The Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force will sail and fly again. Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced Tuesday the government was restoring the historic names of these two branches of its military, after years of pressure from veterans and monarchists.
"Restoring these historic identities is 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," said MacKay. The minister pointed to battles won in the First and Second World Wars, and Korea, and the Canadian military's contributions to the deterrence and defence of Europe and North American from the early days of the Cold War.
The decision reverses a 1968 amendment by the government of the day that created a unified armed forces with several branches officially called Maritime Command (navy), Air Command (air force) and Land Force Command (army), which will be called the Canadian Army henceforth. As a member of the Commonwealth, Canada's official head of state and commander in chief is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who is represented by a governor general. All three branches of the Canadian military will continue to operate under one unified command, the government added.
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