Reserve Sustainment Issues

Colonel Blais was born in Chatham, Ontario in 1959. He enrolled in 1977 and graduated from the Collège Militaire Royal de Saint-Jean with a Bachelor’s degree in Administration and Canadian Studies. His first posting was with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal 22e Régiment at La Citadelle in Quebec City where he served as Second in Command of the Services Company and as Guard Commander of the ceremonial Garde en Rouge. In 1984, he was posted to the Canadian Forces Leadership Academy in Borden, where he served as the Adjudant, Platoon Commander for the Junior Leader Course and Course Director for a specialized Basic Officer Training Course for Medical Officers and Chaplains. In 1989, he was posted to Comox and served as the Base Personnel Administration Officer. He was subsequently posted to Ottawa as the Organization and Establishment Officer for the newly created Canadian Forces Hospital and Medical Supply System Headquarters. In 1992, he became the Personnel Administration Officer for the Canadian Forces Support Unit Ottawa. Promoted to the rank of Major in 1994, he was posted to Montreal and served for one year as part of a three person team responsible for re-engineering the Base’s service delivery processes. In 1995, he was named the Commanding Officer of the 5 Area Support Unit Saint-Jean, in Saint-Jean. In 1997 he became the Support Services Officer for the newly amalgamated bases in Valcartier, Montreal and Saint-Jean. Colonel Blais was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 2000 and was posted to National Defence Headquarters where he served as the Director of the Assistant Deputy Minister Human Resources Secretariat and in July 2005, he became the Director of Casualty Support and Administration. He was promoted to his current rank in 2008 and assumed command of the Joint Personnel Support Unit as well as the responsibilities of Director Casualty Support Management.