The Royal Alberta United Services Institute

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The Royal Alberta United Services Institute

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Founded in 1920, Royal Alberta United Services Institute encourages/promotes the Arts, Sciences & Literature related to Canada's Defence & Security Community.

Our Vision

To be the premier organization in Alberta linking the public with members of the Canadian military and their role within and beyond the border of Canada. Our Mission

The Community

To encourage and promote the Arts, Sciences and Literature related to Canada's Defence and Security Community.

10/30/2026

Some honours recognize where someone served. Others recognize how they served. But what about an honour that recognizes exceptional service, dedication and leadership?

That’s where the Order of Military Merit (OMM) comes in.

Established in 1972 by Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Military Merit recognizes members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and devotion to duty.

Unlike campaign medals, which recognize qualifying participation in military operations, or the Canadian Forces’ Decoration, which recognizes years of service, the OMM recognizes distinguished service and exceptional merit.

Appointment to the Order is a significant honour, recognizing contributions that go beyond what is normally expected.

The Order of Military Merit has three levels, each represented by a distinctive insignia:

🔹 Member (MMM): Recognizes exceptional service or performance of duty.

🔹 Officer (OMM): Recognizes outstanding meritorious service in duties of responsibility.

🔹 Commander (CMM): Recognizes outstanding meritorious service in duties of great responsibility.

The three insignia share a distinctive blue-enamelled cross design, with a maple leaf at the centre. Differences in their colouring and design distinguish the three levels, while all share the same blue ribbon with gold edges.

Recipients may also use letters after their names to indicate their appointment: MMM for Member, OMM for Officer, and CMM for Commander.

What can we learn from this honour?

Seeing an Order of Military Merit insignia tells us that the wearer has been formally recognized for exceptional military service.

The level of appointment also offers insight into the nature and scope of the responsibilities for which they were recognized.

But it doesn’t necessarily tell us where they served, how many deployments they completed, or whether they experienced combat.

And importantly, the Order recognizes exceptional contributions across the Canadian Armed Forces, not just those serving in operational or combat roles.

Leadership, administration, training, technical expertise and other forms of service can all contribute to the effectiveness of Canada’s military.

🎖️ Next in our Reading the Medals series: Meritorious Service Decorations. What distinguishes an appointment to an order from a decoration recognizing a particular achievement?

10/29/2026

Why don’t nations reveal their red lines?

Because an adversary might simply stop just short of crossing them.

In this excerpt from RAUSI’s Chokepoints & Flashpoints Fireside Chat, Rear Admiral Robert Girrier (Ret’d USN) explores how a series of seemingly minor challenges can gradually erode established norms.

He also raises an intriguing question about China’s maritime militias:

If fishing vessels can communicate, coordinate and act like a naval force, why should we think of them differently simply because they’re not painted grey?

It’s a fascinating look at strategic ambiguity, grey-zone tactics and the challenges of responding to actions that fall below the threshold of open conflict.

🎥 Watch the excerpt below, then explore the full conversation with Admirals Girrier and Saunes:
rausi.ca/chokepoints-and-flashpoints

10/28/2026

For generations of Canadian soldiers, CFB Wainwright has been a familiar name.

Thousands have trained there, enduring long days, unpredictable prairie weather and demanding exercises. They’ve developed their skills, tested their limits and built friendships with people from units across the country.

For many, Wainwright holds memories that extend well beyond military training. It’s part of their shared experience of service.

That shared connection helps explain why the recent tragedy has resonated so deeply throughout the Canadian military community.

For those who have trained at Wainwright, the name represents more than a place on a map. It represents people, experiences and memories that stay with them.

Confidential assistance is available to members of the military community and their families who may be struggling or simply needs someone to talk to.

• CFMAP: 1-800-268-7708, 24/7
• MFRC Family Information Line: 1-800-866-4546, 24/7
• DND Employee Assistance Program: 1-800-663-1142, or 1-888-384-1152 (for people with hearing impairments)
• 9-8-8 Su***de Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8, 24/7 across Canada
• In an emergency: 9-1-1

📷 Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE. The crew commander of a Canadian Armed Forces Light Armoured Vehicle surveys the simulated battlefield as the sun begins to rise on the final day of Exercise MAPLE RESOLVE at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright on 31 May 2014.

