After some 36 years of service and almost four years as Commander CEFCOM, LGen Gauthier retired from the Canadian Forces in the summer of 2009.
Most of General Gauthier’s career was devoted to operations and training. Career highlights include various regimental tours in Valcartier and Germany, instructional duties at the CF School of Military Engineering, service as Deputy Commandant of CLFCSC, and staff appointments at Army Headquarters and as COS DCDS at NDHQ. He commanded 4 CER in Germany and on Op HARMONY in Croatia (1990–92), returned to UNPROFOR as Force Engineer for 12 months (1993–94), and commanded Joint Task Force Southwest Asia on Op APOLLO in 2002. He also commanded Land Force Central Area (2000–02).
Following Op APOLLO, he was promoted to MGen and led a transformation of Defence Intelligence as the first Chief of Defence Intelligence. In September 2005, he was given responsibility for standing-up the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command as its first commander. Between Februay 206 and May 20, he was responsible for commanding more than 24,000 Canadian Forces personnel deployed on 28 missions abroad, most notably the major efforts in southern Afghanistan, the evacuation of over 15,000 Canadian citizens from Lebanon, and several complex and unique maritime operations.
After his military service, he was an Executive Vice-President with Allen-Vanguard Corporation, a leader in the provision of customised solutions for defeating terrorist and extremist threats. He now works as a consultant, teaches at the Canadian Forces College, and is a director with the CDA Institute. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada and of advanced programs at the Canadian Forces College and the US Army War College.