Navy veterans will not be able to wear their uniforms at memorials and special events after the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa issued a new nationwide standing order last week.

According to the order, all former service people in the Royal Canadian Navy must request permission in writing before wearing their uniforms at any event, including parades, war memorial celebrations and other formal functions.

“Permission for former service members to wear uniforms is limited and revocable,” according to the five-page order dated June 13 obtained by the Star.

“Requests by former RCN service members to wear uniforms, including mess dress, will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Such approval shall be limited to exceptional circumstances where the wearing of the uniform is necessary and will favourably contribute to the RCN.”

The order has caused an out roar among military veterans on social media.

“F--- that,” wrote one Royal Canadian Air Force veteran on Facebook. “Wore mine getting married, even told the Navy while stuck with them ‘C’mon get me for wearing it.’ ”

New Democrat defence critic Jack Harris (St. John’s East) called the order “outrageous and insulting.”

“Canada’s veterans have bravely served this country and wear their uniforms with pride at ceremonies commemorating their service,” said Harris. “It shows an absolute lack of respect for this service to tell veterans that they now need to ask permission to wear their uniforms and show their pride for having served this country.”

The order seems to reinforce one already on the books, which requires veterans to get permission before wearing their uniforms.

According to an FAQ on the Directorate of History and Heritage section of the National Defence and Canadian Forces website, vets are required to get permission before wearing their uniforms and are encouraged to wear only their medals and cap with civilian dress.

That rule was routinely ignored during special occasions, such as Remembrance Day ceremonies and parades, said Michael Blais, the founder and president of Canadian Veterans Advocacy.

But the new order may cast the net too wide and result in thousands of individual requests to wear uniforms during memorials, said the retired sergeant from the Royal Canadian Regiment.

“It’s just ludicrous,” he said. “All the veterans of the Canadian navy in theory have to ask permission now from (Vice)-Admiral (Paul) Maddison in order to wear their beret on Remembrance Day.”

The order was issued after senior naval officers complained that retired officers wore their formal uniforms, or mess kits, at a gala dinner held to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic at the Canadian War Museum in early May.

“The mess kit is a formal uniform of active service members and is not to be worn after retirement,” wrote a senior naval officer in an email to a gala organizer.

“This is clearly against Queen’s Regulations and Orders and cannot be condoned,” he wrote in the email obtained by the Star.

Distinguishing between active and retired members is essential, the order states, because active members “remain sworn to unlimited liability if ordered into harm’s way, and therefore must be clearly recognizable as such.”

While most people who serve in the Canadian Forces return their uniforms when they leave active service, officers who purchase their own mess kits are allowed to keep them, said Deanna Simrite, secretary treasurer at Anavets Dominion Command.

The rule prohibiting retired officers from wearing their uniform is intended to distinguish between those who retain contemporary mess kits and their active-duty counterparts with identical uniforms, she said.

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“When you’re wearing a World War II navy uniform, no one is confusing you with a currently serving officer,” she said. “We don’t have a problem with that and I don’t think the (navy) has a problem with that.”

Her organization has written to the Department of Defence suggesting that it issue a clarification.

“Maybe you should put out a very clear directive on where and what is appropriate for veterans to wear. And that would be a lot easier. I’m sure the navy doesn’t want to deal with a whole bunch of requests to wear old naval caps to Remembrance Day.”

The RCN held its change of command ceremony Thursday without notifying the media and did not return calls for comment on the order.