Former ranks of the Canadian Forces

Before Unification as the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968, the Canadian military had three distinct services: the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Canadian Army. All three services had a Regular (full-time) component and a reserve (part-time) component. The rank structure for these services were based on the services of the British military, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the British Army. The change to a "Canadian" rank structure meant that many of the traditional (British) rank titles and insignia were removed or changed.

Changes: navy
Almost all vestiges of naval tradition were lost when the navy was unified with the army and air force in 1968. However, naval rank titles remained for the personnel of the new Maritime Command. On the Canadian Forces service uniform, the rank insignia of officers up to the rank of naval Captain followed the old Royal Canadian Navy pattern but with the executive curl deleted. However, the executive curl was permitted on naval mess dress for all naval officers. In 1985 a new naval service uniform was announced and was introduced into service over the following three years. On June 11, 2010 the executive curl was reinstated for use by all naval officers. The rank insignia for other ranks continues to be based on army pattern insignia.

Changes: army
While the insignia for non-commissioned personnel of the CF very closely matched that of the pre-unification army, there were some changes and new classes of ranks were created. The army had previously had general officers, officers, warrant officers, senior NCOs, junior NCOs, and men. All personnel that were not officers were referred to collectively as "other ranks". After unification, other ranks became known as non-commissioned members (NCMs). The category of senior NCOs now included only one rank – that of sergeant – whereas before it had included both staff sergeants and sergeants. There were also three grades of warrant officer, whereas immediately before unification there had been only two.

The appointments of lance corporal and lance sergeant were deleted. Originally, there were only privates and corporals below the rank of sergeant. Those corporals with leadership training came to be referred to as "B" corporals (for having completed Part B of the leadership training) and started to wear a crown over their two chevrons. Eventually the crown was changed to a maple leaf surmounting the chevrons, and the appointment of master corporal was created after much hostility and confusion within the ranks regarding who would be providing leadership at the lowest levels of Mobile Command (the new name for what used to be the Army).

On 8 July 2013 the Minister of National Defence, the Hon. Peter MacKay, announced that Canadian Army Officers would once again wear "pips and crowns," signalling a return to the pre-unification rank insignia.

Changes: air force
The distinctive air force rank titles were eliminated, and Air Command used the same rank titles as Mobile Command.

Relative ranks and responsibilities
The ranks of the new Canadian Forces did not match up exactly with the ranks (and attendant responsibilities) of the old system.

In the army, for example, an infantry platoon would have a sergeant for a second in command and a staff sergeant would serve as a company quartermaster sergeant. In the new Canadian Forces, however, a warrant officer would fill both those roles. While an infantry section was commanded by a corporal pre-unification, after unification that task fell on a sergeant. The rank of corporal in the army was especially downgraded in terms of responsibility; before unification a Canadian corporal was the equivalent of a sergeant in most other armies due to his responsibility as a section commander. After unification, the rank of corporal became nothing more than a pay raise with authority being granted instead to the new master corporals. Equivalents in the table below are very approximate, then.

Certain ranks had alternative titles according to tradition and the trade of the soldier.
 * Privates
 * Royal Canadian Armoured Corps – trooper
 * Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – gunner
 * Royal Canadian Engineers – sapper
 * Royal Canadian Corps of Signals - signaller
 * Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
 * Guards regiments – guardsman
 * Rifle regiments – rifleman
 * Fusilier regiments – fusilier
 * Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – craftsman


 * Lance corporals
 * Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – lance bombardier


 * Corporals
 * Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – bombardier


 * Master corporals
 * Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery – master bombardier

Pre-unification army
Army officers' insignia before unification consisted of several rank badges based on British Army designs:


 * The star of the Order of the Bath, commonly called a "pip", in sequence of one, two or three as necessary.
 * The crown, being a St. Edward's Crown after 1953 (sometimes called a "queen's crown") and a Tudor Crown (sometimes called a "king's crown") before the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne.
 * The Mameluke sword, crossed by a baton, was used in general officer's insignia.

Army warrant officers also used rank badges based on British designs:


 * A warrant officer class I wore the coat of arms of Canada; before the 1950s, the British royal coat of arms was worn.
 * A warrant officer class II wore a crown (either St. Edward's pattern or Tudor pattern, as described under officers' insignia above) within a wreath.
 * During the Second World War, a warrant officer class III had worn a plain crown; this rank was abolished in practice during, and officially after, the war.

Finally, Army NCOs also used rank badges based on British designs:


 * Rank badges were constructed from white herringbone lace sewn into 1-, 2-, or 3-bar chevrons. A crown was worn over the chevrons for staff sergeants.

Post-unification Canadian Forces
The most noticeable change in rank insignia after Unification was the deletion of British stars and crowns on officer's shoulder boards. Instead, a series of gold stripes was instituted, similar to the pre-unification naval and air force rank system in concept but very different in appearance. Warrant officers retained the traditional army-style rank badges, and NCOs' chevrons were also changed, being smaller and made from newer material, similar to US Army NCO badges in the 1960s. The maple leaf also featured on NCO badges, even being worn over a private's one-bar chevron in initial issues of the new insignia in the years immediately after unification.

Generals' and admirals' insignia remained similar to pre-unification army insignia, with maple leaves replacing the stars, but retaining the crown and crossed sabre and baton. A wide band of gold braid was also used, similar to pre-unification naval insignia worn by admirals. Naval officers of flag rank removed the rank epaulettes on the service dress on June 11, 2010, when the executive curl was reinstated with additional sleeve ribbon for the admiral ranks.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, announced on 8 July 2013 the Government of Canada's intent to restore Canadian Army rank insignia, names and badges to their traditional forms.