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.Keep Calm and Carry On
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. He was appointed Chief of Staff - Operations of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command in 2006, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in June 2008Minister of National Defence announces senior promotions and appointments Canadian American Strategic Review, 26 January 2009 and Chief of the Air Staff in October 2009. It was during his tenure that Air Command was renamed the "Royal Canadian Air Force".Canadian Navy, Air Force 'Royal' Again With Official Name Change Huffington Post, 15 August 2011
Honours
Ribbon Description Notes Order of Military Merit (CMM) Commander 26 February 2010 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 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.
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