Estimated reading time 1 minute, 7 seconds.
Like many who serve, MGen Jamie Speiser-Blanchet was introduced to the military by family. Her father was a fighter pilot, and postings to Germany and elsewhere instilled an early sense of adventure and a thrill for flying.
“It’s something that I still cherish,” she said of her time in Germany. “Even though I was young, I was absolutely affected by that.”
Intent on studying engineering after high school, Speiser-Blanchet learned from a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting centre that flying aircraft was also a possibility, and opted to obtain a degree in computer engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada as well as her pilot’s wings, before embarking on a career that has included flying the CH-146 Griffon helicopter.
“I saw the organization as a great opportunity to live some adventures and have some fun,” she recalled of the decision to join the Air Force.
Continue reading this feature article in the February/March 2024 issue of Skies magazine.
