Cheryl Pearce

Last updated

Cheryl Pearce
Born Loxton, South Australia
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branch Australian Army
Years of service1984–2021
2023–present
Rank Major General
Commands held Deputy Chief of Army (2023–24)
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (2019–21)
Australian Defence Force Academy (2017–18)
Task Group Afghanistan (2016)
1st Military Police Battalion (2006–08)
Defence Police Training Centre (2003)
Battles/wars United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor
War in Afghanistan
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
Awards Member of the Order of Australia
Conspicuous Service Cross
Commendation for Distinguished Service
Other workDeputy Commissioner, Australian Border Force (2021–23)

Major General Cheryl Ann Pearce, AM , CSC is a senior officer in the Australian Army and a former deputy commissioner in the Australian Border Force. She graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police in 1985. She has commanded the Defence Police Training Centre (2003), 1st Military Police Battalion (2006–08), Task Group Afghanistan (2016) and Australian Defence Force Academy (2017–18). Pearce has served on operations in East Timor and Afghanistan, and was Force Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus from January 2019 to January 2021. Pearce retired from full-time service in the army following her return from Cyprus and was appointed Deputy Commissioner Ports and Enforcement in the Australian Border Force in August 2021. She returned to the army in June 2023, on being appointed Deputy Chief of Army. She has been seconded to the United Nations since January 2024, serving as Deputy Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations.

Contents

Military career

Pearce graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police in December 1985. Her early career featured a range of regimental and staff appointments, including postings to Headquarters 1st Brigade, to the G3 (operations) branch at Land Headquarters, and as staff officer to the commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy. She graduated from the Australian Command and Staff College in 2001 and, in 2002, deployed as a military observer with the United Nations Mission of Support to East Timor, for which she was awarded a Chief of the Defence Force Commendation. [1] [2] [3]

Following her return to Australia, Pearce was appointed to command the Defence Police Training Centre in 2003. She was next posted as Provost Marshal – Army, prior to assuming command of the 1st Military Police Battalion from 2004 to 2006. [1] [2] [3] In recognition of her "exceptional service" in these three positions, Pearce was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2007 Australia Day Honours. [4] Pearce was subsequently posted to the directing staff of the Australian Command and Staff College, served as Director Network Centric Warfare in the Capability Development Group, and served as Director Special Operations Support from 2010 to 2012. She attended the Higher Command and Staff Course in the United Kingdom in 2013 and, on her return to Australia, was appointed chief of staff at Headquarters Australian Army from 2013 to 2016. [1] [2] [3]

In 2016, Pearce deployed to the Middle East as commander of Task Group Afghanistan. The task group, as part of Australia's contribution to NATO's Resolute Support Mission, provided training and advice to the Afghan National Security Forces. [3] Pearce's "distinguished performance" during the nine-month deployment was recognised with the award of the Commendation for Distinguished Service in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours. [5] Pearce was subsequently appointed commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy from 2017 to 2018. In November 2018, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, announced that Pearce had been selected to succeed Major General Mohammad Humayun Kabir as Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). [3] [6] [7] Pearce, who assumed command of UNFICYP in January 2019, [2] is the second woman to be appointed force commander of a United Nations mission. [8] As force commander, she was responsible for more than 800 personnel from 15 nations working to maintain peace and stability in Cyprus, in spite of the additional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearce relinquished command of UNFICYP on 4 January 2021 and, [9] [10] [11] for her "outstanding achievement" in the role, she was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2022 Australia Day Honours. [12]

Pearce retired from full-time service in the army shortly following her return from Cyprus and, on 30 August 2021, she was appointed Deputy Commissioner Ports and Enforcement in the Australian Border Force. [13] Pearce's role was later changed to Deputy Commissioner South, East and Workforce, in which she oversaw Border Force operations in south eastern Australia and was responsible for the organisation's workforce capability and sustainment. [14] She left Border Force and returned to full-time service in the army in June 2023, on being appointed Deputy Chief of Army. [15] In January 2024, Pearce was again seconded to the United Nations, being appointed Deputy Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations. [16]

Personal life and education

Pearce was born in Loxton, South Australia. [1] She has a partner, Paul, and two daughters. [1] [2] [3]

Pearce holds a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Studies from the University of New England, a Graduate Diploma of Management in Defence Studies from the University of Canberra, a Master of Intelligence, Policing and Counter Terrorism from Macquarie University, and a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from Deakin University. [1] [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

Alfred John Gardyne Drummond de Chastelain is a British-Canadian retired army officer and diplomat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus</span>

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is a United Nations peacekeeping force that was established under United Nations Security Council Resolution 186 in 1964 to prevent a recurrence of fighting following intercommunal violence between the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, to contribute to the maintenance and restoration of law and order and to facilitate a return to normal conditions. Major General Ingrid Gjerde is the current Force Commander of UNFICYP, appointed in 2021, and preceded by Cheryl Pearce (Australia). Assistant Police Commissioner Satu Koivu (Finland) is the current Senior Police Adviser appointed in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Forces Cyprus</span> Military unit

British Forces Cyprus (BFC) is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on the island of Cyprus and at a number of related 'retained sites' in the Republic of Cyprus. The United Kingdom retains a military presence on the island in order to keep a strategic location at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, for use as a staging point for forces sent to locations in the Middle East and Asia. BFC is a tri-service command, with all three services based on the island reporting to it.

