Shortly after the PM announced General Coyle’s historic appointment, a wave of derogatory messages began appearing on military forums and online news articles, with some labelling her selection ‘tokenistic’.
Australia’s top military leadership will be reshaped in July, with three long-serving officers stepping into the most powerful roles in the Defence Force after decades spent rising through its ranks.
AARON PATRICK: The first female Army chief is no khaki bureaucrat. Lieutenant-General Coyle’s promotion is a powerful sign that the military, like war, is evolving.