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Mess dress is equivalent to white tie (otherwise known as an evening suit or dress suit: black tailcoat, pique-front shirt, white waistcoat, & of course a white tie).  However, since the mess is a more relaxed environment (save certain events) like a person's home, mess undress evolved as the...

Yes, I suppose so!  I assume one would have to eliminate the commissioned rank of major altogether. But I guess what I was getting is that, essentially, if the role of majors-general had not changed drastically (I assume it has), they would be doing the same thing as the CF CWO.  But now we...

Our workdress is called 'Naval Combat Dress' as I wrote above, the 'dress' part is unnautical & incorrect use of dress, but never mind.  There are 2 uniforms that are referred to as 'whites:' No 1C/D & No 3B.  Number 1 is the ceremonial dress (1C) or undress (1B) (here 'dress' is used more or...

I remember one of the interviewees (obviously not from the Pentagon) in the Passionate Eye film about Operation Hollywood said if the Pentagon were to support an anti-war film, that would prove they had self-confidence, or strong morals, or something like that.  You might say that DND's support...

True.  Actually, just to clarify my reason for posting: I wasn't trying to prove that horreur the Pentagon influences films but just that it had influenced this particular instance.  I'm a James Bond fan, you see, so I thought this was interesting.  There is a tradition of Canada helping out...

Found this article in the National Post regarding a part of the book Operation Hollywood: how the Pentagon shapes and censors the movies: Okay, that's all I can copy from the website so I'll paraphrase the article I read in the hard copy. There is a scene in which the femme fatale, Xenia...

Do people refer to the 'Canadian Air Force'?  I know that one can informally speak of Air command as such but I thought that since the air element was not formally referred to as such, there would be no confusion of acronyms (as acronyms are usually used formally).  By this logic, we should...

Am I correct (when I mentioned in my last post) that it is important to know seamen's trades quickly by seeing a badge?  Or is this reason not valid nowadays? (I know it was a reason, at one time anyway.)

Topcoat is the gabardine.   Topcoats differ from overcoats in that they were originally intended for mildly cool weather whereas overcoats were for winter.   Nowadays, most (civilians) wear those awful baggy trenchcoat-type raincoats in lieu of a proper topcoat. And I've noticed that our...

Since the AF blue (which is, ironically, very close to navy blue) embroidery is damned hard to see, why in God's name is the navy opting for black?  Are we also going to wear white tshirts (perhaps with square necks) so at least the people not saluting will know they're not saluting an admiral...

You were issued the white tunic?  I should be so lucky!  They told me that it's a private purchase--you've got to have some money so as not to sweat to death in a black reefer jacket in a summer parade. And, yes, NCMs do wear the white tunic, with unadorned shoulder straps instead of the two...

Just a question on divisions/ceremonial divisions: is the supernumerary officers' division intended to separate those officers who are not commanding a division (i.e. who aren't HODs) from the NCMs?  E.g. a SLt is DO for a section but, since that section falls in as part of the larger...

Despite the fact that trade badges are important during evolutions aboard ship (so that everyone knows what others' jobs are) they are not seen on Naval Combat Rig (or 'Dress' as the powers-that-be would have us say it even though it is not a 'dress' uniform, in the proper sense of the...

I was 39E.   L, M, & V do ring quite a lot of bells but not as much as C, B, L, & D. Certainly all were quite amazing instructors.

Thanks for all the replies! Now I'm finally getting it.  Of course, a few more questions: Re: the diagram.  Under, for example, Exec Dept there is Admin, followed by Reg, followed by Med.  I am assuming that Reg & Med are not actually subordinate to Admin, it's just a simplification of the...

Thanks!  Actually I'm not that confused at all.  Just a few clarifications: So just to make sure I'm understanding things correctly: one could call any group in the navy a division, thus, aboard each ship there are several sizes of divisions, from largest to smallest they are: 1)Captain is DO...

I've just skimmed over MARCOM's Guide to the Divisional System & the read has left me with a few questions: I understand that, unlike the army's COC, the divisional system is more 'flexible' in that there are not fixed sections, platoons, companies, battalions, etc. but rather a series of...

I've heard a lot about wearing the poppy 'over the heart.'  Now, I'm not one of those people who get all riled up when people attribute emotions or whatever to a part of the anatomy separate from the brain but I will venture that this 'over the heart' explanation is false.  I rather believe the...

Actually this is what I usually end up saying.  I guess I'm just scared of turning into John Kerry and rambling on rather than giving people a 'catchphrase' of a job title!  One thing I hate saying is 'the military pays for my schooling' because, though true and perhaps attractive to would-be...

After a few months of explaining to people I'm majoring in philosophy, and in the regular navy, and philosophising is my job in the navy, and I'm a MARS officer (God, how that throws people off!) I've grown tired of the 10 minute explanation to the frequent question: 'What are you doing now?'...