10/27/2026

Where did someone serve? Sometimes, the medals tell us.

Campaign and operational service medals recognize participation in specific military campaigns, missions and operations. They can offer clues about where someone was deployed, the nature of their service and sometimes even the period in which they served.

Different missions. Different medals.

Canada has a long history of military operations, from the world wars to peacekeeping missions and modern international deployments.

Over time, the honours system has evolved to recognize different types of operational service.

Here are a few examples:

🎖️ Campaign Stars: During the Second World War, Canadian personnel received stars recognizing service in particular campaigns and theatres of war. The 1939–1945 Star, Atlantic Star and Italy Star are familiar examples.

🎖️ General Campaign Star (GCS): Recognizes qualifying service in a defined theatre of operations in the presence of an armed enemy. Different ribbons and bars identify particular operations.

🏅 General Service Medal (GSM): Recognizes qualifying direct support to operations, often from outside the theatre of operations.

🏅 Operational Service Medal (OSM): Recognizes service on specified operations, with different ribbon colours identifying particular missions or operational circumstances.

🥉 International Mission Medals: Canadians may also receive medals from organizations such as the United Nations and NATO for qualifying service on designated missions.

While many campaign and operational medals share similar shapes, their ribbons, suspension designs and clasps can help distinguish one award from another. The colours, stripes and patterns help identify the medal and, in some cases, the particular mission. Some medals also feature bars or clasps identifying specific operations or additional periods of qualifying service.

For someone familiar with the system, these details can reveal considerably more than the medal’s shape alone.

What can we learn from these medals?

A campaign or operational service medal may tell us:

* Where someone served, or which operation they supported.
* When they served, based on the period during which the medal was awarded.
* The nature of the operation in which they served, although not necessarily their specific role or duties.
* Whether they completed additional qualifying service, where bars or clasps are awarded.

But these medals don’t tell us everything.

Two people wearing the same medal may have had very different experiences. One may have served in a combat role, while another provided essential logistical, medical or administrative support.

Both contributed to the mission, but their stories may be quite different.

🎖️ Next in our Reading the Medals series: The Order of Military Merit. What does it mean when someone is appointed to a military order?

10/26/2026

China wants access to the Arctic. Russia needs investment. But how comfortable is Moscow with Beijing’s growing ambitions?

In this excerpt from RAUSI’s Chokepoints & Flashpoints Fireside Chat, Rear Admiral Lars Saunes (Ret’d) explores China’s Arctic activities, including scientific expeditions that may support future submarine operations.

He also describes an increasingly complicated relationship between China and Russia—one shaped by strategic cooperation, competing interests and Russia’s economic dependence on Chinese investment.

But the geopolitical landscape is changing.

Just one day after this conversation was recorded on 8 October, President Trump announced an agreement to resume Russian diesel exports, temporarily easing U.S. sanctions. Additional sanctions waivers followed on 18 October.

The prospect of renewed energy revenues raises an interesting question: Could Russia become less dependent on China—and would that change their relationship in the Arctic?

🎥 Watch the excerpt below, then explore the full conversation with Admirals Saunes and Girrier:
https://rausi.ca/chokepoints-and-flashpoints

10/23/2026

Modern military technology is extraordinary. Precision-guided weapons, advanced air-defence systems and increasingly sophisticated drones have transformed the battlefield.

But even the most capable weapon has limited value if it cannot be replaced.

The war in Ukraine has exposed a challenge facing militaries around the world: the gap between the weapons they need and the industrial capacity required to produce them.

A missile can be expended in seconds. Replacing it may take months. Increasing production can take years.

And the challenge extends well beyond am******on. Modern defence systems depend on specialized components, skilled workers, complex supply chains and manufacturing facilities that cannot simply be switched on when demand increases.

For Canada and its allies, this raises important questions about military readiness, procurement and the resilience of the defence industrial base.

Are we investing only in the capabilities we need today, or also in the capacity to sustain them tomorrow?