Adetunji Idowu Ishola Olurin mni was a Nigerian general who served as the military Governor of Oyo State from 1985 to 1988 and Field Commander of ECOMOG Peacekeeping Force in Liberia from 1992 to 1993 during the First Liberian Civil War. Olurin retired from service in 1993, and was a member of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He was administrator of Ekiti State from 19 October 2006 until 27 April 2007.

James J. Quinn (1918–1982) was a Major General in the Irish Army, and recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal as Force Commander for UNFICYP forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Gillespie</span> Australian general

Lieutenant General Kenneth James Gillespie is a retired senior officer in the Australian Army. Gillespie served as Vice Chief of the Defence Force from 2005 until 2008, then Chief of Army from 2008 until his retirement in June 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cantwell (general)</span> Australian Army officer

Major General John Patrick Cantwell, is a retired senior Australian Army officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Wilson (general)</span> Senior officer in the Australian Army

Major General Richard Gary Wilson, AO is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He served as Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation from 2009 to 2011, and Chairman of the Queensland Reconstruction Authority in the wake of the 2010–11 Queensland floods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian military involvement in peacekeeping</span>

Australian military involvement in peacekeeping operations has been diverse, and included participation in both United Nations sponsored missions, as well as those as part of ad hoc coalitions. Indeed, Australians have been involved in more conflicts as peacekeepers than as belligerents; however, according to Peter Londey "in comparative international terms, Australia has only been a moderately energetic peacekeeper." Although Australia has had peacekeepers in the field continuously for 60 years – the first occasion being in Indonesia in 1947, when Australians were among the first group of UN military observers – its commitments have generally been limited, consisting of small numbers of high-level and technical support troops or observers and police. David Horner has noted that the pattern changed with the deployment of 600 engineers to Namibia in 1989–90 as the Australian contribution to UNTAG. From the mid-1990s, Australia has been involved in a series of high-profile operations, deploying significantly large units of combat troops in support of a number of missions including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, Somalia and later in East Timor. Australia has been involved in close to 100 separate missions, involving more than 30,000 personnel and 11 Australians have died during these operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Everard</span>

General Sir James Rupert Everard, is a retired senior British Army officer who served as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Major General Ian Campbell Gordon, is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army. He had a long and distinguished career culminating as Deputy Chief of Army (2004–2006) and Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (2006–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Mayer</span> Senior Royal Australian Navy officer

Vice Admiral Stuart Campbell Mayer, is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy. He joined the navy via the Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS Creswell in 1984 and qualified as a Principal Warfare Officer in 1994. He commanded HMAS Canberra (2002–04), HMAS Anzac (2007–09) and the International Stabilisation Force (2009–10), and deployed on operations to the Persian Gulf, East Timor, and the Arabian Sea during the Iraq War. He served as Commander Australian Fleet from 2014 to 2018, Head Force Design within the Vice Chief of Defence Force Group from 2018 to 2019, and Deputy Commander United Nations Command, based in South Korea, from 2019 to 2021. He retired from the navy in 2022 and was appointed a partner in Ernst & Young's consulting division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristin Lund (general)</span>

Major General Kristin Lund is a retired senior officer of the Norwegian Army. She was the first woman to command a United Nations peacekeeping operation, serving as Force Commander for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus from 2014 to 2016 and later as Head of Mission/Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization from 2017 to 2019.

Major General (Retd) Mohammad Humayun Kabir, OSP, SUP, rcds, psc, was a two-star general of the Bangladesh Army. As Major General he served as the Commander Logistics Area Dhaka Cantonment of Bangladesh Army. He served in various command and headquarters formations. He served as Adjutant General of Bangladesh Army, Commandant of the Bangladesh Military Academy, the Director of Military Operations-Army headquarters and also the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 55 Infantry division and 17 Infantry division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anders Brännström</span>

Major General Anders Karl Oskar Brännström is a retired Swedish Army officer. He has served in Cyprus, Kosovo and Afghanistan and been commanding officer of Jämtland Ranger Regiment. Brännström's senior appointments include Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 2008 to 2012 and Chief of Army from 2013 to 2016. He served as head of Exercise Viking 2018 and then as head of the Total Defence Department of the Joint Staff until 26 January 2018 when he was fired from the position due to critical statements about Sweden's lack of defense ability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Noble</span> Major General in the Australian Army

