Brigadier-General Alain Tremblay takes command of Land Force Quebec Area and
Joint Task Force (East)

MONTREAL, July 30 /CNW Telbec/ - Brigadier-General Alain Tremblay is the new commander of Land Force Quebec Area and Joint Task Force (East) (LFQA/JTF (East)). He took over the position from Major-General Guy Laroche during a ceremony that was held today at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Valcartier.

Major-General Laroche handed over command of LFQA/JTF (East) in order to take the helm of the Land Force Doctrine and Training System in Kingston, Ontario.

"I would like to congratulate BGen Alain Tremblay on his appointment as Commander of Land Force Quebec Area. He is well deserving of the position. He is a strong and experienced leader who will be able to deftly guide, and set an example for, the men and women under his command. Many challenges await him, and I know that he will be able to give the directions needed to lead the troops in Quebec and carry out the missions that will be entrusted to him," said the Chief of the Land Staff, Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin, who presided over the military change of command ceremony. "I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Major-General Laroche and the troops of LFQA/JTF (East) for the significant accomplishments that were made in the past two years, particularly when Quebec troops promptly responded to a call for assistance by leading emergency humanitarian aid operations in Haiti. Over 800 soldiers from Quebec were ready to be deployed on very short notice and were instrumental to the success of the mission," he said.

"It is thanks to the exemplary commitment, professionalism, versatility, experience and integrity of Quebec's soldiers that we have been able to so skilfully carry out the missions entrusted to us in the past two years of my time at the head of LFQA/JTF (East)," said Major-General Laroche, the outgoing commander of LFQA/JTF (East). "It has been an honour and a privilege to command the troops of Quebec and, I assure you, they bring honour to Quebeckers and Canadians as a whole, both at home and abroad," he continued.

Brigadier-General Tremblay said, "Major challenges await Quebec troops in the coming year, particularly with the upcoming rotation in Afghanistan, for which training will soon be completed. It is truly an honour to take command of troops who have such great responsibilities and such a solid reputation. Following the deployment, I plan to ensure that Quebec CF members remain ready for any eventuality, whether they are working domestically or within the context of any expeditionary deployment that the Canadian Government may entrust to us. That will be my main objective."

LFQA includes the members of the Regular and Reserve Force throughout Quebec. It is responsible for training and generating troops for domestic and expeditionary operations. JTF (East) is the authority that directs operations for all CF elements in Quebec (Army, Navy and Air Force) during domestic operations.

For further information: Captain Pierre Leblanc, LFQA/JTF (East) Public Affairs Officer, 514-252-2777, ext 4211 or on pager at 514-423-4044