Canadian Forces

Canada Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces Flag.svg
Canadian Forces flag
Founded 1968
Service branches Maritime Command
Land Force Command
Air Command
CANOSCOM
CEFCOM
CANSOFCOM
CANADA COM
Headquarters NDHQ, Ottawa
Leadership
Commander-in-Chief Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, represented by Governor General Michaëlle Jean
Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay
Military age 16–49 years old[1]
Conscription No
Available for
military service		 8,072,010 males, age 16–49 ([3]),
7,813,462 females, age 16–49 ([3])
Fit for
military service		 6,646,281 males, age 16–49 ([3]),
6,417,924 females, age 16–49 ([3])
Active personnel 62,000[2] (ranked 55th)
Reserve personnel 25,000 (including 4,000 Canadian Rangers)[2]
Expenditures
Budget $18.6 billion (2008) (ranked 15th) [4]
Percent of GDP 1.1% (132nd in world)
Related articles
History
Military history of Canada
War of 1812
Second Boer War
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Gulf War
War in Afghanistan
War in Iraq(2003-present)
Peacekeeping Missions
Ranks Canadian Forces ranks and insignia
Flag of Canada.svg
Military history of Canada:
Wars since Confederation
Boer War
First World War
Russian Civil War
Spanish Civil War
Second World War
Korean War
Cold War
Vietnam War
Invasion of Afghanistan
Iraq War

The Canadian Forces (CF)(French: Forces canadiennes [FC]) are the unified armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."[5]

The Canadian Forces was formed on February 1, 1968, when the Government of Canada merged the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force into a unified structure.

The Canadian Forces are ranked 46th in the size of armed forces, and ranked 55th in Active Personnel.

Contents

Command structure

Further information: The Canadian Crown and the Canadian Forces

By the Canadian Constitution, the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces is vested in Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada.[6] Since 1904 the monarch has allowed the viceroy to exercise the duties ascribed to that post, and since 1905 to hold the title Commander-in-Chief.[7] The current Governor General and Commander-in-Chief is Michaëlle Jean.

Declarations of war fall within the Royal Prerogative and are issued as Orders-in-Council, which must be signed by either the Canadian monarch or Governor General. Under the Westminster system's parliamentary custom and practice, the monarch or viceroy must generally follow the advice of the Cabinet (Council), which includes the Minister of National Defence (MND), and is chaired by the Prime Minister of Canada, who holds de facto decision-making ability over the deployment and disposition of the Canadian Forces.

Below the Crown, the military head of the Canadian Forces is the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), the highest ranking military officer in the nation, who commands the CF from National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) in Ottawa, Ontario.

The environmental commands of the Canadian Forces, in order of precedence, are:

  1. Maritime Command (MARCOM), or the Navy;
  2. Land Force Command (LFC) or the Army;
  3. Air Command (AIRCOM), or the Air force.

The operational commands of the Canadian Forces are:

The sovereign and a number of other members of the Canadian Royal Family act as Colonels-in-Chief of Canadian Forces regiments, though these positions are ceremonial.

History

Main Articles: History of the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force

Early days

Prior to Confederation, local citizens served as regular members of French and British forces and in local militia groups. Local militias defended against raids conducted by aboriginals, and British and French invasions, and from American forces during the Seven Years' War, American Revolution, the War of 1812 and in the Fenian raids. Consequently, some army units in Canada can derive their lineage to before the War of 1812 when militia units were formed to assist in defending British North America from invasions by the United States.

Such land forces were organized under the Department of Militia and Defence as the Permanent Active Militia and Non-Permanent Active Militia, frequently shortened to simply "the Militia," from 1906-1940. In 1923 the department was merged into the Department of National Defence, however land forces in Canada were not termed "the Canadian Army" until November 1940.

Following Confederation in 1867, the responsibility for military forces in Canada remained under British command (the Commander-in-Chief, North America was headquartered for much of the time at Halifax) until the final withdrawal of British Army and Royal Navy units at Halifax in 1906.

