Universality of Service Fact Sheet

8/6/2019 Universality of Service Fact Sheet

1/5

Fit to Serve: Universality of Service and RelatedSupport Programs

BG11.006 - March 25, 2011

In the civilian workplace, employees are generally obliged to perform only those duties

specified in their job description. In contrast, military service is comparatively open-ended.

The Canadian Forces (CF) principle of Universality of Service holds that all personnel must

be capable at all times of performing a broad range of general military tasks, common

defence and security duties, in addition to the specific duties associated with their

occupations.

The Universality of Service principle is also known as thesoldier firstprinciple, identifying

the men and women of the CF as members of the profession of arms first before they

are identified as pharmacists, logistics officers or pilots. Every member, regardless of their

military occupation, or whether their place of work is a desk, a ship or the cockpit of anaircraft, must meet the Universality of Service standards in order to remain in the CF.

The Universality of Service standards

All CF personnel must be able to do the following basic tasks:

l fire and maintain a personal weapon

l conduct nuclear, biological, and chemical drills;

l fight fires;

l administer first aid, including CPR;

l communicate using a radio; and,

l prepare written military correspondence.

To be considered deployable, CF personnel must be able to do the following:

l deploy on short notice to any geographical location, in any climate;l work irregular or prolonged hours;

l function effectively on irregular or missed meals;

l travel as a passenger in any mode of transportation;

l perform under physical and mental stress; and

l perform with minimal medical support.

Additionally, because strength and endurance could mean the difference between success

and failure in a military operation, CF personnel must be more physically fit than the

general Canadian population. In order to meet the Universality of Service standards, CF

personnel are required to undergo an annual physical fitness evaluation, known as the CF

EXPRES test, where they must meet a minimum physical fitness standard.1

A legal basis

Universality of Service has a legal basis. It is imposed by section 33(1) of the National

Defence Act, which states that all Regular Force members areat all times liable to

perform any lawful duty.The legislative imperative means that a member who cannot at

all times perform any lawful dutymay not serve in the Regular Force except during a

carefully limited period of recovery from injury or illness as a period of transition out of the

military and into civilian life.

Exceptions to Universality of Service standards are few: CF personnel under the age of 18

may not be deployed to a theatre of hostilities, but they must remain fit enough to be

able to deploy upon reaching age 18. Chaplains are not required to perform any duty other

than those pertaining to their calling; accordingly, they are exempt from the requirement

to perform general military duties and common defence and security tasks. However,

chaplains are required to be medically and physically fit, and deployable.

Section 33(2) of the National Defence Act foresees that Reserve Force membersmay be

called out on service to perform any lawful duty other than training at such times and in

such manner as any regulations or otherwise are prescribed by the Governor in Council.

Since the Primary Reserve is given the role of directly supporting the Regular Force,

operational effectiveness requires these Reservists to meet the Universality of Service

standards.