Because military strength isn’t measured solely by the sophistication of the weapons a nation possesses. It’s also measured by its ability to maintain, replenish and produce them when they are needed.

The weapons we have matter. So does our ability to replace them.

Photo: Canadian Forces - Exercise STRIDENT TRACER 2014 (CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick). DND.

10/22/2026

Established in 1949, the Canadian Forces’ Decoration recognizes 12 years of qualifying service in the Canadian Armed Forces, including the Regular Force and Reserve Force.

But there’s more to this decoration than meets the eye.

Three monarchs. One decoration.

The CD was introduced during the reign of King George VI. Since then, its design has been updated to reflect Queen Elizabeth II and, most recently, King Charles III.

Although the portraits have changed, several distinctive features remain:

🔹 The ribbon: Red with three narrow white stripes.
🔹 The shape: A distinctive ten-sided decoration.
🔹 The suspension: A maple leaf incorporated into the design.

These consistent features make the CD recognizable across generations of Canadian military service.

Additionally, a clasp is awarded for each additional 10 years of qualifying service beyond the initial 12 years. When only ribbons are worn, a small rosette indicates each clasp.

That means we can learn something about a person’s length of service simply by looking at their decoration:

🔹 CD: At least 12 years of qualifying service.
🔹 CD with one clasp: At least 22 years.
🔹 CD with two clasps: At least 32 years.
🔹 CD with three clasps: At least 42 years.

What can we learn from this decoration?

Unlike a campaign medal, the CD doesn’t tell us where someone served or whether they participated in military operations. Instead, it provides a measure of how long they served.

The monarch’s portrait may also provide a clue about when a particular decoration was issued, although it doesn’t necessarily tell us when the recipient began serving.

And those years may represent very different experiences: service at home or abroad, deployments, training, leadership, peacekeeping or other responsibilities.

A single decoration cannot capture all those experiences, but it can tell us something important about the commitment behind them.

🎖️ Next in our Reading Medals series: Campaigns and Operations. How can medals reveal where someone served—and sometimes even when?

10/21/2026

From geopolitical tensions and shifting alliances to economic uncertainty and emerging security threats, today’s challenges are increasingly interconnected.

How does Australia view this complex international environment, and what can Canada learn from the perspective of a close strategic partner?

Join Dr. John Blaxland, Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies at the Australian National University, for a discussion exploring today’s overlapping global challenges through an Australian lens.

A former Australian military intelligence officer, Dr. Blaxland is a respected historian, author and commentator on international security, defence and intelligence affairs.

📅 Monday, October 26, 2026
🕒 3:00–4:00 pm ET
📍 Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario
💻 In-person and online attendance available

Hosted by Queen’s University’s Centre for International and Defence Policy in partnership with the Royal Kingston United Services Institute (RKUSI).

🔗 Event details and registration:
https://www.queensu.ca/cidp/events/partner-events/making-sense-poly-crisis-view-strategic-cousins-down-under

10/20/2026

🍁 A little wind wasn’t going to stop this celebration of remembrance!

Dignitaries, veterans and community members braved Calgary’s fierce winds on Saturday for the official opening of the Veterans Walkway along Memorial Drive.

Stretching five kilometres along the Bow River pathway, the walkway features 31 bronze medallions connecting visitors to more than 100 stories of military service, sacrifice and remembrance.

It’s a living tribute to Calgary’s military history—and one you can explore at your own pace, any time of year. Preferably on a less windy day! 😉

Our thanks to Col Charles Hamel (Ret'd) who shared photographs from Saturday’s ceremony.

Discover the stories and plan your visit:
🌐 veteranswalkway.ca

10/19/2026

“We train as we fight.”

Military training demands realism, discipline and readiness. It also carries risks that are not always visible to those outside the Canadian Armed Forces.

The tragedy at CFB Wainwright is a sobering reminder of the dangers that can accompany military service, even far from a battlefield.

RAUSI extends its deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are with the entire Canadian Armed Forces community as they mourn this loss.

🇨🇦💔

Address

801 11 Street SW
Calgary, AB
T2P2C4

Website

http://www.rausi.ca/

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