Canadian Special Operations Forces Command
Encyclopedia
Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) (French
: Commandement des Forces d'opérations spéciales du Canada; COMFOSCAN), is a command of the Canadian Forces
. It is responsible for all special forces operations that are capable of responding to terrorism and threats to Canadians and Canadian interests around the world.
CANSOFCOM is capable of operating as an independent formation but its primary focus is to generate Special Operations Forces (SOF) elements to support Canada Command
(Canada COM) and the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command
(CEFCOM). Integrating special operations forces in this manner increases their impact in operations, as well as the range of options available to the government in the deployment of the Canadian Forces.
as commander of the Canadian special operations task force in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Colonel
Delia Salnave, CD- Commander of the Canadian Special Forces Command from its formation to June 2007
Brigadier-General D. Michael Day, CD
- Commander of the Canadian Special Forces Command 2007-2011
Brigadier-General D.W. Thompson, OMM
, MSC
, CD
is the current commander of the Canadian Special Forces Command. He was appointed as Commander of Canadian Special Operations Command in April 2011.
The current Chief Warrant Officer of the command is CWO John H. Graham, MSM
, CD
.
, regardless of their environment (sea, land or air) with their former branch/unit cap badges.
Canadian French
Canadian French is an umbrella term referring to the varieties of French spoken in Canada. French is the mother tongue of nearly seven million Canadians, a figure constituting roughly 22% of the national population. At the federal level it has co-official status alongside English...
: Commandement des Forces d'opérations spéciales du Canada; COMFOSCAN), is a command of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. It is responsible for all special forces operations that are capable of responding to terrorism and threats to Canadians and Canadian interests around the world.
Composition
CANSOFCOM is composed of:- Joint Task Force 2Joint Task Force 2Joint Task Force 2 is an elite Special Operations Force of the Canadian Armed Forces primarily tasked with counter-terrorism operations...
(JTF2) - Dwyer Hill Training Centre, Ottawa - Canadian Special Operations RegimentCanadian Special Operations RegimentThe Canadian Special Operations Regiment is a battalion-sized, high-readiness special operations unit part of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command...
(CSOR) - CFB Petawawa - 427 Special Operations Aviation Squadron (427 SOAS) - CFB Petawawa
- Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit (CJIRU) - CFB Kingston and Trenton
- Task Force Arrowhead
CANSOFCOM is capable of operating as an independent formation but its primary focus is to generate Special Operations Forces (SOF) elements to support Canada Command
Canada Command
Canada Command is one of the seven commands of the Canadian Forces. Stood up on February 1, 2006, it is responsible for all domestic operations and national security missions; as an operational command, it works closely with the environment commands Canada Command (CANADACOM) (in French :...
(Canada COM) and the Canadian Expeditionary Force Command
Canadian Expeditionary Force Command
Canadian Expeditionary Force Command is an operational element of the Canadian Forces for operations outside of Canada....
(CEFCOM). Integrating special operations forces in this manner increases their impact in operations, as well as the range of options available to the government in the deployment of the Canadian Forces.
Core Tasks
CANSOFCOM core tasks are as follows: to provide the Canadian Forces with a capacity to prevent and react to terrorism in all environments, to provide the CF with a capability to perform other missions as directed by the Government of Canada, such as direct action (DA), special reconnaissance (SR), defence diplomacy and military assistance (DDMA), as well as special humanitarian assistance (such as the evacuation of non-combatants).Commanding officers
On September 12, 2005, Colonel David Barr was appointed the provisional commander of the CANSOFCOM. During his tenure as commander, Colonel Barr also deployed to AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
as commander of the Canadian special operations task force in Operation Enduring Freedom.
Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Delia Salnave, CD- Commander of the Canadian Special Forces Command from its formation to June 2007
Brigadier-General D. Michael Day, CD
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
- Commander of the Canadian Special Forces Command 2007-2011
Brigadier-General D.W. Thompson, OMM
Order of Military Merit
Order of Military Merit may refer to:* Order of Military Merit , National Order "For Military Merit"* Order of Military Merit * German States:** Military Merit Order ** Military Merit Order...
, MSC
Meritorious Service Cross
The Meritorious Service Cross is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council...
, CD
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
is the current commander of the Canadian Special Forces Command. He was appointed as Commander of Canadian Special Operations Command in April 2011.
The current Chief Warrant Officer of the command is CWO John H. Graham, MSM
Meritorious Service Medal (Canada)
The Meritorious Service Medal is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, one of the two Meritorious Service Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, generally through his or her viceroy-in-Council...
, CD
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
.
Uniform
All members of CANSOFCOM wear the tan beretTan beret
The tan beret has been adopted as official headdress by several special operations forces as a symbol of their unique capabilities.-British Army:...
, regardless of their environment (sea, land or air) with their former branch/unit cap badges.
See also
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
- Canada CommandCanada CommandCanada Command is one of the seven commands of the Canadian Forces. Stood up on February 1, 2006, it is responsible for all domestic operations and national security missions; as an operational command, it works closely with the environment commands Canada Command (CANADACOM) (in French :...
- Canadian Expeditionary Force CommandCanadian Expeditionary Force CommandCanadian Expeditionary Force Command is an operational element of the Canadian Forces for operations outside of Canada....
- Canadian Operational Support CommandCanadian Operational Support CommandThe Canadian Operational Support Command is one of seven commands of the Canadian Forces...
- Canadian Army
- Royal Canadian NavyRoyal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
- Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
- United States Special Operations CommandUnited States Special Operations CommandThe United States Special Operations Command is the Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Commands of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps of the United States Armed Forces. The command is part of the Department of Defense...
- United Kingdom Special ForcesUnited Kingdom Special ForcesThe United Kingdom Special Forces is a UK Ministry of Defence Directorate which also has the capability to provide a Joint Special Operations Task Force Headquarters...
External links
- Official CANSOFCOM Webpage.
- "New Canadian Forces Operational Commands Take Charge of Domestic, Special and International Operations," DND News Release, January 31, 2006
- "Special Operations Group (SOG) Canadian Forces Transformation – From Vision to Mission," Final Backgrounder from the Chief of the Defence Staff, September 13, 2005
- The Standing Committee on National Security and Defence Evidence, November 20, 2006