Terminology

Chain of command
Dictates a hierarchy of who is in charge of whom, and of whom permission must be asked. Trusted to Serve (2022)
Character
Attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual, group or nation leading to principled moral excellence. Trusted to Serve
Commissioned Officer
Officers in the CAF hold positions of authority and respect. They are responsible for the safety, well-being and morale of a group of soldiers, sailors or aviators. Analyzing, planning, making decisions and providing advice are a few aspects of an Officer’s role. CAF
Cadet Chain of Responsibility
The CMCs have a Cadet hierarchy called the Cadet Chain of Responsibility where upper-year Cadets have authorities and responsibilities over their peers and more junior Cadets. See Annex 8.
Culture
A shared and relatively stable pattern of behaviours, values and assumptions that a group has learned over time as an effective means of maintaining internal social stability and adapting to its environment, and that are transmitted to new members as the correct ways to perceive, think and act in relation to these issues. Trusted to Serve
Defence Team
All Canadian Armed Forces members, Department of National Defence employees and employees of the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. The Fighting Spirit (2024)
Diversity
Possessing diverse or different qualities and perspectives. In the CAF context, it means the respect for and appreciation of differences in thought, ethnicity, language, sex, gender, age, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, education and religion. Trusted to Serve
Equity
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Equity recognizes the need to adjust structures, policies, practices and access to opportunities for particular individuals or groups of people to facilitate their full participation or full benefit from opportunities and entitlements. Trusted to Serve
Ethos
The characteristic spirit of an organization. It is a collection of expectations, standards, values and ways of being that are held to be important to the organization and are consistent within it. For the CAF, the ethos comprises ethical principles, military values and professional expectations. The Fighting Spirit
GBA+ Analysis
GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation. (Government of Canada)
Non-Commissioned Member
A non-commissioned member (NCM) is any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). NCMs are soldiers, sailors and aviators. They are the skilled experts whose hands-on experience and trade specialties are required to conduct all CAF operations domestically and abroad. As they gain leadership experience and rise through the ranks, they become part of the command team. CAF
Peace Dividend
The money saved by a country when it no longer needs to make or buy weapons because the threat of war has grown less (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus)
Profession of Arms
The profession of military members dedicated to the defence of their country and its interests, as directed by government. The Fighting Spirit
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is rooted in the social sciences and is concerned with people and their social realities with how the social world is understood, experienced, interpreted, and constituted; with individual and collective meanings, interpretations, practices/behaviours, and social processes. Bryman (2004)
Regular Force
Members of the Regular Force serve full time protecting Canada and defending our sovereignty. They contribute to international peace and security, and work with the United States to defend North America. They are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to threats, natural disasters or humanitarian crises at home and around the world. CAF
Reserve Force
Members of the Reserve Force serve part time in the CAF. Their main role is to support the Regular Force at home and abroad. Reservists typically serve one or more evenings a week and/or during weekends at locations close to home. Some Reservists may volunteer to be deployed on operations, if there are positions available. CAF
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to how a person’s socio-economic situation improves or declines relative to that of their parents or throughout their lifetime. It can be measured in terms of earnings, income, social class, and well-being dimensions such as health and education. Promoting social mobility benefits individuals, the economy, and social cohesion. OECD
Socialization
Socialization is the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of a society. It describes the ways that people come to understand societal norms and expectations, to accept society’s beliefs, and to be aware of societal values. Introduction to Sociology, 1st Canadian Edition. OpenTextBC
Total institutions
A “total institution” is “a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life.” Goffman (1961)
Training Wing
The Training Wing Staff, under the command of the Director of Cadets, are responsible for the officer cadets’ military training including officership, physical fitness and drill. The Staff are available to answer cadet inquiries and provide advice on military matters. RMC
Trust
The willingness to accept the decisions or influence of another person based on a belief in that person’s reliability. The Fighting Spirit
Values
Norms or standards of desirable behaviour that give direction to and set limits on individual and collective behaviour. For Canadian military professionals, conduct values include the civic, legal, ethical and military values embodied in the military ethos. Trusted to Serve
4-Pillar Model
In order to graduate from the College and receive their commission, N/OCdts must successfully complete all four Pillars: Academics, Bilingualism, Military, and Physical Fitness.

