Colonel (Col; french: colonel, col) is a
Canadian Forces rank used by
commissioned officers in the
Canadian Army
The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...
and
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
.
Captain(N) is the equivalent rank in the
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack subma ...
. A colonel is senior to the army and air force rank of
lieutenant-colonel
Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colo ...
or the naval rank of
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
, and junior to the army and air force rank of
brigadier-general
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...
or the naval rank of
commodore.
Insignia
Before unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, rank structure and insignia followed the British pattern.
File:Cdn-Army-Col(OF-5)-2014.svg, Dress uniform tunic
Image:6 COL DEU(SHIRT).png, Uniform shirts
File:CA-Army-OF5.gif, Olive green uniform (old insignia)
Image:CADPAT temperate Col.png, CADPAT uniform (old insignia)
Image:CADPAT arid Col.png, Arid-region CADPAT uniform (old insignia)
File:CDN-Air Force-Colonel (OF5)-2015.svg, Dress uniform tunic
Image:Air Force slip-on Col.png, Uniform shirts (old insignia)
Image:Air Force olive Col.png, CADPAT uniform
Appointments
Typical appointments for colonels include:
*
Base commander
The base commander is the officer assigned to command a military base. In the United States armed forces, a base commander is generally at least an O-6 grade officer, which means colonel (Army, Air Force, Marines) or captain (Navy, Coast Guard
...
(BComd)
*
Wing commander (Wg Comd)
*
Commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
of a school or training establishment, such as commandant of the
Canadian Army Command and Staff College
The Canadian Army Command and Staff College (CACSC), formerly the Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College, is a school for officers of the Canadian Forces, specializing in staff and army operations courses. It is located at Fort Frontenac, ...
, or commander of
Combat Training Centre Gagetown
* Commander of a
brigade group
*
Branch advisor
*
Military attaché to foreign nations
The rank insignia for air force uniform is four stripes, worn on the cuffs of the service dress jacket, and on
slip-ons on other uniforms. The insignia for army uniform is two stars and a crown. The insignia worn on the headdress for an army colonel is the crest of the
Canadian coat of arms: a crowned gold lion with a maple leaf in its paw standing on a red-and-white wreath, all beneath the royal crown; the collar insignia is two crossed sabres. Some colonels, by nature of holding a specific appointment, may continue to wear the insignia of their
personnel branch or regiment; for example, the
honorary colonel of an infantry regiment. Air force colonels wear the badge of their personnel branch (most often the
Air Operations Branch) on their headdress.
Colonels are addressed by rank and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am".
Honorary ranks and appointments
There are also several honorary ranks and appointments associated with the rank of colonel, or containing the word "colonel" in their title.
*
Colonel-in-chief
*
Colonel of the regiment
* Honorary colonel
*
Colonel commandant
Personnel holding these honorary ranks are not part of the military operational
chain of command. Rather, they serve in a ceremonial manner, often as a guest of honour at parades, mess dinners, or at other military traditions such as during
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day owing to the tradition of wearing a remembrance poppy) is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to honour armed forces members who have died in ...
. Usually, honorary ranks are filled by people who have had a prior association with the battalion, regiment, or squadron they represent.
Princess Patricia of Connaught
Lady Victoria Patricia Helena Elizabeth Ramsay, (born Princess Patricia of Connaught; 17 March 1886 – 12 January 1974) was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Upon her marriage to Alexander Ramsay, she relinquished her title of a British pri ...
was the colonel-in-chief of
Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, one of the most decorated infantry regiments in the Canadian Forces (CF). An honorary colonel of a CF flying or air maintenance squadron may be a past commanding officer of that squadron (who has since retired from active duty), or an air ace during the war.
References
{{Canadian officer ranks
Military insignia
Military ranks of Canada