Major General Roger John Noble, is a retired senior Australian Army officer and diplomat. He joined the army via the Australian Defence Force Academy in 1984 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. He commanded the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Al Muthanna Task Group (2005) and the 3rd Brigade (2013–15), and deployed six times on operations to East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was seconded to the United States Army in 2016 and served as Deputy Coalition Land Force Commander, Iraq, as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, and subsequently as Deputy Commanding General – North in the United States Army Pacific (2017–19). He retired from the Australian Army in 2021 and served as Australian Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism from February 2021 to February 2023, before joining Laing O'Rourke as General Manager – Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maureen O'Brien (Irish Army general)</span> Irish Army general

Major General Maureen O'Brien is an Irish Army general and current Deputy Military Advisor in the United Nations Office of Military Affairs, Department of Peace Operations. O'Brien had previously been Deputy Force Commander of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights from September 2019 to March 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Coyle</span> Australian army officer (born 1970)

Major General Susan May Coyle, is a senior officer in the Australian Army. She joined the army as a reservist in 1987 and, following training at the Australian Defence Force Academy, was commissioned into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals in 1992. She has commanded the 104th Signal Squadron (2003–04), 17th Signal Regiment (2009–10), Task Group Afghanistan (2015) and the 6th Combat Support Brigade (2017–19), and has deployed on operations to East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Afghanistan. She was appointed Commander Joint Task Force 633, with responsibility for all Australian operations in the Middle East, from January to November 2020. She was the first woman to command the task force, which had oversight for 1,200 personnel under Operation Accordion. Coyle was Head Information Warfare from January 2021 to November 2022, when she was appointed Commander Forces Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Stuart (general)</span> Australian army general

Lieutenant General Simon Andrew Stuart, is a senior officer of the Australian Army who has served as the Chief of Army since July 2022. He was commissioned into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1990. He has commanded the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2008–10), Joint Task Force 631 (2010) and Combined Team Uruzgan (2012–13), and deployed to East Timor as part of Operations Warden, Tanager and Astute and to Afghanistan and the Sinai Peninsula. He was Force Commander, Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai from 2017 to 2019, and Head Land Capability from 2020 to 2022. He succeeded Lieutenant General Rick Burr as Chief of Army on 2 July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Hederstedt</span>

Colonel Lars Peter Mikael Hederstedt is a Swedish Army officer, currently serving as commander of the Western Military Region in Skövde since 2018. Hederstedt has a background in the Swedish special forces, and has served within Särskilda Skyddsgruppen (SSG) for 15 years, as deputy commander among other things. Hederstedt then served as the first commander of Särskilda operationsgruppen (SOG). He has also served in various staff positions at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm and abroad.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Commandant ADFA". Australian Defence Force Academy. Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Major General Cheryl Pearce, AM". Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Major General Cheryl Pearce of Australia – Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)". United Nations Secretary-General Media Statements. United Nations. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Australia Day 2007 Honours" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "Queen's Birthday Honours List". Office of the Governor-General. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Nicolaides, Andreas (9 November 2018). "Australian Major General Cheryl Pearce New Force Commander of UNFICYP". in-cyprus. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Australian Defence Force Officer Appointed to Command UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus". Media Release. Department of Defence Ministers. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Sharland, Lisa (9 November 2018). "At Last, Another Female UN Force Commander". The Strategist. Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "UNFICYP Bids Farewell to Force Commander Major General Cheryl Peace". United Nations. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  10. ↑ Donnelly, Shaun (6 January 2021). "A Milestone Deployment Complete". Defence News. Department of Defence. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  11. ↑ "Minister for Defence – Major General Pearce Completes Tenure as Force Commander United Nations Force in Cyprus". Defence Media Release. Office of the Minister for Defence. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Australia Day 2022 Honours List" (PDF). Office of the Governor-General of Australia. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  13. ↑ "Cheryl Pearce AM". Department of Home Affairs. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  14. ↑ "Cheryl Pearce AM, CSC". Our Senior Staff. Department of Home Affairs. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  15. ↑ Pearce, Cheryl [@DepChiefAusArmy] (9 June 2023). "On 5 June I assumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Australian Army" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 June 2023– via Twitter.
  16. ↑ "Major General Cheryl Pearce of Australia – Deputy Military Adviser, Office of Military Affairs, Department of Peace Operations". United Nations Secretary-General Media Statements. United Nations. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
Military offices
Preceded by
Major General Natasha Fox
Deputy Chief of Army
2023–2024		Succeeded by
Major General Chris Smith
Preceded by
Major General Mohammad Humayun Kabir
Force Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus
2019–2021		Succeeded by
Major General Ingrid Gjerde
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.