Lieutenant General  Pascal Vinchon

Pascal Vinchon was born in Nîmes (France). He entered the French Air Force Academy in 1973 through competitive exam. In December 1976, he was awarded his fighter pilot’s wings. During his 15-year operational career, he logged over 3,400 flight hours and commanded every level of operational units. From 1980 to 1991, he participated in various operational missions over Mauritania and Chad .

After graduating from the US Air War College with the Class of 93, he served in staff positions as Head of the Balkan crisis action team in the French Joint Command Center, as Assistant Director in charge of European and NATO affairs in the Policy Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, and as Chief of the personal staff of the Chief of Staff of the French Air Force .

Pascal Vinchon is also experienced in political affairs. In 1994, he was designated Military Adviser to the French representative in the Balkan Contact Group. In October 1995, he was a member of the French negotiating team at Dayton , Ohio . In September 1995, he was posted in New York on a three-year tour as Military Adviser to the French Ambassador to the United Nations. In 1999, he joined the French negotiating team for Kosovo at Rambouillet.

He is married to the former Carine Boissonnet. They have four children, Claire, Maud, Anne and Philippe.

EDUCATION:

1975 French Air Force Academy, Salon de Provence
1993 Air War College, Maxwell United States Air Force Base, Ala.
1999 Center for Advanced Military Studies, Paris

ASSIGNMENTS:

December 1976 – June 1977, student pilot, Fighter Squadron 2/8, Cazaux FAF AB
June 1977 – August 1982, pilot, Tactical Fighter Squadron 1/11, Toul FAF AB
September 1982 – August 1984, Flight Commander, Tactical Fighter Squadron 1/11, Toul
August 1984 – August 1985, Deputy Commander, Fighter Squadron 2/12, Cambrai FAF AB
August 1985 – August 1987, Commander, Fighter Squadron 1/12, Cambrai
August 1987 – August 1989, Commander, French Air Force Academy cadet class, Salon
August 1989 – August 1991, deputy commander, 3 rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Nancy FAF AB
August 1991 – June 1992, Commander, 3 rd Tactical Fighter Wing, Nancy FAF AFB
June 1992 – June 1993, student, Air War College , Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
July 1993 – August 1995, Commander, Balkan crisis action team, National Military Command Center (COIA), Paris
September 1995 – July 1998, Military Adviser to the Ambassador, permanent representative of France to the United Nations, New York, NY
September 1998 – June 1999, student, Center for Higher Military Studies (CHEM), Paris
June 1999 – July 2001, Assistant Director for European and NATO affairs, Policy Directorate (DAS), Ministry of Defense, Paris
July 2001 – August 2003, Chief of the personal staff of the Chief of Staff of the French Air Force, Paris
August 2003 – July 2006, Defense attaché to the Embassy of France in the United States of America
1 August 2006, French Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

Aircraft flown: Fouga magister, T33, Mystère IV, Jaguar, Mirage F1C, Mirage IIIE, Mirage F1CR and Mirage 2000N

AWARDS:

Officer in the Order of the Legion of Honor
Officer in the Order of Merit
Medal of the Combatant
Overseas Operations Medal
National Defense Medal

DATES OF RANK:

Second Lieutenant: October 1, 1974
First Lieutenant: August 1, 1976
Captain: August 1, 1979
Major: October 1, 1984
Lieutenant Colone : October 1, 1988
Colonel: October 1, 1992
Brigadier General: November 1, 2001
Major General: July 1, 2003
Lieutenant General: August 1, 2006