The local Canadian Air Force base announced Tuesday that Col. Jonathan Bouchard has officially taken over the position of Wing Commander from the outgoing Col. Ron Walker, who served in the position the last two years.
Normally an event filled with military parades, fly-overs and all the pomp and circumstance befitting a change-of-command, things were far more understated this year due to the ongoing pandemic.
While the event was livestreamed for 15 Wing members and their families, only a handful of local dignitaries and 15 Wing representatives were able to take part in the ceremony itself, which was held in the Col. O.B. Philip Complex.
“As we close another successful chapter, the first few lines of the next chapter are already written and together, as an all-inclusive team, we will ensure that dignity and respect is at the forefront of everything we do,” Bouchard said. “We will continue to develop a culture where everyone is valued and can develop into our leaders of tomorrow.”
Interestingly enough, the reviewing officer for the ceremony was none other than Brig. Gen. Denis O’Reilly who served as the 15 Wing Commander from 2016 to 2019 before handing off to Col. Walker.
Walker is moving on to continue his military career in the United Kingdom.
As one might expect, Bouchard brings an impressive resume to his new position.
A helicopter pilot throughout his career, Bouchard served as an instructor at 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in the late 90’s and spent part of the 2000s posted on exchange with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where he worked with the U.S. Coast Guard.
In January 2010, Bouchard was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan for seven months and served with NATO as Chief of Plans for Kandahar Airfield.
Bouchard returned to Canada in the summer of 2010 and took over as commander of 442 Squadron in Comox, B.C., and after a stop in Ottawa two years later, moved on to the NATO Defence College in Rome in August 2014.
Shortly after completing further courses at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto in 2015, Bouchard was promoted to Colonel and appointed Director General Coordination within the Strategic Joint Staff in Ottawa.
Bouchard retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2016 and joined Transport Canada, where he oversaw the implementation of two new fleets of helicopters and a simulator for the Coast Guard.
Col. Bouchard rejoined the military in 2018 and prior to taking over at 15 Wing worked as the Deputy Assistant Director with the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).
