Badge of The Cadet Instructors Cadre - History

History

The first authority for cadet instructors to hold rank in the Militia was established by Special General Order Dec. 21, 1903. The appointment was 2nd Lieutenant and the officer was permitted to retain the rank only as long as he remained an instructor and the cadet corps remained efficient.

On May 1, 1909 a cadre of commissioned officers, as a Corps of School Cadet Instructors was established. It was composed of qualified male school teachers. On May 1, 1921 the Corps was disbanded and reorganized on Jan 1, 1924 and designated the Cadet Services of Canada. It was a component of the Canadian Army Non-Permanent Active Militia and the forerunner of the current Cadet Instructor Cadre.

Initially, Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps were administered by civilians wearing Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) uniforms, differentiated by a small anchor in place of the executive curl. After 1951 RCN Reserve Officers joined the "warranted" Sea Cadet Officers until 1968 when Sea Cadet Officers became part of the Cadet Instructors List with the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces.

Air cadet officers were initially civilians who were granted "warrants" from the Air Cadet League of Canada. Their uniforms were the same as those of the cadets except RCAF-style officer and warrant officer rank insignia were worn. Beginning in 1943, the Royal Canadian Air Force began granting King's Commissions in the "Air Cadet Corps", a special reserve component of the RCAF responsible for the Royal Canadian Air Cadet program. They wore uniforms identical to all other members of the RCAF with the exception of badges, composed of the letters ACC, worn on the shoulders and lapels. The League-commissioned officers and warrant officers and RCAF-commissioned officers co-existed until approx 1946 when the former were phased out. With the unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, the officer cadre underwent a period of reorganization. It reappeared as the tri-service Cadet Instructors List at the National Defense Headquarters. In July 1994 it was renamed Cadet Instructor Cadre.

On June 2, 2009 the CIC sub-component of the Canadian Forces Reserve was renamed the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS). The other sub-components are the Primary Reserve, Supplementary Reserve, and Canadian Rangers). The Cadet Instructors Cadre is a CF Personnel Branch and a CF occupation within COATS and is the largest officer branch in the Canadian Forces.