primary arms

The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces (French: Première Réserve des Forces Canadiennes) is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (formerly the Cadet Instructors Cadre) and the Canadian Rangers.
The reserve force is represented, though not commanded, at the national level by the Chief of Reserves and Employer Support. This is usually a Major-General or Rear-Admiral.The Primary Reserve consists of sailors, soldiers, and aviators who may augment or operate alongside their Regular Force counterparts. Each reserve force is operationally and administratively responsible to its corresponding environmental command; those being the Royal Canadian Navy, the Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Primary reservists number approximately 27,000 (all ranks, all services). It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the reserves to sustaining CF operations, particularly following the defence budget cuts under the Chrétien government's Finance Minister Paul Martin and increased operational tempo of the 1990s, which highly strained both the Reserve's personnel and equipment.

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