As a former member of the Special Service Force, I wish to clarify a few points.
During my time there, the formation consisted of the following units (in no particular order):
SSF Headquarters and Signal Squadron
The Canadian Airborne Regiment (at one time the individual commandos had unit status, however, that changed and the commanders of the commandos became OCs rather than COs).
1st Battalion RCR
2nd Regiment RCHA
The Royal Canadian Dragoons
2 Combat Engineer Regiment
2 Service Battalion
2 Field Ambulance
2 MP Platoon
I seem to recall that 427 Squadron came under 10 Tactical Air Group, but still belonged to Air Command.
Not everybody in the SSF wore the maroon beret, nor was everybody expected to be jump qualified. As a Radar Technician in 2 Svc Bn, I wore a green beret and had slim to nil chance of a jump course.
Members of the Airborne Regiment held jump positions and wore the maroon beret and white maple leaf on their wings. There were members of the Airborne who were not jump qualfied, and wore the Airborne cap badge on a green beret.
E Battery of 2 RCHA was designated "para", and qualified parachutists holding jump positions wore the maroon beret and white maple leaf on their wings.
Airborne Evacuation Platoon of 2 Field Ambulance was designated "para", and qualified parachutists holding jump positions wore the maroon beret and white maple leaf on their wings.
Airborne Recce Troop of the RCDs consisted of qualified parachutists holding jump positions who did not wear maroon berets, but wore the white maple leaf on their wings.
I believe a squadron of 2 CER was designated para (I may be mistaken - it may have been individual jump positions).
Parachute qualified individuals within the other units holding jump positions wore the maroon beret and the white maple leaf on their jump wings. For example, certain traffic technicians in 2 Svc Bn and certain personnel within the HQ and Signal Squadron. Because of this, you would see people wearing EME, Intelligence, Logistics badges on maroon berets, but this was the exception rather than the rule.
Most of us within the SSF were not jump qualified, however, we did wear the parachutist smock, with the "Osons" formation badges on the sleeves.
I hope that this first hand "worm's eye view" is of some help.
Phil
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