Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Bernard

Director Future Fighter Lead-in Training Royal Canadian Air Force

Lieutenant Colonel Bernard joined the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in 1988 and proceeded directly to pilot training. He received his wings in 1990, completed fighter pilot training in 1992, and was posted to 433 Escadron Tactique de Chasse (ETAC) in Bagotville, Québec until 1997. After four years in Bagotville he was assigned to 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron in Cold Lake, Alberta as an instructor pilot on the CF18 until 2001. Following this posting, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard was privileged to be the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Canadian Exchange Officer with 2 Operational Conversion Unit. During his three-year tour with the RAAF, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard was an instructor pilot on the Australian F/A18. Lieutenant Colonel Bernard has accumulated over 3,200 flying hours on the CF-18 Hornet. Throughout his career, he held various significant staff assignments. He worked in the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) Directorate of Aerospace Requirements, and was a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Tactical Evaluator Team Lead in Germany for 3 years. Lieutenant Colonel Bernard held the positions of Flight Commander, and Deputy Squadron Commander at 425 Squadron, as well as NORAD Inspector General Director of Evaluations in Colorado Springs. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 and 2008 during Op ATHENA to work within the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF). In 2011, he deployed to Italy in support of Op MOBILE, Canada’s contribution to NATO Op UNIFIED PROTECTOR. Over the course of that mission Lieutenant Colonel Bernard flew numerous combat missions over Libya in support of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. In 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Bernard retired from the Royal Canadian Air Force and worked for Babcock Canada as Director of Business Development for military defence acquisition. He re-enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 2023 and is now the RCAF Director of Future Fighter Lead-In Training.