Following the withdrawal of the Royal Navy in 1906, Canada eventually formed a naval service titled the Royal Canadian Navy. Similarly, the advent of military aviation saw the establishment of an air force, titled the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The first overseas deployment of Canadian military forces occurred during the Second Boer War when several Canadian units were raised to serve under British command. This led to subsequent Commonwealth service in the First and Second World Wars as well as the Korean War.

Canadian soldiers, sailors and aviators came to be considered world-class professionals through conspicuous service during these conflicts, as well as Canada's integral participation in NATO during the Cold War, as well as United Nations Peacekeeping operations.

Canada's military forces underwent extensive changes and modernization to command structures during the 1960s, culminating in unification of the three services in 1968 to create the Canadian Forces.

Operations

The CF flag

Canada's military forces have served operationally in the War of 1812, the Fenian raids (1866-1871), North-West Rebellion (1885), the Second Boer War (1899-1902), the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the First Gulf War, the Kosovo War (1999), and have contributed to UN and other peacekeeping missions and undeclared wars, notably the Suez Crisis, Golan Heights, Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. Canada is a charter member of NATO and a member of the North American Air Defence treaty (North American Aerospace Defense Command NORAD).

Battles which are particularly notable to the Canadian military include the Battle of Vimy Ridge in the First World War and, in the Second World War, the Dieppe Raid, the Battle of Ortona, the Normandy Landings, the Battle for Caen, the Battle of the Scheldt, the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the strategic bombing of German cities. The Canadian forces operated under overall British command in all these battles.

At the end of the Second World War, areas of the Netherlands north of the rivers Rhine and Lek were liberated from the occupying forces of Nazi Germany almost solely by Canadian formations. After restoring law and order they left the countries within several months.

Since 1947, Canadian military units have participated in more than 200 operations worldwide and has completed 72 international operations. Currently, more than 3,000 Canadian soldiers, sailors and airmen are deployed overseas on missions with 11 operations including the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan and SFOR (NATO stabilization force) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. On any given day, about 8,000 Canadian Forces members - one third of the deployable force - are preparing for, engaged in or returning from an overseas mission.[8]

Canadian regular and reserve troops are active within Canada as well. In 2001 the Canadian Forces responded to more than 8,000 search-and-rescue incidents and helped save the lives of more than 4,500 people.[8]

Postwar developments

At the end of the Second World War, Canada possessed the third-largest navy and fourth-largest air force in the world, as well as the largest volunteer army ever fielded by Canada (conscription for overseas service was introduced only near the end of the war, and only 2400 conscripts actually made it into battle, see Conscription Crisis of 1944). Defence spending and troop strengths remained high during the early years of the Cold War, but began to decline in the late 1960s and 1970s as the perceived threat from the Warsaw Pact diminished. Throughout the 1990s, successive budget cuts forced further reductions in the personnel, number of bases, and fighting ability of the Canadian Forces. Sizable Canadian air and land forces were maintained in West Germany under NATO command from the end of World War II until the early 1990s. There has been criticism of these budget cuts, as military spending has been reduced to 1.4% of GDP; many argue that these cuts have hindered modernization of the Canadian Forces.

There has been a move by the recent Conservative Government to purchase new equipment and to expand funding for recruitment and training as well as the re-establishment of an airborne land force, now called the Canadian Special Operations Regiment.

Modern reorganization - "Unification"

The Canadian Forces is a single organization with a unified command structure, making Canada one of the few nations to have such an organization of its military forces.

Unification controversy

The March 1964 White Paper on Defence outlined a major restructuring of the separate services. The White Paper described a reorganization that would include the integration of operations, logistics support, personnel and administration of the separate services under a functional command system.

Unification was strongly opposed by personnel in all three services and resulted in the firing of the navy's senior operational commander, Rear Admiral William Landymore, as well as forced retirements of other senior officers in the nation's military forces.[9]

The protests of service personnel and their superiors failed and on February 1, 1968, Bill C-243, The Canadian Forces Reorganization Act became law and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were combined into one service - the Canadian Armed Forces, shortened to Canadian Forces.

