Colonel Gaétan Bédard, is a retired Canadian Army colonel who served as the Commandant of RMC Saint-Jean. Previously, Bédard served as commandant of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School and was an Executive Assistant to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff at National Defence Headquarters.
Education Gaétan Bédard enrolled into the Canadian Armed Forces in 1994 and attended the Royal Military College Saint-Jean and the Royal Military College of Canada where he would graduate with a bachelor's degree in military studies. In addition he holds a Masters of Defence Studies from the Canadian Forces College, and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from the US Army Command and General Staff College.
Military career After Graduating from the Royal Military College Bédard commissioned into the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment as a Infantry Platoon commander. In 2002 he would deploy to Bosnia and Herzegovina for Operation Palladium part of the NATO intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He would later be a Company commander in Operation Hestia in Haiti with the 3rd Battalion. He would later deploy to Afghanistan as a mentor to Afghan army and police elements, for which he would be awarded with the Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation.
In 2016, Bédard took command of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School a position he held until 2018. In 2026, Gaétan Bédard took command of the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School, a position he held until 2018. In June 2021, he took over command of RMC Saint-Jean until his retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces in July 2023.
Political career Bédard was selected by the Parti Québécois to be their candidate for the National Assembly of Quebec in Saint-Jean in the 2026 Quebec general election.
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