Kathryn Toohey
{{short description|Australian general}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Kathryn Toohey
|image=
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|allegiance= Australia
|branch= Australian Army
|serviceyears= 1987–2023
|rank= Major General
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|commands= Force Integration Division
Head Land Capability
Director-General Integrated Capability Development
|battles= United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia
|awards= Member of the Order of Australia
Conspicuous Service Cross
|relations=
|laterwork= Deputy Electoral Commissioner, AEC (2016)
}}
Major General Kathryn Leslei Toohey, {{postnominals|country=AUS|size=100|sep=,|AM|CSC}} is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. She served as Head of Land Capability from 2017 to 2019,{{cite web |url=https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/leaders/major-general-kathryn-toohey-csc | title= Head Land Capability: Major General Kathryn Toohey, CSC |date=18 April 2017 |accessdate=3 June 2017 |publisher=Australian Army}} and Head Force Integration Division within the Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group from June 2019 to January 2023.
Army career
Toohey entered the Australian Defence Force Academy as an Australian Army officer cadet in 1987.{{cite web|title=Kathryn Toohey: Championing Future Defence Capability|url=https://www.defence.gov.au/annualreports/14-15/profiles/profile_kathryn-toohey.asp|publisher=Department of Defence|accessdate=10 December 2019}} She graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the affiliated University of New South Wales (UNSW) and, following further training at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in 1990. She completed an Honours degree at UNSW in 1991,{{cite web|title=Head Force Integration: Major General Kathryn Toohey, AM, CSC|url=https://www.defence.gov.au/VCDF/FID/|publisher=Department of Defence|accessdate=10 December 2019}}{{cite web|title=Profiles and Stories: Major General Kathryn Toohey|url=https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/facing-equality/major-general-kathryn-toohey|publisher=University of New South Wales, Canberra|accessdate=10 December 2019}} before receiving her first posting as a troop commander with the 2nd Signals Regiment.
Toohey has also had postings in the 7th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), 1st Brigade Headquarters, in the Strategic Operations Division of Headquarters Northern Command, and 13 months as a troop commander in the Force Communications Unit as part of the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia. She has served in staff appointments in the Capability Development Group (CDG) and its successor Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) and in Force Development Group. Toohey was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours for her role in the development of Military Satellite Communications.{{Cite It's an Honour |ausawardid=1139187 |date=9 June 2008 |recipient=TOOHEY, Kathryn Leslei |award=Conspicuous Service Cross |postnominal=CSC |citation=For outstanding achievement as the Deputy Director Communications, Capability Development Group in the development of Military Satellite Communications |accessdate=3 June 2017 }} In 2009, she served as the European Liaison Officer for CDG, representing the Australian Defence Force at multinational, NATO and European Union fora. In 2012, Toohey was director of the Capability and Technology Management College.
Toohey took leave from the army in 2016 to assume the statutory appointment of Deputy Electoral Commissioner in the Australian Electoral Commission.{{cite web |title=Army expert called in to help run election |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/army-expert-called-in-to-help-run-election/news-story/4d5f54980ebdecc4fb0e61813e339981 |date=26 February 2016 |newspaper=The Weekend Australian |agency=AAP |accessdate=3 June 2017 }} Upon her return to the army in 2017, she was promoted to the rank of major general and appointed as the Head of Land Capability.
Toohey was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours for "exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force in the fields of capability development and education."{{cite web |url=http://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/qb/qb2017/mnxi3_8skq/QB17%20-%20Gazette%20Order%20of%20Australia.pdf |title=QB17 - Gazette Order of Australia |author=Governor-General of Australia |date =12 June 2017 |access-date=13 June 2017}} She relinquished command of Land Capability in June 2019 and was appointed Head Force Integration Division within the Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group.
References
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{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Air Vice Marshal Stephen Meredith}}
{{s-ttl|title=Head Force Integration Division|years=2019–2023}}
{{s-aft|after=Air Vice Marshal Robert Denney}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Toohey, Kathryn}}
Category:20th-century Australian engineers
Category:21st-century Australian engineers
Category:Australian electrical engineers
Category:Australian women engineers
Category:Female generals of Australia
Category:Graduates of the Australian Defence Force Academy
Category:Members of the Order of Australia
Category:Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Cross (Australia)
Category:Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates
Category:University of New South Wales alumni
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:20th-century Australian women engineers