Expert Bio

Lieutenant-General Pierre St-Amand is the Deputy Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Lieutenant-General St-Amand joined the Canadian Armed Forces in June 1981.  He graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario in 1986 and subsequently proceeded through pilot training. He completed the advanced fighter pilot course on the CF-18 in the fall of 1988.  Throughout his career, he has accumulated over 2,600 flying hours in fighter aircraft.

He has served in operational squadrons in Bagotville, Quebec and Cold Lake, Alberta.  He also had the honour of commanding 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron in Cold Lake from 2003 to 2005 and 4 Wing Cold Lake from 2007 to 2009.

His staff assignments have included duties at the tactical, operational and strategic levels in support of the Canadian Armed Forces, NORAD and NATO air operations.  Most recently, he held the responsibilities of Senior Advisor to the Chief of the Defense Staff from 2009 until 2010; was assigned to NATO Headquarters in Belgium, as Director Strategic Plans from 2010 to 2011; and returned to Canada in July 2011 to fulfill the duties of Deputy Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division.  In September 2012, he assumed command of 1 Canadian Air Division/Canadian NORAD

Region in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  In July 2014, he was appointed Director of Operations at NORAD HQ, Colorado Springs.  

Lieutenant-General St-Amand is a graduate of both the Canadian Forces College and the USAF Air War College.  He holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies and a certificate of Practitioner of Joint Warfare from the USAF Air University.

Upon promotion to Lieutenant-General, he assumed the appointment of NORAD Deputy Commander and Commander, Canadian Element NORAD on July 1, 2015.