Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)

Until 1964, there existed a chief of the Naval Staff, as head of the Royal Canadian Navy; a chief of the General Staff, as head of the Canadian Army; and a chief of the Air Staff, as head of the Royal Canadian Air Force. A position known as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee existed from 1951 to 1964, which had a loose coordination function, although it lacked the command and control responsibilities of the later position of chief of the Defence Staff (CDS). Only two officers served in the role in its 13-year history:General Charles Foulkes (1951–1960) and Air Chief Marshal Frank Robert Miller (1960–1964). The position of chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the positions of the three service chiefs were abolished in 1964 and replaced by the position of CDS. This change was based on a white paper initiated by National Defence Minister Paul Hellyer in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. Following the tabling of the white paper, the minister introduced legislation that took effect in August 1964. The newly established chief of the Defence Staff was to "head all of Canada's military forces, backed by a defence headquarters that was integrated and restructured to reflect six so-called functional commands, replacing eleven former service commands. Functional described a command that was non-geographic and beyond any particular service or traditional arm." In 2011, the three functional commands—named Maritime Command, Land Force Command, and Air Command—had their original names reinstated, becoming once again the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force, respectively. ==Rank and command==

The chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) follows in rank only the commander-in-chief of the Canadian Armed Forces, who is the Canadian monarch represented by the governor general. The National Defence Act gives the authority to appoint the CDS to the Governor-in-Council; effectively, the governor general acting on the constitutional advice of their ministers of the Crown. The commander-in-chief is the person from whom the CDS receives their orders. However, according to the tenets of constitutional monarchy and responsible government, the monarch and viceroy almost always follow ministerial direction, meaning the CDS normally advises the prime minister and the rest of Cabinet directly on military matters. Secondly, the CDS is expected to expand the regular and reserve forces to meet international and domestic obligations, which means the management of the Canadian Forces Recruiting Group so as to streamline the enlistment process of new forces members. This committee mirrors that for the Order of Military Merit, of which the CDS is ex-officio a member and the Principal Commander. Separately, the CDS presents the Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation () to recognize activity or service beyond regular expectations. It can be presented to members of the Canadian Forces, civilian members of the Defence Team (in an overseas operation), and members of an allied foreign military (whose actions benefited Canada). Distinguishing flag The CDS is entitled to fly the Canadian Armed Forces ensign – a white flag bearing the Canadian flag in the canton and defaced by the badge of the Canadian Armed Forces – as a distinguishing flag. ==Chiefs of the Defence Staff==