In the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), 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 re ...

, a

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

is placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle when the need for the regiment's existence is no longer relevant. When placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle, a regiment is considered "virtually disbanded", and is re-formed only when the

Department of National Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

deems the unit is required again. The Supplementary Order of Battle was instituted as an alternative to outright disbandment during the army rationalizations of the 1960s. If a regiment is re-manned and moved from the Supplementary Order of Battle, it takes its old place in the order of precedence and its colours, traditions and battle honours remain as if there had been no interruption of service. In the aftermath of the

Somalia Affair The Somalia affair was a 1993 Canadian military scandal, prompted by the beating to death of Shidane Arone, a Somali teenager, at the hands of two Canadian peacekeepers participating in humanitarian efforts in Somalia. The act was documented by ...

in 1993, the Canadian Airborne Regiment was completely disbanded and not placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle. Two regiments have been removed from the Supplementary Order of Battle by amalgamating them with existing Primary Reserve units: the Irish Fusiliers of Canada (The Vancouver Regiment), on the order since 1965, was merged into the

British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) is a Primary Reserve armoured reconnaissance (recce) regiment of the Canadian Army; the regiment is subordinate to 39 Canadian Brigade Group of the 3rd Canadian Division. Established in 1883, ...

in 2002. The

19th Alberta Dragoons The 19th Alberta Dragoons was a cavalry regiment and later an Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, armoured regiment of the Canadian Militia and later the Canadian Army. It was placed on the Supplementary Order of Battle in 1965. In 2006, it was taken ...

, also on the order since 1965, was merged into the

South Alberta Light Horse The South Alberta Light Horse (SALH) is a Canadian Army armoured reconnaissance regiment of the Canadian Army Reserve. It traces its complicated lineage to the Rocky Mountain Rangers, and claims its direct ancestry to the 15th Light Horse, along ...

in 2006. On September 5, 2008, Canadian Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced that The Halifax Rifles (RCAC) would be reorganized as an active unit. The Halifax Rifles are the first, and so far only, regiment to rejoin the Primary Reserve from the Supplementary Order of Battle.

Regiments on the Supplementary Order of Battle

Royal Canadian Armoured Corps The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (RCAC; ) is the armoured corps within the Canadian Army, including 3 Regular and 18 Reserve Force regiments,The Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army (Queen's Printer, 1964) as well as the Royal Canadian Armo ...

Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery

Royal Canadian Infantry Corps

Notes

References