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Chain of command
Dictates a hierarchy of who is in charge of whom, and of whom permission must be asked. Trusted to Serve (2022)
Character
Attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual, group or nation leading to principled moral excellence. Trusted to Serve
Commissioned Officer
Officers in the CAF hold positions of authority and respect. They are responsible for the safety, well-being and morale of a group of soldiers, sailors or aviators. Analyzing, planning, making decisions and providing advice are a few aspects of an Officer’s role. CAF
Cadet Chain of Responsibility
The CMCs have a Cadet hierarchy called the Cadet Chain of Responsibility where upper-year Cadets have authorities and responsibilities over their peers and more junior Cadets. See Annex 8.
Culture
A shared and relatively stable pattern of behaviours, values and assumptions that a group has learned over time as an effective means of maintaining internal social stability and adapting to its environment, and that are transmitted to new members as the correct ways to perceive, think and act in relation to these issues. Trusted to Serve
Defence Team
All Canadian Armed Forces members, Department of National Defence employees and employees of the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. The Fighting Spirit (2024)
Diversity
Possessing diverse or different qualities and perspectives. In the CAF context, it means the respect for and appreciation of differences in thought, ethnicity, language, sex, gender, age, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, education and religion. Trusted to Serve
Equity
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Equity recognizes the need to adjust structures, policies, practices and access to opportunities for particular individuals or groups of people to facilitate their full participation or full benefit from opportunities and entitlements. Trusted to Serve
Ethos
The characteristic spirit of an organization. It is a collection of expectations, standards, values and ways of being that are held to be important to the organization and are consistent within it. For the CAF, the ethos comprises ethical principles, military values and professional expectations. The Fighting Spirit
GBA+ Analysis
GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation. (Government of Canada)
Non-Commissioned Member
A non-commissioned member (NCM) is any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). NCMs are soldiers, sailors and aviators. They are the skilled experts whose hands-on experience and trade specialties are required to conduct all CAF operations domestically and abroad. As they gain leadership experience and rise through the ranks, they become part of the command team. CAF
Peace Dividend
The money saved by a country when it no longer needs to make or buy weapons because the threat of war has grown less (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus)
Profession of Arms
The profession of military members dedicated to the defence of their country and its interests, as directed by government. The Fighting Spirit
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is rooted in the social sciences and is concerned with people and their social realities with how the social world is understood, experienced, interpreted, and constituted; with individual and collective meanings, interpretations, practices/behaviours, and social processes. Bryman (2004)
Regular Force
Members of the Regular Force serve full time protecting Canada and defending our sovereignty. They contribute to international peace and security, and work with the United States to defend North America. They are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to threats, natural disasters or humanitarian crises at home and around the world. CAF
Reserve Force
Members of the Reserve Force serve part time in the CAF. Their main role is to support the Regular Force at home and abroad. Reservists typically serve one or more evenings a week and/or during weekends at locations close to home. Some Reservists may volunteer to be deployed on operations, if there are positions available. CAF
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to how a person’s socio-economic situation improves or declines relative to that of their parents or throughout their lifetime. It can be measured in terms of earnings, income, social class, and well-being dimensions such as health and education. Promoting social mobility benefits individuals, the economy, and social cohesion. OECD
Socialization
Socialization is the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of a society. It describes the ways that people come to understand societal norms and expectations, to accept society’s beliefs, and to be aware of societal values. Introduction to Sociology, 1st Canadian Edition. OpenTextBC
Total institutions
A “total institution” is “a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life.” Goffman (1961)
Training Wing
The Training Wing Staff, under the command of the Director of Cadets, are responsible for the officer cadets’ military training including officership, physical fitness and drill. The Staff are available to answer cadet inquiries and provide advice on military matters. RMC
Trust
The willingness to accept the decisions or influence of another person based on a belief in that person’s reliability. The Fighting Spirit
Values
Norms or standards of desirable behaviour that give direction to and set limits on individual and collective behaviour. For Canadian military professionals, conduct values include the civic, legal, ethical and military values embodied in the military ethos. Trusted to Serve
4-Pillar Model
In order to graduate from the College and receive their commission, N/OCdts must successfully complete all four Pillars: Academics, Bilingualism, Military, and Physical Fitness.

