Paul Wynnyk
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific_prefix=
|name=Paul Wynnyk
|honorific_suffix= {{post-nominals|country=CAN|CMM|MSM|CD|size=100%}}
|image=LGen-Wynnyk.jpg
|caption=Lt. Gen. Paul Wynnyk
| office = Acting Deputy Minister of Executive Council
| term_start = November 2024
| term_end = February 2025
| premier = Danielle Smith
| predecessor = Ray Gilmour
| successor = Christopher McPherson
| office1 = Deputy Minister of Executive Council, Intergovernmental Relations
| term_start1 = June 2023
| term_end1 = November 2024
| premier1 = Danielle Smith
| predecessor1 = Coleen Volk
| successor1 = Mary MacDonald
| office2 = Deputy Minister of Health
| term_start2 = May 2021
| term_end2 = June 2023
| minister2 = {{plainlist|
}}
| predecessor2 = Janet Davidson
| successor2 = Andre Tremblay
| office3 = Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs
| term_start3 = October 2019
| term_end3 = May 2021
| minister3 = {{plainlist|
}}
| predecessor3 = Brad Pickering
| successor3 = Brandy Cox
|rank=Lieutenant General
|branch=Canadian Army
|commands=1 Combat Engineer Regiment
1 Area Support Group
Land Force Western Area
Canadian Forces Intelligence Command
Commander of the Canadian Army
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
|battles=War in Afghanistan
|nickname=
|allegiance=Canada
|birth_date=June 29, 1964
|death_place=
|serviceyears=
|laterwork=
|sponsor=
|children=
|awards=Commander of the Order of Military Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Canadian Forces' Decoration
}}
Lieutenant General Paul Francis Wynnyk, {{post-nominals|country=CAN|size=100|sep=,|CMM|MSM|CD}} (born June 29, 1964) is a former Canadian Army officer who served from 2016 to 2018 as Commander of the Canadian Army. On July 16, 2018, he was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, until his resignation and retirement in July 2019.
Early life
Paul Wynnyk is of Ukrainian descent, the grandson of emigrants in Alberta from Radvantsi, Lviv region, in Western Ukraine.{{cite news|title=New commander of Canadian army has Ukrainian roots|url=http://www.unian.info/world/1419457-new-commander-of-canadian-army-has-ukrainian-roots.html|accessdate=15 July 2016|agency=Unian|date=15 July 2016}} He was born in Edmonton on June 29, 1964, and was raised in the village of Breton, Alberta.{{cite web|author=Lydia Neufeld|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/army-armed-forces-breton-alberta-1.3679213|title=New head of Canada's Army from Breton, Alberta|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, July 14, 2016}}
Military career
Wynnyk attended Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada, and he was commissioned into the Canadian Military Engineers in 1986.{{cite web|url=http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-org-structure/chief-of-defence-intelligence.page|title=Major General PF Wynnyk: Biography|date=22 April 2013 |publisher=Canadian Army|accessdate=22 January 2016}} He became commanding officer of 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Edmonton in 1997, commander of 1 Area Support Group in 2004 and Assistant Commanding General at the Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan in March 2009. He went on to be commander of Land Force Western Area in 2010, Deputy Commander of the Canadian Army in 2012 and Commander of the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command and Chief of Defence Intelligence in July 2014.
