Allegiance Canada Role RCAF officer Years of service 1977-2012 | Battles/wars War in Afghanistan Name Andre Deschamps Rank Lieutenant-general | |
Commands held 8 Wing Trenton
Royal Canadian Air Force Awards Order of Military Merit, Canadian Forces Decoration Similar Peter MacKay, Stephen Harper, David Johnston, Khamis Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi | ||
Service/branch Royal Canadian Air Force Battles and wars War in Afghanistan | ||
Lieutenant-General Joseph Paul André Deschamps, CMM, CD, usually André Deschamps or J P A Deschamps, was Chief of the Air Staff and then Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force between 2009 and 2012.
Career
Deschamps joined the Canadian Forces in 1977, and completed pilot training the following year. As a junior officer Deschamps carried out instructor duties on the Musketeer trainer. He later flew the CF-104 Starfighter in Europe during the Cold War.
Deschamps became Commanding Officer of 8 Wing Trenton in 2004 and then commanded the Theatre Support Element (Camp Mirage) in support of Operation Athena in Afghanistan. He was appointed Chief of Staff - Operations of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command in 2006, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in June 2008 and Chief of the Air Staff in October 2009. It was during his tenure that Air Command was renamed the "Royal Canadian Air Force".