdn Division from the out-going commander, MGen Carl J. Turenne, who was promoted during the proceedings.
LGen Wynnyk emphasized the importance of 5 Cdn Div to the larger CA. “The work and the training conducted by this division play an absolutely pivotal role in the ensuring that our soldiers remain strong, proud, and ready.”
BGen Macaulay comes to Atlantic Canada from Ottawa where he has been serving as the Chief of Staff Army Strategy since June 2016. Prior to that he deployed in April 2015 as the Chief of Staff, Coalition Joint Land Force Component Command in Iraq, Operation IMPACT, the CAF’s contribution to the Global Coalition to dismantle and ultimately defeat Daesh. He has also served in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
BGen Macaulay thanked his predecessor, and praised the professionalism of his new command, “The 5th Canadian Division soldiers stand ready to successfully achieve any mission or challenge that might be put in their way. They are the Mighty Maroon Machine and are proud to call Atlantic Canada home.”
A new challenge beckons for MGen Turenne who will be going to Ottawa to serve as the Deputy Commander of the Canadian Army.
During his time commanding 5 Can Div, MGen Carl J. Turenne‘s leadership benefited both 5 Cdn Div and the CA. Following his own motto of “words into actions,” he secured ballistic plates and night-vision goggles for the Primary Reserve units. He championed Operation HONOUR, which aims to end inappropriate sexual behaviour within the CAF. He initiated and led performance management direction which measures and interprets readiness – an initiative which he tested successfully in 5 Cdn Div and which is now being implemented throughout the CA. Finally, he strengthened ties with the Division’s Army National Guard counterparts in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts through coalition exercises in the Atlantic region which enhanced military inter-operability between the allied nations.
As a final flourish to the ceremony already steeped in Halifax military tradition, LGen Wynnyk, accompanied by MGen Turenne and BGen Macaulay, fired the noon gun from atop the Citadel’s walls, with the boom of the cannon signifying the beginning of a new era for Canada’s East Coast Army.
