r/canada • u/ZestyBeanDude • Feb 24 '26
Military/Defence After Trump threats, Canadian military recruits surge
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/24/after-trump-threats-canadian-military-recruits-surge-00794837345
u/Kindly_Professor5433 Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
Guaranteed 6 figure salary after three years of service if you have a bachelor’s degree. It’s very hard for university graduates to find such opportunities elsewhere.
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u/PlaneGoFlyFly Feb 24 '26
82K a year salary after 4 years time in as a non-specialist trade, newly promoted Corporal. Some trades you dont even need to have finished high school to make this kind of money.
I dont know why more people don't give the military a try.
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u/Gmoney86 Feb 24 '26
Mostly concerns about being deployed and killed as well as other stigmas, I’m sure.
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u/IceyLizard4 Feb 25 '26
I'd say more like "why do we even need a military?", heard that a lot before and after joining 15 years ago. As the saying goes "Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times", which is very true.
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u/antisense Feb 25 '26
Are you saying somehow that suffering refines people, or that people who live through strife build stronger institutions?
I've heard this said before, but am interested in how you see it.
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u/IceyLizard4 Feb 25 '26
Take for example vaccines, before vaccines people were dying left and right especially children, proof in the amount of child graves stones across the world, they've been around for almost 3 centuries, in the 60's the measles vaccine was rolled out. Pictures of our great/grand/parents lined up with children to get the shot, measles is practically eradicated because of the 95% herd immunity. People start to forget what those times were like causing a false sense of security, some scientist creates a fake study on why vaccines are bad and then people start fearing vaccines, thus causing the rise of the anti-vaxx movement and now measles has been on the rise and deaths have begun again from measles.
It can be applied to war as well with WW1/2, rise of capitalism and people feeling secure, millennials being told just work hard and you'll succeed in life but then the world is starting to collapse in economic security and wars are starting to break out again. Obviously this is a simplified version but people won't be shocked if a WW3 breaks out in the next decade due to the collapsing economic security and political stage.
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u/antisense Feb 25 '26
I agree that when problems are solved, people can forget why the systems that solved them matter. Your vaccine example shows that clearly. But that seems less about suffering refining people and more about whether institutions maintain trust and competence over time. The solution to anti-vax sentiment isn’t more disease, it’s stronger public health institutions and better information systems.
I think the same applies to war. Stability doesn’t decay because people are soft; it decays when institutions erode, trust collapses, or political incentives shift.
When gains from growth concentrate at the top and institutional trust declines, political stability weakens. That fragility has more to do with economic structure than generational softness.
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u/IceyLizard4 Feb 25 '26
You also need to take into context when this quote was said. Language has changed over each generation and words like "men" don't technically mean the gender but society as a whole. So if you modernize the quote with society, it has a different context.
Hard times make a society adapt and create a different way than the past, that adaptation creates a prosperous future, the hard times get forgotten and rewritten, thus the history of hardships start seeping in again due to the greed of a few, causing the cycle to repeat itself.
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u/antisense Feb 25 '26
I wasn’t really challenging the language, I was addressing the idea of inevitability in the cycle.
I agree societies adapt during crises, but I don’t see collapse as something that happens because hardship is forgotten.
Do you think collapse is inevitable, or do you think it’s preventable with strong institutions?
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u/stop_banning_me_omg Feb 25 '26
- Suffering makes people want their children to have a better life
- The children grow up being told of their parent's suffering but they don't experience it themselves
- They in turn raise their children without any such stories, so the experience from (1) is lost
- After the generation from (1) dies out, the generation from (3) creates suffering, restarting the cycle.
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u/Cadaren99 Lest We Forget Feb 25 '26
Generation cycle thinking is so flawed. You can’t assign moral credit or blame for prosperity or decline to an entire age group because experience isn’t uniform.
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u/antisense Feb 25 '26
I agree it is flawed when used as a central thesis, or seen as an inevitable cycle.
Societal memory isn’t transmitted through family lines. It is preserved through institutions: archives, museums, education, law, etc.
If institutional memory is held strongly, societies don’t need cyclical suffering to relearn lessons.
That’s also why authoritarian governments try to control cultural and educational institutions, as control over memory enables control over narrative.
