PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. - Lieutenant-General Alain Parent became the new Deputy Commander of NORAD during a Change of Office ceremony presided over by General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command today at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
"You are the right leader at the right time for this critical job for both our countries to sustain and advance the relevance and strength of NORAD, said Gen Jacoby about LGen Parent during his address. “I will enjoy working closely with you in leading NORAD and coordinating NORAD’s work with NORTHCOM and the new Canadian Joint Operations Command,” he added.
In attendance was the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Mr. Robert Fonberg, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces, General Walt Natynczyk as well as Lieutenant-General Andre Deschamps, Royal Canadian Air Force Commander.
LGen Parent possesses significant NORAD experience. Since July 2011, he was the Commander of 1 Canadian Air Division (1 Cdn Air Div) which provides air power by the Royal Canadian Air Force to the operational commands of the Canadian Forces and Commandant of the Canadian NORAD Region (CANR). But previously, he worked at NORAD HQ as the Missile Warning Crew Commander and as the International Military-Political Affairs Officer. When he returned to Canada, he worked at CANR and was the Air Operation Commander during 9/11.
“I am honored and humbled to become the Deputy Commander of NORAD and continue the outstanding work that LGen Lawson and his team have accomplished. NORAD is an extremely strategic and important bi-national agreement for Canada and plays an integral part in the security of our nation,” said LGen Parent.
NORAD is the bi-national Canadian and American command that is responsible for the air defense of North America and maritime warning. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The command is poised both tactically and strategically in our nation’s capital to provide a multilayered defense to detect, deter and prevent potential threats flying over the airspace of the United States and Canada.
For further information, please contact NORAD and USNORTHCOM Public Affairs at (719) 554-6889 or visit our Web sites at www.norad.mil or www.northcom.mil.
LGen Alain Parent will not entertain interview requests at this time as he is moving his family to Colorado Springs. Thank you for your understanding.
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