In a historic move to restore the heritage of their armed force, Canada renamed the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force. Since 1968 they have been known respectively as Land Forces Command, Maritime Command and Air Command.
Photo: Canada DND
CANFORGEN 147/11 VCDS 021/11 151502Z AUG 11
RESTORING THE HISTORIC NAMES OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY, THE CANADIAN ARMY AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE.
THE CDS (Chief of Defence Staff) IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS RESTORING THE HISTORIC NAMES OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY (RCN), THE CANADIAN ARMY (CA), AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE (RCAF)
THE INITIATIVE TO RESTORE THE HISTORIC NAMES OF CANADA’S THREE FORMER SERVICES IS AIMED AT RESTORING AN IMPORTANT AND RECOGNIZABLE PART OF CANADA S MILITARY HERITAGE. THESE WERE THE SERVICES THAT FOUGHT AND EMERGED VICTORIOUS FROM THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND KOREA AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEFENCE OF EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF THE COLD WAR. THESE WERE ALSO THE SERVICES THAT PAVED THE WAY IN TERMS OF INTERNATIONAL PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS
THE CHANGE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY RENAMING THE THREE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMANDS. MARITIME COMMAND WILL BE NAMED THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY LAND FORCE COMMAND WILL BE NAMED THE CANADIAN ARMY AND AIR COMMAND WILL BE NAMED THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. IN THIS WAY WE WILL REGAIN AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE HERITAGE WITHIN A UNIFIED EFFECTIVE CANADIAN FORCES COMMAND STRUCTURE
MORE DETAILED INFORMATION WILL BE PROMULGATED BY YOUR RESPECTIVE CHAINS OF COMMAND AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE
FOR GREATER CERTAINTY, ALL CURRENT RESPECTIVE COMMAND ORDERS, RULES, DIRECTIVES, INSTRUCTIONS OR SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT UNTIL AMENDED TO REFLECT THE NAME CHANGE OF THE COMMAND