Lieutenant General Joseph Jacques Charles "Charlie" Bouchard (born 1956) OC CMM MSC CD is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force general. He has served as Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division / Canadian NORAD Region, the Deputy Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Deputy Commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. On 25 March 2011, Bouchard was named Commander of the NATO military mission in Libya.[2]
J.J.C. Bouchard[1] | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lt. Gen Charles Bouchard addresses Canadian military and WWII veterans during a Battle of Britain commemoration. | |
| Born | 1956 (age 67–68) Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada |
| Allegiance | Canada |
| Service | Royal Canadian Air Force[a] |
| Years of service | 1974–2012 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | 427 Squadron 403 Squadron 444 Squadron |
| Commands | 444 Squadron 1 Wing Kingston 1 Canadian Air Division |
| Battles / wars | Operation Unified Protector |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Canada Commander of the Order of Military Merit Meritorious Service Cross Special Service Medal QEII Golden Jubilee Medal Canadian Forces' Decoration Officer of the Legion of Merit (US) |
Biography
editJoseph Jacques Charles Bouchard was born in the Chicoutimi borough of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. He enrolled with the Canadian Forces in 1974 under the Officer Candidate Training Plan. After helicopter training, Bouchard qualified in 1976 as a helicopter pilot.[3]
Bouchard has had a long career in Tactical Aviation within Canadian Forces Air Command, which included flying positions in several squadrons, command of 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron at Lahr in Germany, and command of 1 Wing Kingston. Bouchard has served in the United States as Deputy Commander for Continental NORAD Region and was standing duty at Tyndall Air Force Base conducting Air Operation on 11 September 2001.[4] Bouchard would later become Deputy Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division, and from August 2007 to June 2009, Deputy Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command, receiving promotion to Lieutenant-General on taking up the appointment. In 2009, he assumed the position of Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command Naples.[3]
On 25 March 2011, while continuing to serve at Naples, Bouchard was named Commander of "Operation Unified Protector", NATO's military intervention in Libya. The Libya mission provided air cover to overthrow the country's long-time national leader Muammar Gaddafi – a mission in which fighter jets played a massive role.[5][2] Bouchard was replaced in October 2011 as Deputy Commander Allied JFC Naples by a fellow Canadian Marquis Hainse,[6] the position having fallen vacant while Bouchard served as the Commander of the NATO mission in Libya.[7]
Bouchard is a graduate of Canadian Forces Staff School; Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College; Canadian Forces Command and Staff College; the National Strategic Studies Course; the Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell Air Force Base; the Generals, Flag Officers and Ambassadors Course at the NATO Defense College; and the Senior Executives National and International Security Program at Harvard University. Bouchard also has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science from the University of Manitoba.[3]
Bouchard retired from the Canadian Forces in April 2012.[8] On 24 September 2013, Lockheed Martin announced Bouchard had been appointed "the country lead for Lockheed Martin Canada".[9]
Medals and decorations
editBouchard's medal ribbons are as follows:
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| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| |
Order of Canada (OC) |
|
| |
Order of Military Merit (CMM) | |
| |
Meritorious Service Cross (MSC) |
|
| |
Special Service Medal |
|
| |
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal |
|
| |
Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD) |
|
| |
Legion of Merit (United States) |
|
| |
Legion of Honour |
|
He was a qualified RCAF Pilot and as such wore the Royal Canadian Air Forces Pilot Wings
Notes
edit- ^ Known as Air Command until 2011
References
edit- ^ "J.J.C. (Charlie) Bouchard, CMM, CD, CANADIAN FORCES" (PDF). North American Aerospace Defence Command Biography. North American Aerospace Defence Command. August 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 April 2011. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ a b "NATO's Libya mission to be led by Canadian". CBC News. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ a b c "Senior Officer Biography". National Defence and the Canadian Forces. 24 April 2007. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen (2 August 2007). "New NORAD deputy commander takes office". NORAD News. North American Aerospace Defense Command. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "F-35 maker hires ex-general who led NATO Libya mission | CBC News".
- ^ "ACO – Allied Command Operations | Deputy Commander JFC Naples". aco.nato.int. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ "Archived – Minister of National Defence Announces Additional Canadian Forces Senior Promotions And Appointments". 15 September 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
- ^ "Lockheed Martin names former RCAF commander as Canada head". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ^ "Charles Bouchard To Lead Lockheed Martin Canada". Canada Newswire. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ^ "Order of Canada List". The Governor General of Canada.
- ^ a b "Order of Military Merit List". The Governor General of Canada.
- ^ "Meritorious Service Decorations List". The Governor General of Canada.
- ^ "The Queen Golden Jubilee Medal List". The Governor General of Canada. 11 June 2018.
- ^ "Awards to Canadians". Canada Gazette. Vol. 146, no. 17. The King's Printer for Canada. 28 April 2012.
- ^ "Awards to Canadians". Canada Gazette. Vol. 146, no. 8. The King's Printer for Canada. 25 February 2012.
External links
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