A woman has been appointed to the top command of the Australian army for the first time in its 125-year history.

Kabul Times News – April 13, 2026

For the first time in the 125-year history of the Australian Army, a woman has been appointed to the highest command position in the country’s military, a decision that the government has described as a historic event in the structure of the defense forces.
According to Reuters, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, who is currently in charge of the Joint Military Capabilities Department, will take office as Chief of the Australian Army from July 2026, replacing Lieutenant General Simon Stewart.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the appointment a “historic milestone” in the past 125 years of the country’s military and saw it as a sign of a fundamental transformation in Australia’s defense structure.
Susan Coyle, 55, joined the Australian Army in 1987 and has held several key positions in more than three decades of service, including commanding joint forces in Afghanistan, the Middle East and the Solomon Islands.
The change comes as the Australian military struggles to increase the number of women in its ranks and management, while also facing challenges such as gender discrimination and sexual harassment. Women currently make up about 21 per cent of the Australian Defence Force and nearly 18.5 per cent of senior military officers.