Major General Denis O’Reilly

Deputy Commander Royal Canadian Air Force

Major-General Denis O'Reilly grew up in Moose Jaw, SK and enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in 1991. He received his RCAF pilot wings in 1995, and was posted to 408 Tactical Helicopter Squadron (Edmonton, AB) where he flew the CH135 Twin Huey and later the CH146 Griffon helicopters. From 2000 to 2003, he was selected for foreign exchange duties with 664 Squadron Army Air Corps (Dishforth, UK) where he flew the Lynx Anti-Tank Helicopter. His duties included Squadron Operations Officer and Squadron Second-in-Command.

Upon promotion to Major in 2003, he was appointed Officer Commanding (OC) 664 Squadron. Upon return to Canada in 2003, he served in various Flight Commander and operational positions in Gagetown, Halifax, and Kingston. Promoted to the rank of Colonel in 2015, he was appointed Director Air Force Training until 2016, when he returned to his home town of Moose Jaw, to assume command of 15 Wing - home of RCAF pilot training and The Snowbirds. Major-General O'Reilly was posted in August 2020 to 2 Canadian Air Division as the Commander.

Following two years leading individual training and education for the RCAF, he was posted in August 2022 to the Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff as Chief of Staff. In June 2023, he was appointed as Commander, Canadian Defence Academy and promoted to his current rank in August 2023. In June 2025 Major-General O'Reilly was posted to the Air Staff, and appointed to the role of Deputy Commander, RCAF in July 2025.

Major-General O'Reilly served on operational deployments to Haiti (1996), Kosovo (1999), and Kuwait (2014). He is a graduate of the Advanced Aerospace Operations Course, the Joint Command and Staff Program, and the United States Air Force Air War College. He holds a Bachelor of Philosophy degree, and a Masters of Defence Studies. He was appointed to the Order of Military Merit in November 2019. Major-General O'Reilly and his wife have seven children.