Colonel Michael Babin, MSM, CD
Colonel Michael Babin is originally from Val d'Or, Québec. He joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a pilot in 1997. He completed his first operational tour with 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (THS) in Valcartier, Québec where he flew the CH-146 Griffon helicopter. During his first tour, he deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of a NATO stabilization force responsible to enforce a United Nations Security Council resolution. He was also deployed to Haiti on Operation HALO in 2004.
In 2005, he was posted to 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School in Portage-La-Prairie, Manitoba as a flight instructor on the CH-139 Jet Ranger helicopter. In early 2008, he was promoted to Major and posted to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre in Wainwright, Alberta as the G5 Aviation where he was responsible for planning Royal Canadian Air Force support to joint training exercises.
In 2009, he was posted back to 430 THS where he deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan as the Operations Officer of the Canadian Aviation Battalion, Roto 10. Immediately upon returning from Afghanistan in the summer of 2011, he was selected to attend the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Ontario.
In 2012, he was posted to 1 Wing Headquarters in Kingston, Ontario as the A7, responsible for Standards, Training, Doctrine and Acquisitions. During this posting, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. In July 2014 as an important crisis was taking place in Eastern Europe, he was posted to NATO Allied Air Command Headquarters in Ramstein, Germany as an Air Operations Planning Group Leader within the Strategy Division.
In July 2017, he took command of 430 THS in Valcartier, Québec. He was deployed to Mali on Operation PRESENCE as the Commanding Officer of Task Force Mali Aviation Battalion Roto 1. Following his Squadron command, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and posted to Ottawa, Ontario as the J5 and then Acting Director General Plans of the Canadian Joint Operations Command. In 2021, he was posted to Kingston, ON as the Commander of 1 Wing.
Col Babin is a graduate from the Royal Military College of Canada as well as the Canadian Forces College.
