Canada: Armed forces rank changes to cost millions

[Flamingo]

What's the story, Jungle?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-27938929

. Canada: Armed forces rank changes to cost millions

20 June 2014 Last updated at 11:03
A move by Canada's government to return its armed forces to World War Two-era ranks and insignia will cost the country millions, it's been reported.

Critics have told the broadcaster CBC that the government's plan is a waste of money at a time of fiscal belt-tightening. According to figures released by the Defence Department, the move will cost 4.5m Canadian dollars ($4.2m; £2.4m), the bulk of which going toward new jackets that army officers will wear for formal events and parades. A decision to add a curl to the top bar of naval rank insignia will cost 1.35m Canadian dollars ($1.25m; £732,000), the broadcaster said.

It's part of a policy of restructuring that was launched in 2011, and as a result, army officers will no longer wear gold-coloured bars sewn to their tunic sleeves or epaulettes. Instead, they will revert to the British-style system of pips and crowns last seen on Canadian uniforms in 1968.

Opposition MP Jack Harris told CBC that the change was an unnecessary throwback that comes at a time when veterans and current personnel are "crying out" for help with housing and health issues. However, Johnna Quinney, press secretary to Defence Minister Rob Nicholson, said that it would honour the traditions of the military, "strengthening the link between today's members and the previous generations of heroes who bravely served our country".

[Jungle]

What's the story, Jungle?

The mistake was made in 1968, with unification. Unification itself was not a mistake, some aspects of it were; the Minister of Defence at the time, Paul Hellyer, had served during WW2, initially in the RCAF. But the RCAF was overstrength near the end of the war, so they offered young Troops a transfer to the Army. It turned out those who accpeted the offer had to release from the RCAF and start the process again from scratch, including basic trg. He thought it was a waste of time, so 20 years later, as Minister of Defence, he changed it. But the changes went too far, eliminating the historical roots of the Canadian Military by going to a single uniform and rank structure, and calling elements Mobile Command (Army), Maritime Command (Navy) and Air Command (Air Force). The Officer rank symbols were similar to the Merchant Marine system.

The changes have been gradual, we went back to distinctive dress uniforms in the late 80s, changed the names back to Army, Navy and Air Force in the late 90s. Then the Navy got their executive curl back on their rank insignia in 2010 for their 100th anniversary. In 2011, it was announced we would name the elements the CA (Cdn Army), RCN and RCAF, then in 2013 the Army announced it was going back to pre-unification Officer ranks, and the RCAF will likely follow soon.

So yeah, all Army Officers can order a new dress-uniform tunic, because the current ranks are worn on the bottom of the sleeve, and the new (old) ones will be worn on the epaulets. The new jackets are delivered with the new metal rank insignia and slip-on sleeves for the dress shirts. We will begin wearing the new ranks sometime in August.

Waste of money ? To some, yes. To others it is a necessary return to our historical rank insignia.

[northie]

I presume that as per commonwealth tradition, CF officers are responsible for the purchase of their own uniforms? If so where does the highlighted cost come from?

[Jungle]

THe Canadian Armed Forces provides all uniforms to it's Troops, except Mess Dress. The highlighted cost comes from Army Officers having to change Dress Uniform tunics, Navy Officers having changed all their rank insignia to add the executive curl, and the introduction of new metal rank insignia for Army Officers.

[The real Jack]

Couldn't they just phase in the new tunics as people are promoted and as required? Buying them all at once seems a bit silly when a large proportion will probably never see the light of day.

[DeV]

Couldn't they just phase in the new tunics as people are promoted and as required? Buying them all at once seems a bit silly when a large proportion will probably never see the light of day.

Definition of uniform would be something along the lines of the same

[northie]

Couldn't they just phase in the new tunics as people are promoted and as required? Buying them all at once seems a bit silly when a large proportion will probably never see the light of day.

Unless your reaching the dizzy heights of general, the same tunic should fit for a good few years - when promoted all your doing is adding some metal bits at the epaulettes. Heck even go back to the British (and Irish) practice of billing the gents for their metal work for the extra pips or swords (or for the cannucks, crowns) that they draw from stores when promoted.....

[The real Jack]

Definition of uniform would be something along the lines of the same

There is a much larger Army south of the Army being discussed that took 4 years to phase in a new ceremonial uniform.

[Jungle]

Couldn't they just phase in the new tunics as people are promoted and as required? Buying them all at once seems a bit silly when a large proportion will probably never see the light of day.

I guess it could have been done (we are actually doing it with the Mess dress) but our CoC decided against using 2 rank systems concurrently on the dress and combat uniforms...

In the case of Mess dress, we are allowed to keep the old rank, but must change to the new system upon promotion or when getting a new jacket. This is to avoid expensive tailoring at the member's expense.