20 Facts About Canadian Army

1.

Canadian Army is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces.

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2.

Name "Canadian Army" came into official use beginning only in 1940; from before Confederation until the Second World War the official designation was "Canadian Militia".

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3.

The "Canadian Army" persisted as a legal entity for two more years, before it amalgamated with the Royal Canadian Navy, and Royal Canadian Air Force to form a single service called the Canadian Armed Forces.

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4.

In 1914, after the declaration of war between the Allies and Central Powers, the Canadian Army government decided to raise a separate volunteer force to engage in expeditionary warfare.

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5.

On 19 November 1940, during Second World War, an Order in Council was issued that renamed the Permanent Active Militia as the Canadian Army, supplemented by the Non-Permanent Active Militia, which was named the Canadian Army .

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6.

Canadian Army participated in the Korean War, with the first elements of its participation landed in Korea in December 1950 and formed part of the forces who took part in Operation Killer and the Battle of Kapyong.

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7.

Canadian Army troops were committed to the NATO presence in West Germany during the Cold War.

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8.

The Army is divided into four geographical districts, the 2nd Canadian Division is based in Quebec, the 3rd Canadian Division is based in Western Canada, the 4th Canadian Division is based in Ontario, while the 5th Canadian Division is based in Atlantic Canada.

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9.

Senior appointment within the Canadian Army was Chief of the General Staff until 1964 when the appointment became Commander, Mobile Command in advance of the unification of Canada's military forces.

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10.

Between 1953 and 1971, the Regular Canadian Army Infantry consisted of seven regiments, each maintaining two battalions .

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11.

Several days later, on 6 July 1970, the 2nd Battalion, The Canadian Army Guards, were reduced to nil strength and transferred to the Supplementary Order of Battle; while its personnel became a part of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Army Regiment.

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12.

The Canadian Army Reserve is organized into under-strength brigades along geographic lines.

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13.

The Canadian Army Reserve is very active and has participated heavily in all Regular Canadian Army deployments in the last decade, in some cases contributing as much as 40 per cent of each deployment in either individual augmentation, as well as occasional formed sub-units .

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14.

On 1 April 2008, the Canadian Army Reserve absorbed all units of the former Communications Reserve.

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15.

The Canadian Army operates approximately 150 field artillery pieces including the M777 howitzer and the LG1 Mark II.

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16.

The Canadian Army will receive a new family of engineering vehicles especially designed to clear pathways for troops and other vehicles through minefields and along roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices.

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17.

Canadian Army infantry uses the C7 Rifle or C8 Carbine as the basic assault rifle, with grenadiers using the C7 with an attached M203 grenade launcher, and the C9 squad automatic weapon.

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18.

Canadian Army began to issue combat specific uniforms in the early 1960s, with the introduction of "combats, " coloured olive-drab shirt.

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19.

The olive-drab uniforms continued to be used with minor alterations until the Canadian Army adopted CADPAT camouflaged combat uniforms in the late-1990s.

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20.

Military rank in the Canadian Army is granted based on a variety of factors including merit, qualification, training, and time in-rank.

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