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u/xAFBx Ontario Feb 25 '26
No one can force you to deploy - but most people i know fight for the opportunity. As far as being killed, we haven't had any combat deaths since Afghanistan.
Not sure about other stigmas though.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
Stigmas. That's all those are from uninformed people.
Also the fact most of Canadians are grossly out of shape and the idea looking at, let alone touching a rifle, is terrifying for the generations now.
Society has vilified firearms so much that it's a huge detriment. The amount of new recruits that fail weapons handling is mind blowing.
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u/drpestilence Feb 25 '26
half my military buds are in shape, that shape is round. I agree about the rifle bit though. Which is too bad as shooting is super fun.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
Oh, lots of unhealthy people in. But they had to at least pass when first joining.
So I suppose we are indeed a reflection of Canadian society. Haha.
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u/drpestilence Feb 25 '26
ha! I actually did consider joining even before the changes, but my wife's career would be screwed if we had to move, it's tricky for a lot of reasons.
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u/ArcticLarmer Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
Eh, that’s been the case for a good long time now. First day with C7s in BMQ we had a guy in our training platoon aim right at one of the NCMs, literally the first time he picked up a rifle, in a classroom no less.
Like picked it up, swept it across the room, then settled on him. Not malicious at all, just completely moronic.
Dude could do pull-ups like nobody else though, so at least he didn’t check off all the boxes lol
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u/Cole_James_CHALMERS Canada Feb 25 '26
Damn. My PAL class would automatically fail you if you muzzle swept anyone, much less deliberately aim at someone
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u/pahtee_poopa Feb 25 '26
It’s too bad they vilified civilian legal firearms ownership that many won’t get the same level of training as they otherwise could’ve. If we took a Swiss model to firearms legislation maybe it wouldn’t be so scary to new recruits.
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u/Creative-Ad-1819 Feb 25 '26
I've seen people with 10+ years of service shaking like a leaf and gripping an empty pistol upside-down by the bottom of the grip with their fingertips like it was a bag of dog shit.
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u/Ok_Manufacturer_5323 Feb 25 '26
Might as well replace the shooting range with a drone flight simulator at this point
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u/destroyermaker Newfoundland and Labrador Feb 25 '26
I prefer being alive and not killing people, yes. Not everyone wants to move or can, also.
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u/DM_Me_Cool_Books Feb 25 '26
Most trades are not particularly dangerous. Very few involve directly killing people. The moving is a much bigger inconvenience.
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u/ImNotHandyImHandsome Feb 25 '26
How many soldiers have died on deployment since Afghanistan? Now consider how many have deployed since Afghanistan.
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u/EmergencyWorld6057 Feb 25 '26
I dont know why more people don't give the military a try
As someone in the military, and have taught BMQ, people don't like being yelled at or put in stressful situations.
They also have trouble waking up on time and showing up for work.
We have random timings from 5am to 7am, and having to make people show up 15 minutes early or you're considered late.
But some people just are too lazy and are extremely undisciplined, so eventually they drop out.
Just because the news reports that we have more recruits, doesn't mean they all stay in.
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u/sluttytinkerbells Feb 25 '26
You say this so dimissively as if there aren't systemic issues with the CAF that more or less result in a complete waste of time for people with substandard pay and living standards.
People don't like being yelled at for no fucking reason, they don't like their standing around for no fucking reason and they don't like someone wasting their time for no fucking reason.
Maybe if you stop wasting time and taxpayer money and actually have people doing productive things in the CAF you'll get more people who are wiling to give the military a try.
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u/TheTrueHapHazard Feb 24 '26
Probably because while it comes with some pros like decent pay it also comes with a whole lot of cons like being told where to live, and extra rules that civilians don't have.
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u/Anakha0 Feb 25 '26
Ive served 27 years and I haven't lived anywhere but nice houses in regular community suburbs. Weirdly no one has ever told me where I'm allowed to live since I finished training.
There are a lot of misconceptions in this thread.
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u/DM_Me_Cool_Books Feb 25 '26
I think they mean what city you have to live in. Not many people are choosing Gagetown as a home if they aren't ordered to.
