Henceforth, the army, navy and air force will be known as the 'Royal Canadian Air Force,' 'Royal Canadian Navy' and 'Canadian Army,' titles which were discontinued by the federal government in 1968.
The change was announced in Halifax this week by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who called the decision, "an important way of reconnecting today's men and women in uniform with the proud history and traditions they carry with them as members of the Canadian Forces."
Spokesman Lt. Trevor Reid said despite the change, it will be business-as-usual at CFB Comox in the short-term.
"As things go down the road, there will be committees set up to look into how this change will be implemented, in terms of new buttons, new badges, things like that," Reid said. "But for the immediate term right now, there's not going to be a whole lot that's going on with 19 Wing here."
Reid said it was possible that a new display at the base's front gate could be considered as a change to reflect the new designation of 'Royal Canadian Air Force.'
However, Reid said he was not in a position to announce any specific changes at this time.
Vancouver Island North MP John Duncan also threw his support behind the change.
"I am very proud that our government has restored this important link between our serving military members and the veterans who served in defence of Canada so courageously in the past," said Duncan in a statement. "Through today's announcement, we are celebrating the rich history, the incredible dedication, and the selfless sacrifice of Canadian Forces members past and present."
Comox Valley veterans at 888 Wing of the Canadian Air Force Association were celebrating the change this week at their headquarters on Military Row.
Many enlisted in the Canadian Forces in the mid '40s and '50s, and still remember the resentment many in the military felt when the 'Royal' reference was dropped from the air force and navy.
"I thought it was the stupidest thing that ever happened in the world," said Bruce Inrig, a retired flight lieutenant with 22 years of service under his belt. "I'm tickled to death," he said in response to the switch back to 'Royal' status, "if we can get this association back to its original [title] of RCAF association."
Former 19 Wing commander Ted Gibbon recalled the mood among his colleagues in the navy and air force at the time of the change.
"You really had to be there to experience how bad the morale was, and how it affected people's performance and their attitudes and whatnot," said Gibbon, who, like his father, served in the Royal Canadian Navy. "And it was a long, long recovery period to get everyone on the same page and start working together again."
While the servicemen and servicewomen eventually got past the initial shock, Gibbon said the decision caused deep wounds within the military.
"There was always that underlying feeling that we were a little bit more than just Texaco gas pumpers [in] green suits," he said.
Gibbon said current and younger members of the military may not fully appreciate the significance of the change right away, but predicted that in time, they would.
"To be the Royal Canadian Navy or the Royal Canadian Air Force is important," he said. "And you can't say 'air command' and [or] 'maritime command' and have that kind of gut feeling that you really belong to something important."
Retired master warrant officer Gus Baudais joined the RCAF in 1942, initially serving as an engine mechanic. He stayed in the Forces for 32 years, and applauded the name change.
"Excellent, excellent," he said. "Now if we could get all the ranks back to where they were ." he added.
Source: http://www.canada.com
No comments:
Post a Comment