First Woman to Lead the Army — Thirty Years of Reports Finally Produce a Result

Guardian Australia · Ben Doherty · Monday 13 April 2026

First Woman to Lead the Army — Thirty Years of Reports Finally Produce a Result

Lt Gen Susan Coyle appointed as first female chief of army, part of broader senior defence changes including navy chief Mark Hammond becoming chief of defence force.

Three decades in uniform and Coyle's earned the job on merit, which makes her appointment historic and entirely overdue in equal measure. The army that took until 2026 to put a woman at the top is the same one that spent a decade commissioning reviews about culture. Thirty years of reports, mate. She could have walked to Canberra and back in the time it took the brass to arrive at the bleeding obvious.

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