The Alaska World Affairs Council Presents

Colonel Sylvain Bedard
Deputy Commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region

Friday, 25th January, 2008 – Hilton Hotel
Doors open at 11:30 a.m. - Program begins at 12:00 p.m.
For Reservations
RSVP by Wednesday, 23rd January to the Alaska World Affairs Council
by telephone 276-8038 or by email to AlaskaWorldAffairs.org .
Lunch Program $20 for Members - $25 for Non-Members - $6 for Coffee Only

Sylvain Bedard, CD 
CANADIAN FORCES

Colonel Sylvain Bédard was born in St-Raymond, a small town to the North of Quebec City. Following studies in Coastal Navigation, he joined the Canadian Forces in 1986. In 1987, he completed the Basic Air Weapons Controller Course in North Bay, Ontario, where he next held many positions within the Canadian NORAD Region, as well as instructing at the Air Weapons Controller and Countermeasures School.

In 1991, then at the rank of Captain, Colonel Bédard was posted to Geilenkirchen, Germany, where he served aboard the NATO E-3A, AWACS. He left Germany in 1994 to represent Canada and NATO at the French AWACS Wing in Bourges, France. As Liaison Officer, he continued flying in support of the operations related to the conflicts in Former-Yugoslavia, totalling 2300 flying hours on E-3. Promoted to Major in 1996, he was posted to Government House where he served as Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency, The Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, Governor General of Canada. From 1998 to 2002, he consecutively worked at 3 Wing Bagotville as Commanding Officer of 12 Radar Squadron and Wing Air Traffic Control Officer. Colonel Bédard then graduated from the Joint Command and Staff College at Shrivenham, United Kingdom, in 2003 and, as Lieutenant-Colonel, subsequently served as Commandant of the Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Control Operations in Cornwall, Ontario, until 2005 .

For the following year, Colonel Bédard was deployed to the Multinational Forces and Observers in the Sinai Desert, specifically conducting negotiations with Egyptian and Israeli Forces operating adjacent to the Gaza Strip. He then performed the duties of Senior Military Assistant to the Minister of National Defence until the summer of 2007 and, upon promotion to Colonel, now serves as the Deputy Commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska.

Colonel Bédard has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Manitoba, as well as a Masters degree in Defence Studies conferred by King’s College London, United Kingdom.