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Heritage Structure | Section 6 – Badge entitlement

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  • Section 6 – Badge entitlement (6-6-1)
  1. Subject to military tradition and to branch and formation policy, branches and organizations established as separate entities under a Ministerial Organization Order (MOO) and a Canadian Forces Organization Order (CFOO), as well as other defence establishments specifically approved by NDHQ, are entitled to a single primary badge meant for use by all their component units. This does not, however, prevent the chain of command from weighing in on the decision to authorize a component unit to have a primary badge of its own (see paragraph 6 below). Supplementary badges and insignia may also be approved based on traditions, customs or unique substantiation.
  2. Unless otherwise influenced by the chain of command, a unit’s entitlement to a badge may be subject to military tradition or branch and formation policy. This may prevent some specific units from receiving their own badges.
  3. Headquarters are the most prominent exceptions. Each military formation – such as the Canadian Fleet Atlantic and 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group – is composed of a headquarters and a variable number of subordinate units. Formations themselves are entitled to badges, which apply to the organizations as a whole. Their headquarters, even though separately established by MOOs as "units" in their own right, traditionally only use the badges of the formations they lead. This applies equally to NDHQ, which has no separate official badge despite its integrated departmental-military force status (see paragraph 5 below), and to combined headquarters units, e.g., 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group Headquarters and Signal Squadron, despite its organization as an independent squadron.
  4. All subordinate elements, sub-units and detachments use the badge of the organization concerned. If subordinate identification is desirable, this is placed on a separate line or scroll under or beside the badge, e.g., B Company, A Flight, Command Post or Support Squadron, etc.
  5. In NDHQ, offices and directorates can use their parent command badge or the badge of the CAF. As well, any element of the CAF may make use of the badge of the CAF. In addition:
    1. The following NDHQ groups (ADM (Mat), ADM (IM) and ADM (Fin)) have the status of commands and therefore may be authorized their own command badges for internal use and when corresponding on command business, i.e., not speaking on behalf of or issuing directions to the CAF as a whole;
    2. Branch advisors and their staff are entitled to use the branch badge when corresponding on internal branch business, as opposed to that of the headquarters itself and the chain of command.
  6. Traditionally, units whose functional roles are closely identified with those of some specific branches use common branch badges rather than separate ones of their own, with a separate title line to the unit itself as required. Notwithstanding this, when particular circumstances dictate that a unit should be authorized to have its own primary badge, COs may, with the support of their chain of command and the affected branch advisor, submit such a recommendation. Branches whose functional units currently use a common branch primary badge are:
    1. Artillery Branch, but with specific separate badges for regiments with the status of horse artillery;
    2. Military Engineering Branch for all field, tactical, and administrative military engineering units, which draw on army practice; construction engineering units, which draw on air force practice, have separate badges;
    3. Royal Canadian Medical Service;
    4. Royal Canadian Dental Corps;
    5. Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch;
    6. Royal Canadian Chaplain Service;
    7. Legal Branch;
    8. Music Branch, although for heritage reasons most bands are closely identified with other branches or functional units and use the badges of those organizations;
    9. Personnel Selection Branch;
    10. Training Development Branch;
    11. Public Affairs Branch;
    12. Intelligence Branch; and
    13. Special Operations Forces Branch.
  7. Other units may request their own primary badges. COs should note that heads of a few higher organizations or services, principally those which emphasize their identification with the CAF as a whole, have restricted subordinates from requesting their own badges. For example, recruiting units are associated with the Forces as a whole and use the CAF badge.
  8. Exceptions to these entitlement policies shall be separately justified, principally to perpetuate past customs, organizations, or operational experience. Exceptions made in the period of administrative confusion after unification are not regarded as precedents.

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