Lt Gen Susan Coyle: Who is the first female in history to lead Australia's army?
In a historic moment, the Australian Army will be led by a woman for the first time in its 125-year history, as part of a reshuffle of the country's defence force leadership.
Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will take over as chief of army in July, a move that comes as the country seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks.
Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles described Lt Gen Coyle's appointment as a "deeply historic moment", an achievement that will be significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) and for those wishing to serve in the future.
Australia's new Chief of Army
Joining the Army Reserve in 1987, Lt Gen Coyle graduated as an officer from the ADF academy in 1992.
The 55-year-old has held several senior command roles, including commander of Joint Task Force 633 – the first woman to command the task force, which holds responsibility for all the country's operations in the Middle East – and commander of Task Group Afghanistan.
She has commanded troops on deployments to Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands, and Afghanistan, and has been honoured with a wide array of service medals, including the Member of the Order of Australia and the Distinguished Service Medal.
In July 2024, she was appointed to Chief of Joint Capabilities Group (CJC), responsible for the ADF's space and cyber operations, as well as information operations, logistics and joint training.
She holds three post-graduate master's degrees and is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Army War College and an alumnus of the Harvard Advanced Management Program.
Announcing her appointment, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also extended his appreciation to the retiring Chief of Army, Lieutenant-General Simon Stewart.
Following up in a post on X, Mr Albanese said "there is no higher honour than serving our country", adding that "all Australians owe a debt to those who serve and protect our country".
'You cannot be what you cannot see'
On her appointment to CJC in 2024, Lt Gen Coyle told ABC News that when she joined the military, only 10% of personnel were women, and the highest-ranked female was a colonel.
"I went to the Defence Academy with the other ladies. I've known all of them my whole life," she said.
"And there's plenty more of us. There are lots of really good women coming through who have worked really hard, have done all the right types of jobs, and I think being recognised. It's a wonderful place to be."
As of March 2026, women make up more than 20.7% of ADF personnel, up from 19.8% in 2011.
Of these, 19.5% hold senior roles – a statistic the force is striving to change.
"As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see," Defence Minister Richard Marles said, adding that her appointment is "deeply historic" for all women serving and those aspiring to serve in the future.
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