CANADIAN MILITARY ETHOS

Canadian Military Ethos

We believe in Canada as a strong and free nation, and accept that the ultimate reason for the existence of the Canadian Armed Forces is the preservation of secure justice and peace for Canada. We believe that this can best be attained through the development and maintenance of a professional military force.

We believe that this profession of arms, an integral part of Canadian Society, forms a distinct sub-set of the entire Canadian fabric. We are a group who have been charged with a unique mandate: to serve our country through the maintenance of its security and defence of its sovereignty; if necessary, by the application of military force.

We accept that the authority to apply such power requires that our profession be properly structured, with adherence to a clearly defined chain of command and obedience to a code of conduct, in our case, the Code of Service Discipline.

We believe that the military society is a good society embodying those moral virtues, which affect our relations with our comrades in arms and our own selves, of: prudence, justice, patriotism, obedience, veracity and patience. We believe that these values, derived from a traditional code of ethics, fit into and form part of those of contemporary Canadian Society.

We accept that it is essential for all members to clearly display loyalty, first to the country then to the group, and finally to each member of the chain of command, both senior and junior to them before taking thought for themselves.

We accept that teamwork is essential to the survival and success of the military unit and therefore accept the necessity of continuous cycles of training and practice. This ensures not only that the group functions as a disciplined and professional entity, but also that individual members are trained to perform well, both in their assigned role and as members of the team, and that their potential for development as future leaders is recognized and nurtured.

We accept that in volunteering to serve our country we must endure the restructuring of certain freedoms including some rights provided by democratic process.

We accept these responsibilities in memory of those comrades who died in the service of their country and must ensure that their memory and ideals are not forgotten.