Susan Coyle

About

Susan Coyle

Major General Susan Coyle, AM, CSC, DSM

Australian Army

Susan Coyle enlisted as a soldier in the Army Reserves in 1987 before completing a Science degree at the Australian Defence Force Academy and graduating from the Royal Military College in 1992 into the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. She assumed her current appointment as Commander Forces Command in November 2022.

Major General Coyle has worked at the tactical, operational and strategic level in a variety of command and staff appointments. She has commanded at every rank, including Commander Joint Task Force 633 (CJTF633), Commander 6th Brigade, Commander Task Group Afghanistan and Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment. She has seen operational service as the J6 Communications on Operation CITADEL, and Officer Commanding 104th Signal Squadron on Operation ANODE, Deputy Commander – Afghanistan, transitioning into Deputy Commander JTF 636 on Operation SLIPPER before raising Task Group Afghanistan on Operation HIGHROAD and CJTF633 on Operation ACCORDION.

Key staff appointments include Head Information Warfare, Director Workforce and Behaviour – First Principles Review, Director Soldier Career Management – Army, Directing Staff / Director of Studies Land at the Australian Command and Staff College, Military Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Army and Aide-de-camp to Commander Australian Theatre.

Major General Coyle holds post-graduate qualifications in a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, a Master in Organisational Development and Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of New England, and a Master of Management in Defence Studies from the University of Canberra.

Major General Coyle has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for Commander Joint Task Force 633, a Distinguished Service Medal as the Deputy Commander JTF 636 / Commander Task Group Afghanistan on Operation SLIPPER / HIGHROAD, and a Conspicuous Service Cross as the Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment.

She has also received a Chief of Joint Operations Command Commendation as Officer Commanding 104th Signal Squadron on Operation ANODE, and a Commander Australian Theatre Commendation as Staff Officer to the Commander Australian Theatre Joint Intelligence Centre. Whilst posted to the United States she received the U.S. Army Commendation Medal as the 11th Signal Brigade Satellite Engineer.

She is married to Mark, an Engineer in the Army, and together have three wonderful and mostly charming millennials – Jessica, Susie, and Jack. Her hobbies include attending musical theatre, reading anything and travelling anywhere.