Canadian Forces. Women were restricted to certain trades, though by the 1990s were accepted into all trades. Captain Nichola Goddard was the first female combat soldier killed when she died in battle in Afghanistan in 2006. The first 'lady cadets' graduated from Royal Military College of Canada in the 1980s. Canadian Army flags To help distinguish its soldiers from British forces, the flag of the Canadian Active Service Force, also known as the Battle Flag of Canada, was approved for use on December 7, 1939, as the Army's command flag. The flag was designed by Colonel A. Fortescue Duguid, Director of the Historical Section at National Defence Headquarters. The battle flag was not popular, and its use was discontinued on January 22, 1944. After the Second World War, the Canadian Army did not have its own distinctive command flag or Ensign, but simply used the Canadian National Flag as a service flag when required. In 1989, Force Mobile Command requested and received a command flag, which was designed in the standard command flag pattern, with the Canadian flag in the canton, and the badge in the fly. The Union Jack was also used as the Army's service flag (flown at various army installations) along with the Red Ensign until 1965, after which the current Canadian Flag was exclusively used. Service flags Canadian Army command flags Leadership The Commander of the Canadian Army is the institutional head of the Canadian Army. The post was titled General Officer Commanding the Forces (Canada) from 1875 to 1904 when the withdrawal of British forces from Canada took place. It was then called Chief of the General Staff from 1904 until 1964 when the position was abolished with the unification of Canada's military forces. The appointment was titled Commander of Mobile Command from 1965 to 1993 and Chief of the Land Staff from 1993 to 2011. In 2011 Land Force Command was renamed the Canadian Army at which time the appointment was renamed to its present incarnation. See also Bibliography of Canadian military history Military history of Canada Canadian Militia Royal Military College of Canada Supplementary Order of Battle References Further reading Chartrand, René The Canadian Corps in World War I, (London: Opsrey, 2007). Kasurak, Peter. A National Force: The Evolution of Canada's Army, 1950–2000 (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2013) External links army.ca—Army.ca, a web forum and interactive wiki dealing with both current and historical issues