This is a table of the ranks and insignia of the Canadian Armed Forces. As the Canadian Armed Forces is officially bilingual, the French language ranks are presented following the English (in italics).
Commander-in-chief insignia According to Canadian Forces Dress Instructions, the king's representative (the governor general) may wear the uniform and corresponding cap/hat badge of a flag/general officer, with a special flag/general officer sleeve braid embellished with the governor general's badge, and a large embroidered governor general's badge on the shoulder straps, facing forward. ServiceBoardSleeve
Commissioned officer ranks The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
Officers in the CAF hold positions of authority and respect. They are responsible for the safety, well-being and morale of a group of soldiers, sailors, or aviators. Analyzing, planning, making decisions and providing advice are a few aspects of an Officer’s role.
Subordinate officer ranks Branch Navy Army Air force Insignia English Naval cadet Officer cadet Officer cadet French
Non-commissioned member (NCM) ranks The following are the rank insignia for non-commissioned members for the navy, army and air force respectively.
Non-commissioned members are skilled personnel who provide operational and support services in the CAF. Non-Commissioned Members start out as recruits and are trained to do specific jobs.
NCM rank insignia for the rank of petty officer 1st class/warrant officer and above are worn on the lower sleeve, while those for the rank of petty officer 2nd class/sergeant and below are worn on the upper sleeve. The Royal Canadian Navy has directed its personnel to use the English rank titles for OR-1 through OR-5, but they are not yet legally in force pursuant to the National Defence Act, as they are not yet updated in the King's Regulations and Orders issued by the governor-in-council.
Appointments The rank insignia for NCM appointments. Rank group Senior appointments Appointments Canadian forces chief warrant officer Command chief petty officer Senior appointment Chief petty officer, 1st class Drum major Pipe major Trumpet / bugle major Canadian forces chief warrant officer Command chief warrant officer Senior appointment chief warrant officer Drum major Pipe major Trumpet / bugle major Canadian forces chief warrant officer Command chief warrant officer Senior AppointmentChief warrant officer Drum major Pipe major Trumpet / bugle major Rank group Senior appointments Appointments
Rank slip-ons
The tables above describe the rank insignia worn on the service dress jacket. On DEU shirts, sweaters, and outerwear; and operational dress shirts and jackets, rank insignia are worn on slip-ons with the word "Canada" or a regimental/branch title embroidered underneath. Flag/general officers' slip-ons include only the crown, crossed sabre and baton, and maple leaves worn on the shoulder straps; they do not include the braid worn on the sleeve. Army NCM slip-ons for DEU shirts, sweaters, and outerwear display only the word "Canada" or a regimental/branch title, rank insignia being worn instead as enamelled metal pins on collar points or lapels.
In the Canadian Forces, slip-ons displaying rank insignia and shoulder titles are worn on the shoulder straps of the No. 3 Service Dress shirt, overcoat, raincoat, and sweater; CANEX parka and windbreaker; Naval Combat Dress jacket and shirt; flying suits and flying jackets; and Military Police Operational Patrol Dress shirt and jacket. The slip-ons are worn on a similar-style strap located in the centre of the chest (and sometimes centre of the back as well) of the CADPAT shirt, jacket, parka, and raincoat. Slip-ons are not worn on the Service Dress jacket, or with Mess Dress.
+ Canadian Forces slip-ons Uniform Base fabric Officers' rank insignia Non-commissioned members' rank insignia Shoulder titles Navy Service Dress Navy Blue (which is a tone of black) Rows of gold rank braid Embroidered in "CF Gold" thread "CANADA", embroidered in "CF Gold" thread, only for NCMs. Officers have "CANADA" marks as shoulder flashes. Army Service Dress Rifle green Embroidered in full colour, including branch-specific backing colour None (rank insignia are worn on enameled pins on lapels or collar points) Regimental or branch title, or the word "CANADA", in "CF gold" cotton thread Air Force Service Dress Air Force blue Rows of "pearl grey" (silver) and black rank braid Embroidered in "pearl grey" (silver) thread "CANADA", embroidered in "pearl grey" (silver) thread Naval Combat Dress and Naval Enhanced Combat Uniform - not a slip-on for NECU, but velcro-backed patch Navy Blue Rows of gold rank braid Embroidered in "CF Gold" thread "CANADA", embroidered in "CF Gold" thread Navy CADPAT TW (Temperate Woodland) Olive green Embroidered in black thread Embroidered in black thread "CANADA", embroidered in black thread Army CADPAT TW CADPAT TW Embroidered in "high visibility" silver thread Embroidered in "high visibility" silver thread "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in "high visibility" silver thread Air Force CADPAT TW and flying suit Olive green Embroidered in blue thread Embroidered in blue thread "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in blue thread Navy, Army, and Air Force CADPAT AR (Arid Region) CADPAT AR Embroidered in tan thread Embroidered in tan thread "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in tan threadFormer uniforms Olive green combat uniform (replaced by CADPAT in the early 2000s) Olive green Embroidered in light olive green thread Embroidered in light olive green thread "CANADA" or an applicable branch, regimental, or air unit title embroidered in light olive green thread Air Force Service Dress prior to 2015 Air Force blue Rows of gold rank braid Embroidered in "Old Gold" thread (darker in colour than "CF Gold") "CANADA", embroidered in "CF Gold" thread
Service stripes From 1955 to 1968, Militia personnel were permitted to wear service insignia on the right jacket sleeve. There were one to five silver chevrons on drab backing for every two years of service or a maple leaf in silver thread on a drab cloth circle to represent 10 years of service. Chevron points were worn either up or down; even official documents and photos were confused on the matter. Further awards after 10 years were believed covered by the Canadian Forces' Decoration, which was awarded after 12 years and a clasp added for every 10 years afterwards.
