Services, Regiments, and Tribes: The Influence of Identity in the Canadian Armed Forces Major Ian A. McGregor JCSP 47 PCEMI 47 Master of Defence Studies Maîtrise en études de la défense Disclaimer Avertissement Opinions expressed remain those of the author and do Les opinons exprimées n’engagent que leurs auteurs et not represent Department of National Defence or ne reflètent aucunement des politiques du Ministère de Canadian Forces policy. This paper may not be used la Défense nationale ou des Forces canadiennes. Ce without written permission. papier ne peut être reproduit sans autorisation écrite. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the © Sa Majesté la Reine du Chef du Canada, représentée par le Minister of National Defence, 2021. ministre de la Défense nationale, 2021. CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE – COLLÈGE DES FORCES CANADIENNES JCSP 47 – PCEMI 47 2020 – 2021 MASTER OF DEFENCE STUDIES – MAÎTRISE EN ÉTUDES DE LA DÉFENSE SERVICES, REGIMENTS, AND TRIBES: THE INFLUENCE OF IDENTITY IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES By Major I.A. McGregor “This paper was written by a candidate « La présente étude a été rédigée par un attending the Canadian Forces College in stagiaire du Collège des Forces canadiennes fulfilment of one of the requirements of the pour satisfaire à l'une des exigences du Course of Studies. The paper is a cours. L'étude est un document qui se scholastic document, and thus contains rapporte au cours et contient donc des faits facts and opinions which the author alone et des opinions que seul l'auteur considère considered appropriate and correct for appropriés et convenables au sujet. Elle ne the subject. It does not necessarily reflect reflète pas nécessairement la politique ou the policy or the opinion of any agency, l'opinion d'un organisme quelconque, y including the Government of Canada and compris le gouvernement du Canada et le the Canadian Department of National ministère de la Défense nationale du Defence. This paper may not be released, Canada. Il est défendu de diffuser, de citer quoted or copied, except with the express ou de reproduire cette étude sans la permission of the Canadian Department permission expresse du ministère de la of National Defence.” Défense nationale. » i SERVICES, REGIMENTS, AND TRIBES: THE INFLUENCE OF IDENTITY IN THE CANADIAN ARMED FORCES ABSTRACT The Canadian Armed Forces contains many groups with strong identities. The term “tribal” has been used particularly to describe the most powerful of these groups – the armed services (or “environments” as they are known in Canada) and the regiments. Services, regiments, and tribes are often described to be groups with very high internal loyalties and a tendency toward aggressive intergroup competition. Services and regiments have been examined extensively through the lenses of culture and history. They are known to be held together through a combination of symbols, rituals, and (partially manufactured) histories, and they have been accused at times of putting their own interests ahead of even national interests. Yet there are new insights to be gained by looking at these groups through the lens of collective identity. Social Identity Theory (SIT) explains much of the behaviours of services, regiments, and individual members of these identities. Drawing upon the Social Brain Theory (SBT), it can be demonstrated why strong, constructed identities are necessary for cohesion of large military forces. Returning to the social identity field and drawing upon Optimal Distinctiveness Theory, Common Ingroup Identity Model, and Ingroup Projection Model provides more insight to understand why multiple constructed identities may be required to coexist within very large organizations, and also how these identities might be structured to coexist in a way that maximizes integration and cohesion and minimizes competition and separateness. This paper will suggest that rank, currently defined as a CAF individual identity, can be reconceived as a cross-cutting collective identity optimized to bring cohesion across the other identities. ii CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Contents .............................................................................................................................. ii List of Figures .................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... iv PART I - COLLECTIVE MILITARY IDENTITY IN CANADA .................................. 1 Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 Military Identities ............................................................................................................ 3 Tribal conflict .................................................................................................................. 7 Why Identity and not Culture? ...................................................................................... 10 Outline ........................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: The Influence of Identity ................................................................................. 17 Labeled Tribes – Social Identity Theory ....................................................................... 17 Realistic Conflict Theory........................................................................................... 17 Minimal Groups ......................................................................................................... 18 Social Categorization ................................................................................................. 20 Self-Categorization .................................................................................................... 21 TrIbal Influence on Behaviour ...................................................................................... 22 Tribal Defences – Uncertainty Reduction ..................................................................... 23 Tribal Competition ........................................................................................................ 24 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 25 Chapter 3: The Influence of “Tribes” ............................................................................... 27 Social Tribes – Social Brain Theory ............................................................................. 27 Symbolic Tribes – Anonymous Societies ..................................................................... 30 Maximal Tribes – A limit to growth ............................................................................. 32 Blended Tribes – Clans of different identities .............................................................. 34 Tribes of Tribes – The Common Ingroup Identity Model ............................................ 36 The Value of Common Identity ................................................................................. 38 The Value of Subordinate Identity ............................................................................ 40 The Value of Cross-Cutting and Complimentary Identities ...................................... 41 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 4: Canada’s Military Tribes ................................................................................. 47 iii Professional Identity ...................................................................................................... 47 The Canadian Armed Forces Identity System ............................................................... 48 The Canadian Army Regimental System ...................................................................... 52 Structure of the Regimental System .......................................................................... 53 Regimental System of the Reserve Force .................................................................. 56 Transient Identities ........................................................................................................ 59 The Canadian Armed Forces as a Tribe ........................................................................ 61 The nameless identity ................................................................................................ 63 The symbol-less identity ............................................................................................ 65 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 66 Chapter 5: Cross-Cutting Tribes of Leaders ..................................................................... 69 Identity as a barrier and enabler to command ............................................................... 69 Commissioned Officers ................................................................................................. 72 Non-Commissioned Members....................................................................................... 75 Junior Non-Commissioned Officers .........................................................................