The Canadian Forces Exchange System , or CANEX , is a commercial service of the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services . First established in 1968, it is tasked with supporting the Canadian Forces operational effectiveness, contributing to morale, esprit de corps and unit cohesion. CANEX operates merchandising operations (retail outlets) and provides CF members with Advantage Programs at CF bases, wings, and units throughout Canada . In Europe, similar facilities are operated in Germany for NATO .
9-489: Authorized patrons of CANEX facilities include: In 1967, the Defence Council approved the formation of CANEX and shortly thereafter, in 1968, CANEX commenced business. For the next 22 years, CANEX operated under local management, with policy direction emanating from National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ). In March 1990, CANEX was restructured as a line organization, operating as a field unit of ADM (HR-Mil) . In 1996,
18-982: The Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA) stood up, with CANEX as a division of CFPSA. In 2008, CFPSA became Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services (CFPFSS). Overall direction for CFPFSS and CANEX is provided by the Non-Public Property Board, which includes representatives from each of the CF commands. CANEX outlets include a combination of retail stores, grocery stores, and ExpressMarts (with or without gasoline sales). CANEX also operates snack bars, coffee shops (branded CANEX and Tim Hortons ), restaurants (branded CANEX, Pizza Pizza and Subway ), barber shops and vending operations. In addition, CANEX also has various concession agreements with independent businesspeople who supply supplementary services to
27-554: The Royal Canadian Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force . According to Canadian Forces Administrative Orders (CFAOs), "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." – CFAO 2-10 Branches are applicable to all members of
36-531: The CANEX earnings are used to fund capital investments such as building new stores or renovating existing facilities. Personnel branch Personnel branches , in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), are groupings of related military occupations. Personnel branches were officially established at unification in 1968 to amalgamate the old Canadian Army corps and similar occupational groupings in
45-684: The coordination of the Director – Military Human Resource Requirements (DMHRR) and the approval of the Chief of Military Personnel . Assignment of distinctive environmental uniform (i.e. "navy", "army", "air force" or "special operations") is a function of military occupation, not personnel branch. For example, within the Communications and Electronics Branch , all signal operators are uniformed army and all aerospace telecommunication and information systems technicians are designated as air force. On
54-604: The main recipients of CANEX proceeds; examples of these programs include skating, curling and swimming, as well as on-base Scouts and Guide programs, libraries, hobbyist activities and more. CANEX proceeds also help support military financial services offered under Personal Support Programs (PSP), such as low cost loans and grants to CF members and their families. These funds are further used to financially assist bases/wings/units through grants from Canadian Forces Central Fund for special projects, which are not subject to public funding. In addition to funding Morale and Welfare programs,
63-445: The military community. Examples of these special services include tailor shops, real estate offices, travel agents, credit unions and medical/dental offices to name a few. Proceeds from CANEX operations are distributed to base, wing and unit funds, to be used to finance a wide variety of social and recreational programs for the benefit of military personnel and their dependents. Physical fitness, sports and recreational programs are among
72-774: The other hand, within the Royal Canadian Logistics Service , supply technicians may be designated as any environment. Each Branch has its own branch advisor — normally a colonel or naval captain — to the Chief of the Defence Staff. Branches have carried forward many of the traditions inherited from their corps or service predecessors. They have authorized marches , differences in accessories and accoutrements for full dress and mess dress uniforms, branch-specific toasts, ceremonial commanders such as colonels-in-chief , etc. For example: The following
81-468: The rank of colonel / captain (N) and below; flag and general officers normally do not belong to branches. Exceptions to this rule are the judge advocate general (Legal Branch), the chaplain general (Royal Canadian Chaplain Service), and the surgeon general ( Royal Canadian Medical Service ). Military occupations for officers and non-commissioned members are grouped within a particular branch under
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