By Michael Nickerson
SO YOU WANT to be a soldier. No? Let me rephrase then…would you like to be a soldier? Alright that’s two no’s in quick succession, but hear me out. I’m offering not just a job but a culture; a family; a way of life! Admittedly the pay doesn’t quite keep up with the cost of living at the moment, the work environment is a tad toxic, and the retirement benefits are only reasonable as long as you have a lawyer to sue for them. Oh, and more often than not you’ll be reporting to white male superiors, so try to keep that sex and skin colour under wraps if you
can.
I haven’t covered all the stereotypes there but you get the picture. When it comes to choosing a job, much less a profession, the idea of a career in the military has become rather unpalatable of late, much like a tuna casserole that’s been sitting at the buffet table too long...old, a bit whiffy, and nowhere near as enticing as that popcorn shrimp at the other end.
To put it mildly, the Canadian military has a recruitment problem. Currently our military is some 7,500 shy of regular force requirements, to say nothing of the dearth of reservists needed to meet the most basic of projected needs. Add to that the fact that the armed forces are bleeding seasoned staff and instructors and it should come as no surprise our NATO allies are wondering whether we’ll be stuck sending people from a temp agency should war ever breaks out with
Russia.
According to our Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Wayne Eyre, it will take a good seven years to get our recruitment numbers back to where they need to be, citing both the pandemic and sexual misconduct crisis as reasons for Canadians turning up their noses at the idea of a career in the military.
However, as has recently been reported by David Pugliese in the Ottawa Citizen, National Defence is now on the case! Specifically, the military has “stood up a Recruitment Modernization Team that will look at a complete re-design of our recruitment process.” This is apparently part of the directive from CDS Eyre to “overcome deficiencies that are hampering the composition and readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
What does that actually entail? One suspects a magic wand. But short of that it involves a wholesale change of military culture which ultimately both reflects and welcomes the diversity of Canada as it is now and not some Victorian afterglow. And to be sure, the good folks at National Defence have been giving it their antiquated best, most recently with an open policy on uniform choice and haircuts; all rather superficial in action and out-of-touch in understanding.
So in a rapidly changing world that needs fresh recruits with fresh and nimble minds to deal with a world that moves far faster than a Napoleonic artillery barrage, what is a savvy leader who believes in institution over self to do?
Last year CDS Eyre opined that “We need our mid-level leaders to dig deep and do this for the institution, to put service before self, not to retreat into retirement but to advance forward and face the challenges head-on.” If ever a man had the right idea while going in the wrong direction, it’s Gen. Wayne Eyre.
To be sure he is right in stating that Canada’s mid-level leaders need to stay and help a proud institution catch up with reality, to “dig deep and do this for the institution.” But apparently he hasn’t taken a good look in the mirror, nor has his senior staff. Canada has one of the most top-heavy militaries when it comes to generals there is, and those generals have been the ones who have lead our armed forces to a cultural and functional
abyss.
While it won’t fix everything, it will go a long way in achieving the change our forces need if an old and out-of-touch senior staff will just get out of the way and let a new generation take charge. Dig deep and retire gentlemen. Please.
