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Annex T – The Canadian Forces' Decoration (CD)

Introduction

  1. The CD recognizes long and exemplary military service. The regulations governing the award are reprinted in Appendix 1.
  2. The physical distinction formerly made between medal “bars” and “clasps” no longer exists in Canadian practice. All such devices are now called bars. However, the CD regulations pre-date this clarification. The word “clasp” is therefore used for the CD.

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Qualifying service

  1. Canadian Forces (CF) members may count Regular, Reserve or former auxiliary service, under the conditions prescribed in paragraphs 6. and 7. of the regulations in Annex T, Appendix 1, refer to Figure 9T-1.
  2. The “Reserve Force of Canada” referred to in the regulations means:
    1. the Primary Reserve;
    2. the COATS (restricted to those military personnel who are officially appointed for the administration and training of cadet organizations);
    3. the Supplementary Reserve; and
    4. the Canadian Rangers.
  3. Service in an “active capacity” referred to in the regulations for the Reserves means:
    1. service on the authorized strength of the Primary Reserve, COATS or the Canadian Rangers; and
    2. full-time paid service with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve, performed while on the strength of the Supplementary Reserve or the Canadian Rangers.
  4. Service as a captain general, colonel-in-chief, colonel commandant or colonel of the regiment, and service in an honorary appointment approved in accordance with QR&O, Article 3.06 - Honorary Appointments, is deemed to be service in an active capacity as if serving in the Regular Force or the Primary Reserve.
  5. In accordance with custom, Royal prerogative and precedent, the Sovereign, the fount of all honours, and the Sovereign’s representative in Canada, the Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, are deemed to meet all CD qualifying criteria, including the service required, on coronation or appointment.

Figure 9T-1 Table of Eligible and Non-eligible Service

  • Qualifying service
    • Regular Force
    • Primary Reserve, when subject to call out on Active Service and subject to training
    • Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS), when subject to call out on Active Service and subject to training
    • Canadian Rangers, when subject to call out on Active Service and subject to training
    • Maternity/Parental (MATA/PATA) Leave
    • Retirement Leave
    • 35-day Annuitant Break, if a member of a subcomponent of the Reserve Force other than the Supplementary Reserve
    • Honorary Appointments as per QR&O 3.06, for the duration of the mandate only
  • Non-qualifying service
    • Supplementary Reserve, unless on actual paid service
    • Honorary Aide-de-Camp (AdeC) to GG and Lieutenant Governors
    • Excused Drill and Training (ED&T), unless used by Reservists in lieu of Maternity/Parental (MATA/PATA) Leave
    • Leave Without Pay (LWOP) in the Regular Force
    • Non-Effective Strength (NES)
    • Detention
    • Honorary Rank (with no specific appointment)
    • Time as a cadet, staff cadet on summer camps or cadet civilian instructor

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Conduct, efficiency and time prerequisite

  1. To be eligible for the CD or a clasp the member must have a record of good conduct. No member shall be considered to have a record of good conduct if during the last eight years of claimed service they have been awarded a punishment or sanction by a court martial, summary trial or summary hearing other than a fine, deprivation of pay, "minor punishment" or "minor sanction" listed in KR&O 104.13 and 123.02. For the purposes of this order, a punishment or sanction awarded by a court martial, summary trail or summary hearing outside Canada, upon conviction of a service offence, or upon being found to have committed a service infraction, either of which if committed in Canada would have been dealt with by a civil court, shall be deemed to be a sentence awarded by a civil court.
  2. Periods of leave without pay, except leave for parental purposes, or periods during which a limitation of payments was imposed (see KR&O 203.20 – Regular Force – Limitations of Payment), or periods of forfeiture for absence without leave or desertion or a punishment (see KR&O 208.30 – Forfeitures – Officers and Non-Commissioned Members) or periods of forfeiture for no services rendered (see KR&O 208.31 – Forfeitures, Deductions and Cancellations – When No Service Rendered) shall not count for the award of a CD or a clasp.
  3. In addition to any forfeiture imposed above, the member shall forfeit one year (365 days) of qualifying service for each 12-month period in which a punishment or sanction, other than a fine, deprivation of pay, "minor punishment" or "minor sanction" is awarded by a court martial, summary trial or summary hearing. The forfeited year begins from the date of award of the punishment or sanction. Any new punishment(s) or sanction(s) awarded within that year will not trigger an additional forfeiture, however, for any subsequent punishment or sanction awarded after the aforementioned forfeited year has ended, the member shall forfeit another year (365 days) of qualifying service starting from the date of that punishment or sanction.
  4. Civil offences shall not be equated with service offences or infractions but shall, if considered to be a factor, be referred to NDHQ/DH&R for a ruling, except for periods in respect of which a forfeiture has been imposed for a period where no services were rendered, or as a result of a sentence awarded by a civil court, which shall not count as qualifying service.
  5. When qualifying service is in a Commonwealth of Nations force other than the CF, the “non-qualifying” conditions specified in paragraphs 6, 7 and 8 of Appendix 1 apply to equivalent terms in that other force. In exceptional circumstances, such as where a member has been granted an award for brave or meritorious service, the provisions of paragraphs 7, 8 and 9 of Appendix 1 may be waived by the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) if the member has completed 12 years of full-time paid service.
  6. A member who is on probation or on report because of inefficiency (see DAOD 5019-4, Recorded Warning and Counselling on Probation – Other Ranks, Career Shortcomings – Officers) shall not be recommended for the CD or a clasp until his probationary or report period has been terminated and he has been satisfactorily reported on. If he should become or is about to be the subject of an adverse report subsequent to being recommended but prior to being invested with the CD or clasp, the case shall be referred to NDHQ/DH&R.
  7. A member who has been, or is about to be, the subject of an adverse report shall not be recommended for the CD or a clasp until the cause of the adverse report has been remedied and he is again the subject of a satisfactory report.
  8. For effect of pardon on CD eligibility refer to Chapter 1.

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Other awards – Ineligibility

  1. Effective 1 July 1950, members, other than those who served in the permanent, regular, reserve or auxiliary forces of the Commonwealth of Nations on or before 1 September 1939, ceased to qualify for the following:
    1. The Canadian Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military).
    2. The Royal Canadian Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
    3. The Royal Canadian Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
    4. The Volunteer Officers’ Decoration.
    5. The Canadian Efficiency Decoration (ED).
    6. The Canadian Efficiency Medal.
    7. The Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
    8. The Air Efficiency Award.

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Administration

  1. Administrative instructions for the award of the CD and clasps are contained in the MHRRP. To access content on the intranet, go to UPK-Guardian Portal online.
  2. Units shall pay particular attention to a member’s Guardian/MPRR ensuring that all previous qualifying service towards the CD and clasps has been accurately recorded. Where a member has both a RegF and PRes MPRR, both shall be provided at time of application as well as any previous verification of former service the member may have rendered.
  3. Former members seeking information regarding the CD or clasps shall be provided with full details and, if considered eligible, they should be advised to direct their request in writing to NDHQ/DH&R using the Application Form for retired members (per Chapter 4).

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