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NCM rank changes

onecat

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The CF has gone though a lot of rank placement changes in the last 20's first mid sleeve placement, then slip on rank and then back again..and now with CADPAT chest slip ons.  Can any one who has gone though the changes know why it was done?  Okay maybe a loaded question as the CF has many unexplained events. ;D
 
In the early '80s we moved the ranks off the sleeves for Operational reasons.  Officers were easily identifiable in the 'Field' by the placement of their rank on their epaulets.  To keep the Enemy from picking out the officers and targeting them, we moved all our rank up to our shoulders.  It lasted for a year or two, but due to the confussion, even amongst ourselves (People were now saluting Cpls), we moved our ranks back to their original locations.  Today, due to the fact that our webbing and Tac Vests usually hid Officer slipons, we have adopted a universal location on the front (like we did with our Arctic Parkas) to display our rank.  2 CMBG standardized its slipon placement on the Tac Vest as on the upper, front left shoulder blade.  In this way all our rank is found in one common location and harder for a sniper to differentiate between officers and NCMs.  Unfortunately, from the rear we don't know who a person may be (and we will not likely see any rank placed there as the buttons would be very painful when wearing a ruck).

As an aside, Canada is not the only country to locate it's ranks on the front.
 
    I know that some Regiments, such as mine, the Ontario Regiment(RCAC) have adopted the practise of the slip-on being worn over the bayonet scabbard.  Other units have it on the left shoulder strap as detailed in the last post.  Too bad that a standard was not adopted as soon as someone in procurement realized that there was no place to put the darned thing(slip-on). 
 
Or if the bayonet is worn, as directed by some units, on the side of the TV?

By the way George, the explanation I received for the move of rank from the sleeve to the shoulder slip-on during the '80s was one of cost. The cost of tailoring for the rank and the cost of exchanging damaged shirts which had the rank cut off when rank changed (up or down). Never saw anything about keeping the enemy from picking off the officers. especially since all that was required for that was to take the slipons off while in the field (then the snipers would concentrate on the Sgts and WOs as the only ones with visible rank).
 
Acorn said:
Or if the bayonet is worn, as directed by some units, on the side of the TV?

By the way George, the explanation I received for the move of rank from the sleeve to the shoulder slip-on during the '80s was one of cost. The cost of tailoring for the rank and the cost of exchanging damaged shirts which had the rank cut off when rank changed (up or down). Never saw anything about keeping the enemy from picking off the officers. especially since all that was required for that was to take the slipons off while in the field (then the snipers would concentrate on the Sgts and WOs as the only ones with visible rank).

Not to mention that a private getting a shirt after it was worn by a CWO usually noticed a huge dark green unfaded spot on his shirt; looked ratty, and could be a hazard in the field with active snipers.
 
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