Wayne Eyre
General Wayne Donald Eyre is a retired Canadian Forces officer who served as the chief of the Defence Staff 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 13. He spent his high school years in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Eyre attended Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College.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, after that, Deputy Commanding General of Operations for the United States Army's XVIII Airborne Corps in 2012, in which role he was deployed to Afghanistan. He was appointed General Officer Commanding 3rd Canadian Division and Joint Task Force West in 2014.
In May 2018, 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. He had previously been appointed as an officer of the American order while a brigadier-general in 2015 and, in 2020, was awarded an Oak Leaf Cluster 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.
Honours and decorations
Source:| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Order of Military Merit | ||
| Meritorious Service Cross | ||
| General Campaign Star | With Rotation Bar | |
| Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal | ||
| UN Forces in Cyprus | ||
| UN Protection Force | ||
| NATO Medal for Former Yugoslavia | ||
| Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal | ||
| Canadian Forces' Decoration | 2 Clasps 32 years of service in the Canadian Forces | |
| Alberta Centennial Medal | ||
| Queens Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal | Provincial | |
| Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr | Gold Cross From Germany | |
| Gugseon Security Medal | From South Korea | |
| Ordre National du Mérite | Degree of Commander From France | |
| Legion of Merit | Degree of Commander From United States of America | |
| 40 Years of Yugoslav People's Army Medal | ||
| Republic of Korea Service Medal |