In January 2016, it was announced that he would become Chief of the Army Staff and Commander of the Canadian Army.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vance-new-army-navy-commanders-1.3410474|title=Top ranks of Canadian Forces get shake-up with new army, navy commanders|publisher=CBC|date=19 January 2016|accessdate=21 January 2016}} In his speech during the ceremony, Wynnyk gave credit to his parents for supporting him on the path to this point in his career. "My mom Joan, who is here today, has watched and supported my journey in uniform from cub scout, to army cadet, to reservist, to regular officer," he said. About his late father Walter, Wynnyk said, "As both my high school principal and the commanding officer of my army cadet corps, it was he who encouraged me to embark upon a career of military service. On July 16, 2018, he was named Vice Chief of the Defence Staff.[https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2018/07/new-commander-for-the-canadian-army.html New Commander for the Canadian Army:] changes in the Canadian army command, July 16, 2018
In July 2019, Wynnyk resigned as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff after he claimed that Chief of the Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance planned to replace him as the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff with Vice-Admiral Mark Norman. Wynnyk then claimed these plans were reversed when Vice-Admiral Norman settled with the government and retired from the military. Wynnyk was the fifth vice-chief to serve under Vance.{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5477661/paul-wynnyk-resigns-mark-norman/|title=Vice-chief of defence staff resigns, citing plan Mark Norman was to replace him - National | Globalnews.ca|date=July 9, 2019|website=globalnews.ca}}
Post-military career
In October 2019, Wynnyk was appointed as Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs for the Government of Alberta{{Cite web|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/former-canadian-forces-second-in-command-appointed-municipal-affairs-top-civil-servant|title=Former Canadian Forces second in command appointed municipal affairs top civil servant | Edmonton Journal|date=October 5, 2019}} and became Deputy Minister of Health in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Deputy Ministers' Council |url=https://www.alberta.ca/deputy-ministers-council.aspx |access-date=2022-10-25 |website=www.alberta.ca |language=en-CA}}
Awards and decorations
Wynnyk's personal awards and decorations include the following:{{cite web |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/LGen-Wynnyk.jpg|title=Photo of Paul Wynnyk}}
| class="wikitable" | ||
| style="background:DarkGreen;color:White" align="center"
|Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| 80px | Order of Military Merit (CMM) | *Appointed Commander (CMM) on 26 September 2013{{cite web|url= https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/150-3647 |title=Order of Military Merit List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}} |
| 80px | Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) | *Decoration awarded on 26 April 2011{{cite web|url= https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/139-779 |title=Meritorious Service Decorations List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}}
|
| 80px | South-West Asia Service Medal | *with AFGHANISTAN Clasp |
| 80px20px | General Campaign Star | * South West Asia Ribbon
|
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-leaf|ribbon=Special_Service_Medal_Ribbon.png|width=80}} | Special Service Medal | *with NATO-OTAN Clasp |
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-leaf|ribbon=CPSM_Ribbon.png|width=80}} | Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal | |
| 80px | United Nations | Advance Mission in Cambodia Medal
|
| 80px | United Nations | Transitional Authority in Cambodia Medal
|
| 80px | United Nations | Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Medal
|
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-leaf|ribbon=QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | *Decoration awarded in 2012{{cite web|url= https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-1533 |title=The Queen Diamond Jubilee Medal List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}}
|
| {{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-|ribbon=CD-ribbon_and_2_bars.png|width=80}} | Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD) | *with two Clasp for 32 years of services |
| {{ribbon devices|number=0|ribbon=ACM ribbon.png|width=80}} | Alberta Centennial Medal | *Decoration awarded in 2005 |
| 80px | Order of Military Merit (Brazil) | *Decoration awarded 28 July 2018{{cite web|url= http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2018/2018-07-28/html/gh-rg-eng.html |title=Canada Gazette, Part 1 |date=28 July 2018 |publisher=Gouvernment of Canada}}
|
| 80px | Order of Military Merit José María Córdova | *Decoration awarded 29 September 2018
|
| Baryaal Darajaah Uak Medal | *
| |
| 80px | Legion of Merit | *Decoration awarded 28 May 2011{{cite web|url=http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2011/2011-05-28/pdf/g1-14522.pdf |title=Canada Gazette|publisher=Gouvernment of Canada}}
|
File:Canadian jump wings.png He was a qualified Paratrooper and as such wore the Canadian Forces Jump Wings with Red Maple Leaf
80px Command Commendation
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commonscat-inline}}
{{S-start}}
{{S-mil}}
{{Succession box|title=Commander of the Canadian Army|
before=Marquis Hainse|
after=Jean-Marc Lanthier|
years=2016–2018}}
|-
{{succession box
| title = Vice Chief of the Defence Staff
| years = 2018–2019
| before = Mark Norman
|after=Jean-Marc Lanthier
}}
{{S-end}}
{{Commander of the Canadian Army}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynnyk, Paul Francis}}
Category:Canadian military personnel from Alberta
Category:Commanders of the Order of Military Merit (Canada)
Category:Recipients of the Meritorious Service Decoration
Category:Canadian people of Ukrainian descent
Category:Commanders of the Canadian Army
Category:Royal Military College of Canada alumni
Category:Royal Canadian Engineers officers
Category:Canadian military personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)