# Happy 50th Birthday to the Canadian Armed Forces



## exspy (1 Feb 2018)

Ten years ago I posted a similar message on the Forces 40th Birthday. It didn't seem to generate much interest then, and it probably won't now.

The dates of the formation of the RCAF and the RCN (the date of the formation of the Canadian Army is a subject of great debate) are known by all the amateur historians who frequent this site, but for some reason February 1st always passes by unnoticed.

Fifty years equals two generations since anyone served in a single service in Canada. Just thought I'd pass it on.

Cheers,
Dan.


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## CombatDoc (1 Feb 2018)

Dan, thanks for letting us know. Two generations of CF/CAF members - quite an impressive statistic!


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## Old Sweat (1 Feb 2018)

Thanks for reminding me of all the turmoil and essentially dynamic inertia and useless crap I went through as a young, keen, very junior captain at the time. And "kudos" to all the Second World War veteran senior officers who couldn't come to grips with the chaotic and essentially terminally screwed-up situation.

Any no offence should be taken at my comments, which are aimed at the idiots who seemed to do their best to make a bad situation worse.


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## daftandbarmy (2 Feb 2018)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> Thanks for reminding me of all the turmoil and essentially dynamic inertia and useless crap I went through as a young, keen, very junior captain at the time. And "kudos" to all the Second World War veteran senior officers who couldn't come to grips with the chaotic and essentially terminally screwed-up situation.
> 
> Any no offence should be taken at my comments, which are aimed at the idiots who seemed to do their best to make a bad situation worse.



And all thanks to a McNamara Mini-me


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## Old Sweat (2 Feb 2018)

A key organizational principle was that no administrative procedure or policy could be based on one that was used by a former single service. Good stuff, except that meant that we were adopting procedures that were no better than fourth from the top on the list of recommended courses.


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## pbi (6 Feb 2018)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> And all thanks to a McNamara Mini-me



Good catch. The 1950's produced some very odd military thinking, some of which obviously seeped into the water in Ottawa. Interesting to see that the US services didn't follow McNamara's lead. 

"_A prophet is not without honour save in his own country"_


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## FSTO (6 Feb 2018)

Dan M said:
			
		

> Ten years ago I posted a similar message on the Forces 40th Birthday. It didn't seem to generate much interest then, and it probably won't now.
> 
> The dates of the formation of the RCAF and the RCN (the date of the formation of the Canadian Army is a subject of great debate) are known by all the amateur historians who frequent this site, but for some reason February 1st always passes by unnoticed.
> 
> ...



 :trainwreck:


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## observor 69 (6 Feb 2018)

It's RCAF Station Baden–Soellingen in 1966-1967? and Gen Jean Victor Allard is speaking to the members of the JR NCO mess.
Wearing a Can Force green uniform with a Sam Browne belt he is selling the unification of the forces to a mess full of AC2, ACI and LAC airmen. And this LAC was there.


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## daftandbarmy (7 Feb 2018)

Old Sweat said:
			
		

> A key organizational principle was that no administrative procedure or policy could be based on one that was used by a former single service. Good stuff, except that meant that we were adopting procedures that were no better than fourth from the top on the list of recommended courses.



The 'Tragedy of the Commons' systems archetype, writ large....

Tragedy of the Commons: All for One and None for All

https://thesystemsthinker.com/tragedy-of-the-commons-all-for-one-and-none-for-all/


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