Special Service Force The Special Service Force is a designation used by a Second World war Canadian - American formation , and also used by a Canadian Army formation from 1977 to 1995 . Motto - OSONS ( We Dare ) Second World War : 1st Special Service Force . In 1942 a highly specialized joint Canadian - American force was created to undertake special operations in Europe . In order that 500 " all ranks " could be recruited without undue publicity being directed towards their future role , the 2nd Canadian Parachute battalion was raised at the same time as the 1st , coming into order on 10 July 1942 . On 25 May 1943 it became the 1st Canadian Special Force Brigade , with its officers and men distributed with the Americans throughout the multi - national unit . The 1st Special Service Force was trained in Helena , Montana before being deployed in the Aleutians Islands in 1943 , where it had valuable training experience . By November it had gone into action in Italy , where it distinguished itself in the successful assaults on Monte Le Difensa and Monte La Remetanea . It also fought at Anzio and in the drive to Rome , where it was the first Allied formation to enter the city . The 1st Special Service Force then advanced as far as the Tiber before being deployed for the invasion of Southern France , where it spearheaded the landing force . After seeing action on the Franco - Italian border , the joint force was disbanded and the Canadian element was separated . It , too , was disbanded in December 1944 , having fought well , earning ten battle honours & been given the nickname " the Devil ' s Brigade " . Post World War II : Canadian Army 2nd Special Service Force . In 1977 , 2 Combat Group combined with the Canadian Airborne Regiment to form the 2nd Special Service Force , a formation of the Canadian Army . This latter - day Special Service Force represented a compromise between the general - purpose combat capabilities of a normal brigade and the strategic and tactical flexibility that derived from the lighter and more mobile capabilities of the Canadian Airborne Regiment . The Force was a brigade - sized command with strength of 3 , 500 , created to provide a small , highly mobile , general - purpose force that could be inserted quickly into any national or international theatre of operations . To this end each unit in the Force had a parachute sub - unit that would be used to support the Airborne Regiment . The 8th Canadian Hussars had an armoured reconnaissance troop with Lynx reconnaissance vehicle s until 1987 , then replaced by the Royal Canadian Dragoons . The 2nd Regiment , Royal Canadian Horse Artillery , had a parachute battery ( E Battery ) with 105 mm L5 Pack Howitzers and 2 Combat Engineer Regiment provided an Airborne Engineer Troop . Command and supporting elements of SSF Headquarters and Signals were Airborne , as were a platoon provided from 2 Field Ambulance and a Tactical Air Movements Section from 2 Service Battalion . Though ultimately the Special Service Force ' s readiness and deployability were never tested as a formation , its units and soldiers served in operations both at home and around the world . They served in Cyprus , Somalia , the Former Yugoslavia , Rwanda , Namibia and internally at the uprisings in Ipperwash and southeastern Ontario . The following Units were serving in the SSF on disbandment in 1995 : With the addition of Leopard tanks for the RCD , M109 howitzers for 2 RCHA and the addition of the 2nd Battalion , the Royal Canadian Regiment , the Special Service Force was redesignated as 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group ( CMBG ) by a ministerial order signed on 24 April 1995 . This decision and the associated reorganizing and re - equipping of the formation are a reflection of the current emphasis in Canadian defence policy on general purpose capabilities . With a smaller force structure , a smaller defence budget and more frequent operational taskings , it has become clear that general purpose capabilities provide the best return on investment in defence . Accordingly , 2 CMBG has been designed to be a mirror image reflection of its two sister formations , 1 CMBG in Western Canada , and 5 CMBG in Quebec . In completing this transformation , 2 CMBG maintains the spirit and traditions of the Special Service Force , while mastering the equipment and tactical doctrine that give it wide employability in a range of possible taskings .