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552nd Canadian Component welcomes new commander

  • Published
  • By Ken LaFayette
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The 552nd Air Control Wing and its Canadian counterparts witnessed a transfer of command from Canadian Component commander, Lt. Col. Henrik Smith, to new commander, Lt. Col. Patrick Carpentier.

Presiding official, Brig. Gen. André Viens, Continental United States North American Aerospace Defense Command Region deputy commander, began his remarks by speaking of the special bond between the two nations.

"The past year has been a very busy year for Canada. AWACS played an integral part in ensuring the air security over Vancouver, flying around the clock to provide radar coverage and more recently the G20 summit in Toronto when we requested AWACS to provide the radar air picture," said General Viens.

Colonel Carpentier commanded 12th Radar Squadron, tactical mobile radar. He provided Canada with a mobile tactical command, control and surveillance unit capable of world wide deployments on 72-hour notice. Following a year as a student on the Canadian Forces Joint Command and Staff Program in Toronto, Colonel Carpentier served as the NORAD director of Inspections at Peterson AFB, Colo., where he was responsible to the Inspector General for the combat readiness of NORAD alert forces and the associated command and control structure.

General Viens credited Colonel Smith with overcoming numerous challenges upon his arrival in the summer of 2007.

"Colonel Smith has been an awesome commander and has led this detachment brilliantly for the past three years," General Viens said.

Colonel Smith spoke of the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Canadian detachment.

"You're the ones that go out and fly every day, without you nothing happens and your performance over the last three years has been magnificent," said Colonel Smith.

Colonel Smith joined General Viens, and Colonel Carpentier at the center of the stage to sign the official change-of-command certificates signifying the transfer of command.

"Colonel Carpentier has got a very impressive background of experience. He has served on AWACS within NATO, the French Air Force and he has a tour here already so you're going to get someone qualified and knowledgeable about doing the airborne early warning mission," said General Viens of his new commander.

Colonel Carpentier expressed his excitement to work with the men and women of the Canadian Component.

"I'm glad to be here, I only make one promise and that's to have fun over the next three years, he said we've got a lot of challenges ahead of us, let's go have fun meeting them," he said.