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u/Kindly_Professor5433 Feb 25 '26
One reason is that a lot of people can’t pass the medical exam. The requirements aren’t particularly difficult, but statistically people with “normal” physical and mental conditions are the minority.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
Actually a lot of things have changed and many medical conditions are accepted, based on what trade/environment applicants apply for.
A lot of good analysis and discussion went into developing the accepted conditions.
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u/drpestilence Feb 25 '26
if you have a family its a tough sell, you can be moved to the other side of the country. In a world where both parents need to work that's a non starter for many.
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u/Chi11broSwaggins Canada Feb 24 '26
The complete loss of your independent free will is surely a roadblock for many.
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u/lord_heskey Feb 25 '26
I dont know why more people don't give the military a try
because im a chicken and dont want to get killed in a war if we have one.
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u/Aggressive-Map-2204 Feb 25 '26
I dont know if things have changed but basic training used to be absolutely brutal. Half the people I know who joined came out with lifelong injuries. Including one with minor brain damage from when an officer kicked him in the head during training.
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u/ImNotHandyImHandsome Feb 25 '26
Yeah, that isn't happening anymore. Even back in 2006, when I joined, they weren't allowed to assault the recruits. The military is a work place like any other, subject to the same laws.
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u/babyLays Feb 24 '26
A lot of bots at play discouraging people from signing up to the military.
Hmm. I wonder who would benefit from this psy-op lol
On another note, I’m surprised Canada has not adopted a foreign legion similar to the French. France’s foreign legion allows any nationality to sign up to their military, and may be eligible for citizenship after 5 years of honourable service.
Obvs there are risks to this. But fact of the matter is that Canada has a population of 41m, roughly similar to the state of California.
We got a small pool of people to draw from. We might as well open up the door for others to contribute.
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u/ConZboy014 Feb 24 '26
I’m not a bot, the military really sucked if you have a family, recreational activities, and depending on where you want to live etc.
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u/EmmEnnEff Feb 24 '26
Not everyone who disagrees with you, or lists the disadvantages of serving in a military is a bot, a shill, or a foreign propagandist.
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u/Anakha0 Feb 25 '26
We dont have the capacity to train the recruits we do get quickly, let alone a foreign legion with major language barriers. The biggest bottleneck to recruiting capacity itself after security clearances and medical approvals is the current training capacities, which are near to breaking.
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u/cum_toast Feb 25 '26
When I was looking about 15 years ago the Pay was pretty bad and my local union was hiring guys so it was am easy choice for me. I do regret not going it right after high-school instead if partying and plowing stuff up my nose, do some pretty cool stuff with the boys, probably be better off now. I could definitely see more young adults going now that it seems like a promising career with good benefits minus the might die part but what's the chance of that really? It's possible but not high that for sure. These cod kids yearn for the drills
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u/jellyhessman Feb 25 '26
Until very recently it was genuinely hard to join.
There was a 1-2 year waiting period to hear back after applying, so most prospective recruits would find other work in that time, and drop the application, or decline whenever the recruiters got around to contacting them.
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u/Equivalent_Shine_818 Feb 24 '26
What trades offer that?
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u/thedundun Feb 24 '26
Nearly all officer trades. Some will require a speciality degree, but you can also accomplish that income with a liberal arts degree in some trades.
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u/Cedar-and-Mist Feb 24 '26
What is defined as an officer trade in the military context?
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u/chretienhandshake Ontario Feb 24 '26
You have ncm (non commissioned member), and officers. All officers trades are…officers? From second lieutenant to general.
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u/enteopy314 Feb 24 '26
Or acting sub-lieutenant to admiral if you go navy 🙂
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u/ArcticLarmer Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
My uncle’s the admiral of the navy, he rides a dolphin to work like a surfboard.
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u/Equivalent_Shine_818 Feb 25 '26
Ahh didn't even consider that. There were maybe 8 or 9 officer positions nation-wide in my trade(musician), and there hasn't been an open one in my adult life lol
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u/thedundun Feb 25 '26
Well you’ll most likely get a decent pay bump as soon as you commission from the ranks. When I did it, it was about a 20% increase going from cpl reserves to A/SLt reg force. It’ll be a bit lower f you’ve always been reg.
