[Airbornelawyer]

Although, like US Special Forces, the Canadian Airborne Regiment traced its lineage at least in part to the 1st Special Service Force, it was not properly a special forces or special operations unit.

The CF's concept of employment for the Regiment went through various changes over the period of its existence, but essentially the Regiment's mission was "to provide rapid deployment airborne/air transportable forces for operations in accordance with assigned tasks, primarily to participate in support of national security and international peacekeeping." The original missions included: (i) defense of Canada against small-scale Soviet incursions, (ii) peacekeeping operations, (iii) pathfinder, deep patrolling and winter operations in wartime and (iv) support to civil authorities. Units were generally expected to be deployable within 24-96 hours notice (depending on the nature of the mission). As a designated UN standby peacekeeping battalion, the Regiment was expected to be world-wide deployable on seven days' notice.

For most of its history it was essentially organized as an infantry battalion or a "pocket" brigade. It originally had an artillery battery and an engineer company, but lost these when it moved to CFB Petawawa in 1977 and was reorganized. In 1979 the Regiment's two infantry commandos were joined by a third, but each was reduced to company-strength, so from then on you had basically a typical 3-rifle company airborne infantry battalion.

In 1991-92, it was reduced even further, as the Regiment's Signal Squadron and its Service Commando were disbanded and each commando was allocated signals and service support. As a result of these reductions, the Regiment could no longer operate independently, but on deployment would rely on attached support to form a battle group.

The Regiment was organized as an airborne infantry battalion, but like the 75th Ranger Regiment, its entrance criteria and training regimen were more rigorous than a regular conventional infantry or airborne unit. The Regiment was all-volunteer, and in order to join soldiers had to have (i) served for at least 18 months in a parent infantry regiment, (ii) completed jump school, (iii) demonstrated a high level of physical fitness and (iv) qualified in a combat MOS. Until 1985, prospective members of the Regiment had to complete a 10-day Airborne Indoctrination Course (AIC), similar to the Ranger Indoctrination Program. By 1985, this had become a 5-day course. In 1990, a new regimental commander dispensed with AIC as a rite of passage for new paratroopers. Instead, AIC became a less-formal responsibility in each commando to acclimate new soldiers.

The unit was supposed to always be manned at at least 90% strength, and had a rigorous training schedule, but like the rest of the CF, it was underfunded and overcommitted. Battalion and brigade-level training exercises would often get cancelled or reduced in scope, and officers and NCOs were often tasked to train reserve units.

We used to occasionally conduct smaller joint exercises with the Canadians. This usually involved a company slice - three or so ODAs, along with support from our battalion support company - joining elements of one of the Regiment's commandos.

If the regiment had been properly funded, its esprit de corps, selectivity and training regimen might have made it comparable to a Ranger battalion. Its mission profile was more conventional, though, more like a battalion of the 82nd, and its actual operations were rarely what we would classify as special operations. JTF-2, by contrast, is a true special operations force.

Also, while the Regiment is gone, but airborne remains. Each commando was affiliated with a regular Canadian infantry regiment. Today, each of these regiments maintains an airborne company:
- A Company, 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
- Parachute Company, 3rd Batallion, Royal Canadian Regiment
- compagnie A (Para), 3e Royal 22e Régiment

I recall that when the airborne companies were formed in 1996, it was envisioned that they would routinely train together, so there would be an airborne battalion in fact if not in name. Unfortunately, I understand that this has not occurred. So what it looks like you have are units too small to be effective airborne combat units, but too large to be regimental/battalion long range reconnaissance units (and the battalions do have regular recon platoons).

The airborne company of the Vandoos is in Afghanistan right now, but it does not appear that their mission is any different than the other infantry companies of the battle group. Here is the company commander, Maj. Stéphane Plante, with an Afghan National Army officer and an interpreter: