Australia appoints woman to lead its army for the first time

SYDNEY: Australia on Monday said a woman would lead its army for the first time in history, as part of a reshuffle of ​the country’s defense force leadership.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief ‌of joint capabilities, will become chief of army in July, the government said in a statement. She will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.

Coyle’s appointment comes as Australia’s military seeks to ​boost the number of female officers in its ranks. It ​faces a wave of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination.

“From ⁠July, we will have the first ever female chief of army ​in the Australian Army’s 125-year history,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a ​statement.

Defense Minister Richard Marles called Coyle’s appointment a “deeply historic moment.”

“As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see,” he said.

“Susan’s achievement will be deeply significant ​to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and ​women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future.”

Coyle, ‌55, ⁠enlisted in the military in 1987 and has held a number of senior command roles. She will be the first woman to lead any service branch of the military, Marles said.

Women currently make up around 21% of ​the Australian Defense ​Force (ADF) and 18.5% ⁠of senior leadership roles. The ADF has set a target of 25% of overall participation for women by 2030.

Last October, ​a class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF alleging ​it failed ⁠to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.

The government on Monday also appointed Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current chief ⁠of ​the navy, as the head of the ADF, succeeding ​Admiral David Johnston.

The current deputy chief of the Navy, Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley, will replace Hammond as ​head of the branch.