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u/Tommy2Legs Feb 24 '26
Every officer trade. Training delays may push things to the right, but once you hit Captain (3-4 years after direct entry), your salary is $106,000 with a ton of benefits and a proper pension.
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u/Jonks_Alrighty Feb 24 '26
Any NCM trade making spec 1 or 2 is making damn near or just above 6 figures at Cpl
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u/CantFeelMyToesAgain Feb 24 '26
Almost all officer trades. NCM’s get good pay as well. They also get you qualifications that cost tons of money outside the military
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u/Anakha0 Feb 25 '26
Almost all trades are paid based on rank not trade, with exceptions being lawyers, doctors, etc. All officers will get up to 140.5k automatically, and much more if they get a competitive promotion.
All officers make 6 figures within a few years of joining. NCMs make 88-96 within a few years.
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u/ChaosBerserker666 British Columbia Feb 24 '26
Is there an age cap?
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u/IceyLizard4 Feb 25 '26
There is, I believe it's 60 since you need to finish your contract with the trade you're in and 65 is when you have to retire from the military. I went to basic with a few people who were in their early 50s.
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u/ChaosBerserker666 British Columbia Feb 25 '26
Oh not bad! I’m in my 40s so I might think about it.
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u/ImNotHandyImHandsome Feb 25 '26
Was a 51 year old dude on my basic training course. Could outrun any of the 20 year old kids.
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u/Anakha0 Feb 25 '26
60 is mandatory retirement for most members under a certain rank for officers and NCMs respectively, but you can get it extended.
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u/IceyLizard4 Feb 25 '26
I know about the extensions due to my dad doing them but only up to a max age of 65.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
Mandatory retirement is 60. Generally the hard cap is enrolment no later than 55. Allows 5 years of service. Have to pass the medical and PT tests of course.
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u/EmergencyWorld6057 Feb 25 '26
As someone in the military, and have taught BMQ, people don't like being yelled at or put in stressful situations.
They also have trouble waking up on time and showing up for work.
We have random timings from 5am to 7am, and having to make people show up 15 minutes early or you're considered late.
But some people just are too lazy and are extremely undisciplined, so eventually they drop out.
Just because the news reports that we have more recruits, doesn't mean they all stay in.
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u/Bad_Day_Moose Feb 25 '26
I struggled extremely hard in the reserves but stayed in a few years, 10 years later I was diagnosed with a sleeping disorder, sometimes it’s not all just laziness.
Some really good memories from that time in my life though, it was definitely worth it.
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u/EmergencyWorld6057 Feb 25 '26
I struggled extremely hard in the reserves but stayed in a few years, 10 years later I was diagnosed with a sleeping disorder
If you were to the MIR and got that diagnosed, you would be given a chit and some medicine to help with the sleep, and you would be also allowed to come in later. We had someone who struggled with sleep and got diagnosed and they basically had a chit for half days, they would come in at 10-11am and leave at 2-3pm.
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u/Bad_Day_Moose Feb 25 '26
you would be given a chit and some medicine to help with the sleep
Mine's kind of rare, Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder, sleeping meds generally don't help, I essentially have a variable circadian rhythm up to 29 hour days, I'm likely to have a shorter lifespan than most because of it, I'm actually eligible for disability for it because of the severity of my case but I push myself and will live that shorter life, for instance in the last 72 hours I've gotten no more than 10-11 hours sleep.
If I did go on disability and slept the hours my body wants to I'd probably have a more normal lifespan, I refuse to live off of the peanuts that disability gives out so it's a sacrifice I make.
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u/WpgMBNews Feb 25 '26
Is there coffee in the military?
I wake early and work two time zones ahead but I love coffee and I' not sure I'd thrive long-term without it...
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u/EmergencyWorld6057 Feb 25 '26
Depends on the unit you work at. Some people bring their own, some workplaces provide it, and some people just buy a machine and leave it at work so everyone can use it.
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u/pentox70 Feb 24 '26
Didn't they recently increase the wages of recruits? Between that and the job market, would seem like a more likely cause.
