Service battalion

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A service battalion (svc bn; French: bataillon des services or bon svc) is a unit of the Canadian Forces (CF) that provides combat service support to a brigade group and its elements.

It is able to fight in a defensive role as well as provide the vital logistical support to sustain the operations of the other units within the brigade group.

Contents 1 Sub-units 2 Flag 3 Service battalions of the CF 3.1 Regular Force 3.2 Reserve Force

[edit] Sub-units

Service battalions are normally subdivided into:

• a battalion headquarters (Bn HQ), concerned with overseeing the effective training and employment of all companies within the Battalion. The HQ usually consists of the command staff, an orderly room, an operations cell, a training cell or platoon, and a signals troop.
• a maintenance company (Maint Coy), which provides automotive, mechanical, electrical, weapon maintenance and support to the Brigade.
• a transportation company (Tn Coy), which provides transportation and movements support, both tactical and administrative, to the Brigade.
• a supply company (Sup Coy) which provides general supply support to the Brigade.
• an administration company (Admin Coy), which provides internal service support (maintenance, transportation, supply, etc.) to the Battalion and its elements.

[edit] Flag

The flag of a service battalion is a horizontal tricolour, red over yellow over blue. The red represents the Medical Corps, yellow Logistics, and blue the Engineers. The flag also has a large Arabic numeral (representing the battalion's number) in the centre, extending into the red and blue bars. This flag was designed by Chief Warrant Officer Phil Raven during his time as RSM of 2 Service Battalion in the 1970s.

[edit] Service battalions of the CF

The following are the current Service Battalions in the CF, by brigade:

[edit] Regular Force

• 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (1 CMBG), Edmonton, Alberta
  • 1 Service Battalion (1 Svc Bn)
• 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (2 CMBG), Petawawa, Ontario
  • 2 Service Battalion (2 Svc Bn)
• 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG), Valcartier, Québec
  • 5 Service Battalion

Historically, 3 Service Battalion was located at CFB Gagetown, NB in support of 3 CIBG until disbanded in the early 1970s. 3 Svc Bn served as the "Experimental Service Battalion" from 1963, when brigade level combat service support resources were pooled under a single commanding officer and HQ. This model has served the Canadian Army, albeit with some changes, since being adopted by the other Brigades in 1968. Based in the Federal Republic of Germany, 4 Service Battalion was created at CFB Soest in 1968 and moved to CFB Lahr in 1970 in support of 4 CMBG until the close out of Canada's NATO commitment there in 1993.

[edit] Reserve Force

• 31 Canadian Brigade Group (31 CBG), London, Ontario
  • 21 (Windsor) Service Battalion (21 Svc Bn)
  • 22 (London) Service Battalion (22 Svc Bn)
  • 23 (Hamilton) Service Battalion (23 Svc Bn)
• 32 Canadian Brigade Group (32 CBG), Toronto, Ontario
  • 25 (Toronto) Service Battalion (25 Svc Bn)
• 33 Canadian Brigade Group (33 CBG), Ottawa, Ontario
  • 26 (North Bay) Service Battalion (26 Svc Bn)
  • 28 (Ottawa) Service Battalion (28 Svc Bn) Commanding Officer (CO) Lieutenant-Colonel (LCol) Donald Hind, CD; Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Michael Hayes, OstJ, CD.
• 34 Canadian Brigade Group (34 CBG), Montréal, Québec
  • 51 (Montréal) Service Battalion (51 Svc Bn)
• 35 Canadian Brigade Group (35 CBG), Québec City, Québec
  • 55 (Québec) Service Battalion (55 Svc Bn)
• 36 Canadian Brigade Group (36 CBG), Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • 33 (Halifax) Service Battalion (33 Svc Bn)
  • 35 (Sydney) Service Battalion (35 Svc Bn)
• 37 Canadian Brigade Group (37 CBG), Moncton, New Brunswick
  • 31 (Saint John) Service Battalion (31 Svc Bn)
  • 32 (Moncton) Service Battalion (32 Svc Bn)
  • 36 (Newfoundland) Service Battalion (36 Svc Bn), St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
• 38 Canadian Brigade Group (38 CBG), Regina, Saskatchewan
  • 16 (Saskatchewan) Service Battalion (16 Svc Bn), Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
  • 17 (Winnipeg) Service Battalion (17 Svc Bn)
  • 18 (Thunder Bay) Service Battalion (18 Svc Bn)
• 39 Canadian Brigade Group (39 CBG), Vancouver, British Columbia
  • 11 (Victoria) Service Battalion (11 Svc Bn)
  • 12 (Vancouver) Service Battalion (12 Svc Bn)
• 41 Canadian Brigade Group (41 CBG), Calgary, Alberta
  • 14 (Calgary) Service Battalion (14 Svc Bn)
  • 15 (Edmonton) Service Battalion (15 Svc Bn)

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