2 Wing Commander

Colonel (Col) Carol Potvin was born in Jonquière, Québec. He got his professional helicopter pilot license from the Aeronautical Training Center at the CEGEP, in ChicoutimiQuebec in 1995 and joined the Canadian Forces in 1997. He earned his Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilot wings in 1999.

His first operational assignment is with 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Petawawa, Ontario, during which he deployed to the former Yugoslavia. In 2001, Col Potvin is posted to 430 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (430 Tac Hel Sqn) in Valcartier, Quebec. During this posting at 430 Tac Hel Sqn, he deployed to Bosnia and to Haiti with the United Nations Multinational Force.

Promoted to major in 2007, Col Potvin was assigned to the Director of Military Careers at National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) in Ottawa. In 2009, he was selected to attend the Joint Command and Staff Program in Toronto. Upon his graduation in 2010, he returned to 430 Tac Hel Sqn as the Acting Commanding Officer while part of the squadron was deployed. He served in this capacity for eleven months and subsequently as the squadron’s Deputy Commanding Officer. In December 2011, he again assumed the acting Commander role of the squadron until summer 2012 when he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel and posted to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium. During his three years with NATO, he worked as the Chief of staff for the Strategic Planning Directorate.

During the summer of 2015, he was posted back to 430 Tac Hel Sqn as Commanding Officer. In September 2016, he assumed command of the Aviation Detachment of Operation Impact in Northern Iraq. In 2017, Col Potvin was posted to NDHQ in Ottawa to work as the Executive Assistant to the Commander of the RCAF. In 2018, he was promoted to his actual rank and was posted as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Staff. In 2020, Col Potvin was posted back to Toronto to attend the National Security Program. He is currently Commander of 2 Wing.

Col Potvin is a graduate of the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College Course and the National Security Program. During his eleven years of operational flying, he accumulated almost 3,000 flying hours on tactical helicopters.