The public position was that unification was undertaken by the government to achieve cost savings and provide improved command and control and integration of military forces. The Minister of National Defence, Paul Hellyer stated on November 4 1966 that "the amalgamation...will provide the flexibility to enable Canada to meet in the most effective manner the military requirements of the future. It will also establish Canada as an unquestionable leader in the field of military organization."[10] Accusations were made that the Liberal administration of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and Paul Hellyer did not care for the traditions behind each service.[11] The traditional navy/army/air force identities were replaced with common army-style ranks and rifle-green uniforms, and considerable damage was done to the esprit de corps of the Canadian Forces. Rather than loyalty to each service, which was "vital for sailors, soldiers, and airmen and women"... who "risk their lives to serve", Hellyer wanted loyalty to the new all-encompassing Canadian Forces.[11]

The controversy over unification has lessened over the 40 year history of the Canadian Forces. However, infrequent protests crop up, largely in English Canada, seeking to reestablish the historic names of the three military services.

Unification implementation

On February 1, 1968 the CF was composed of six commands, each envisioned to be vertically integrated with the complementary requirements of the other commands:

In addition to these commands there were several independent organizations reporting to CF Headquarters:

On September 1, 1970, Communications System was elevated to command status and became Communication Command.

On September 2, 1975 the second environmental element was created when Air Defence Command and Air Transport Command and Training Command were disbanded and all air operations in the CF were grouped under a new command named Air Command (AIRCOM). Training was still centralized for all services, however specialized training began to be provided by each environmental element. Similarly, the third environmental command, Force Mobile Command (FMC) was created when Mobile Command was renamed (following the removal of its tactical air assets).

Materiel Command was disbanded during the 1980s and Communications Command was disbanded during a mid-1990s reorganization, with its units reorganized into the Defence Information Services Organization (DISO), later renamed Information Management Group (IM Gp), reporting to NDHQ. Force Mobile Command was also renamed at this time, becoming Land Force Command (LFC).

On February 1, 2006, the CF added four operational commands to the existing structure:

Public perception

A 2008 poll, conducted for the Department of National Defence, has revealed that many Canadians perceive the Canadian Forces as peacekeepers rather than soldiers. The survey found that nearly two-thirds of Canadians agree with Canada's role in the invasion of Afghanistan, that the military must be stronger but that the purpose should be different such as responding to natural disasters. Fifty-two percent said that the Canadian Forces should act as early responders.[12] Possibly due to this perception, recruitment has been in decline. The Chief of the Defence Staff General Walter Natynczyk has noted while they have been successful in attracting recruits, the rate of loss of existing members increased between 2006 and 2008 from 6 percent to 9.2 percent annually, failing to meet the manning goals of the Harper government's military strategy known as the Canada First Defence Strategy[13].

Commands of the CF

Maritime Command (MARCOM)

HMCS Victoria
HMCS Algonquin
HMCS Regina
Main article: Canadian Forces Maritime Command

Canada's naval forces include 33 warships and submarines and many more auxiliary vessels. The ships are deployed in two fleets, Maritime Forces Pacific (MARPAC) at CFB Esquimalt on the west coast, and Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT) at CFB Halifax on the east coast. There is no permanent naval presence in the Arctic Ocean at this time.

MARCOM participates in NATO exercises, and ships are deployed all over the world in support of the Canadian military and in conjunction with multinational deployments.

