Joint Personal Support Unit welcomes Brigadier-General Mark Misener as new commander

The Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) unit responsible for the care of ill and injured soldiers, the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU), will now be headed by BGen. Mark Misener, after he assumed command of the position in an official ceremony in Ottawa Thursday, July 20.

“I am honoured to have been selected as the Commander of the JPSU. It is an exciting time to be a part of this unit and its ongoing transformation. Together with the entire JPSU team, I look forward to helping make a great unit even better and continuing to provide all Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families with the highest quality care and support possible,” said the new commander of JPSU.

Misener assumed command from BGen. Shane Brennan, who is retiring from the CAF to spend more time with his family. Brennan was commander of JPSU for three months.

“I want to thank Brigadier-General Brennan for his more than 34 years of dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and his tremendous work in guiding the JPSU in planning for, and implementing, the early stages of the unit’s transformation. I have every confidence that Brigadier-General Misener will carry on the important work that has begun and continue to lead the charge in ensuring our transitioning members receive the best care the CAF has to offer,” said LGen. Charles Lamarre, Commander, Military Personnel Command, who presided over the ceremony Thursday.

Misener has more than 30 years of experience as an officer in the CAF. He has been deployed on several overseas missions including deployments to Somalia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan. Most recently, he served as Commander of 4th Canadian Division Support Group in Petawawa.

Misener steps into his role, as head of JPSU, in the midst of media scrutiny and claims from CAF members and their families that the unit is failing to deliver on its promises.

The CAF is currently focusing on a restructuring effort of JPSU, as outlined by Canada’s new defence policy. This includes the eventual creation of a CAF Transition Group, which will fall under the domain of the JPSU commander. The hope is that through these changes “to better provide members with professional and customized support.”

JPSU was originally established in 2008 to support the ill and injured soldiers returning from Afghanistan. It is comprised of 24 Integrated Personnel Support Centres and eight Satellite Sites, that support more than 1,400 members posted to the unit for a period of six months or more.

It also directly supports over 4400 walk-in clients on an annual basis.