Russell Williams was stripped of his rank of colonel Friday by Gov. Gen. David Johnston at the request of the Canadian Armed Forces. (CBC)

Gov. Gen. David Johnston has agreed to strip Russell Williams of his rank as a colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Senior members of the Forces went to see Johnston Friday morning and asked that Williams be stripped of his Queen's commission, meaning he is no longer an officer.

A CBC News source believes that this action is unprecedented in Canadian military history.

A judge sentenced Williams to two terms of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years on Thursday for the first-degree murders of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd.

The decorated former commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton was also sentenced in Ontario Superior Court in Belleville to 10 years for each of his two charges of sexual assault and two charges of forcible confinement. He was also sentenced to one year for each of the other 82 lesser break-in charges he faced.

The source said Forces members went to Kingston Penitentiary, where Williams is serving his sentences, and advised him of the Governor General's action.

Rank stripping 'extraordinary': Natynczyk

Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of defence staff, issued a statement Friday afternoon in which he called the revocation of Williams's commission "an extraordinary and severe decision that may constitute a first of its kind in Canadian history."

Natynczyk said the military will also strip Williams of his medals, terminate and recover his pay from the date of his arrest and deny him severance pay.

He said Williams would also be promptly released from the Forces under "service misconduct, which is the most serious release item possible."

"I wish to point out that under the [Canadian Forces] superannuation act, there are no grounds to revoke his pension and a court martial would not have any impact on these accrued benefits," Natynczyk said.

Williams 'indescribably ashamed'

Before he was sentenced Thursday, Williams told Justice Robert F. Scott he was "indescribably ashamed" of the crimes he'd committed, and especially apologized to the families of the two murdered women.

Williams, 47, had pleaded guilty Monday to 88 charges.

He also said: "I committed despicable crimes, your honour, and in the process betrayed my family, my friends and colleagues and the Canadian Forces."

While Williams is eligible to apply for parole in 25 years, Scott said there is no guarantee he will be released.

Crown lawyer Lee Burgess said he did not seek to have Williams declared a dangerous offender because it would have just prolonged the hearing. He called it "superfluous" because he believes the facts he outlined during the week will prevent a parole board from ever allowing Williams out on parole.

The court heard graphic evidence of how Williams carried out his crimes and saw portions of a video recording of his 10-hour interrogation by police, during which he finally confessed.