The Canadian fleet comprises:

Class Type Number Commissioning Dates Details
Halifax frigate 12 1992-96 The backbone of MARCOM, the twelve Halifax-class frigates carry the Sea King helicopters of the Air Force as well as anti-submarine torpedoes and anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles.
Iroquois destroyer 3 1972-73 Area-air-defence and command-and-control destroyers with CH-124 Sea King helicopters, refitted in the 1990s from anti-submarine role.
Kingston patrol 12 1996-99 Coastal surveillance, general naval operations and exercises, search and rescue, law enforcement, resource protection, fisheries patrols and mine countermeasure capabilities.
Protecteur auxiliary 2 1969-70 At-sea resupply of frigates and destroyers and medical support.
Victoria submarine 4 (HMCS Windsor is the only operational member of the Victoria class). 2000-04 Diesel-electric hunter-killer submarines with long-range patrol capability.
Orca patrol 6 in service, 1 being built, 1 more ordered 2006-08 Training and inshore patrol.

Land Force Command (LFC)

A Leopard C1 tank
a G Wagen of the Canadian Army with a soldier
Main article: Canadian Forces Land Force Command

The Canadian army is administered through four geographically determined formations called 'areas':

Today, the Regular Force component of the Land Force Command (army) consists of three field-ready brigade groups:

Each brigade group contains one regiment each of artillery, armour, and combat engineers and three battalions of infantry (all scaled in the British fashion), as well as a service battalion (logistics), a headquarters/signals squadron, and several minor organizations. A tactical helicopter squadron and a field ambulance are co-located with each brigade but not part of the brigade's command structure.

Each land force area has, in addition to Regular Force troops, reserve forces organized in a total of ten reserve brigade groups. LFAA and LFQA have each two reserve brigade groups while LFCA and LFWA have three each.

Major training establishments and non-brigaded troops exist at CFB Wainwright, CFB Gagetown and ASU Saint-Jean (now attached to CFB Montreal.) Each area also has an area training centre.

CFB Wainwright is home to the Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre and provides state-of-the-art force-on-force training in preparation for overseas deployments.

Air Command (AIRCOM)

Main article: Canadian Forces Air Command

Canada's air force is deployed at 13 bases across Canada under the overall direction of 1 Canadian Air Division and constitutes the Canadian NORAD Region. Major air bases are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador while administrative and command-control facilities are located in Winnipeg and North Bay. A Canadian component of the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force is based at NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen near Geilenkirchen, Germany. Wings vary in size from several hundred personnel to several thousand.

Principal aircraft include (numbers are from CF official website except where noted):

Builder Model Type Number Dates Details
McDonnell Douglas CF-18A/B Hornet tactical fighter bombers 98 1982-88 In Phase II of Incremental Modernization Project (IMP)
Lockheed CP-140 Aurora surveillance and long range patrol aircraft 18 1980 Also currently undergoing an Incremental Modernization Project (IMP)
Lockheed CP-140A Arcturus surveillance and long range patrol aircraft 3 1991
Sikorsky Aircraft CH-124 Sea King maritime helicopters 27 1963-69 to be replaced by 28 Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone
Agusta Westland Aircraft CH-149 Cormorant maritime/search and rescue helicopters 14 2001-2003 replaced CH-113 Labrador
Bell Helicopter CH-146 Griffon tactical transport/search and rescue helicopters 85[14] 1995-97 100 were purchased but attrition and the 2005 sale of nine to Allied Wings has left 85 in service[15]
Lockheed Martin CC-130 Hercules combat transport/search and rescue 30 1960-1997 5 of these (C-130H (T)) have aerial refueling capability) / new order for 17 C-130J Super Hercules replacements
Boeing CC-177 Globemaster Strategic transport 4 2007
Airbus CC-150 Polaris long range transport 5 1992-93 2 of these have air-air refuelling capability
De Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalo Short range transport/search and rescue aircraft 6 1967 soon to be replaced by either EADS CASA C-295 or Lockheed/Alenia C-27J Spartan[16]
Canadair CC-144 Challenger jet transport 6 1982-85, 2002 4 for VIP and 2 for utility
De Havilland Canada CC-138 Twin Otter short transport 4 1970
Canadair CT-114 Tutor jet trainers 25 1962-66 trainers retired - used only by the Snowbirds and the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment
Raytheon CT-156 Harvard II propeller trainers 26[17] 2000 based on T-6 Texan II trainers (leased)
BAE Systems CT-155 Hawk jet trainers 20[17] 2000 leased from BAE Systems replaced CT-114's
De Havilland Canada CT-142 Dash-8 electronic navigator training aircraft 4 1987, 1989-90
SAGEM Sperwer Tactical UAV system unmanned aerial vehicle 19[18] 2003-6 Four surviving UAV's from Operation ATHENA augmented with 10 ex-Danish Sperwers plus follow-on order with SAGEM for 5 more

Canada Command (CANCOM)

A CF-18A fighter jet.

