Charles Bouchard

Lieutenant General Joseph Jacques Charles "Charlie" Bouchard 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]
Lt. Gen Charles Bouchard addresses Canadian military and WWII veterans during a Battle of Britain commemoration.
BornChicoutimi, Saguenay, Quebec, Canada
Allegiance Canada
Service/branch Royal Canadian Air Force
Years of service1974–2012
RankLieutenant General
Unit427 Squadron
403 Squadron
444 Squadron
Commands held444 Squadron
1 Wing Kingston
1 Canadian Air Division
Battles/warsOperation Unified Protector
AwardsOfficer 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

Joseph 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

Bouchard's medal ribbons are as follows:







RibbonDescriptionNotes
Order of Canada (OC)
  • Appointed Officer (OC) on 03 November 2011[10]
Order of Military Merit (CMM)
  • Appointed Commander (CMM) on 29 September 2005[11]
  • Appointed Officer (OMM) on 29 September 2000[12]
Meritorious Service Cross (MSC)
  • Decoration awarded on 13 August 2011[13]
  • Military division
Special Service Medal
  • with NATO-OTAN Clasp
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
  • Decoration awarded in 2002[14]
  • Canadian version
Canadian Forces Decoration (CD)
  • with two Clasp for 32 years of services
Legion of Merit (United States)
  • Decoration awarded 26 April 2013[15]
  • Officer level (This is his third award of this decoration)
  • United States award
Legion of Honour
  • Decoration awarded 25 February 2012[16]
  • Officer level
  • France award

References

  1. "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.
  2. "NATO's Libya mission to be led by Canadian". CBCNews. CBC. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  3. "Senior Officer Biography". National Defence and the Canadian Forces. 24 April 2007. Archived from the original on 20 September 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
  4. 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.
  5. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/f-35-maker-hires-ex-general-who-led-nato-libya-mission-1.1866406
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20121003050544/http://www.aco.nato.int/page13562134.aspx
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Lockheed Martin names former RCAF commander as Canada head". The Globe & Mail. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  9. "Charles Bouchard To Lead Lockheed Martin Canada". Canada News Wire. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  10. "Order of Canada List". The Governor General of Canada.
  11. "Order of Military Merit List". The Governor General of Canada.
  12. "Order of Military Merit List". The Governor General of Canada.
  13. "Meritorious Service Decorations List". The Governor General of Canada.
  14. "The Queen Golden Jubilee Medal List". The Governor General of Canada.
  15. . The Governor General of Canada http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2012-04-28/html/gh-rg-eng.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  16. . The Governor General of Canada http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p1/2012/2012-02-25/html/gh-rg-eng.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Military offices
Preceded by
Marc Dumais
Commander of the 1 Canadian Air Division / Canadian NORAD Region
3 August 2004 – 17 July 2007
Succeeded by
Marcel Duval
Preceded by
Rick Findley
Deputy Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command
2 August 2007 – June 2009
Succeeded by
Marcel Duval
Preceded by
Peter Pearson
Deputy Commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Naples
3 October 2009 – 2011
Succeeded by
Marquis Hainse
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