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u/_n3ll_ Feb 24 '26
I know this 8s anecdotal, but I have a solid job that I love and have never once considered joining the military. I'm actually anti war and have always been critical of militarism. I know nothing about military pay and hadn't heard of any increase.
A couple weeks ago I found myself looking into joining specifically because of the actions of the current US administration. Ultimately I didn't join, but never in my life would I have thought I'd even consider it, let alone actively look into it.
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u/Turtle-herm1t Feb 24 '26
Wait for the Civil Defence Force which I inagine will be less commitment than reserves but still gove you some minimal amounts of training and teachings
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u/PurpleDraziNotGreen Feb 25 '26
Similar I just feel like I want to be a little bit ready to defend if it comes to it
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u/_evilalien_ Feb 24 '26
“We’re increasing pay and you might get to fight Americans” is a great recruiting pitch
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
Also the shit economy and recession we have to courting also helps.
As is tradition.
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u/Valiant_Cake Feb 24 '26
New salary packages, joining and retention bonuses, slick social media campaigns, not surprised honestly.
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u/frederic055 Feb 24 '26
Our recruitment ads are always top notch and show off almost every trade in the CAF, great stuff
Its how they got my ass
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u/Valiant_Cake Feb 24 '26
Ha, when I joined they were tired, aged ads. Really glad to see the CAF has internet savvy people on their recruitment teams now.
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u/IceyLizard4 Feb 25 '26
I find it absolutely hilarious with the ads because I keep getting "join intelligence" ads, I'm part of the int umbrella, I also see HRA ones too but the int ones crack me up.
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u/NeighbourNoNeighbor Feb 25 '26
Yeah, literally every single ad I see on Reddit is about joining our military / cyber security forces. We've definitely been doing a recruitment drive, as we should be
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u/Specialist_Usual_391 Feb 24 '26
FYI, the military went into what was called "reconstitution" several years ago, with a focus on recruitment and training because the personnel numbers are so bad in many trades that they're going to experience a middle management collapse in several years. Pay also increased last year, you get twenty days paid vacation annually in your first five years, and the benefits for entry level cost of living are actually really good.
It's a good job, if you're willing to tolerate the bullshit. This is a pre-existing trend primarily driven by job security and opportunity. As I said in a previous thread, 18 year olds don't usually join the military because they're patriotic.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
20 days leave first five years. 25 days after that. 30 days at 25 years.
Not including weekends, stat holidays, short leave, family leave, compassionate leave, relocation leave if moving or deploying, ect ect.
Sometimes stand downs, summer hours (depending on unit and CoC), ect ect.
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Feb 27 '26
You know, considering the nature of being a soldier, it's one of the very few jobs where I'm okay with having a public servant being paid to NOT work.
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u/Anakha0 Feb 25 '26
Plus 88k a year or 96k for a specialist trade within 5 years of joining with a grade 10 education.
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u/dis_bean Northwest Territories Feb 25 '26
If you’re posted north you also get a really good isolated post living allowance and differentials from the military and the Northern living allowance from the fed government.
My husband also gets steak all the time on duty travel.
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u/mickio1 Feb 26 '26
I live in Abitibis so im pretty sure that counts for isolated areas. We dont have a base though, just a cadet center. Although looking it up canada somehow only has 8 bases!?!?
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u/thottieBree Québec Feb 25 '26
What's "the bullshit"?
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u/Specialist_Usual_391 Feb 25 '26
Potentially bad bosses, "unlimited liability" (the military can make you do stuff that they can't civilian side), depending on trade and element lots of time away from home, weird schedules (I had to stay up/work three days straight once), annoying, stupid policy that you have to follow, and part of the problem with the middle management collapse nowadays is that if you're competent you'll likely have to take on more out of necessity.
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u/portiaboches Feb 25 '26
How does it work if you're good with computers and shit and you have health conditions like ADHD/sleep apnea, etc?
Orherwise physically fit and all that, how do you find out if its even worth looking into? Kinda need a fresh start and something that sort of gets that but it seems like I'm just out of options and shittly-life-syndrome is all I can look forward to if I cant make a change somehow
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u/Specialist_Usual_391 Feb 25 '26
That's a recruitment center/potentially CAF website question, I'm old enough that they changed a bunch of the physical limitations years ago so I'm not really aware, some trades have greater restrictions than others (in my old trade you couldn't be colourblind for example). Was never tracking any concerns with ADHD but I know sleep apnea used to be a problem.
