After more than 37 years of loyal and dedicated service to the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Military Engineers, LCol Denis Gouge will retire from the CAF on 30 September 2020. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a closed Depart with Dignity event will be held on 25 September 2020 with the 34 CER CO and his immediate family only. Anecdotes and retirement wishes may be sent to Capt D. Lagrange at Dominique.Lagrange@forces.gc.
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Lieutenant Colonel Gouge was born in 1960. After completing his ROTP programme in 1977, he joined the army reserve in 1980 as a Second Lieutenant with the Voltigeurs de Québec. In 1984, he transferred to the Regular Force as an engineer officer. Upon his graduation at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering he was posted to Canadian Forces Base Chatham in New Brunswick as an engineer officer in the construction section. Upon his promotion to captain, he transferred to 5 Combat Engineer Regiment in 1988 where he deployed to Cyprus as a Troop Commander with 5 Canadian Artillery Regiment. Upon his return to Canada, he became a squadron commander in 1989 and deployed again as a UnitedNations observer to ensure the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq. Upon his redeployment, he assumed the role of the unit Adjutant and Operations Officer afterwards during the Oka crisis.
In 1992, Lieutenant Colonel Gouge was posted to the construction engineer section in Canadian Forces Base Valcartier where he occupied the Productions Officer and Requirements Officer position. Upon his promotion to major, he was posted to the Land Force Quebec Head-Quarters in Saint-Hubert as the Infrastructure Requirement Staff Officer. In 1995, he then deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as the G3 for the 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Head-Quarters where he coordinated engineer activities for the Canadian, UK and Czeck forces in the Canadian area of responsibility.
In 1997, Lieutenant Colonel Gouge was posted to Canadian Forces Base Petawawa as a Construction Engineer Officer. In 1999 he was posted to the Land Force Head-Quarters in Ottawa as the Real-Property Management Staff Officer until his retirement from the Regular Force in May 2002. He rejoined as a reservist in November 2002 and was promoted to his current rank in December of the same year to assume command of the 3 Field Engineer Regiment. In September 2005, he was posted to 34 Canadian Brigade Group Head-Quarters where he occupied the role of Assistant Chief of Staff – Individual Instruction followed by the Deputy Commander. From October 2010 to June 2011, he worked at the International Security Assistance Force Head-Quarters in Kabul in the Peace Reestablishment Cell. In June 2014, he was posted to the Canadian Army Doctrine Training Center Head-Quarters as the Assistant-Chief of Staff – Military Personnel Support and Education. Since 2018 he was a member of the Canadian Forces Liaison Council. He will retire from the Canadian Armed Forces in September 2020 after 40 years of service.
Since 2002, in his civilian career, Lieutenant Colonel Gouge has worked successfully for the Old-Port of Montreal Society, on his own account as a Physical Securty Consultant for SNCLavelin and is now an employee at VIA Rail Canada.
The Lieutenant Colonel Gouge has a bachelors’ degree in Civil Engineering from Laval Univeristy in Quebec and a master’s degree in Business management from Queen’s Univeristy in Kingston.
Lieutenant Colonel Gouge is married to Natou Thiam. Natou and Denis are proud parents of five adults: Lamine, Jean-Philippe, Sophie, Isabelle and Amina.