Personnel branch

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Personnel branch, in the Canadian Forces (CF), refers to a grouping of related military occupations.

Personnel branches were officially established at unification in 1968 to amalgamate the old Canadian Army Corps and similar occupational groupings in the Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force.

According to Canadian Forces Administrative Orders (CFAOs),

"Personnel Branches were created to enable members of the Canadian Forces in related occupations to identify with each other in cohesive professional groups. These groups are based on similarity of military roles, customs and traditions." –CFAO 2-10

Branches are applicable to all members of the rank of Colonel/Captain (N) and below; general officers normally do not belong to branches. Exceptions to this rule are the Judge Advocate General (Legal Branch), the Chaplain General (Chaplain Branch), and the Surgeon General (Canadian Forces Medical Services).

Military occupations for officers and non-commissioned members are grouped within a particular branch under the coordination of the Director - Military Human Resource Requirements (DMHRR) and the approval of the Assistant Deputy Minister (Human Resources - Military) (ADM(HR-Mil)).

Uniforms

Assignment of Distinct Environmental Uniform (i.e. "Navy", "Army", or "Air Force") is a function of military occupation, not personnel branch. For example, within the Communications and Electronics Branch, all Signal Operators are uniformed Army and all Aerospace Telecommunication & Information Systems Technician are designated as Air Force. On the other hand, within the Logistics Branch, Supply Technicians may be designated as any environment.

Branch Advisors

Each Branch has its own branch advisor — normally a Colonel or Naval Captain — to the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Branch traditions

Branches have carried forward many of the traditions inherited from their Corps or Service predecessors. They have authorized marches, differences in accessories and accoutrements for full dress and mess dress uniforms, branch-specific toasts, ceremonial commanders such as Colonels-in-Chief, etc. For example:

• The Armoured Branch retained the black beret and resurrected the name of the former Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
• Army Signals officers of the Communications and Electronics Branch are permitted to wear box spurs with Mess Dress, a tradition inherited from the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals.
• The Air Operations Branch uses the Royal Canadian Air Force March Past as its authorized march.
• The Naval Operations Branch inherited its cap badge system from the old Royal Canadian Navy: one badge for officers, one for Chiefs and Petty Officers, and another for Seamen.

Personnel branches in the CF

The following is a list of CF personnel branches:

• Air Operations Branch
• Band Branch
• Cadet Instructors Cadre
• Canadian Forces Medical Service
• Canadian Military Engineers
• Security Branch
• Chaplain Branch
• Communications and Electronics Branch
• Dental Branch
• Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Branch
• Intelligence Branch
• Legal Branch
• Logistics Branch
• Naval Operations Branch
• Personnel Selection Branch
• Public Affairs Branch
• Royal Canadian Armoured Corps
• Royal Canadian Infantry Corps
• Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (formerly Artillery Branch)
• Training Development Branch

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