by TOM PHILP
The Independent
The commanding officer of Canada’s military parachute school was killed in a freak accident at CFB Trenton last Friday morning.
Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Blanchette, CD, Commanding Officer of the Canadian Forces Parachute Centre, was participating in the unit’s annual water landing parachute refresher qualifications when the incident occurred. Blanchette was taken to Trenton Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Both military and civilian police continue to investigate.
Lieutenant-Colonel Blanchette, 49, was a member of The Royal Canadian Regiment and was a veteran parachutist with more than 2000 parachute jumps.
He was born in St. Laurent, Quebec. After finishing CEGEP at Vanier College in Montreal, he enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1975 as an Officer Cadet. Following officer training at Chilliwack, B.C., and Gagetown, N.B., he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment as a platoon commander where he experienced his first peace-keeping tour in Cyprus.
Subsequent regimental assignments included commanding a platoon in the Canadian Airborne Regiment, commanding the anti-armour and reconnaissance platoons of 1st Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment, and serving as the operations officer and then as a combat team commander with 3rd Battalion The Royal Canadian Regiment in Germany.
Instructional duties have included an assignment to the Canadian Airborne Center in Edmonton as a Course Officer. Lieutenant-Colonel Blanchette has qualified as a Jump Master, Parachute Instructor, Military Freefall Parachutist, and has commanded the 1981 Canadian Forces Parachute Team -- The Skyhawks. He has also had two tours of duty at the Infantry School in Gagetown -- the first as an Instructor/ Course Officer and the second as the Deputy Commandant/ Chief Instructor.
Lieutenant-Colonel Blanchette completed two tours of duty in Cyprus (1976 and 1984) and command of the ground defence force of the Canadian Air Task Group in Qatar during Operation Friction (Gulf War -- 1990).
Blanchette was a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger Course, the U.S. Army Special Forces Course, and the U.S. Marine Corps Command and Staff College. In addition, his professional military education includes graduating from Canadian Forces Staff School and Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College. He received his Baccalaureate in Military Arts and Science from RMC in 1999.
In June, 1999, Blanchette was assigned as the G3 of Land Force Central Area. He spent two years with that Headquarters, most often in the capacity as the Acting Chief of Staff. Lieutenant-Colonel Blanchette was appointed Commanding Officer of the Canadian Parachute Centre in June 2001, which was the position he held at the time of his death.
Major Jean Morissette said Lt.-Col. Blanchette was the first of six parachutists jumping from a helicopter at about 300 metres. Parachuting over water can be dangerous because a jumper’s depth perception may be affected by sunny weather over glassy water. Parachutists must separate from their parachutes immediately upon hitting the water to avoid being tangled in their gear.
“ You have to separate from your parachute because if the canopy gets on your head, it could cause problems,” Major Morissette said. “You have to separate as soon as you touch the water. It appears (Lt.-Col. Blanchette) separated before, and we don’t know the reason.”
Blanchette was married to the former Shirley Simpson of Montreal, Quebec. They couple had two children, Michael Andrew and Shirley Ann, now adults and living away from home.
A military funeral is scheduled for September 12, 2 p.m., at the 8 Wing Chapel, CFB Trenton. The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Juneau Beach Centre, www. junobeach.org/Centre/english/ contributions/donations-
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