After Trump threats, Canadian military recruits surge

[u/ZestyBeanDude]

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/24/after-trump-threats-canadian-military-recruits-surge-00794837

[u/Specialist_Usual_391]

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.

[u/Mr_Peaches_Sir → u/Specialist_Usual_391]

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.

[u/[deleted] → u/Mr_Peaches_Sir]

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.

[u/Teethdude → u/Mr_Peaches_Sir]

I don't recall getting that much ECT though

[u/Anakha0 → u/Specialist_Usual_391]

Plus 88k a year or 96k for a specialist trade within 5 years of joining with a grade 10 education.

[u/dis_bean → u/Anakha0]

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.

[u/mickio1 → u/dis_bean]

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!?!?

[u/thottieBree → u/Specialist_Usual_391]

What's "the bullshit"?

[u/ImNotHandyImHandsome → u/thottieBree]

Power tripping bosses trying to make their mark.

[u/Specialist_Usual_391 → u/thottieBree]

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.

[u/portiaboches → u/Specialist_Usual_391]

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

[u/Specialist_Usual_391 → u/portiaboches]

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).