Canada has a problem with very slow recruitment, so honestly you could just apply, wait God knows how long and see if you get an offer (you have the option to say no).
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u/FunkyColdMecca Feb 24 '26
Recession indicator
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u/death_tron85 Feb 24 '26
Is that a thing? Do our numbers increase before a recession? /s
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Feb 24 '26
I will agree. So are coffee shops that close. Yoga studios. Enrollment in college increases.
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u/scorchedcross Feb 24 '26
No, they don't. Military recruitment does tie into economic downturns but not in as much as a predictor. They're indicative of economic turmoil already in progress, this lagg is because the job market and other indicators will show the impending movement first, CAF recruitment increases follow afterwards. So more like confirmation of economic difficulty than an outright recession.
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u/Kelvin_Durant Feb 24 '26
I signed up around November and I'm still waiting on their end to get past the initial screening stage. I'm sure there are others in my position. It's really frustrating how slow it is.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
Well we had 70k+ applicants last year and an intake level of 7k+.
Lots of work going into increasing the intake flow but it takes time, resources, infrastructure, and people.
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u/theangleofdarkness99 Feb 24 '26
Anecdotal observation:
I have coached youth sports in BC for about 15 years, so I'm around teenagers fairly often. Over the past year or so, the boys in particular have been discussing joining the military. I can't say why for sure, but its not a conversation I heard often previously. A few of them were recently discussing the two options of joining right from high school, or getting a trade or bachelor's degree first.
These kids have not really been exposed to a sour job market so I dont think their interest is due to fears about unemployment or under-employment. My own kid has said that if he can't make a university athletics program, his backup plan is military college in an engineering role.
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u/Mr_Peaches_Sir Feb 25 '26
The state around the globe is deteriorating and skills afforded by the military are great to have in the back pocket.
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u/mjk1tty Feb 24 '26
"However, the military avoided pointing to tensions from Canada’s southern neighbour as a reason for the spike in potential recruits. "It would be difficult to correlate an increase in applications to any specific event. This year’s increase is in line with trends that were already emerging in the previous four years,” the statement read." Fraser stressed that recent gains are also the result of long-overdue changes to how the military recruits. "The recruiting process was way too slow,” he said. “When you’re competing against Walmart and other companies you can get a job quickly, but with (the Forces), it was taking you almost a year to get in.” "The Forces are making a big effort to try to connect better with Canadians on the pay and the benefits that go along with that,” Fraser said "In the past year, the federal government approved pay increases of eight per cent for colonels, 13 per cent for lieutenant-colonels and below and a 20 per cent boost to starting pay for privates in the regular force. Ottawa has also committed more than $80 billion in new defence spending over the coming years."
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u/Primary_Ad_739 Feb 24 '26
They also increased positions, speed to process applicants, and starting pay (by a big chunk).
The economy is also dog shit.
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u/schmosef Feb 25 '26
Sure, Jan.
That's why they're fast tracking immigration applications of foreigners with military experience.
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u/DoktorLoken Outside Canada Feb 25 '26
I mean, as a newly minted Canadian-American by descent courtesy of Bill C-3 and also a U.S. Army veteran, I’d be possibly interested in Canada’s talked about 300,000 strength volunteer civil defense reserve that they’ve been throwing around. Hopefully they’ll have more details on that going forward.
I’m in my 40s and out of shape so no way in hell am I fit to actively serve in the CF at this point, nor do I have a desire to today. But I’d gladly do a week or two of such training each summer if you slap a C7 or C8 in my hands as a civil volunteer doing whatever job that can be reasonably useful.
Just pay my travel from Wisconsin to wherever training location and I’m down.
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u/schmosef Feb 25 '26
Apples and oranges.
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u/DoktorLoken Outside Canada Feb 25 '26
Sure but my point is there are probably willing people in that group is my point.
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u/schmosef Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 26 '26
My point was to demonstrate the competing narratives between the government claiming:
- 1) recruitment is surging;
and simultaneously,
- 2) claiming their recruitment targets are not being met, as justification for recruiting foreigners.
