Mishall RehmanThe Royal Military College (RMC) Saint-Jean will now be headed by Col. Gervais Carpentier, a member of the Canadian Army with nearly 30 years of experience.
A change of command ceremony was held in early July to mark the transfer.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to take command of RMC Saint-Jean. I am proud to work with the dynamic team at the heart of this unique and prestigious institution, and to fulfill our mission to educate and train future leaders of the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Carpentier.
Carpentier assumes command from Col. Simon Bernard, who had been the head of RMC Saint-Jean since 2015. He has been transferred to the Centre des hautes études militaires in Paris, France.
“It was an honour and a real privilege for me to command RMC Saint-Jean and to be able to give back to this institution of excellence that gave me so much. From the quality of the work and the exceptional dedication of the staff, we have been able to accomplish enormous things in many ways. I depart confident that the RMC Saint-Jean team and its commander will continue to make the most of their mission, while achieving our vision of re-establishing university status at RMC Saint-Jean,” said Col. Bernard.
The ceremony was presided by RAdm. Luc Cassivi, Commander of the Canadian Defence Academy.
“During his two years of command at RMC Saint-Jean, Colonel Simon Bernard was able to pave the way towards a real optimization of resources in the existence of this prestigious institution. Among other things, he promoted the influence of this college through innovative programs and international activities. In addition, several of his initiatives have fostered the development of the Chief Warrant Officer Robert-Osside Profession of Arms Institute.”
Carpentier has served with the 2nd and 3rd Royal 22e Régiment Battalions and was part of Joint Task Force 2 during his 30-year career.
“Ensuring our future leaders receive the best training and education we can provide is a challenging job, and I congratulate Colonel Bernard for his exceptional work over the past two years. Colonel Carpentier has my full confidence and support as he takes on the important responsibility of effectively preparing our officer cadets for the privilege of leadership,” said Gen. Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff.
The mission of RMC Saint-Jean is to educate members of the Canadian Armed Forces to gain the necessary skills and provides students with a gradual transition from high school to university studies through college-level programs in the natural sciences and humanities. All programs are offered in the first official language of the student.
RMC Sain-Jean has regained its university status and will begin offering courses to obtain a university degree in the fall of 2018.