Canada Command is an operational element created January 31, 2006, to improve response time to domestic terrorism and natural disasters. It is responsible for the management of the army, navy, and air force to ensure national security, both in emergency and routine situations. Canada Command is analogous to and works closely with the United States Northern Command as well as the United States Department of Homeland Security.

The Commander of Canada Command is currently Lieutenant-General M.J. Dumais. He reports directly to the Chief of Defence Staff.

CANCOM directs operations at home through six regional Joint Task Forces, with Joint Task Force North responsible for activities previously carried out by Canadian Forces North Area.

Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM)

Under a transformed CF structure, the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command (CEFCOM) is responsible for the planning, and conduct of all Canadian Forces (CF) international operations, with the exception of operations conducted solely by the Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM).

CEFCOM brings together, under one operational command, maritime, land, air and special operations forces assets to conduct humanitarian, peace support or combat operations wherever they are required internationally.

The creation of CEFCOM is based on the new international security environment. Understanding that security in Canada ultimately begins with stability abroad, CEFCOM allows the CF to specifically meet and manage threats to Canadian security as far away from Canada as possible.

Headquartered in Ottawa, CEFCOM is also responsible for setting standards to ensure units and personnel selected for deployment are fully qualified and ready to conduct overseas duties.

The organizations under command of CEFCOM include:

CEFCOM helps ensure the Canadian Forces are:

The commander of CEFCOM is Lieutenant-General Michel Gauthier. Reporting directly to the CDS, he is responsible for the conduct of all international operations – humanitarian, peace support and combat – and has the necessary authorities to perform these responsibilities.

Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM)

Main article: Canadian Special Operations Forces Command

This command is responsible for special forces units. It includes Joint Task Force 2 (JTF2), the newly-formed Canadian Special Operations Regiment (CSOR), the Joint Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Company (JNBCD), and a special operations aviation unit based on 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (SOAS) at CFB Petawawa. The force is headed by Colonel D. Michael Day, CD.

Information Management Group (Not a command)

Among other things, this group is responsible for the conduct of electronic warfare and the protection of the Forces communications and computer networks. Within the Group this operational role is fulfilled by the Canadian Forces Information Operations Group headquartered at CFS Leitrim in Ottawa, which operates the following units:

Canadian Forces reserve force

The CF reserve force has four components:

The reserve force is represented, though not commanded, at NDHQ by the Chief of Reserves and Cadets, usually a Major General or Rear admiral.

Primary Reserve

Main article: Canadian Forces Primary Reserve
Reserve infantrymen train in urban operations circa 2004. Reserve training focuses on real world situations and the needs of the Regular Force who rely on the Reserves for augmentation on operational deployments.

The primary reserve comprises citizen soldiers, sailors, and airmen who train and are posted to CF operations or duties on a casual or on-going basis. Each reserve force is operationally and administratively responsible to its corresponding environmental command with a Naval Reserve (NAVRES), Land Force Reserve (LFR) and Air Reserve. In addition there is one primary reserve force that does not fall under an environmental command, the Health Services Reserve.

Reservists number approximately 23,000 (all ranks, all services). The CF maintains a "total force" policy as outlined in both the 1987 and 1994 Defence White papers, where reservists are (in theory) trained to the level of and interchangeable with their Regular Force counterparts. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the reserves to sustaining CF operations, particularly following the defence budget cuts and increased operational tempo of the 1990s.

