Australia on Monday said a woman would lead its army for the first time in history, as part of a reshuffle of the country\u2019s defence 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\u2019s appointment comes as Australia\u2019s military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks. It faces a wave of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination. \u201cFrom July, we will have the first ever female chief of army in the Australian Army\u2019s 125-year history,\u201d Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement. Defence Minister Richard Marles called Coyle\u2019s appointment a \u201cdeeply historic moment\u201d. \u201cAs Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see,\u201d he said. \u201cSusan\u2019s 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.\u201d 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 per cent of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and 18.5pc of senior leadership roles. The ADF has set a target of 25pc 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 navy, Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley, will replace Hammond as head of the branch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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