Book excerpt: The introduction of official bilingualism has been one of the most contentious reforms ever attempted in the Canadian Armed Forces and this paper examines the steps taken by the Director General of Bilingualism and Biculturalism and his department in the planning and implementation of official bilingualism. Moreover the paper reveals the nature of civil-military relations in Canada from the focus that while military traditions may be well established in Canada, they are not deeply engrained in the national consciousness.