Supplementary Reserve

Main article: Canadian Forces Supplementary Reserve

The supplementary reserve is part of the CF reserve and comprises a voluntary call-up list for trained former CF regular- and reserve-force personnel who can be considered for reactivation in the event of a national emergency.

Cadet Instructors Cadre

Main article: Cadet Instructors Cadre

The Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) consists of approximately 7,500 commissioned officers and officer cadets of the Canadian Forces whose primary duty is the training, safety, supervision and administration of nearly 60,000 cadets. The CIC is a sub-component of the Canadian Forces Reserve, and represents all three elements: Sea, Army and Air. The cadets for whom the CIC is responsible are between the ages of 12 and 19 (cadets can sign up on their 12th birthday, and must leave on their 19th birthday), and are located in approximately 1,150 corps and squadrons across Canada.[19]

Many CIC officers are former cadets who wish to continue their involvement in the Canadian Cadet Movement with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, Royal Canadian Army Cadets, and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Others are retired Regular or Reserve Force members, interested parents or members of the local community.

The Canadian Rangers

The Canadian Rangers are part of the CF reserve, provide surveillance and patrol services in Canada's Arctic and other remote areas, and are an essential component to Canada's exercise of sovereignty over its territory.

The Royal Military College of Canada

The Royal Military College of Canada mission is to educate, train and develop Officer Cadets for leadership careers of effective service in the Canadian Forces-Canadian Forces Air Command, Canadian Forces Maritime Command and Canadian Forces Land Force Command.

Current deployments

As of October 2007, Canadian Forces are in operations throughout the world, as part of Canada's obligations to NATO and the United Nations, as well as in support of its international allies, chiefly the United States.

Current notable deployments are:

In addition to this deployment, small detachments of Canadian military are based in different countries for assistance, espionage and logistical work. One example is at Camp Mirage.

Further information: List of Canadian military operations

Military expenditures

Main article: Military budget of Canada

Defence is an exclusive federal jurisdiction in Canada: defence spending in fiscal year 2008-9 is projected to be CAN$18.9 billion.[20] In the 2005 federal budget, the government allocated an additional CAN$12.8 billion over five years to the DND and committed to increasing troop levels by an additional 5,000 Regular Force and 3,000 Primary Reserve personnel in the CF over the same period.[21]

The 2006 federal budget saw the government commit to maintaining the 2005 budget increase to DND and provided an additional CAN$5.3 billion over five years to add 13,000 Regular Force and 10,000 Primary Reserve personnel as well as unspecified capital expenses for equipment purchases. In late June 2006, the federal government made a series of announcements about the "Canada First" Defence Procurement program.[22] This plan allocated $17.1 billion from the budget for the purchase of new trucks for LF, transport aircraft and helicopters for AIRCOM, and joint support ships for MARCOM (In 2006 the federal government announced the plan for new Joint Support Ship Project has been postponed indefinitely.).[23]

Canadian Forces bases

The Canadian Forces have a number of active installations across the country with some being branch-specific. There are also a number of facilities which have closed in various defence cutbacks since the 1970s.

Navy

Army

Air Force

Air Command and CF Northern Area also maintain a chain of Forward Operating Locations at various points across northern Canada, capable of supporting fighter operations. Elements of CF-18 squadrons periodically deploy to these FOLs for short training exercises or Arctic sovereignty patrols.

All services

Uniforms

Main article: Uniforms of the Canadian Forces

Today the Canadian Forces remains a single service, but each member now belongs to one of three "elements": land, air or sea, each with its distinctive uniform. The element is usually determined by the individual member's trade: for example, a pilot is automatically in the air element. However, for non-specific or "purple" trades, such as medical technician or military police, the element is assigned more or less at random. The element remains unchanged throughout the member's career, regardless of the member's unit or base.

