Lieutenant-General Bouchard enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1974 under the Officer Candidate Training Plan. He underwent pilot training graduating in 1976 as a helicopter pilot.
Lieutenant-General Bouchard flew Tactical Helicopters throughout his career including CH136 Kiowa, OH-58 A/C, AH-1S Cobra, CH135 Twin Huey and CH146 Griffon Helicopters. He served in various capacities at 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, Petawawa, Ontario and 403 Helicopter Operational Training Squadron, Gagetown, New Brunswick, and with the US Army at Fort Hood, Texas. He commanded 444 Tactical Helicopter Squadron in Lahr, Germany. His last flying appointment was as Commander 1 Wing based at Kingston, Ontario responsible for the operations of tactical helicopters in Canada.
Lieutenant-General Bouchard has served at Air Command Headquarters as Senior Staff Officer Tactical Helicopters and Deputy Chief of Staff Personnel. He also served as a Personnel Career Officer at National Defence Headquarters. He completed a tour of duty as Deputy Commander of the Continental US North American Aerospace Defense Command Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. He served as Commander 1 Canadian Air Division, Canadian North American Aerospace Defence Region and Combined Forces Air Component Commander, responsible for all Canadian Air Force operations. He served as Deputy Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command at Colorado Springs from July 2007 to August 2009.
Lieutenant-General Bouchard is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Staff School, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, the National Strategic Studies Course, the Combined Forces Air Component Commander Course, Maxwell Air Force Base, and the Senior Executives' National and International Security Program at Harvard University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Studies from the University of Manitoba. He was promoted to his present rank in July 2007. He was appointed as an officer of the Order of Military Merit in 2001, promoted to the rank of Commander within the Order in 2006. He is an officer of the United States Legion of Merit.
Lieutenant-General Bouchard assumed his current appointment as Combined Joint Task Force Commander of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR on 25 March 2011, retaining his appointment as Deputy Commander Joint Force Command Naples, which he has held since 9 October 2009.