Naval Combat Dress (NCD) uniform [Merged]

[dapaterson]

My bad, I thought that would have been fully implemented by now, years and years after the effort began.  Perhaps in the next decade when the other files clear through CMP?

Perhaps once the Tan folks make it a priority...

 

[Good2Golf]

Perhaps once the Tan folks make it a priority...

...ahead of....? 

 

[dapaterson]

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.


If I knew...

 

[Journeyman]

Are they not supposed to be incognito ....

That's a recurring misconception, occasionally from within the Command as well -- usually junior members.

While JTF2 is very low-key, the remaining units (CSOR, 427 SOAS, CJIRU-CBRN [and the Canadian Special Operations Training Centre]) are all very much the public face of CANSOFCOM.  They provide unique skills to the CAF, and Canada writ large, but they were never intended to be "Kingsman: The Secret Service."

 

[jollyjacktar]

And boy oh boy do they ever get a reef knot in their face if you mention the "B Squad" words.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

BTW, Underway, people in Quebec, at least, can be understood when they think you may be a cop.

About 20 years ago, the police forces in Quebec, including the QPP, had their uniforms redesigned and, as part of it , wanted to modernize their rank badges. Like many police forces in the past, they look to the Armed Forces and guess, what: They picked the CAF officer's stripes system. Since the officers wear dark Navy pants with white shirts, and even though they don't wear Elliot's eyes obviously, they look pretty close.

Here are some pictures. You tell me how much different from us they look.  ;D
BTW, in the press conference pic, there are four different police forces included - all with those stripes.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Buddy in the middle photo has CF ribbons on too. 

 

[Underway]

BTW, Underway, people in Quebec, at least, can be understood when they think you may be a cop.

I'm generally happy to be recognized as a cop vice all the other options.  At least its paramilitary.  ;D

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Buddy in the middle photo has CF ribbons on too.

"Buddy" in the middle picture is commandant (he recently got his promotion to three-ringer) Ian Lafrenière. In the picture, he is still a commandant-adjoint. Ian is public relations officer and the public face of the Montreal police. A no-nonsense guy greatly appreciated by all journalists in Montreal for his straightforward approach.

Ian serves (or served, I am not sure anymore being out of the circuit for while) in the militia in Montreal, in the same capacity as public affairs officer, IIRC.

 

[jollyjacktar]

I wonder if he still does, as we've not been in Cyprus for a long time and he's only sporting a CD.

 

[Pusser]

Buddy in the middle photo has CF ribbons on too.

Small correction to a common misconception:  those are NOT "CF ribbons."  They are ribbons in the Canadian Honours System, in which the CF participates, but does not "own."  Although one has to be in the Armed Forces in order to receive certain awards (e.g. the Canadian Forces Decoration), they are still honours awarded or approved by the Crown, not by the CF.

Two of the three ribbons the gentleman is wearing may have nothing to do with military service.  The CF was only one of the partner agencies involved with the Diamond Jubilee program, so he could have received it for something else.  Also, police officers and civilians can receive UN medals for service on UN missions.

CF dress regulations only determine how Honours from the Crown are worn (e.g. must be originals or replacements, not replicas and must be court-mounted), not which ones may be worn.  Any award in the Canadian Honours System can be worn on the CF uniform.  For example, somebody who won a Medal of Bravery as an eight year old child would properly wear it on his/her uniform while on basic training years later.  A currently serving member who receives a Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers for work a local food bank, entirely unbeknownst to his/her CF chain of command, can properly wear it on CF uniform.  In neither case does anyone need permission from anyone to do so (although they may be asked to provide proof of the award).  Conversely, there is no regulation that requires a member to wear an award if they don't want to.

 

[Mick]

I doubt it's the UN Cyprus medal, as it is being worn out of sequence in relation to both the CD and Jubilee ribbons.  Also, no associated CPSM is being worn.

The blue and white ribbon could be a police or municipal/provincial award maybe?

 

[jollyjacktar]

You're correct on the sequence of ribbons, mick.  Doh, on me.  It certainly does look like a Cyprus ribbon vs a Police Long Service ribbon or the like. 

Pusser, to split hairs, you're correct.  But I'm not "Pusser" enough to care to do so myself.  I still made myself understood.

 

[Blackadder1916]

While it's continuing to veer off topic, here's an alternative ribbon array worn by the officer.

 

[LightFighter]

...as we've not been in Cyprus for a long time

In large numbers we haven’t, but we still have a rotation going of one officer.

Task Force Cyprus
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) currently contributes one officer to the operations staff at UNFICYP headquarters in Nicosia. The normal tour of duty on Operation SNOWGOOSE is one year.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/operations-abroad-current/op-snowgoose.page

So I know of 3 NWO (MARS) officers who went CANSOF and are now back in the RCN continuing their careers in the navy. So those guys now do a CT to CANSOF and then CT back? That seems like a bit of an administrative waste of time.

Because they stayed in the NWO(MARS) occupation while serving within CANSOF.  Assaulters, special operators and CBRN operators are CANSOF-specific occupations that OT'd from previous occupations, and are the ones who wear the CANSOF DEU.

In addition to dapaterson’s comment about managed specialty for JTF2 Assaulter.  The only two CANSOF trades(SF and CBRN Operator) are NCM trades, officers in these roles retain their original MOSID, so no OT for them to return to a prior trade.  Plus, there are a variety of supporter positions within the individual units and CANSOFCOM HQ. 

 

[jollyjacktar]

In large numbers we haven’t, but we still have a rotation going of one officer.

I stand corrected. 

 

[Pusser]

Pusser, to split hairs, you're correct.  But I'm not "Pusser" enough to care to do so myself.  I still made myself understood.

If correcting misconceptions is "splitting hairs" then, guilty!  The trouble is, I have seen cases where folks in leadership positions have actually tried to stop people from wearing legitimate honours because they weren't issued by the CF and that's simply not correct.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Sure, I've served with guys who had foreign decorations and other awards etc.

 

[Pusser]

I was actually referring to cases of members with Canadian honours, but which they earned for activities that have nothing to do with the CAF.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Both apply nevertheless.