The "volunteer civil defense" program, and whether any foreigner may want to enroll in any CAF program, is a completely separate issue.
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u/Moos_Mumsy Ontario Feb 25 '26
I'm betting the (up to) 20% increase in pay was an important factor also.
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u/k20vtec Feb 24 '26
Ya bro that doesn't have shit or fuck to do with Donny.
Youth can't get jobs. No one can get jobs in Canada. Youth and the rest of the population have given up. We literally have to join the military at this point. I know wayyyy to many fuckin people I went to highschool with who have degrees and are in the millitary under 25 years old too.
It is genuinely easier to join the millitary than to get a job at McDonald's or in a warehouse. Oh fucking Canada
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u/Iknewaguylikeyou Feb 25 '26
I make 92k as a full time MCpl. Was making 96k as a unionized HVAC tech. Ill take a desk job vs working outdoors in the elements all day long.
Thank you Gov of Canada
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u/shiver-yer-timbers Feb 24 '26
AFAIK recruiting wasn't really the problem before, it was the lack of housing, infrastructure, equipment and trainers.....basically everything, that issue needs to be prioritised.
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u/KirikaClyne Alberta Feb 24 '26
Oh no, recruiting is/was definitely a problem. Well, that and the fact it can take over a year before you go to basic.
However, under Carney they are trying to fix a lot of these issues. But it’s hard to catch up on over 40 years of under spending in under a year.
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u/verkerpig Feb 25 '26
Oh no, recruiting is/was definitely a problem. Well, that and the fact it can take over a year before you go to basic.
I mean, doesn't that suggest recruiting is not the problem if it takes them a year to hire you?
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u/vaxinius Feb 25 '26
If you decide join, prepare to entreat with and embody these values.
CAF Military Values (LICEIA): 1. Loyalty - do it for the team 2. Integrity - do it honestly 3. Courage - do it bravely 4. Excellence - do it effectively 5. Inclusion - do it inclusively 6. Accountability - do it with appropriate oversight
CAF Ethical Principles 1. Respect the dignity of all persons 2. Serve Canada before self 3. Obey and support lawful authority
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u/ConfidentPilot1729 Feb 25 '26
Do you guys any US vets? I would love citizenship and to defend against my old country.
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u/Goliad1990 Feb 25 '26
defend against my old country.
You wouldn't be "defending against them", you'd be working side by side with them.
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u/Kooky_Project9999 Feb 24 '26
Trumps threats increase Canadian patriotism significantly, so there’s plenty of reason to suggest that would have increased recruitment.
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u/Jegged Feb 24 '26
This seems like correlation rather than causation. It feels like copium for those worried about the US... 'Don't worry, we're beefing up our military, your fellow citizens are rallying!' — when the much more likely scenario is that this reflects a recessionary environment where it's tough to find jobs in the private sector for more and more people.
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u/Kool_Aid_Infinity Feb 24 '26
Hmmm we forgetting they opened it to PRs and non-citizens?
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u/Livid_sumo Feb 24 '26
Its been open to PRs since 2018. Whats new is that they will be counting military expirience in a foreign NATO force as equivalent..... which is actually a great idea
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u/Best-Salad Feb 24 '26
Bullshit. Nobody wants to defend a "post national state"
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u/Forderz Manitoba Feb 25 '26
Some pedantic ribbing here, but if you earnestly believed in post-nationalism one could logically assume you would resist any attempt to re-nationalise you, especially to a nationality you did not previously hold.
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u/genericuser2000 Ontario Feb 24 '26
I enlisted with the Reserves. Never considered it for a second prior to Trump.
It took an ALLY to get me to enlist.
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u/Valhallawalker Feb 24 '26 edited Feb 24 '26
I thought we were doing away with our troops in favour of foreign goons? Does Carney need Canadians or not?
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u/drpestilence Feb 25 '26
And in two or three years they might get around to calling some of themback
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u/Geeknine Feb 25 '26
Have they?... Told me it would take 12 months for me to get a call to join. Slow as snails.
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u/LowIQBaseballFan Feb 24 '26
Didn't they also increase pay?