Vice-Admiral Topshee’s Flag Hoist Signal

Three signal flags spell “Charlie38”, which stands for the 38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy.

I am proud to assume command of the Royal Canadian Navy. In this era of diminished trust in senior leadership, I recognize that I must earn your confidence. I promise that the RCN will place as much importance on character as it does on competence and that we will be fair, equitable, and transparent in facing the challenges that confront our navy today.

My main focus and the top priority for the RCN is to attract, recruit, and train as many sailors as possible from across the full spectrum of Canadians. This will take a collective effort across the entire institution. Success here will ease the burden on all those sailors who are working hard to overcome our present shortage of personnel.

We can only succeed if we create a welcoming, inclusive and enabling environment for our new sailors as well as everyone serving today. I am committed to ensuring that every member of the Navy team, military and civilian, part time and full time, is empowered to perform to their full potential and that they never doubt that we value and appreciate their hard work.

Finally, world events have made it clear that we must be a Navy that is Ready to Fight. I sincerely hope that we are never tested in combat but, should that come to pass, we must be ready as the lives of our sailors and shipmates depend upon it. That starts by being honest about how things are, not how we want them to be. 

Vice-Admiral Angus Topshee,
38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy

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