André Deschamps (RCAF officer)

Joseph Paul André Deschamps
Allegiance	Canada
Service / branch	Royal Canadian Air Force[a]
Years of service	1977-2012
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	8 Wing Trenton Royal Canadian Air Force
Battles / wars	War in Afghanistan
Awards	Commander of the Order of Military Merit Canadian Forces' Decoration

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.[1]

Deschamps served as the Commanding Officer of Squadron 2, NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany, and 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.[1] He was appointed Chief of Staff - Operations of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command in 2006, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in June 2008[2] and Chief of the Air Staff in October 2009. It was during his tenure that Air Command was renamed the "Royal Canadian Air Force".[3]

Honours

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Order of Military Merit (CMM)	Commander 26 February 2010 [4]
	Gulf and Kuwait Medal	With Clasp
	General Campaign Star	With South-West Asia Ribbon With "ISAF+FIAS" Clasp
	Special Service Medal	With "NATO-OTAN" Clasp
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	Canadian Version of this Medal 2012 [5]
	Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal
	NATO Medal	With "FORMER YUGOSLAVIA" Clasp
	NATO Medal	With "KOSOVO" Clasp
	Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)	With 2 Clasps 32 Years of Service in the RCAF

• He was a qualified RCAF Pilot and as such wore the Royal Air Canadian Forces Pilot Wings.

[6]

Notes

1. Known as Air Command until 2011

References

1. Keep Calm and Carry On
2. Minister of National Defence announces senior promotions and appointments Archived May 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Canadian American Strategic Review, 26 January 2009
3. Canadian Navy, Air Force 'Royal' Again With Official Name Change Huffington Post, 15 August 2011
4. "André Deschamps Order of Military Merit Citation". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
5. "André Deschamps Diamond Jubilee Medal Citation". Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
6. "Lieutenant-General Joseph Paul André Deschamps, CMM, CD Commander – Royal Canadian Air Force 2011 to 2012 Chief of the Air Staff 2009 to 2011" (PDF). Blatherwick. Retrieved 28 June 2022.

Military offices
Preceded by J D A Hincke	Assistant Chief of the Air Staff 2008-2009	Succeeded by T J Lawson
Preceded by A Watt	Chief of the Air Staff (Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force from 2011) 2009-2012	Succeeded by J Y Blondin