Qualifying service could include prior active service in the active reserves of the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force or the regular or territorial forces of a fellow Commonwealth member nation. Service in Canadian Army reserve forces units (like the regular reserve, supplementary reserve and reserve militia) did not count. The awarding of Service Stripes ceased in 1968 after the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Canadian Army distinctive corps insignia Every branch or corps of the Canadian Army uses a distinctive colour. Applicable only to officers, they are indicated by coloured borders of rank insignia on DEU shirt and sweater slip-ons and on mess dress.11110-1 (G7-4), 26 February 2014, OPERATION ORDER – CANADIAN ARMY IDENTITY B. CAO 33-19 – PUBLIC FUNDING TO RESTORE CA CORPS' IDENTITIESCAO 33-19 – PUBLIC FUNDING TO RESTORE CA CORPS' IDENTITIESCFSS Materiel Authorization (D01102CFS) – ARMY- BASIC CLOTH REGULAR & RESERVE, 20161005 Branch Colour Image Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Yellow Red Blue Scarlet Royal Canadian Medical Service Dull cherry Canadian Intelligence Corps Forest green (silver rank) Royal Canadian Dental Corps Emerald green Royal Canadian Chaplain Service Purple RCIC members of Les Voltigeurs de Québec Black
Distinctive rank names Some branches and regiments use distinctive job titles for privates (trained) in those regiments:
Branch Distinct title Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Trooper ( or ) Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Gunner ( or ) Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers Sapper ( or ) Royal Canadian Corps of Signals Signaller ( or ) Corps of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Craftsman ( or ) Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (RCIC) members of guards regiments Guardsman () RCIC members of rifle regiments Rifleman ( or ) RCIC members of fusilier regiments Fusilier ( or ) RCIC members of voltigeur regiment Voltigeur ( or ) Musicians of the Music Branch Musician ( or ) Pipers of the Music Branch Piper ( or ) Drummers of the Music Branch Drummer ( or ) Canadian Rangers Ranger ()
Additionally, the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery uses "bombardier" ( or ) for corporal and "master bombardier" ( or ) for master corporal. In the guards regiments, warrant officers are known as "colour sergeants" () and second-lieutenants are known as "ensigns" ().
Evolution of Royal Canadian Navy rank and insignia When the Royal Canadian Navy was established in 1910, it kept with Royal Navy traditions and adopted sleeve braid with an executive curl for rank insignia. "Wavy" sleeve braid was adopted for the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) and rings of narrow interwoven gold lace for the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve (RCNR). Other variations in rank insignia included sky blue lace with a diamond shaped loop for officers of the Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service, and warranted Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps officers, who had a small anchor in place of the executive curl.
Following the Second World War, the Royal Canadian Navy was reorganized with a single reserve component. In 1946, the distinctive wavy gold braid of the reserves gave way to the straight braided executive curl of the regular force until 1968. With the integration of the Canadian Forces the sea element was designated as Canadian Forces Maritime Command. Unembellished straight braid became the common rank insignia for officers of both the regular and reserve forces. The executive curl appeared only on navy mess dress.
On 5 March 2010, the Canadian House of Commons passed a motion (moved by Guy Lauzon) recommending the executive curl be reinstated on the Canadian navy uniform. Subsequently, in recognition of the Canadian Naval centennial, Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, authorized the use of the executive curl for the Canadian Navy on 2 May 2010. The insignia became effective on 11 June 2010, on the occasion of the Pacific Canadian Naval International Fleet Review parade of nations in Victoria, B.C.
More than 54 countries, including Canada and 18 other of the 22 Commonwealth navies, use the insignia. Most navies that do not use the executive curl insignia, such as the United States Navy and the French Navy, substitute a star or other national device above the top row of lace.
Timeline of changes (sleeves only) Royal Canadian Navy Maritime Command Maritime Command Royal Canadian Navy Rank titles Admiral Vice-admiral Rear-admiral Commodore Captain(N) Commander Lieutenant-commander Lieutenant(N) Sub-lieutenant Acting sub-lieutenant Navalcadet or or or or or