Proper Use of Post-Nominals

[Tibbson]

I've been poking around this forum for a few months now, commenting occasionally, and I've noticed that generally speaking it's frequented by people that are pretty knowledgeable or who possess the sufficient degree of common sense required to form a sentence.  Of course, there are always exceptions but by and large thats what I've notice. 

At the same time though I've struck by the number of people who do not know how to use post-nominals after their name, specifically "CD".  I'm constantly seeing people who have a signature block of "Name, CD1" or even "Name, CD2".  One would think that someone in long enough to have been awarded a bar or two to their CD would know that the post-nominal remains "CD" regardless of how many subsequent awards one recieves.  I'm posted this summer and one of my guys at work recommended a real estate agent but when I looked him up online I was struck that he billed himself as "Joe Agent, CD1".  Needless to say I will think twice about engaging an agent who obviously caters to the military but who does not correctly form his signature block with a military post-nominal that he is entitled to and wishes to use.

Ok, I'm off my soap box.  It's just one of those little things that rub me the wrong way. 

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Yeah I see that in signature blocks at work sometimes.

The reference seems pretty clear to me: 

POSTNOMINALS

Members may use the post-nominal letters "CD". The post-nominals are not affected by the award of clasps.

 

[George Wallace]

LOL.....I had a business card from Penny and Penny or Penny and Wright, whatever.....which had three lines of Post-Nominals after their name.  Most were those ones that one could 'purchase' from a Polish Duke....but still hilarious to read.  Always a souvenir to keep.... ;D

 

[Lightguns]

OK, so you are not going to use a real estate agent because you do not like the way he bills his "CD"? Right?  :facepalm:

The agent that sold my house was deeply in bed with the local corrupt mayor whom I disliked intensely.  That agent was also a top performer who sold, I went with him and sold my house well above the value in the year following the Cons monkeying with the markets.  Made a killing I did. 

Protocol is protocol but never let it interfere with a business decision when your cash is at stake.  Interestingly, my agent uses "CD2" as well. ;D 

 

[DAA]

The agent that sold my house was deeply in bed with the local corrupt mayor whom I disliked intensely.  That agent was also a top performer who sold, I went with him and sold my house well above the value in the year following the Cons monkeying with the markets.  Made a killing I did. 

Protocol is protocol but never let it interfere with a business decision when your cash is at stake.  Interestingly, my agent uses "CD2" as well. ;D

When it comes to home sale, it's all about $$$ in your pocket or to your credit! 

So I think that when someone uses the "CD" post nominal and feels compelled to add a # after it, they are merely qualifying themselves.  A CD to members of the CF is a CD.  But when you can easily recognize the differences (ie; CD=12, CD1=22 and CD2=32+), it sometimes makes a bit of a difference, especially when it comes to marketting oneself to he masses.

 

[George Wallace]

Wait until you go overseas.  In Germany, the wife of a Doctor is known as "Frau Dr _________".  So there the spouse wears their spouse's Post-Nominals. Sharing the wealth, I suppose..... ;D

 

[comicnut]

I'm sure there is some literal wealth sharing there as well  ;D

 

[Old EO Tech]

Yes CD1/2 annoys me too, even worse are the people that list awards that have no post nominal like CPSM or SSM :-/

 

[Tibbson]

OK, so you are not going to use a real estate agent because you do not like the way he bills his "CD"? Right?  :facepalm:

Yep, for that reason mostly but not only for that reason.  Would you go do a Physician who calls himself "Doktor Jones" or who lists his qualification as "Dr Jones, EmD"?  If a real estate agent has a military background and wants to appeal to the military community then how he uses his post-nominals speaks volumes of his competence.

 

[DAA]

Wait until you go overseas.  In Germany, the wife of a Doctor is known as "Frau Dr _________".  So there the spouse wears their spouse's Post-Nominals. Sharing the wealth, I suppose..... ;D

When I worked in the ME, if they had an Engineering degree of some sort, they used to prefix their business cards with "Eng __________"  and used to introduce each other as "Oh, have you met Engineer _____"  :facepalm:

 

[Pusser]

Canadian Honours 101

There are three classes of honours:

1) Orders - societies of merit
2) Decorations - specific acts of merit or bravery
3) Medals - long service, service in certain areas (largely just for showing up), everybody who meets defined standard criteria gets one

Only the first two entitle the recipient to post-nominal letters (i.e. orders and decorations) and as has already been said, the number of awards of the same decoration do not change the post-nominals.  I think the reason we see this so often, is because that's what appears on a member's MPRR.  However, the MPRR, is a record, not a protocol guide.  The only reason you see "CD1," "CD2," etc. there is because in that context, it makes sense to do so.  In other words, it's a code.  If you think "CD2" is bad on a business card, how about a tombstone?  I was at the Beechwood National Military Cemetery awhile ago where I saw exactly that, literally engraved in stone for posterity.  You would think that the folks running the place would make a point of ensuring that things like that were done properly.