Personnel in other Reserve subcomponents the Cadet Organizations and Training

Services (COATS), the Canadian Rangers and the Supplementary Reserve are only

Canada News Centrenews.gc.ca

Franais Home Contact Us Help Search canada.gc.ca

Home > Article

CATEGORY

News Releases

Media Advisories

Warnings and

Advisories

Speeches and

Statements

VIEWS

RSS News feeds

Customize Your

Feed

National News

News by Region

News by Audience

RESOURCES

Media Contacts

Canada Gazette

Hansard Index

Info Source

Provincial and

Territorial News

ACCESSIBILITYHELP

Accessibility

Features

Statement

Increasing Text

Size

Client-s ide CSS forenhancing

accessibility

Skip to content Skip to institutional l inks

ttp://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do?m=/index&nid=544299 Page 1 / 5
http://news.gc.ca/web/help-aide-eng.do#accfschttp://news.gc.ca/web/help-aide-eng.do#itfatthttp://news.gc.ca/web/help-aide-eng.do#afsecoahttp://news.gc.ca/web/rgnl-eng.dohttp://www.infosource.gc.ca/index_e.asphttp://www2.parl.gc.ca/housechamberbusiness/ChamberSittings.aspx?View=H&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=1http://www.gazette.gc.ca/index-eng.htmlhttp://news.gc.ca/web/media-eng.dohttp://news.gc.ca/web/news-nouvelles-eng.do?nwsb=audhttp://news.gc.ca/web/news-nouvelles-eng.do?nwsb=reghttp://news.gc.ca/web/dsptch-dstrbr-eng.do?mthd=ntnlhttp://news.gc.ca/web/srch-rchrch-eng.do?mthd=xmlhttp://news.gc.ca/web/distributions-eng.dohttp://news.gc.ca/web/dsptch-dstrbr-eng.do?mthd=tp&crtr.tp1D=4http://news.gc.ca/web/dsptch-dstrbr-eng.do?mthd=tp&crtr.tp1D=2http://news.gc.ca/web/dsptch-dstrbr-eng.do?mthd=tp&crtr.tp1D=3http://news.gc.ca/web/dsptch-dstrbr-eng.do?mthd=tp&crtr.tp1D=1http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=3752#note1http://news.gc.ca/web/index-eng.do;jsessionid=ac1b105330d793c4d7e28c2b4e449240b548229a3eaa.e38RbhaLb3qNe38TaxuMahaPaO0http://www.canada.gc.ca/home.htmlhttp://news.gc.ca/web/srch-rchrch-eng.do?mthd=advSrchhttp://news.gc.ca/web/help-aide-eng.dohttp://news.gc.ca/web/cu-cn-eng.dohttp://news.gc.ca/web/index-eng.dohttp://nouvelles.gc.ca/web/article-fra.do?m=/index&nid=544299


2/5

required to meet the minimum operational standards associated with Universality of

Service if they are serving with the Regular Force or Primary Reserve.2

Medical release

The CF remain committed to supporting ill and injured personnel as they progress through

recovery, rehabilitation and return to work. At the same time, the CF are required to take

those measures necessary to field a ready, operationally effective force in the defence of

the nation. Illness or injury can make it challenging for a CF member to meet the

Universality of Service standards, as can poor physical fitness. Fitness programs and

routine evaluations ensure that military personnel maintain the required level of physical

fitness.

Ill and injured personnel are given the time they need to recover before any administrative

action is taken with regards to their career. When the member's medical condition is

stable, a permanent medical category is assigned, which may include medical employment

limitations (MELs). Members who are assigned MELs of a temporary nature, or permanent

MELs that do not put the individual in breach of Universality of Service, are permitted

continued service with the CF. Essentially, a member will be identified as belonging to one

of the following categories:

l Meets Universality of Service. Those who are assigned MELs of a temporary

nature, and meet Universality of Service standards, or will likely meet them in the

near future, will return to full service in their previous occupation.

l In breach of Universality of Service (employable and not employable). Those who

are assigned MELs that place them in permanent breach of the Universality of

Service standards, but who are employable in some capacity and wish to remain in

the CF, may be retained for up to three years. This transitional period of service

will be engaged only if a personnel shortage exists in the member s occupation, or

there is a requirement for the members particular skill set; otherwise, the member

will be transitioned to civilian life. Those who are not employable, or choose not to

remain in the CF, may be retained for a period of up to six months. In preparationfor release in both instances, CF members are entitled to a range of career

transition services and care provided by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), the

Service Income Security Insurance Plan - Long Term Disability (SISIP - LTD), and

several programs available through various CF agencies prior to release.

l Severely ill or injured. Those who are assigned MELs that place them in permanent

breach of the Universality of Service standards, and who are severely ill or injured

with complex career transition needs, may be retained in the CF for a period of up

to three years, starting when the medical employment limitations have been

confirmed by the Director of Medical Policy. These individuals work one-on-one

with a multidisciplinary transition team to develop a tailored and flexible plan that

features comprehensive health care, social and transition support.In preparation

for release, they are entitled to a range of transition services and care provided by

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), the Service Income Security Insurance Plan - Long

Term Disability (SISIP - LTD), and several programs available through various CF

agencies prior to release.

