Canadian Rangers
- The Canadian Rangers play a critical role in the security and sovereignty of remote, coastal, and northern communities.
- They work in some of the most difficult-to-reach regions and their unique expertise and knowledge have proven crucial in keeping communities safe.
- The Rangers also play an important role in support of remote and Indigenous communities, in the wake of natural disasters, and as we saw through the pandemic, through the transportation of critical supplies to vulnerable peoples, providing wellness checks, and staffing emergency centres.
- Further, the Canadian Rangers are an essential part of our military’s operational capability, by supporting ground search and rescue operations.
- Additionally, as part of Strong, Secure, Engaged the Canadian Armed Forces stood up the Canadian Rangers Enhancement team in June 2022, to enhance the effectiveness of the Canadian Rangers.
- This will include improving their functional capabilities through a holistic review of their role, mission, tasks and as required, update policies and processes to better enable the Canadian Rangers to execute their mission now and into the future.
- We will continue to support the Canadian Rangers as they help safeguard our communities in those sparsely settled, remote, northern and isolated areas of Canada.
If pressed on reimbursement for the Canadian Rangers
- We recognize that the willingness of the Canadian Rangers to use their personal equipment is an important force multiplier to Canadian Armed Forces Operation.
- It is critical that the Rangers receive timely compensation for the maintenance or repair of personal equipment that is damaged or lost in support of CAF activities.
- That is why we have recently streamlined the claim submission process, which will expedite the reimbursement, repair, or replacement of equipment.
- We expect this will help speed up the process for any Canadian Ranger to receive reimbursement, repair or replacement of equipment, and we continue to explore ways to further speed up the process.
Key Facts
- The role of the Canadian Rangers is to provide a local operational capability, and support to community resiliency in remote, northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada which cannot be expeditiously supported by other elements of the CAF and the federal Government.
- Canadian Rangers provide lightly equipped and self-sufficient mobile forces in support of CAF domestic operations and training and can be employed on a part-time or full-time basis.
- 23% of the Canadian Rangers self-identify as Indigenous.
- There are currently 196 Canadian Ranger Patrols with a total of 5,131 members.
- There are currently 157 Junior Canadian Rangers Patrols with a total of 2,993 members.
Background
- The Canadian Rangers are a subcomponent of the Reserve Force, and provide surveillance and sovereignty patrols, conduct training and support CAF operations to include federal responses to flooding, fires, and community evacuation events, and may be called upon to support provincial, territorial, and local authorities conduct ground search and rescue.
- Canadian Rangers are trained and supported by the CA and work in approximately 200 communities to provide a CAF local presence, operational capability, and support to community resiliency in remote, northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada that cannot be expeditiously supported by other elements of the CAF.
- Canadian Rangers are considered trained upon enrolment, receive no mandatory individual training.
- The Canadian Rangers also play a critical role in support of Indigenous communities, including during the pandemic through the transportation and distribution of information and supplies, provision of wellness checks, and staffing of emergency centres. In addition, they provide evacuation support in the event of flooding and fires.
Tasks Assigned to the Canadian Rangers
- Conduct and provide support to Sovereignty Operations;
- Conduct and provide assistance to Domestic Operations;
- Maintain a CAF presence in the local community;
- Instruct, mentor, and supervise the Junior Canadian Rangers, and;
- Participate in and support events in the local community.
Canadian Ranger Training
There are two optional Individual Training courses offered to the CRs:
- Basic Military Indoctrination training that lasts 7 days and includes:
- General Canadian Ranger service knowledge, CAF benefits, and administrative requirements;
- Function as a patrol member and how to fire the service Ranger rifle, and;
- Employ bush craft and first aid.
- Canadian Ranger Patrol Leaders Course that lasts 8 days:
- Leading a patrol and conducting patrol administration and small arms ranges.
Common training for all CRs include:
- Flood or fire evacuation planning, self-sufficiency and leadership, Ground Search and Rescue
- Sovereignty patrols of Canada’s remote coastal areas and air disaster assistance
- Traditional skills – defined according to the cultural and historical practices in the local community
Employment
- The CRs employed for force generation are funded by the Canadian Army for part-time, basic, individual, and collective training activities, such as:
- Basic and routine local training
- Individual Training and unmentored patrol activity
- Collective patrol training
- Compensated (Paid) 12 days per year
- The Canadian Rangers employed for force employment are funded by CJOC for full-time participation on operations and exercises, such as:
- CAF training/exercises and any non-military/non-operational event.
- Conduct and provide assistance to Domestic Operations (DOMOPS)
- Conduct and provide support to Sovereignty Operations (SOVOP)
- Junior Canadian Rangers Program
- The JCR program is a youth program. Under the Mentorship of the CRs, the program provides young Canadians (ages 12 to 18) with Ranger skills, life skills and traditional skills based on the culture and history of their local communities.
Reimbursement Issues
- Acquiring equipment for Canadian Rangers through the local economy or the Canadian Forces Supply System presents significant sustainment challenges.
- As such, a Canadian Ranger authorized to use personal equipment for an approved CAF activity that incurs damage or the loss of equipment is entitled to reasonable cost of repairs or the fair market value of a replacement item, so long as these items are not already insured under a private premium.
- The primary source of delay in payment for a loss or damage claim is the Canadian Armed Forces obligation to meet the conditions set out in DAOD 7004-2, Compensation for Loss or Damage to Personal Property and CBI 210.01(4) (Canadian Rangers – Equipment eligible for compensation) prior to authorizing said payment.
- If a loss or damage claim can be completed prior to the Canadian Ranger Instructor leaving the community, reimbursement can normally be completed through direct deposit within a few weeks. Additionally, a commanding officer is authorized to grant a cash advance, equal to the amount of the claim, but not exceeding $1,000 which enables prompt payment in many cases.
- In most cases however, repairs cannot be completed prior to the departure of the Canadian Ranger Instructor due to the lack of spare parts or insufficient local technical expertise to repair the vehicle.
- In recognition of the importance of this personal equipment to the livelihood of the Canadian Rangers, the CAF has recently streamlined the compensation claims process to allow more immediate levels of authority in their chain of command to approve their compensation claims. This will significantly expedite the process for Canadian Rangers to receive their reimbursement for repair or replacement of personal equipment in a timely manner.
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