# When did the Army, Navy, and Airforce become unified?



## Veteran`s son (19 Feb 2003)

Hello, 
I am wondering when the Army, Navy, and Airforce became unified (I think that it is called integration but I am not sure)?

Also, when did members of the Canadian Armed Forces begin using their Social Insurance Number as their service number?

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Mike whose father served with the Royal Canadian Engineers during World War 2, the Korean War and peacetime.


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## DnA (19 Feb 2003)

Unifcation was in 1968

legally the army, air force an navy dont exist, there the Land, Air an Sea Elements in the Canadian Forces


as for SN‘s being SIN‘s, dont know bout that, my SN is nothing like my SIN numbers


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## Zoomie (19 Feb 2003)

Best possible guess for the initial conversion from Service Numbers to SIN was in the early 70‘s.  It was then decided to switch back to Service Numbers in the early 90‘s (around 91-92).


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## Michael Dorosh (20 Feb 2003)

This is not true anymore, the land force is again called the Canadian Army AFAIK.

Interesting that the Army was not known as such until 1940.  Before that, it was the Permanent Active Militia (or Permanent Force) and the Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) - what today is the Regular Force and the Reserves or Militia.


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## DnA (27 Feb 2003)

I got that info from my 2Lt, but. he said no one refer‘s to their branch of service by whatever element, they just say army, airforce or navy


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## Michael Dorosh (27 Feb 2003)

My apologies.  We all know that 2nd Lieutenants are NEVER misinformed...


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## DnA (27 Feb 2003)

lol

my 2Lt was a Cpl in the Seaforth‘s an fought in the Medak Pocket, so he‘s got a lot of respect an knoledge, least in my oppion


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## Paras (4 Mar 2003)

Hey DNA whats the Medak Pocket?


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## Korus (4 Mar 2003)

I smell trouble a commin‘


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## combat_medic (4 Mar 2003)

Medak Pocket:

 http://www.macleans.ca/xta-asp/storyview.asp?viewtype=browse&tpl=browse_frame&vpath=/2002/09/02/World/71190.shtml 
 http://www.seaforth-highlanders.ca/articles/richmondreview.htm 
 http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lfwa_hq/Documents/2002/PSA/PSA-2PPCLI_invite1.pdf 

also, go to www.seaforthhighlanders.ca/video.html to see a CBC 2 part documentary about it.


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## Michael OLeary (4 Mar 2003)

Sigh, if only the circling sharks were as quick with answers as with invective, this forum could maintain a reputation where the misinformed and unknowing could receive respect and information.



> There is no doubt that the [Canadian] military, until a short time ago, have not, had the support they deserve. Equipment has become elderly and sometimes obsolete and the manpower allocation has been insufficient. The upheaval caused by the passing of the Canadian Forces Reorganization of Act of 1 February 1968 caused a drop in efficiency and in the effectiveness of the Command and Control of the forces which has only been restored recently with the functioning of the new commands. Under the Act, the Navy, Army and Air Force ceased to exist as legal entities and between 1968 and 1973 the total regular armed forces strength was‘ reduced from 120,780 to 82,000. By 1977 the total was only 78,000, far too small to meet all the requirements placed upon them.
> The reorganization was carried out in two phases, the first was termed "integration" and involved the grouping of the former services under a common command structure and the second, "unification", was the creation of a single service. All members were issued with the same uniform and came under the control of a single personnel branch. The common uniform is still worn although it is noticeable that various embellishments and titles have started to appear. - Colonel Norman L. Dodd, The Defence of Canada, The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal, Vol. 108, No. 1, January 1978


Further, in accordance with the  National Defence Act: 



> 14. The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces.


Interestingly, a search of the National Defence Act for the words "army," navy," and "air force" gives no result at all. 



> When "unification" was mentioned to Sir Winston Churchill he said he wanted none of it. He was reported as saying the end result would be "a sludge of amalgam." How right he was. â€“ Mud and Green Fields; The Memoirs of Major General George Kitching, 1986


Mike


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