Lieutenant-Colonel Cathy C. Blue, CD
Lieutenant-Colonel Cathy Blue was born and raised in Hopefield, Prince Edward Island. She was a founding Air Cadet of 327 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron, Montague PEI, when the
Squadron stood up in 1983 and it was there that she developed an interest in leadership, aviation technology and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). She enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in April 1989 under the Regular Officer Training Program as a Communication and Electronic Engineer (CELE) Officer. Under this program, she completed her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Lieutenant-Colonel Blue has served in numerous operational and training position across the Canadian Armed Forces. Including positions within 8 Wing Telecommunication and Information Systems Squadron (WTISS), J6 Operations, and 76 Communications Group. She has also served as the Chief Instructor/Deputy Commandant of the Canadian Forces School of Communications and Electronics (CFSCE). She has deployed with NATO as the Communications Officer for the Stabilization Force Communication Zone Headquarters in Zagreb, Croatia.
Lieutenant-Colonel Blue has held privilege to hold command positions at every rank level from Captain to Lieutenant-Colonel. As a Captain, she commanded 708 Communication Squadron and managed its devolution to 8 WTISS. As a Major, she was appointed Commanding Officer 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron (8 ACCS). Upon completion of her appointment as Gypsy Mother, the call-sign for 8ACCS Commanding Officers, Lieutenant-Colonel Blue was posted to the Canadian Forces College (CFC) where she completed the Joint Command and Staff Programme (JCSP). At the completion of JCSP, she remained at CFC, filling positions as a Directing Staff for JCSP and as the Programme Officer for the National Security Programme.
Lieutenant-Colonel Blue’s most recent posting was as Commanding Officer 8 Mission Support Squadron at 8 Wing Trenton where she commanded over 600 personnel delivering logistics, engineering and telecommunications systems support to the largest Wing in the RCAF. During her posting to 8 Wing, Lieutenant-Colonel Blue was appointed Co-Director of the highly successful
2016 Quinte International Air Show 2016.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Computer Science from the University of Prince Edward Island (1992) and a Masters of Defence Studies from the Royal Military College
(2014). She was awarded a Chief of Defence Staff Commendation for her work as Commanding Officer 8 ACCS and was recognized by the CFC as the recipient of the McNamara Medallion (2013)
and Honorary NSP Graduate (2014).
She is married to Lieutenant-Colonel Grant Griswold and they have two sons, Alexander and Duncan. Alexander is a member of 58 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron and is pursuing his
passion for biathlon and aviation.