Michel Latouche - Director of Operations 1 Canadian Air Division

Colonel Michel Latouche enrolled in the Canadian Forces in December 1979 in Ottawa, Ontario. In May 1981, he was awarded his navigator wings and posted to 425 All Weather Fighter Squadron in Bagotville, Quebec as an operational Air Intercept Navigator on the CF101 Voodoo; this was followed by postings with 414 Electronic Warfare (EW) Squadron in North Bay, the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Studies in Winnipeg and the Directorate of Air Requirements at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. In 1993, he moved to the Transport community flying the CC130 Hercules with 436 Tactical Transport Squadron in Trenton. This tour included a deployment as the Air Component Commander and J5 Civilian-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) on Operation Assurance in Uganda and Rwanda.

In 1999 Major Latouche graduated from Staff College in Toronto and was then posted to 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters in Winnipeg as a staff officer in the A3 Transport cell. On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 2002, he assumed Command of 435 "Chinthe" Squadron in Winnipeg, once again flying the CC130 Hercules in Transport, Search and Rescue as well as Air-to-air Refuelling roles. This tour included a deployment to the Persian Gulf with Operation Apollo and Operation Athena with missions to Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2004 Lieutenant Colonel Latouche returned to 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters as the A3 Transport Senior Staff Officer / Section Head. In September 2006, he was deployed to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Headquarters in Kabul, from 1 December 2006 to 15 December 2007, as the Director of Air Operations and Air Plans for the NATO lead mission in Afghanistan. Upon his return to Canada he was once again posted to 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters to assume the position of Director of Plans. He was promoted to his current rank in June 2008 and has since become Director of Operations.

Colonel Latouche is a graduate of the USAF Electronic Warfare Officers Course, Canadian Forces Staff School, Canadian Forces Staff College, and the USAF Combined Air and Space Operations Senior Staff Course. He has a BA in Geography and Political Science from the University of Manitoba and a MA in Defence Management and Policy from the Royal Military College in Kingston.

Colonel Latouche's decorations include the Canadian Forces Decoration, the Special Service Medal with Humanitas Bar for Operation Assurance in Uganda and Rwanda in 1996, the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal for support to multiple peacekeeping missions in the Former Yugoslavia, Africa, and Asia, the Southwest Asia Service Medal for Operation Apollo in 2003, the General Campaign Medal for support to the ISAF mission in 2003-2004 as well as the General Campaign Star for participation in the ISAF Mission at ISAF Headquarters in 2006-2007.