Royal Canadian Army Cadets

Royal Canadian Army Cadets
Cadets de l'Armée Royale du Canada (French)
Badge of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets
Active1861 – 1879 (as Drill Associations)
July 25, 1879 – present
Country Canada
BranchCanadian Army
TypeQuasi-Military youth organization
Size405 Corps (Estimated 18000+ Cadets as of Sep 2024) [1]
Part ofCanadian Cadet Organizations [2] Department of National Defence (Canada)
HeadquartersOttawa, Canada
PatronArmy Cadet League of Canada
Motto(s)Acer Acerpori (As the Maple, so the Sapling)
March"Quick March"
Websitehttps://www.cadets.gc.ca
Commanders
CommanderBrigadier-General Dominique Brais
Formation Chief Warrant OfficerChief Petty Officer 1st Class David Bliss
Insignia
Ensign

The Royal Canadian Army Cadets (RCAC; French: Cadets royaux de l’Armée canadienne) is a national Canadian youth program sponsored by the Canadian Armed Forces and the civilian Army Cadet League of Canada. Under the authority of the National Defence Act, the program is administered by the Canadian Armed Forces and funded through the Department of National Defence. Additionally, the civilian partner of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets, the Army Cadet League of Canada, also ensures financial, accommodations and transportation support for RCAC programs and services at a community level.

Many Royal Canadian Army Cadet corps receive logistical assistance and administrative support from their affiliated Regular Force or Reserve Force unit.

While cadets may wear the badges and accoutrements of their affiliated unit, cadets are not members of the Canadian Armed Forces.[3]

With roots in the early drill associations authorized in 1861, Royal Canadian Army Cadets is Canada's oldest youth program.

As of 2016, there are approximately 18,920 army cadets in about 429 corps which are spread across the country.

Together with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets and Royal Canadian Air Cadets, it forms the largest federally funded youth program which is known as the Canadian Cadet Organization.

Members of the Royal Canadian Army Cadets are encouraged to become active and responsible members of their communities.

The Royal Canadian Army Cadets are the rough equivalent to the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps in the United States, the Army Cadet Force in the United Kingdom and the Australian Army Cadets in Australia.

  1. ^ https://app.cadets.gc.ca/directory-repertoirev3/en/cadet-directory.html
  2. ^ "Colonels". Archived from the original on March 13, 2005.
  3. ^ "The Army Cadet League of Canada". Archived from the original on September 22, 2008. Retrieved September 8, 2008.