Canadian Army Announces Changes to the General Officer Rank Insignia
News Release
April 2, 2016 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces
Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse, Commander of the Canadian Army, and Chief Warrant Officer Alain Guimond, Canadian Army Sergeant Major, announced changes to the General Officer Rank Insignia.
The Canadian Army is building on the momentum of the evolution of its insignia to change its General Officer insignia. This will include maple leaves in recognition of our Canadian identity, while still respecting our military heritage. The General Officers, our most senior officer ranks, will continue to wear the gorget patches, an important symbol of the Canadian Army’s historical identity.
The transition will bring the Canadian Army General Officers shoulder rank insignia into harmony with the shoulder rank insignia of the Flag Officers of the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force and lessen the chance of confusion for Canadians and our international allies.
Quotes
“I am pleased and proud to be the first Canadian Army General Officer to wear the maple leaf insignia. The adoption of the maple leaf rank insignia aligns Army Generals with the rest of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff.
“We are proud to announce this change as the evolution of the historical identity of the Canadian Army reinforces the link between today’s soldiers, the Cold War veterans of the unification period and previous generations of brave war heroes from the First and Second World Wars.”
Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse, Commander of the Canadian Army.
“It is with pride, as the senior soldier of the Canadian Army, and representative of Canada’s soldiers, to associate the Canadian symbol of the maple leaf to the most senior ranks of the Canadian Army.”
Chief Warrant Officer Alain Guimond, Canadian Army Sergeant Major.
Quick Facts
- This transition is part of the evolution of our Canadian Army ranks which will amplify the symbology of the maple leaf in anticipation of the key anniversaries of Vimy Ridge and Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.
- This rank insignia change will only affect the most senior Canadian Army leaders, currently numbered at 56.
- The move to a metal pin-on rank insignia on the shoulders of our General Officers eliminates the expense of embroidering the ranks on replacement shoulder straps, creating cost savings.
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Graphic of the Canadian Armed Forces ranks insignia can be found here: http://www.forces.gc.ca/assets/FORCES_Internet/docs/en/honours-history-badges-colours-flags/insignia-poster.pdf
Contacts
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Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-996-2353
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Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca
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Hon. Harjit Singh Sajjan National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces Military
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