Another point to keep in mind is that although post-nominals are often simply the first letters of each word in the name of the award (e.g. MSM - Meritorious Service Medal), this is not always the case.  "CD" is a good example.  I have seen several examples where people have stated that the name is the "Canada Decoration," but in fact, the proper name is the Canadian Forces Decoration.

Another interesting tidbit on the CD is that by strict definition, it should actually be a medal and not a decoration.  In fact, it's place in the Order of Precedence is that of a medal, so perhaps there should be no post-nominals at all?    However, it's worth noting that the CD actually replaced five different long service awards, at least two of which had been decorations (the ones that had been awarded to Reserve officers - Regular officers did not receive long service awards).  This, combined with the fact that King George VI (who took a very active interest in the creation of honours) wanted it to be a decoration - so it is, because the King said so.  When the CD was created, there was some concern that by making it a decoration, mere common "other ranks" would get post-nominals (horrors!) and at one point the RCAF actually proposed getting rid of them, but the Kings wishes prevailed.

 

[medicineman]

Yes CD1/2 annoys me too, even worse are the people that list awards that have no post nominal like CPSM or SSM :-/

Or people that put OSJ after their name in everything they sign outside of St John Ambulance.  Incidentally, most people that toss the OSJ there should be SB/SS St J...the O is for "Officers" of the Order, not "Order", much like an MMM isn't hte same as an OMM.  I'm an SB (Serving Brother) St J, and the only time it gets attached to my name is for official correspondence within the Order of St John or St John Ambulance.  When you get invested, you're told that...many don't read that fine print.  My CV has my professional designation and CD with my SB St J in brackets, and even then, depending what I'm using it for, I leave it off and just make reference to it in the fluff section.  Even though I'm entitled to it, my CD isn't even listed on my office business/appointment cards.

George, not meaning to sound TOO pedantic, but Dr isn't a post nominal, it's a title...the MD or MB/ChB or PhD are the post nominals (after name)  .

:2c:

MM

 

[Journeyman]

I'm an SB .....

Hmmmm......I always thought that was abbreviated "SOB." 

 

[medicineman]

Hmmmm......I always thought that was abbreviated "SOB." 

So you've seen my other CV then ?  ;D

MM

 

[Gorgo]

My suggestion would be to use the phrase "...and Bar" like they do with medals in Britain, i.e. "CD and Bar" or "CD and Two Bars."

Just my  :2c:

 

[slayer/raptor]

There are a lot of post-nominals that should be just for a particular situation.

Like rmc, is an official post-nominal if you graduated the four-pillars under the ROTP.  But you don't see many Officers in the CAF writing rmc after their name.

 

[Pusser]

My suggestion would be to use the phrase "...and Bar" like they do with medals in Britain, i.e. "CD and Bar" or "CD and Two Bars."

Just my  :2c:

Although you often see this in books or other sources (usually where it's important to indicate subsequent awards), it's still not correct in the strictest sense - even in Britain.

 

[Gorgo]

Although you often see this in books or other sources (usually where it's important to indicate subsequent awards), it's still not correct in the strictest sense - even in Britain.

I honestly didn't know that, Pusser.  Do they just use the basic post-nominals, i.e. "CD"?

 

[eliminator]

It seems to vary from country to country. Here's an example regarding the Australian Conspicious Service Cross:

Recipients have the post-nominals of CSC. Those awarded a bar or bars may also use ‘and Bar’ or ‘and Bars’ after their name.

https://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/awards/medals/conspicuous_service_cross.cfm

 

[Calvillo]

Hello,

Is it appropriate to use a post-nominal from a private organization in a military setting? I know someone who puts his civilian, private certification on his name. The organization is not even located in Canada and I know that he got that certification on his civilian job. Example is below.

Lt(N)/Ltv John Doe, CD, PMP
Executive Officer, HMCS Whatever