INTRODUCTION:  Canadian Armed Forces are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces. The Canadian Armed Forces consists of three main branches: Maritime Command, Land Force Command, and Air Command, which are together overseen by the Armed Forces Council, chaired by the Chief of the Defence Staff.

 Canadian Forces started on February 1, 1968 ] when the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force were merged into a unified structure  The Canadian forces were then heavily involved in the Second World War and in the Korean War.  The forces are today funded by approximately $21.8 billion, annually ranked 13 th. And are presently ranked 74 th in size compared to the world's other armed forces by number of total personnel, and 58th in terms of active personnel, standing at a strength of roughly 67,000, plus 24,000 reservists and 19,000 supplementary reserves, bringing the reserve force to approximately 43,000. These individuals serve on numerous CF bases located in all regions of the country, and are governed by the Queen's Regulations and Orders and the National Defence

Video on Canada’s Military  CECoBk CECoBk

Question  Now that Steven Harper has a majority government, do you think our military forces will get bigger and stronger.

The U.S Army

U.S Army  The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military.  The United States Armed Forces is the military force of the United States. It consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.  In the U.S the President is the overall head of the military.  The U.S. military is one of the largest militaries in the world, in terms of number of personnel. It draws its manpower from a large pool of volunteers. As of 2010, the United States spends about $692 billion annually to fund its military forces. The U.S. armed forces as a whole possess large quantities of advanced and powerful equipment, which gives them significant capabilities in both defense and power projection.

Video on the U.S’s Military  5BjAMY 5BjAMY

Question  After watching the video of the United States Military power, do you think our military power should be stronger?

Maritime Command  The Canadian Forces Maritime Command also called the Canadian Navy, is the naval branch of the CF and is a descendant of the Royal Canadian Navy. Headed by the Chief of the Maritime Staff, the MARCOM includes 33 warships and submarines deployed in two fleets: the Maritime Forces Pacific at Her Majesty's Canadian Dockyard Esquimalt on the west coast, and the Maritime Forces Atlantic at Her Majesty's Canadian Dockyard in Halifax on the east coast, as well as one formation: the Naval Reserve Headquarters at Quebec City, Quebec.

Land Force Command  The Canadian Forces Land Force Command also known as the Canadian Army is the land based branch of the CF.  The Land Force Command is administered through four geographically determined formations, or areas: the Land Force Atlantic Area, headquartered at CFB Halifax in Halifax, Nova Scotia; theLand Force Quebec Area, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec; the Land Force Central Area, located at Denison Armoury in Toronto, Ontario; and the Land Force Western Area, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta.

Air Command  The Canadian Forces Air Command is the aerially operating branch of the CF. Led by the Chief of the Air Staff, the AIRCOM is deployed at 13 bases across Canada, under the overall direction of Canadian Air Division, and constitutes the Canadian NORAD Region. Major air bases are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.  A Canadian component of the NATO Airborne Early Warning Force.

Canada Command  The Canada Command (CANCOM) is an operational element created on January , to improve response time to domestic terrorism and natural disasters, and is commanded by a commissioned officer who reports directly to the CDS. CANCOM is responsible for the management of MARCOM, LFC, and AIRCOM assets assigned to it to ensure national security, both in emergency and routine situations, and is analogous to and works closely with the United States Northern Command, as well as the United States Department of Homeland Security. The command directs operations through six regional joint task forces, with Joint Task Force North responsible for activities previously carried out by Canadian Forces North Area.

Canadian defence policy today is based on the Canada First Defence Strategy, introduced by the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper Canadian military is oriented and being equipped to carry out six core missions within Canada, in North America and globally. Specifically, the Forces are tasked with having the capacity to: Conduct daily domestic and continental operations, including in the Arctic and through NORAD (the North American Aerospace Defense Command); Support a major international event in Canada, such as the 2010 Winter Olympics; Respond to a major terrorist attack; Support civilian authorities during a crisis in Canada such as a natural disaster; Lead and/or conduct a major international operation for an extended period; and Deploy forces in response to crises elsewhere in the world for shorter periods CANADA’S DEFENCE SYSTEM

Canada in Afghanistan  Sinc e 9/11 Canada has been in Afghanistan helping our allies fight the in the war.  Since the Taliban fell in late 2001, Canada has steadily increased its military involvement in Afghanistan.  By 2006, Canada had taken on a major role in the more dangerous southern part of the country as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force

 From August 2003 to December 2005, Canada's military commitment was largely Operation Athena, based in the capital, Kabul, as part of the International Assistance Force. ISAF had the aim of providing intelligence and security to allow rebuilding of the democratic process.  On July 31, 2006, NATO troops assumed command of all military operations in southern Afghanistan.  The Conservative motion, which was revised after consultation with the Liberals, called for the mission to be renewed beyond 2009 but with a focus on reconstruction and training of Afghan troops and a firm pullout date that calls for Canadian troops to leave Afghanistan by December 2011.

Question  Do you believe Canada should of started a war in Afghanistan? Do you think we should still be in Afghanistan fighting?

Question  In your opinion do you think the Canada government is spening enough money on their Military