15 Wing Commander

Colonel (Col) Daniel Coutts joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1995. In 1999, he completed his studies from the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) in Kingston, Ont., and after receiving his Pilot Wings as a helicopter pilot, he started his career with 427 Squadron in Petawawa, Ont. 

After several rewarding years with the Lions and deployments to Bosnia and Afghanistan, he was promoted to Major and worked in Army Collective Training in Kingston. His flying supervisory tour with 400 Squadron in Borden, Ont., was followed by the Joint Command and Staff Program at Canadian Forces College (CFC) in Toronto.

As CO of 2 Expeditionary Readiness Centre and CO of 2 Air Expeditionary Squadron under 2 Wing in Bagotville, Col Coutts deployed to Operation PROVISION as the Air Component Coordination Element Director in Beirut. In 2016, he assumed the role as the Deputy Commander of the Canadian Aerospace Warfare Centre in Trenton, Ont., followed by Acting Commander 1 Wing in Kingston from Jan to May 2019. 

Following his DP 4 education at the USAF Air War College in Alabama, he filled the role of Combined Air Operations Center Director, managing the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) global operations for over two years. In 2022-2023, he assumed the role of A5/7 at 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters in Winnipeg.

Col Coutts holds an Air Transport Pilot License – Helicopter License, as well as numerous qualifications and certificates: a Bachelor Honours in English and a Master’s Degree in Security, Defence, Management and Policy at RMC, a Masters of Defence Studies at CFC, a Master’s of Strategic Studies from the USAF Air University, and a Doctorate of Social Sciences at Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC, specializing in workplace culture change.

Col Coutts assumed command of 15 Wing Moose Jaw, the centre of the RCAF aircrew training on July 14, 2023.