Regular Force and Primary Reserve members who have a medical condition that precludes

their return to normal duty in a timely manner may be posted to the Joint Personnel

Support Unit (JPSU) and assigned to one of its component parts - an Integrated Personnel

Support Centre (IPSC). The JPSU provides a CF/VAC integratedone-stop servicefor ill

and injured CF personnel and their families by facilitating access to care and support while

personnel reintegrate into military life or explore new civilian employment options. It

supports both Regular Force and Reserve Force ill and injured personnel who are currently

serving or in the process of a medical release, and caters to both referrals and walk-in

clients in addition to those with longer-term medical issues. 3

As Table A demonstrates, about 1,000 Regular Force personnel have been medically

released in each of the past five years.

TABLE AMedical Releases From

the Regular Force,

2006-2010

Year Total

2010 775*

2009 1,023

2008 1,073

2007 979

2006 1,150

*preliminary

On average, 5,500 Regular Force members leave the CF on an annual basis. Most people

who leave the CF do so on a voluntary basis, not as a result of medical release. This

annual attrition is a factor contributing to the constant renewal of CF personnel.

Severel y ill and injured personnel

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=3752#note3http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=3752#note2


3/5

In March 2011, the Minister of National Defence announced a new career transition

support policy for severely ill and injured CF members who can no longer serve in the CF

due to MELs that breach Universality of Service requirements. For each of these

individuals, the CF will develop a tailored and flexible plan that features comprehensive

health care, social and career transition support over a period of up to three years. The

policy applies to full-time personnel, regardless of whether or not the illness or injury is

attributable to service, and to part-time personnel, whose need for medical care is

attributable to the performance of duty. Criteria to determine the length of time due to

complexity of the transition needs will include severity of the injury or illness, psycho-

social factors and functional limitations. An assessment of the transition complexity will be

conducted, on an individual basis by an interdisciplinary team prior to the initiation of the

administrative review process. Based on the results of the individualized assessment, the

interdisciplinary team, together with the member, will develop an integrated and tailored

transition plan, including individualized goals and projected timelines. Progress in achieving

the transition plan goals will be monitored jointly by the CF members nurse case managerand IPSC staff.

Severely ill and injured personnel with complex career transition needs will benefit from

more time to heal, adjust, and prepare for the future, while remaining members of the CF.

This policy is designed to provide individualized assistance to those who need it the most

and extend their access to flexible and comprehensive CF healthcare and social support

while they prepare for a new chapter in their life.

Support programs

VAC and the CF partner at many levels to care for ill and injured military personnel and

their families. VAC has the legislated mandate to provide care and support for military

personnel following their release from the CF. When a member faces medical release, the

CF work closely with VAC to establish a comprehensive, individualized management

program including rehabilitation, vocational services such as job placement, financial

assistance and emotional support to the injured CF member after release. The financial

compensation available to Reserve Force personnel may differ in some instances.4

A. Financial support

l The Canadian Forces Superannuation Act is the pension plan for all Regular Force

personnel. It requires contributions from its participants, and benefits depend on

the length of service.

l The Long Term Disability Group Insurance Program, a feature of the Service

Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), provides medically-released CF personnel,

and those who meet the definition of totally disabled, with income replacement.

l The Accidental Dismemberment Insurance Plan, another feature of SISIP, provides

a lump-sum benefit to CF personnel who have suffered dismemberment, loss of use

of a limb or loss of sight, hearing or speech that is attributable to military service.

