History of the Cadet Instructors Cadre
The Cadet Instructors Cadre (CIC) was founded on May 1, 1909 when the Canadian Army establishment of a "Corps of School Cadet Instructors (Militia)." Previously, a Special General Order issued on December 21, 1903 had allowed qualified male school teachers be appointed as a Second Lieutenant, and to be permitted to hold the rank as long as they remained an instructor and the Army Cadet Corps remained efficient. The adult leadership for the Sea, Army and Air Cadet Organizations in Canada developed quite separately from each other until 1968, when cadet instructors were consolidated in a tri-service Cadet Instructors List as a result of the integration of the Canadian Forces. The Canadian Forces Cadet Instructors Cadre marked 100 years of service on May 1, 2009.
Before the existence of the Cadet Instructors Cadre
Sea Cadets
In 1902 the Navy League of Canada, whose main purpose was encouraging the development of the Canadian Navy, established the Boy's Naval Brigade. In the beginning, it directed the brigades itself, with its own resources, techniques and funding. Some of their members served as instructors until 1922, when the name of the program was changed to Navy League Sea Cadets. Unlike the adult leadership of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, the instructors of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets were volunteers. They wore a uniform similar to officers of the Royal Canadian Navy, but with an anchor device above the rank stripes rather than the wavy stripes of the Naval Reserve or the permanent force's executive curl. They did not receive any military training and did not hold a commission from the King. In 1941 the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets were established, and became associated with the Royal Canadian Navy. The Sea Cadets operated under the authority of the Department of National Defence from then, in co-operation with the Navy League of Canada. Sea Cadet officers were warranted while they served, rather than commissioned, as were the officers of the Cadet Services of Canada that led the Army Cadet program. Promotion was based on age and length of service. Sea Cadet officers were not members of the Canadian Forces until the Canadian Forces were integrated and they were taken into the Cadet Instructors List, with the exception that time as a warranted Sea Cadet officer was credited towards the Canadian Forces Decoration.
Army Cadets
The Army Cadet organization was created in 1879, when authorization was given to form Associations for Drill in Educational Institutions, for boys over 14 years of age. The Department of Militia provided the services of a professional instructor and the schools were required to appoint suitable teachers to lead the corps. In 1909, The Right Honourable Donald Alexander Smith, the Lord Strathcona, Canadian High Commissioner in Great Britain, became interested in the training of cadets in Canadian schools. He founded the Strathcona Foundation and played an important role in the development of the Army Cadet organization. One of the changes instituted was the authorization of the "Corps of School Cadet Instructors" on May 1, 1909. The Corps was disbanded and reorganized on May 1, 1921, and on January 1, 1924 it was re-designated the Cadet Services of Canada (Non-Permanent). This corps of instructors was the fifth component of the Canadian Army and, under the National Defence Act, its members were part of the reserves. In 1928, it was defined as follows, "Corps of the Non-Permanent Active Militia, consisting of male school teachers". Training of an officer of the Cadet Services of Canada, compulsory for promotion, was thus similar to that of other Non-Permanent Active Militia officers. The situation remained about the same until the end of the 1960s; Army Cadet officers received training as "Cadet Instructors" and as "Cadet Chief Instructors". In addition to school teachers, members of the Cadet Services of Canada came from many different backgrounds, including former members of the Canadian military, many of whom were veterans of World War II and the Korean War.
Air Cadets
It was not until the start of World War II that the Air Cadet organization was created. The Air Cadet League of Canada was founded in 1940, followed in 1941 by the first Air Cadet units. All commissioned officers of the Air Cadets and all warrant officers were adults enrolled in the league. These men were volunteers, but the local committee was allowed to pay them. They wore uniforms very similar to those of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Contrary to the RCAF officers, who held a commission from the King, the Air Cadet officers held a commission from the Air Cadet League of Canada, which also granted promotions. As these officers were not members of the RCAF they did not wear the standard RCAF emblems, but wore the collar badges and shoulder flashes of the Air cadets. It was not until 1943 that the RCAF commissioned officers specifically for the air cadet program (known as the ‘Air Cadets Corps’) and provided a more proper training regime for these officers. They wore the standard RCAF uniform and RCAF badges but wore shoulder flashes that stated ‘A.C.C.’ The officers of the A.C.C. were individuals were ineligible to serve in an active duty overseas due to age or other restrictions.
Creation of the Cadet Instructor Cadre
On February 1, 1968, the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Army were unified into a single entity called the Canadian Armed Forces. Unification caused warranted Sea Cadet officers and Air Reserve Air Cadet Officers to be brought together with the Cadet Services of Canada into a single Cadet Instructor List (CIL). The officers, who were now responsible for all Canadian Cadets, had a single structure and were all enrolled as members of the Canadian Forces Reserve Force with the primary role of administering and supervising the Cadet Organizations. Members of the Cadet Instructors List sub-component were commissioned as officers in the Canadian Forces. The name was changed to Cadet Instructor Cadre (CIC) in 1994, to provide a bilingual branch identifier.
