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Glossary
Adjutant
Officer charged with executing administrative tasks within a unit – normally a regiment – and with transmitting the orders of a commanding officer.
Afghanistan
Country where about 2500 members of the Canadian Forces are currently serving as part of Joint Task Force Afghanistan. They play a key role in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force mission whose goal is to improve the security situation in Afghanistan and assist in rebuilding the country.
Air Command
Or AIRCOM, The formation having responsibility for aviation assets of the Canadian Forces.
Air Defence
A series of measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of a hostile air action.
Battalion
An army unit comprising, under the orders of a commanding officer, a basic command and services sub-unit and several companies.
BMQ
Acronym for the "Basic Military Qualification", the recruit basic training course.
Brigade
Military formation of several units, commanded by a brigadier, usually consisting of three battalions and forming part of a division.
Calibre
In military language, the size of the interior of a firearm’s barrel or the size of its projectile.
Camouflage
The use of natural or artificial materials on persons, objects or tactical positions to disorient or deceive the enemy or for the purpose of concealment.
Canadian Rangers
Militia serving sparsely populated coastal areas and the far North, consisting mainly of Inuit and native Canadians living in these areas.
CF
Acronym for "Canadian Forces"
CFB
Acronym for "Canadian Forces Base"
Combat Arms
A team that includes Armour, Artillery, Infantry, and Engineers.
Company
Basic tactical unit existing since the Middle Ages, commanded by a captain or major.
Counter-terrorism
A series of offensive measures aimed at neutralising terrorism, either before or after the commission of hostile acts.
D-Day
June 6 1944, the Battle of Normandy was one of Canada's most significant military engagements, which led to the end of the Second World War.
Defensive Coastal Area
A part of a coastal area and of the air, land, and water area adjacent to the coast line within which defence operations may involve land, sea, and air forces.
Demilitarized Zone
A defined area in which the stationing or concentrating of military forces, or the retention or establishment of military installations of any description is prohibited.
Deployment
The movement of forces within operational areas.
Environment
Designates either the Navy, the Army or the Air Force.
Exercise
A military maneuver or simulated wartime operation involving planning, preparation, and execution.
Fire control
Preparation for the delivery of shellfire on a target.
Firing Unit
The smallest artillery or mortar organization, consisting of one or more weapon systems, capable of being employed to execute a fire mission.
Frigate
A medium-sized warship, of moderate or high speed, with primary mission of escort and independent deployment; for example, HMCS Halifax.
General
Highest ranking officer in the Army and the Air Force.
Guerrilla
Combat activity conducted in principle in enemy-held territory by predominantly indigenous military or paramilitary forces.
Gunner
Generic term for all artillerymen but, specifically, gunner is the basic rank in an artillery unit.
Halt
In artillery, an order following which all activity on the position immediately ceases.
HMCS
Her Majesty's Canadian Ship, precedes a warship's name.
Howitzer
Field artillery piece capable of firing at angles greater than 45 degrees and fires a heavier expolsive shell than a cannon, although it has a lower muzzle velocity and shorter range.
Humanitarian aid
Assistance such as food or medical supplies
Hypersonic
Whatever has or is associated with a speed equal to or superior to five times the speed of sound.
Imagery
Collectively, the representations of objects reproduced electronically or by optical means on film, electronic display devices, or other media.
Intelligence
Information and knowledge about an adversary obtained through observation, investigation, analysis, or understanding.
JAG
Acronym for "Judge Advocate General", the senior legal officer in the Canadian Forces.
Joint Task Force 2
Or JTF 2, is a Canadian Special Operations unit responsible for federal counter-terrorism.
JTF 2
Acronym for "Joint Task Force Two", which was created in 1993 when the Canadian Forces assumed responsibility for federal anti-terrorist operations.
Kandahar
Kandahar, where a Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team is active, is the Afghan province in greatest need for support and also the Province most targeted by insurgent activities.
LAV
Acronym for "Light armoured vehicle".
Logistics
The aspects of military operations which deal with: design and development, acquisition, storage, movement, distribution, maintenance, evacuation and disposal of materiel; transport of personnel; acquisition or construction, maintenance, operation, and disposition of facilities; and, acquisition or furnishing of services.
Military Strategy
Component of national or multi-national strategy that deals with the way military power should be developed and applied to achieve national objectives or those of a group of nations.
Mine countermeasures
Activities to clear vital waterways from mines.
Missile
Self-propelled weapon directed by remote or automatic control.
Mission
An operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters.
NATO
Acronym for North Atlantic Treaty Organization, of which Canada is a member.
NCM
Acronym for "Non-Commissioned Member". NCMs start out as recruits and are then trained to do specific occupations in the CF. Some are trained as technicians to keep the equipment repaired; some are operators that use specific and complicated electrical and mechanical equipment; and some are users of general equipment.
