Tribute to LGen Pennie

By Lieutenant-General Marc Dumais, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (formerly the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff).

As you are likely aware, Lieutenant-General Pennie has announced his retirement from the Canadian Force after nearly 39 years of dedicated service. His appointment as Chief of the Air Staff and Commander of Air Command came as a pleasant surprise, given that he was anticipating retirement following his term as Deputy Commander NORAD. While having achieved the pinnacle of Deputy Commander NORAD would certainly have been a significant achievement in its own right, the privilege of assuming the post of senior airman clearly was an offer that Lieutenant-General Pennie accepted with pride.

LGen Pennie and LCol Marty Cournoyer, CO NATO Flying Sqn 2, takes a few moments during an Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) flight over Germany to talk over some Canadian Forces issues.

Leadership and courage have definitely been the hallmarks of Lieutenant-General Pennie’s time in this command. The fact that he accepted this esteemed but demanding appointment is a testament to the character of this dedicated officer. His appointment as CAS was also unquestionably fortuitous for our Air Force, as Lieutenant-General Pennie arrived on the scene at a time when tough decisions needed to be made, and programs which were to say the least challenging, if not controversial, needed to be advanced.

Visionary in outlook, Lieutenant-General Pennie has repeatedly seized opportunities and championed transformational initiatives. Without question, his leadership and determination increased strategiclevel awareness of the Air Force’s situation and positioned the Air Force well to contribute to, and benefit from, the new CF vision and Defence Policy Statement.

Lieutenant-General Pennie deserves recognition for positioning the Air Force for an extremely optimistic future. As we set a heading towards the new vision, fuelled by the recent budget, we are indebted to him for his foresight and leadership. We wish him, Lise and Nicolas happiness and success in their future endeavours.