Transition and upheaval in the Canadian Forces
The integration of the Canadian Forces in 1968 brought confusion and upheaval to the Reserve Force. From 1968 until the mid-1970s, Cadet Instructors were caught in a transitory environment. While it was not long before the country's military was wearing the new green uniform of the Canadian Forces, Cadet Instructor List officers, along with all members of the CF Reserve, continued to wear their former service uniform or acquire the Canadian Forces green uniform from surplus. In an environment where appearance and uniformity are of primary importance, dress was less than "uniform"; If narrow trousers were the fashion of the day, they might ask the tailor to make narrow trousers. If they were unable to find black shoes, brown shoes would have to do instead. It was not until 1975, more than seven years after unification, that reserve members of the forces were issued the new rifle green CF uniform.
Sea Cadets wore the new badge of the Naval Operations branch, while Air Cadet officers wore either the previous Royal Canadian Air Force (Officers') hat badge or the new Air Operations branch badge. Many Army Cadet officers wore the badge of the former Cadet Services of Canada or the army unit with which their Cadet Corps was affiliated. A new Cadet Instructors List cap badge was created in 1977. Officially issued as a tri-service style hat badge, it was later unofficially restyled to be element specific (sea, land or air). While it was generally worn it was never officially adopted.
Formal training for cadet officers fell by the wayside during this period as well, leading to an ad hoc series of courses that were not compulsory. Until a new training regime was instituted, it was relatively easy to get be promoted. As was the policy for all reserve force members, former cadets and university graduates could, for example, be enrolled and promoted to the rank of second lieutenant (2Lt). A former ranking cadet and graduate of an advanced 6 week cadet course could be commissioned as a Lieutenant (Lt). Occasionally, because of lack of personnel, an Officer-Cadet about to become a commanding officer would be promoted to acting Captain. After one year, his rank would become substantive. Lack of resources undermined the credibility of Cadet Instructor Officers for several years. Today CIC Officers are accepted and recognized for their unique and special role in the Canadian Forces.
Changing Society and the Cadet Organization
While school teachers and veterans had been the dominant source of cadet instructors for several years, the veterans of the Second World War and the Korean War were reaching retirement age, leaving teachers amongst the largest group of instructors. Employment at summer training was particularly attractive since teachers were free during the school break. Post-secondary training was increasing in society and former cadets were attracted to the reserve force as a means to help pay for their studies. The Royal Canadian Sea, Army, and Air Cadets was not open to girls until 1975 although the Navy League sponsored Wrenettes, the Air Cadet League sponsored Air Cadettes, and there were a few girls in school Army Cadet corps. Many of the first women officers came from the former League-sponsored Wrenettes and Air Cadettes. Others came from the general population including parents of cadets. As was the practice of the day, they were often assigned to unit administration. Today girl cadets and adult female officers perform all duties and occupy all leadership positions in the program.
Training and promotion
Before the creation of the CIC, Cadet Service of Canada Officers that led Army Cadets were trained through a seven-week modified Reserve Force Infantry Officers Course during July and August. Air Cadet Squadron Officers had a similar training system. With integration, those programs ceased. In 1969, the Army Cadet program that was accustomed to sending new entries for training, established an internal training program. They conducted two-week summer courses at the Citadelle in Quebec City, for groups of officers from the three elements. A school for Cadet Instructors was established in Eastern Region in 1971. From 1972 on, CIL officers were required to take courses at what was first called the Cadet Instructor School, and later became the RCIS (Regional Cadet Instructor School). Passing these courses was not yet a prerequisite for promotion. During the first few years, officers of all ranks were taking part in the basic courses. Following the example of Eastern Region, other regions opened schools during the mid-1970s and, in 1976, Ottawa finally gave them official blessing by providing training programs and standards to meet. Since then, taking courses has been required for promotion. Former Officers of the Regular Force or Primary Reserve who component transfer to the Cadet Organization and Training Service maintain their commission and Non Commissioned Members may retain their rank or choose to be commissioned into the CIC Branch. Sergeants/Petty Officers Second Class are commissioned as Second Lieutenants/Acting Sub Lieutenants, former Warrant Officers/Petty Officers First Class are commissioned as Lieutenants/Sub Lieutenants and former Master Warrant Officers/Chief Petty Officers Second Class and Chief Warrant Officers/Chief Petty Officers First Class are commissioned as Captains/Lieutenants (Navy).
CIC Branch
In 1987, a Cadet Instructor Branch Advisory Committee (then known as Cadet Instructors List) was officially created, providing representation in Ottawa for CIC officers. CFAO 2-10 states as follows: "Personnel branches were created to enable members of the Canadian Forces in related occupations to identify with each other in cohesive professional groups. These groups are based on similarity of military roles, customs and traditions".
From 2000-2002, a job analysis was performed by the Directorate of Cadets to better understand the duties and responsibilities of CIC Officers. This led to the design and development of a new course structure where training is for the position, rather than for promotion. The course content is more relevant to the role of CIC officers in the 21st century, including topics such as adolescent development, ethics and advanced instructional techniques, resulting in a more robust and up-to-date training program. The first course, the CIC Basic Officer Training Course (BOTC) was launched in 2009. It mirrors the relative parts of all Basic Officer Training to introduce new members of the CF to the military ethos. Other courses will be introduced progressively over time.
In 2015, the CIC was directed to wear element specific uniform identifiers rather than the unofficial tri-service style branch badge. All officers of the Branch now wear the original Tri-Service CIC accoutrements.