Chief Warrant Officer Paul Léger-Fréchette, CD
Regimental Sergeant-Major of 12th Canadian Armoured Regiment at Trois-Rivières

Chief Warrant Officer Paul Léger-Fréchette, CD, was born in Trois-Rivières on 7 September 1965. He got his first taste of the military in November 1978 when he became a member of Army Cadet Corps 2446 in Cap de-la-Madeleine. He participated in cadet activities for five years and was cadet commander during his last year.

He embarked on his military career in January 1984 when he enrolled in 12e Régiment blindé du Canada in Trois-Rivières. He took a variety of occupational courses to advance in his career in the armoured corps. After completing his master corporal qualification at the Royal 22e Régiment Combat School, he worked at his unit as an instructor for various courses, including the recruit, armoured crewmember (QL3) and master corporal courses. In 1987, he successfully completed his armoured crew commander course and was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Afterwards, he became an instructor for the Cougar firing course and acquired his driver examiner qualification and shooting instructor qualification for C6, C7 and C9 weapons. He was also second-in-command for the QL3 armoured course and the recruit course. In 1990, he took his warrant officer course in Wainwright, Alberta. He was a troop warrant officer and squadron and regimental operations warrant officer for his unit. In 1995, he was appointed sergeant major of headquarters squadron. He held this position until 1999, at which time he became sergeant major of the mission element until 2008. He completed his armoured squadron sergeant major (QL7) course in Gagetown, New Brunswick, and was promoted to master warrant officer in December 2000. Lastly, he completed his chief warrant officer course in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in 2008.

He took part in a number of domestic operations such as Operation Recuperation in 1998 (ice storm) as a platoon commander and Operation Abacus (Y2K bug) as assistant to the regimental operations officer. In March 1999, he deployed his squadron to Fort Knox, Kentucky, for M1 Abrams simulator training. During the summers of 1999 and 2000, he put his skills to use at the Collège militaire royal de Saint Jean as sergeant major of the second language company of the Royal Military College in Kingston. In March 2001, he coordinated a second M1 Abrams simulator training for his squadron, this time in Fort Hood, Texas. During the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003, he acted as company sergeant major at Camp Vimy at CFB Valcartier. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, he actively participated in the deployment of 35 Brigade in Mississippi as an armoured observer controller.