Although each element (sea, land and air) wears distinctive uniforms, the CF as a whole has generally been reduced to four orders of dress: No. 1 Ceremonial Dress, No. 2 Mess Dress, No. 3 Service Dress, and No. 5 Operational Dress. No. 4 Base Dress (Garrison Dress in the Army) was eliminated to reduce the number of uniforms members had to ship or pack when going on postings or taskings; either Operational Dress or Service Dress is substituted as appropriate to the situation. No.2 Mess dress is generally not paid for through public funds. Generally speaking, Operational Dress is now the daily duty uniform across the CF unless Service Dress is prescribed (such as at National Defence Headquarters, on parades, at public events, etc); for occasions of greater formality or dignity, Service Dress can be modified to suit the occasion. Also, most army and some other units have a regimental dress for very specific occasions, such as the scarlet uniforms[24] of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston.

Service Dress

For all elements, Service Dress consists of a Distinct Environmental Uniform (DEU) Jacket with rank insignia, national identifier, ribbons of medals, decorations and orders, metallic buttons (silver-coloured, brass-coloured, or black for Land element Rifle regiments), regimental or branch collar insignia (land and sea elements only), and trade insignia. Uniform trousers with belt (or kilt/trews and associated accoutrements); collared shirt and tie; ankle boots or shoes; and appropriate headgear with branch or regimental cap badge. Environmental distinctions are as follows for the three elements:

  • Tropical white long - white short-sleeve shirt, white trousers (white skirt optional for female personnel), white dress shoes, white belt, white socks. Designated N3B in the Canadian Forces dress manual.
  • Tropical semi-ceremonial - white tunic, white trousers, white dress shoes, white belt, white socks. Designated N1C when worn with medals or N1D when worn with ribbons. Officers' tunics have black shoulder boards with gold rank insignia; other ranks have standard rank insignia on white background. This order of dress is optional as the tunic is purchased at the service members' expense.
Note: This uniform is colloquially referred to as "whites" and the N1C/N1D order specifically as the "ice-cream suit".

For less formal occasions, or when dictated by weather or other concerns, the uniform can be modified as follows:

There also exists Ceremonial Dress (e.g., the scarlet tunics and bearskin caps of The Canadian Grenadier Guards), worn on formal and solemn parades and ceremonies, such as change of command parades, remembrance ceremonies, royal ceremonies, etc.; and Mess Dress, or Mess Kit (e.g. dinner jackets, waistcoats or cummerbunds, box spurs, etc), for formal or ceremonial dinners (such as mess dinners). These uniforms generally conform to the traditions of a particular regiment or branch; they are not universally worn, however, as they are generally not provided at public expense. For these occasions, some minor additions or modifications are made to the Service Dress uniform:

Operational Dress

Navy. The Naval operational dress is the Naval Combat Dress (NCD). It consists of a black zip-up jacket, trousers, and beret; medium blue shirt (optionally, a white or black crew-neck T-shirt may be worn underneath); and boots. Dress slip-ons are worn on the jacket and shirt. Black ball caps with ship's or unit name and designation have been approved for shipboard and base wear only.

The Navy is also occasionally required to wear CADPAT (CAnadian Disruptive PATtern). The order of dress is identical to that of the Army operational dress. Starting in February 2007, the Naval CADPAT dress has several differences. Nametapes and rank slip-ons are in black embroidery with an anchor in place of crossed swords on the nametape. A black t-shirt is replacing the green t-shirt worn by the Army.[25]

Army and Air Force. For daily wear in the Army and Air Force, this is the Temperate Woodland (TW) Canadian Disruptive Pattern (CADPAT) uniform. It consists of a shirt, trousers, combat boots, beret (see below), and olive-drab (army), black (navy) or dark blue (air force) crew-neck T-shirt. The uniform is well-fitted but comfortably loose, with numerous and voluminous pockets, and drawstrings to adjust the fit. The shirt is worn outside the trousers, and the trouser cuffs are bloused over the boots. The shirt has an epaulet for a slip-on in the centre of the chest; this slip-on bears the rank of the bearer and an appropriate national, branch, or regimental title embroidered on it. The name tag is attached via Velcro fasteners, and bears the member's name, and environmental symbol (crossed swords for Army, anchor for the Navy, eagle for Air Force). Embroidery thread for insignia etc is light green for Army, black for the Navy and dark blue for the Air Force. The national identifier is the Flag of Canada, in full colour for garrison wear or in olive drab for operational wear.