(This plan complements the Injured Military Members Compensation Act, which

covers members for the same injuries suffered between 1 October 1972 and 12

February 2003.)

l The Allowance in Lieu of Operational Allowances compensates for the loss ofoperational allowances paid to deployed personnel, in the event of a member being

returned from deployment due to illness or injuries sustained in-theatre.

l Income support programs available to former CF personnel under the New Veterans

Charter include the Earnings Loss Benefit while they are participating in the

Rehabilitation Program (and longer, if the person is unable to work after

rehabilitation), the Supplementary Retirement Benefit, CF Income Support and a

Permanent Impairment Allowance.

l CF personnel and former personnel with a service-related disability may qualify for

a VAC Disability Award, which is designed to compensate for the fact that an

individual may experience the impact of a service-related disability or death in

ways other than financial.

l CF personnel or former members in receipt of a VAC Disabil ity Pension or Disability

Award may qualify for funding for long-term care in a community facility, or for

access to the Veterans Independence Program, if the need is related to their

pensioned or awarded condition. The program provides a number of benefits,including personal care, housekeeping and grounds maintenance benefits to assist

veterans in remaining independent in their own homes.

l The recently established Legacy of Care includes initiatives such as: barrier-free

transitional housing, funding for care givers and wheelchair accessible

transportation to medical appointments.

l CF personnel can also receive assistance through various Funds such as Military

Families Fund, IMT Military Casualty Support Foundation, SISIP Grant or Loan,

Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Fund, Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) Fund,

Royal Canadian Navy Benevolent Fund, Unit Funds Canteen/Chaplains, The

Canadian Hero Fund and Wounded Warriors Fund.

B. Vocational support

l The CFs Vocational Rehabilitation Program for Serving Members allows eligible

personnel with an impending medical release to participate a civilian vocationalrehabilitation training program for up to six months.

l Many CF bases and wings participate in the Second Career Assistance Network,

which makes seminars, career counselling and access to a job bank available to

personnel anticipating a career change.

l The CFs Skills Completion Program reimburses eligible Regular Forces personnel

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=3752#note4


4/5

with 10 yearsservice the costs of upgrading their skills and education in order to

transfer to a civilian career.

l The CF Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is accessible via a DND website. TAP

acts as an employment information portal and resource for CF personnel who are

releasing, and includes a national list of civilian 'employer-partners' with direct links

to their company websites. In addition, resum and job posting services for TAP

clients have been outsourced to several civilian agencies.

l The SISIP Vocational Rehabilitation Program (VRP) assists medically-releasing CF

members obtain the tools to transition to the civilian workforce. The SISIP VRP will

primarily build on existing skills wherever possible, however, if insufficient skills exist

then re-training in a new field will be considered. The SISIP VRP also provides

employment preparation and job search for clients ready to transition into the

civilian workforce.

l The VAC vocational rehabilitation program will help a member determine whether it

is possible to transfer their skills to another career. If not, the member may qualifyfor re-training support to help in obtaining suitable civilian employment.

l VACs Career Transition Services offer workshops, career counselling and job

searches to releasing or released Regular Force personnel, some Reserve Force

personnel and their survivors.

l Non Public Funds employment opportunities are available for CF spouses and

dependents at Canadian Forces Support Units throughout Canada and Europe.

l The CF have recently partnered with the Commissionaires, a premier national

security provider, to provide meaningful employment to CF personnel who were

injured in the line of duty.

