Lieutenant Colonel Carrie Fortier, born in Brandon Manitoba, enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1983 under the ROTP program. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Ottawa in 1987. After completing her phase training in the spring of 1988, Lieutenant Colonel Fortier’s first posting was to the Construction Engineering section at CFB North Bay.
After being promoted to Captain in 1990, she was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME) in Chilliwack where she was a course officer for various classes and School Adjutant as well. In 1994, Lieutenant-Colonel Fortier was selected for post-graduate training and subsequently graduated from Queen’s University with a Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning in 1996. She was then posted to Air Command Headquarters as a staff officer, and later as an Executive Assistant to A4 in the newly formed 1 Canadian Air Division Headquarters. Moreover, she served a tour as the A3 Engineer in Aviano, Italy with OP ECHO.
In 2000, Lieutenant-Colonel Fortier was selected as the Wing Construction Engineering Officer for 19 Wing Comox, serving three years in total. Selected for Command and Staff College in Toronto in 2003, she also completed a Masters in Defence Studies from RMC. Promoted to her present rank in 2004, Lieutenant-Colonel Fortier was posted to J3 Engineer Operations in NDHQ where she was responsible for Canadian Military Engineering Training, Doctrine and Force Structures. During this tour, she also served as the acting Military Engineer Branch Advisor and was heavily engaged in CF transformation and CME Branch activities.
After 26 years of service Lieutenant Colonel Fortier is retiring from the military. Remaining with DND, she will be assuming her new position of General Manager Infrastructure and Technical Services with CFHA in Ottawa.
Lieutenant Colonel Fortier is married to Rock Fortier of Iroquois Falls, Ontario. Both professional engineers, they and their son Zachary and daughter Rochelle, enjoy the outdoors, taking every opportunity to go camping, fishing and hunting.