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OTTAWA—In a stunning move, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, the second-in-command of Canada’s military, has been relieved of his duties and the top general is refusing to say why.
In a notice dated Jan. 13, Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, revealed that Norman would no longer be acting as the vice-chief.
“Effective immediately and until further notice, Vice-Admiral M.A.G. Norman will not exercise the powers, duties and functions, including command of the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS),” Vance said in the notice.
Military experts struggled to comprehend the reason for such a dramatic personnel move that has probably cut short the career of a respected senior officer in line to be the next top general.
Nor could they recall a time when someone of Norman’s rank had been abruptly bounced from their post.
“I was totally shocked . . . it’s pretty unprecedented,” said Dave Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
One former officer called it extraordinary. “It’s never, never seen.