Aye, Ready Aye, Captain!

Defence Minister Peter McKay delivered on a much discussed proposal to the sailors and airmen of Canada's Armed Forces on Tuesday, re-introducing the Royal moniker to their official titles, bringing back the fabled memories of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

In his announcement on Tuesday, McKay restored the names that made history in the first and second world wars , the governments way he said of reconnecting the military of today with its historic past.

Much of the credit to the announcement today goes to the legions of past and present military members and their families who organized petition drives and frequently made their hopes and desires to see the three forces return to their more traditional names. A cause which found success today.

The move marks the final reversal of the days of Paul Hellyer's unification edict, which caused much debate and outright hostility in the late sixties when the Liberals abolished much of the historic nature of the nations Armed Forces in the quest of modernization and in the eyes of some political correctness.

The return to the Royal standard isn't getting a universal welcome from some, however for the most part the idea of calling a Navy a Navy and an Air Force an Air Force is being championed as a common sense kind of thing, even if we tag on the Royal preamble for the time being, until the debate over the Monarchy and its place in Canada resumes we imagine.

The rather generic terms of Maritime and Air Commands as introduced by the Liberals is now relegated to the military history books, much like the dark green common uniforms of days gone by. Most of which we imagine now most likely gather dust in some military warehouse, after the three services returned to a more traditional form of uniform (though as always it seems military uniforms will change again and again and again).

For now however, its Aye, Ready Aye and Through adversity to the stars, with two traditions back we wonder if there's room for an ancient ritual of the days of yore, will the daily ration of a tot of rum also make a return?

Some of the coverage and feed back to the announcement today and other matters military, can be found below.

Globe and Mail-- Defence Minister makes navy, air force 'royal' again
Globe and Mail-- The Canadian Forces names: A mark of respect
Globe and Mail-- Make it the Royal Canadian Navy
Globe and Mail-- Loose lips sink ships for the Maritime Command
National Post-- Renaming the Canadian military isn't enough to fix it
National Post-- 'Royal' returns for Canada's armed forces
Toronto Sun-- Royal name change 'long overdue,' MacKay says
Toronto Sun-- Navy, air force going 'royal' once again
Toronto Star-- 'Royal' add to military names divides Star readers
Toronto Star-- Navy, air force to get  back old 'royal' names
Halifax Chronicle Herald-- MacKay restores "royal" to navy, air force names
Huffington Post-- Canadian Navy, Air Force name change divides NDP caucus
BBC News-- Canadian armed forces to be 'royal' once more
CTV-- Mackay: Renaming military corrects 'historical mistake'
CBC-- Peter MacKay hails 'royal' renaming of military
CBC-- Reintroduction of Royal Canadian Airforce and Royal Canadian Navy (video report)