It will be harder to get on to military bases and tougher to spot soldiers in public under a sweeping new directive issued by National Defence on Thursday in the wake of two deadly attacks, including one at the national war memorial.
Troops across the country were told to stop wearing their uniforms in public, with the exception of going back and forth to work.
And security was stepped up within defence installations, requiring closer scrutiny of identification, the chief of defence staff said.
The extraordinary edict is tacit recognition that the shadowy threats faced so often in places like Afghanistan are present on home soil, requiring a sobering re-evaluation of measures the military takes to protect itself.
The order does not sit well, however, with some of the rank and file to whom the uniform is more than an article of clothing, but also a statement of pride and allegiance.
One of the soldiers who served with the slain Cpl. Nathan Cirillo on the memorial guard bristled at the suggestion the military was keeping a lower profile.
“I’m not afraid to wear my combats in public,È said Lt. William McArthur of the Cameron Highlanders, a reserve regiment that often guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
