Pierre St-Amand

Joseph Pierre Julien St-Amand is a retired Royal Canadian Air Force Lieutenant-General. St-Amand served as deputy commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and led its Canadian Element between 2015 and 2018. He previously commanded 441 Tactical Fighter Squadron, 4 Wing, and 1 Canadian Air Division, and was SHAPE Director of Strategic Planning between 2010 and 2011. During his tenure at SHAPE, St-Amand oversaw strategic planning for Operation Unified Protector.

Biography St. Amand was born in La Sarre. In 1980 he graduated from Cite Etudiante Polyno in La Sarre.

St-Amand joined the Canadian Armed Forces in June 1981 and graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1986 with a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. He received pilot training and completed the CF-18 advanced fighter pilot course in fall 1988. Between 1989 and 1992 St-Amand served as an operational fighter pilot with 433 Tactical Fighter Squadron. Until the summer of 1999, he was an instructor and Operational Test and Evaluation pilot with 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron.

In 1999, St-Amand attended and graduated from the Canadian Forces Command Staff College. He was posted to Directorate Aerospace Requirements 5 (Fighters and Trainers) at National Defense Headquarters. St-Amand was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 2001 and became project director for CF-18 modernization. In January 2010 he became director of strategic plans at NATO headquarters and was promoted to Brigadier general. During his tenure at SHAPE, St-Amand directed strategic planning for NATO's 2010 Pakistan floods relief operation and Operation Unified Protector. St-Amand became director of operations at NORAD Headquarters in July 2014. On 1 July 2015 he was promoted to lieutenant general and became deputy commander of NORAD and commander of NORAD Canadian Element. St-Amand retired from the RCAF and was replaced by Lieutenant General Christopher J. Coates at his NORAD post in July 2018.

Awards and decorations St-Amand's personal awards and decorations include the following: