OTTAWA-The Department of National Defence recently announced the appointment of Lt.-Gen. Jocelyn Paul as the commander of the Canadian Army. Paul is the first Indigenous person to lead the Canadian Army, He began the role as commander of the Canadian Army and chief of the Army staff on June 16.

Jocelyn (Joe) Paul, from the community of Wendake, Que., is a member of the Huron-Wedat First Nation.

Brigadier-General Paul's interest in a military career was sparked at a young age by his cousin who was serving in the Forces, and by his parents who saw the benefits of joining. "My parents knew that the [Forces] was a great career opportunity and they were very encouraging in my decision to serve."

In 1988, he took the plunge and joined the Reserve Force as an Infantry Soldier while completing a bachelor's degree. He then transferred to the Regular Forces in 1991 while finishing a master's program. He's held a number of notable positions in the army, including commander of the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force and chief of staff in Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. He served in Croatia in 1993-1994 as a platoon leader, and in 2009 as a battle group commander in Kandahar. He has recently served in Israel for Operation PROTEUS.

"I never planned to make it to the rank of Brigadier-General and I never thought that one day I would be involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process," said Paul.

Brigadier-General Paul is an Infantry Officer and a member of the Royal 22nd Regiment. He says that the challenge of leading men and women in difficult situations is what pushed him towards pursuing that trade. His favourite part of the job is, "interacting with people and leading the best soldiers in the world." He also finds globetrotting and having a positive impact on hard-hit communities and people's lives to be very rewarding experiences.

In his spare time, he enjoys travelling with his family, as well as boating, hunting, and fishing. He also likes to read about military, Canadian, and Aboriginal history.

"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to command the Canadian Army and lead the organization to the future and to support culture change within the Canadian Army and the Canadian Armed Forces. From the Baltic to the Black Sea, our NATO Allies recognize the tradition of excellence of the Canadian Armed Forces and of the Canadian Army, and all of this is only made possible by those who wear the uniform," says Paul. "As the most senior ranking Indigenous member of the Canadian Armed Forces, I am equally excited about the opportunity to be the Indigenous Champion for the Canadian Armed Forces, and look forward to fostering a more inclusive and diverse Defence Team for our members who have chosen the profession of arms and to serve their country."