C. Additional support

l The CF Member Assistance Program provides external, short-term counselling to

Regular Force personnel and their families, and to some Reserve Force personnel,

who are seeking assistance outside military health services. The program iscivilian-based in that it uses professional counsellors provided by Health Canada s

Employee Assistance Services.

l The Operational Stress Injury Social Support program (OSISS) provides peer

support to military personnel, veterans and their families affected by Operational

Stress Injuries (OSI), which includes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In

addition to one on one peer support, OSISS also provides group support and

outreach sessions to reduce the st igma attached to those suffering from PTSD/OSI

and promote a wellness model and treatment adherence. A joint CF-VAC initiative,

this program was founded by a group of CF veterans.

l Another CF-VAC initiative that provides bereavement peer support is HOPE (Helping

Our Peers by providing Empathy). Launched in 2006, this program partners trained

volunteers who have lived the experience of loss, with family members, spouses

and parents who undergo a similar experience to provide caring support.

l The Injured Support Network (ISN) enhances the functional readiness of injured

and ill CF personnel by focusing on peer support strategies through which they can

meet the requirements of Universality of Service and develop an independent and

autonomous lifestyle.

l Released CF personnel have access to the VAC Assistance Service, a confidential

toll-free 24/7 counselling service delivered through a nation-wide team of

professional counsellors. The service, which is provided through a Memorandum of

Understanding between VAC and Health Canada, is accessed initially through a

toll-free line.

l The Soldier On Program, and the complementary Soldier On Fund, provide

resources and opportunities for ill and injured CF personnel and former personnel to

attain and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle through physical fitness and

sport.

l The expanded CF Medically Released priority entitlement came into effect

December 31, 2005 with the implementation of the new Public Service Employment

Act (PSEA). The priority entitlement applies to Regular Force and some Reserve

Force members who are released due to a medical condition. As a person with a

priority entitlement, these members will be referred and considered for publicservice to positions that are about to be staffed. Should they meet all essential

qualifications as well as any conditions of employment, they will be appointed to

the position.

One of the DNDs Director of Casualty Support Management (DCSM) duties is to serve the

families of fallen CF members. On 12 May, 2010, the Public Service Commission of Canada

(PSC) amended the Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER) to establish a new

priority entitlement for the surviving spouses or common-law partners of CF members

whose death is attributable to the performance of duties which occ

1. For more information on the CF EXPRES test, visit the Canadian Forces website

Newsroom at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-

eng.asp?id=2848

2. Regular Force personnel work full-time and have usually signed long-term contractscommitting them to regular service. Primary Reserve personnel train regularly and may

work alongside their Regular Force counterparts on a full-time basis. Other subcomponents

of the Reserve Force are the Supplementary Reserve(former commissioned and non-

commissioned members who could be called out in an emergency), Canadian Rangers

(who constitute a military presence in isolated and sparsely settled areas of Canada) and

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/view-news-afficher-nouvelles-eng.asp?id=2848


5/5

the Cadet Organizations and Training Services or COATS (officers with administrative,

instructive and supervisory responsibilities to the cadet program).

3. For more information on the JPSU, visit the Canadian Forces website Newsroom at

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=2880

4. The Reserve Force Retirement Gratuity is a severance benefit for members of the

Primary Reserve only. Reservistseligibility for compensation under the Accidental

Dismemberment Insurance Plan is governed by the terms of the contract under which they

serve. Reservists incapable of completing the terms of their contract due to injury or

illness attributable to service are entitled to pay and allowances until the termination of

their contract. Compensation for disability due to injury or illness is payable when disability

continues beyond the termination of the class of Reserve service during which it occurred.

VAC services and benefits are available to ill or injured Reservists on the same basis as

they are to Regular Force personnel, subject to eligibility provisions applicable to both

groups.

E-mail to a Friend

2010-06-29Date Modified: Important NoticesTop of Page

http://news.gc.ca/web/notices-avis-eng.do;jsessionid=ac1b105330d793c4d7e28c2b4e449240b548229a3eaa.e38RbhaLb3qNe38TaxuMahaPaO0http://news.gc.ca/web/amail-acourrier-eng.do;jsessionid=ac1b105330d793c4d7e28c2b4e449240b548229a3eaa.e38RbhaLb3qNe38TaxuMahaPaO0?nid=544299http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/news-nouvelles/news-nouvelles-eng.asp?cat=03&id=2880

Documents

Universality of Service Fact Sheet