31 Service Battalion

31 Service Battalion
Active	1965 – 1975 (as Hamilton Service Battalion) 1975 – 2007 (as 21, 22, and 23 Service Battalions) 2007 – present (as 31 Service Battalion)
Country	Canada
Branch	Primary Reserve
Part of	4th Canadian Division
Garrison/HQ	Windsor, Ontario, London, Ontario, and Hamilton, Ontario
Motto(s)	BELLUM EST CRAS (War is tomorrow)[1]
Commanders
Commanding Officer	Lieutenant-Colonel Sean T. Harding[1]
Regimental Sergeant Major	Chief Warrant Officer MS Delarosbil[1]
Abbreviation	31 Svc Bn

31 Service Battalion is a combat service support unit of The Canadian Army Reserve. The unit was formed in 2007 when 21 (Windsor) Service Battalion, 22 (London) Service Battalion, 23 (Hamilton) Service Battalion and elements of Area Support Unit London were merged into one formation.^[2]

Unit history

The unit's predecessor was Hamilton Service Battalion, formed on 1 January 1965. The new battalion was made up of four units, 133 Company Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC), 16 Medical Company Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC), 5 Technical Regiment Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers (RCEME), 4 Ordnance Company Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC), a platoon of Military Police and members of the Canadian Women's Army Corps. The unit became part of the Hamilton Militia District.

In 1975 all service battalions were numbered and the Hamilton Service Battalion became 23 (Hamilton) Service Battalion. In 1976 the Medical Company became an independent unit known as 23 Medical Company, Canadian Forces Medical Services. With the closing of the Militia Districts and the formation of the Brigade system, 23 Service Battalion became part of 31 Canadian Brigade Group headquartered in London, Ontario.

Members of the battalion have served with NATO on Reforger Exercises in West Germany and in Norway, and with distinction on peacekeeping missions with the United Nations, NATO and multi-national forces, in Egypt, Cyprus, Golan Heights, Namibia, Cambodia, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Rwanda and Afghanistan. Unit members have also served on domestic operations during the Olympic Games in Canada, the blizzard of 1977 in the Niagara region, the Manitoba floods of 1997 and the ice storms of 1998 in eastern Ontario.

On 3 November 2001, the battalion (in its former designation as 23 Service Battalion) was granted Freedom of the City of Hamilton by Mayor Bob Wade.

31 Service Battalion is affiliated with the British Army's 158 Regiment RLC (formerly of the Royal Anglian Regiment). The units exchange annual training exercises where members of 158 Regiment undergo winter warfare training at 4th Canadian Division Training Centre Meaford, Ontario and 31 Service Battalion members attend a fall exercise in England.

References

External links

• 31 Service Battalion official website

Canadian Army
History	History of the Canadian Army Canadian Corps First Canadian Army Military History of Canada Fort Frontenac Library
Structure	Structure of the Canadian Army 2nd Canadian Division 3rd Canadian Division 4th Canadian Division 5th Canadian Division List of Units
Mechanized brigade groups	1 CMBG 2 CMBG 5 CMBG
Brigade groups	31 CBG 32 CBG 33 CBG 34 CBG 35 CBG 36 CBG 37 CBG 38 CBG 39 CBG 41 CBG
Small arms	C9 machine-gun C7A1 rifle/C8A1 carbine/C7A2 rifle C6 machine-gun Browning .50 calibre heavy machine gun Browning-HP 9 mm pistol P225, 226 C15 Long Range Sniper Weapon (LRSW) C3A1 sniper rifle C14 Timberwolf C13 fragmentation grenade M203 grenade launcher M72 SRAAW(L)
Crewed weapons	Carl Gustav SRAAW(M) ERYX SRAAW(H) TOW LRAAW(H) 81 mm mortar 60 mm mortar Javelin short-range air defence missile Skyguard C1 close support howitzer C3 close support howitzer LG1 Mark II 105 mm towed howitzer M777 lightweight 155mm howitzer C16 CASW
Armoured fighting vehicles	LAV III Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle ADATS Leopard C2 Leopard 2 Bison APC M113A3 and MTVL RG-31 Textron TAPV
Schools	Canadian Army Command and Staff College Peace Support Training Centre Canadian Army Advanced Warfare Centre
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