Major S.K. Fortin, CD

Major Shawn Fortin began his military experience as an Air Cadet first with the 825 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron (RCACS) in Yellowknife, NWT and then with the 386 RCACS in Comox, BC.  He enrolled into the Canadian Forces in July 1990 initially under the Regular Officer Training Plan Program and attended Royal Roads Military College.  After a short time with the 5^th (British Columbia) Field Artillery Regiment in Victoria, B.C and after attending Second Language Training in St. Jean Quebec, he was posted to the 1^st Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (1 RCHA) in Shilo, M.B. in October 1994, then under the Officer Candidate Training Program, where he worked in a gambit of positions including Troop Leader, Gun Position Officer and Forward Observation Officer.  While with 1 RCHA, then Captain Fortin deployed to Bosnia on Operation Palladium Rotation 1 in July 1997 as the Liaison Officer Operations with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Battle Group and again on Rotation 6 in April 2000 as a Forward Observation Officer and Forward Air Controller with the 3^rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI) Battle Group.

In July 2001, after nearly seven years in Shilo, he was posted to the Royal Canadian Artillery School (RCAS) in Gagetown, N.B. to attend the Field Artillery Instructor-in-Gunnery Course.  Immediately following this yearlong course, he found himself back in Bosnia again on Operation Palladium Rotation 11 in September 2002 as the Glamoc Range Liaison Officer working for the HQ Multi-National Division South West.  Once redeployed back at the RCAS, Captain Fortin taught on several Advanced Artillery Courses and in August 2004, assumed the duties of Operations and Training Officer.  In that position, he completed the Army Operations Course at the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College in September 2005.  After two years as Operations and Training Officer, Captain Fortin was posted back to 1 RCHA as the Operations Officer for one year.  Major Fortin was promoted to his current rank in June 2007 and was subsequently posted to Headquarters Canadian Forces Base/Area Support Unit Shilo as the Base Operations Officer.

After one year in that position, he was posted back once again to 1 RCHA in July 2008 to Command C Battery.  Major Fortin immediately fell into the high readiness training for Afghanistan and deployed with C Battery supporting the 1^st Battalion PPCLI Battle Group from October 2009 to May 2010.  Upon returning to Canada from another successful deployment, he was appointed as the Second-in-Command of 1 RCHA.

Major Fortin holds a Bachelor of Military Arts and Science Degree from the Royal Military College of Canada.  His hobbies include golf, hunting, camping and hiking.  He is married to Michelle Fortin (née Beaudry) and has one son, Nathan and one granddaughter, Sophia.