Back to top

Chain of command
Dictates a hierarchy of who is in charge of whom, and of whom permission must be asked. Trusted to Serve (2022)
Character
Attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual, group or nation leading to principled moral excellence. Trusted to Serve
Commissioned Officer
Officers in the CAF hold positions of authority and respect. They are responsible for the safety, well-being and morale of a group of soldiers, sailors or aviators. Analyzing, planning, making decisions and providing advice are a few aspects of an Officer’s role. CAF
Cadet Chain of Responsibility
The CMCs have a Cadet hierarchy called the Cadet Chain of Responsibility where upper-year Cadets have authorities and responsibilities over their peers and more junior Cadets. See Annex 8.
Culture
A shared and relatively stable pattern of behaviours, values and assumptions that a group has learned over time as an effective means of maintaining internal social stability and adapting to its environment, and that are transmitted to new members as the correct ways to perceive, think and act in relation to these issues. Trusted to Serve
Defence Team
All Canadian Armed Forces members, Department of National Defence employees and employees of the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services. The Fighting Spirit (2024)
Diversity
Possessing diverse or different qualities and perspectives. In the CAF context, it means the respect for and appreciation of differences in thought, ethnicity, language, sex, gender, age, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, education and religion. Trusted to Serve
Equity
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. Equity recognizes the need to adjust structures, policies, practices and access to opportunities for particular individuals or groups of people to facilitate their full participation or full benefit from opportunities and entitlements. Trusted to Serve
Ethos
The characteristic spirit of an organization. It is a collection of expectations, standards, values and ways of being that are held to be important to the organization and are consistent within it. For the CAF, the ethos comprises ethical principles, military values and professional expectations. The Fighting Spirit
GBA+ Analysis
GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation. (Government of Canada)
Non-Commissioned Member
A non-commissioned member (NCM) is any person, other than an officer, who is enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). NCMs are soldiers, sailors and aviators. They are the skilled experts whose hands-on experience and trade specialties are required to conduct all CAF operations domestically and abroad. As they gain leadership experience and rise through the ranks, they become part of the command team. CAF
Peace Dividend
The money saved by a country when it no longer needs to make or buy weapons because the threat of war has grown less (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus)
Profession of Arms
The profession of military members dedicated to the defence of their country and its interests, as directed by government. The Fighting Spirit
Qualitative Research
Qualitative research is rooted in the social sciences and is concerned with people and their social realities with how the social world is understood, experienced, interpreted, and constituted; with individual and collective meanings, interpretations, practices/behaviours, and social processes. Bryman (2004)
Regular Force
Members of the Regular Force serve full time protecting Canada and defending our sovereignty. They contribute to international peace and security, and work with the United States to defend North America. They are ready to respond at a moment’s notice to threats, natural disasters or humanitarian crises at home and around the world. CAF
Reserve Force
Members of the Reserve Force serve part time in the CAF. Their main role is to support the Regular Force at home and abroad. Reservists typically serve one or more evenings a week and/or during weekends at locations close to home. Some Reservists may volunteer to be deployed on operations, if there are positions available. CAF
Social mobility
Social mobility refers to how a person’s socio-economic situation improves or declines relative to that of their parents or throughout their lifetime. It can be measured in terms of earnings, income, social class, and well-being dimensions such as health and education. Promoting social mobility benefits individuals, the economy, and social cohesion. OECD
Socialization
Socialization is the process through which people are taught to be proficient members of a society. It describes the ways that people come to understand societal norms and expectations, to accept society’s beliefs, and to be aware of societal values. Introduction to Sociology, 1st Canadian Edition. OpenTextBC
Total institutions
A “total institution” is “a place of residence and work where a large number of like-situated individuals, cut off from the wider society for an appreciable period of time, together lead an enclosed, formally administered round of life.” Goffman (1961)
Training Wing
The Training Wing Staff, under the command of the Director of Cadets, are responsible for the officer cadets’ military training including officership, physical fitness and drill. The Staff are available to answer cadet inquiries and provide advice on military matters. RMC
Trust
The willingness to accept the decisions or influence of another person based on a belief in that person’s reliability. The Fighting Spirit
Values
Norms or standards of desirable behaviour that give direction to and set limits on individual and collective behaviour. For Canadian military professionals, conduct values include the civic, legal, ethical and military values embodied in the military ethos. Trusted to Serve
4-Pillar Model
In order to graduate from the College and receive their commission, N/OCdts must successfully complete all four Pillars: Academics, Bilingualism, Military, and Physical Fitness.

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