A female officer of the Canadian Armed Forces is quitting the military, saying she is "sickened" by investigations into alleged sexual misconduct by senior military leaders.

In her sharply worded resignation letter, obtained by The Canadian Press, Lt.-Col. Eleanor Taylor says she is also "disgusted" it took so long for the top brass to come under scrutiny.

A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Taylor has also served with the military's special forces and most recently held a top position with a reserve unit in Halifax.

Her resignation comes amid allegations of misconduct involving senior members of the Armed Forces, including the two most recent chiefs of the defence staff, Gen. Jonathan Vance and Admiral Art McDonald.

Taylor says in her letter that she is not surprised key military leaders are being investigated, and that she has seen insidious and inappropriate use of power for sexual exploitation during her more than 25 years in uniform.

She adds that she believes the failure of senior leaders to set an example has poisoned efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct in recent years.