NORAD
North American Air Defence Command.
Ocdt
Short for "Officer Cadet"
Officer
The Officer is a leader. From the first day, officers are trained to be responsible for a group of people. They oversee the sailors, soldiers or air personnel in the conduct of their activities - this could be on a base or on board a ship. The educational requirements to be eligible to apply as an officer are higher than those of the Non-Commissioned Member.
On-job training
Or OJT, means the individual training of a member that is designed and conducted within the member's parent unit in accordance with an approved training standard, and often under close supervision.
Operational Requirements
Identified requirements justifying the timely allocation of human or material resources in order to achieve approved military objectives or to successfully execute operations, missions or military actions.
Patrol
A detachment of ground, sea, or air forces sent out for the purpose of gathering information or carrying out a destructive, harassing, mopping-up, or security mission.
Peacekeeping
A peace support operation following an agreement or ceasefire that has established a permissive environment where the level of consent and compliance is high, and the threat of disruption is low. The use of force by peacekeepers is normally limited to self-defence.
Platoon
Part of an infantry company, three or four platoons making up a company. Usually commanded by a lieutenant and consisting of up to 35 men.
Port Security
Measures aimed at safeguarding vessels, harbours, ports, waterfront facilities and cargo from certain threats (destruction, loss, sabotage, subversive acts; accidents; thefts, etc).
Primary Reserve
The Primary Reserve is made up of the Naval Reserve, the Army Reserve, the Air Reserve, the Communication Reserve, the Health Services Reserve, and the National Defence Headquarters Primary Reserve List.
Protective clothing
Clothing especially designed, fabricated, or treated to protect personnel against hazards caused by extreme changes in physical environment, dangerous working conditions, or enemy action.
QR&O
Acronym for "Queen's Regulations and Orders": orders issued to amplify the National Defence Act.
Quarters
The accommodation used by troops in a garrison.
Ration
Individual Meal Pack (IMP) used in the field.
Reconnaissance
A mission undertaken to obtain, by visual observation or other detection methods, raw information about the activities and resources of an enemy or potential enemy, or to secure data concerning the meteorological, hydrographic, or geographic characteristics of a particular area.
Regular Force
Serving the Country Full-Time. Members of the Regular Force have adopted a way-of-life that offers exciting challenges, teaches new skills and provides unlimited career possibilities. When you join the Regular Force, you are signing on for several years of service. The length of the Variable Initial Engagement (VIE) varies from military occupation to occupation depending upon the needs of each occupation and the training time required for that occupation. The VIE ranges in length from three to nine years, not including subsidized training or education. If you continue your military career, this initial engagement can be followed by an Indefinite Period of Service or a Continuing Engagement.
RMC
Acronym for Royal Military College
Service number
A unique 9-digit number assigned to every service member, civilian employee, civilian instructor and staff cadet.
Sniper
A specialty of the Infantry Soldier occupation.
Special operations
Extraordinary and often secret operations performed by elite forces.
Tactics
The collective name for methods of winning a small-scale conflict.
Terms of service
Or TOS, an agreement between the Canadian Forces and individuals specifying the duration of service (the commitment).
Terrorism
The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against individuals or property in an attempt to coerce or intimidate governments or societies to achieve political, religious or ideological objectives.
Triage
The separation (following examination) of casualties for purposes of treatment and evacuation. It consists of the immediate sorting of patients according to type and seriousness of injury, and likelihood of survival, and the establishment of priorities for treatment and evacuation to assure medical care of the greatest benefit to the largest number.
UN
Acronym for "United Nations"
Unit identification code
Or UIC, a 4-digit number that identifies each unit in the Canadian Forces, including cadet units.
Vandoos
Nickname of the famous Royal 22e Régiment
Vehicle
A self-propelled, boosted, or towed conveyance for transporting a burden on land, sea or through air or space.
Veteran
A person who has served in the armed forces.
War Game
Simulation of a military operation, by whatever means, using specific rules, data, methods and procedures.
Warship
Any ship built or armed for naval combat.
Weapons
A generic term covering every variety of land, air and sea weapon since the start of history, from cutting weapons to chemical weapons and including firearms, all of which have existed in Canada.
Wild Weasel
An aircraft specially modified to identify, locate, and physically suppress or destroy ground-based enemy air defence systems that employ sensors radiating electromagnetic energy.
Wing
An Air Force base.
Xray
The letter "X" in the military alphabet.
X-Ray Technician
Former name of the Medical Radiation Technologist.
Zulu
The letter "Z" in the military alphabet, often used in the expression "Bravo Zulu", meaning "Job well done".
Zulu time
Greenwich Mean Time.
