Brigadier General Todd Balfe

Deputy General Fighter Capabilities Royal Canadian Air Force

Brigadier General Todd Balfe enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves in 1982, serving as an infantry soldier with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. He transferred to the Regular Force in 1983 and graduated from the Royal Military College in 1987. Awarded his pilot wings in 1988, he served initially as a flying instructor and standards officer on Tutor jets at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Transitioning to fighters in 1992 he flew CF-18's for many years, completed the fighter weapons instructors' course and concluded his flying career as Commanding Officer of 409 Tactical Fighter Squadron. During his career he amassed 4500 flight hours, including more than 2500 hours in the CF-18. Operationally, he completed three NATO flying deployments to the Balkans culminating with the Operation Allied Force air campaign in 1999.

His non-flying assignments include two tours with NORAD, firstly at NORAD headquarters, Colorado Springs, Colorado and secondly as Deputy Commander of the Alaskan NORAD Region, Anchorage, Alaska. At National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, he served as the Director of Western Hemisphere Policy prior to promotion to his current rank in 2013. He next completed a ten-month assignment with NATO's International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, to include closing the Canadian military mission in 2014. Upon return to Canada he was appointed Director General Plans in the Strategic Joint Staff responsible for strategic and operational force planning. His final assignment prior to retiring from the regular force in 2016 was as RCAF Director General Readiness. He returned to the RCAF (Reserve) in 2017 and currently serves with the Fighter Capability Office. Brigadier General Balfe is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff Course, the USAF Air War College and Harvard University's Senior Executives in National and International Security Program. His graduate education includes a Master of Defence Studies degree from RMC, a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Science in Management from Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He is a recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal and the US Legion of Merit (degree of Officer).