She joined the military in 1986, three years before Canada allowed women in combat roles.

Training as a combat engineer – a role in which soldiers clear bombs and erect and destroy battlefield structures – she rose quickly through the ranks, shattering preconceptions about women warriors.

She went on to become the first woman to lead a Canadian combat unit, deploying to Afghanistan where she narrowly avoided a suicide bomber as well as an improvised explosive device that mangled a vehicle in her convoy.

Carignan has also served in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Syria, led NATO’s training mission in Iraq from 2019 to 2020, and commanded the 2nd Canadian Division – the military’s largest regiment with more than 10,000 troops.

About 4 or 5 strong titles in there but let’s use “First woman” instead.