Lieutenant-General Walter Natynczyk Assumes the Duties of Vice Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces

28 JUNE 2006 ­ OTTAWA - Lieutenant-General Walter Natynczyk officially became the new Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) at National Defence Headquarters. LGen Natynczyk was appointed by General Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff in a Change of Appointment ceremony held at the Government Conference Centre. He replaces Vice-Admiral Ron Buck, who is retiring after nearly 39 years in the Canadian Forces.

"Vice-Admiral Buck has had an exceptional career steering the Navy's course in various command appointments and more recently, as VCDS, in ensuring the Canadian Forces (CF) as a whole stayed on course," said General Rick Hillier. "I thank him whole-heartedly and I wish him all the best as he enters a well-deserved retirement."

In his comments about the incoming VCDS, General Hillier remarked, "Lieutenant-General Natynczyk's experience in operations and leading the CF Transformation, combined with his strategic vision, make him the right person to assume the expanded role of the VCDS and to help set the vision and priorities for the future of Canada¹s military."

The role of the VCDS is to coordinate and, when appropriate, direct the activity necessary to ensure departmental defence policy and strategic objectives are achieved. With the evolution and transformation of defence headquarters into a strategic centre, the drive for structural changes that enable an operational focus, provide effective and responsive decision support, and align authorities, responsibilities and accountabilities is paramount. The VCDS is responsible for ensuring that the CF produces strategically relevant military forces, while managing the implementation of defence objectives and the assignment of resources based on a single integrated long-term corporate resource plan.

Lt.-Gen. Natynczyk, a native of Winnipeg, joined the Canadian Forces in August 1975. He attended Royal Roads Military College and Collège Militaire Royal in St-Jean, Quebec, graduating with a Business Administration degree in 1979. Lt.-Gen. Natynczyk's accomplishments span several decades, including operational experience at various levels in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and with UNPROFOR HQ in Zagreb, Croatia. Key command appointments include Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Dragoons; Deputy Commanding General, III Corps; Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Corps (Iraq); and command of Land Force Doctrine and Training System in Canada. Most recently, he was Chief Transformation where he was responsible for implementation of the force restructuring and the enabling processes and policies.

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