Depending on the identified airforce occupation, work dress may also be the olive-drab flight suit.

During exercises and operations in the field, blue T-shirts are replaced with olive drab, and berets are replaced with more suitable (and camouflaged) headgear such as field hats, helmets, balaclavas, etc. CADPAT is also available in an Arid Region (AR) pattern, for use in environments such as Afghanistan. As well, for winter or Arctic operations, there are camouflaged (i.e. white) accoutrements and coverings for clothes and equipment.

Berets

The beret is still the most widely worn headgear, and is worn with almost all orders of dress with the exception of the more formal orders of Naval and Air Force dress ( Ceremonial, Mess, and Service Dress). The colour of the beret is determined by the wearer's environment, branch, or mission, as follows:

  • Navy — Black ("navy blue")
  • All army — Rifle green (except as noted below)
  • Armoured — Black
  • Airborne — Maroon
  • Military police — Scarlet
  • Air force — Air Force Blue
  • Search-and-rescue technicians — Safety orange
  • Canadian Special Operations Forces Command — Tan
  • United Nations missions — UN Blue
  • Multinational Force and Observers - Terracotta

Soldiers in Highland, Scottish and Irish regiments generally wear alternate headdress, including the glengarry, balmoral, tam o'shanter and caubeen instead of the beret. Approximately 1/3 of the Infantry Regiments in the Canadian Forces are designated Scottish, Highland or Irish, not because of the ethnic composition of Canada (though certainly reflecting the strong Scottish communities in Canada), as much as the belief, at the time the Regiments were raised, that units wearing the kilt and boasting pipe bands would be easier to recruit for.

See also

Other countries with unified or partially unified armed forces:

References and notes

  1. ↑ Persons 16 years of age, with parental permission, can join the Canadian Forces.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Department of National Defence (August 2007). "About DND/CF". Retrieved on 2008-08-19.
  3. ↑ Canada's military from The World Factbook
  4. ↑ http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rpp/2008-2009/inst/dnd/dnd01-eng.asp#sec1g_e
  5. ↑ National Defence Act; R.S.C. 1985, c. N-4, s.14
  6. ↑ Constitution Act, 1867
  7. ↑ Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Current Operations" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  9. ↑ "Integration and Unification of the Canadian Forces" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  10. ↑ Milberry, Larry, ed. Sixty Years—The RCAF and CF Air Command 1924–1984. Toronto: Canav Books, 1984. ISBN 0-9690703-4-9. p. 367.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Granatstein, Jack. Who Killed the Canadian Military. HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 2004. Toronto. ISBN 0002006758. pp. 78, 82-83.
  12. ↑ "Canadians still view troops as peacekeepers: DND poll". Retrieved on 2008-09-05. 
  13. ↑ "Military as message for job seekers: we want you". CTV.ca. Retrieved on 2008-11-22.
  14. ↑ Department of National Defence (Match 2007). "Canada's Air Force - Aircraft - CH-146 Griffon - Technical Specifications". Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  15. ↑ Air Force Public Affairs / Department of National Defence (December 2007). "17 WING - WINNIPEG : SQUADRONS". Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
  16. ↑ Canadian military aviation OrBat
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "NFTC" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  18. ↑ SPERWER Tactical UAV System
  19. ↑ "Cadet Instructors - Get Work and Training" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-08-06.
  20. ↑ "Treasury Board Secretariat - Government Expenditure Plan 2008-9" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
  21. ↑ "Budget Speech (Budget 2005)" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  22. ↑ "National Defence and the Canadian Forces" (2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  23. ↑ "Canada's military priorities: more troops, closer relations with U.S." (2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-20.
  24. ↑ Officer cadet, Royal Military College of Canada, 1954
  25. ↑ CANFORGEN 027-07

Further reading

External links

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