Canada’s military needs money now; it must be saved before it’s too late

by **SniperGod** Sat 22 Dec 2018, 4:30 pm

By Anthony Daoud -- December 22, 2018 -- in Opinion, Politics

Canada’s military needs money now; it must be saved before it’s too late Badass-army-1140x570

Canada’s military does not conjure the same perceived grandiosity as say the American or Chinese militaries would. In fact, very little is actually heard about our national defense, with only 76% of Canadians aware of Harjit Sajjan, the Minister of Defence.

But is Canada’s army that weak? Well, maybe not weak, but definitely not taken seriously enough by the federal government.

The Canadian armed forces

Canada currently has 88,000 available military personnel. 64,000 are active, and 24,000 are in the reserves.

Each year, over 400,000 reach the eligibility age to serve in the Armed Forces. This leads to a total of 16,000,000 available manpower and over 13,000,000 being fit for service.

The current levels of available military personnel may be misleading, Canada clearly boasts an exceptional number of citizens fit for service if such events require its use.

Also, members of the Canadian military must undergo a highly intense level of basic training in order to simply qualify and begin their careers in the Armed Forces.

Training and pay in the military

Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) is the Canadian Armed Forces basic training program for future non-commissioned members. The course is 10 weeks long and provides the core skills and the common military knowledge required to succeed in a military environment.

The BMOQ is the CAF basic training program for future officers. The course is divided into two modules. Module 1 focuses on basic military discipline and skills. Module 2 focuses on leadership techniques and basic military planning skills. Both modules have a demanding physical fitness component. Depending on the entry plan, candidates will either conduct these modules back-to-back or over two consecutive summers.

New recruits earn $1,667 – $ 4,774 per month while completing the BMQ. Once fully qualified and certain about their military department, members begin making more money. Starting salaries are based on equivalent careers within the private sector, with monthly salaries ranging from $2,985 – $4,382 for Non-Commissioned Members and $1,700 – $4,774 for entry-level officer positions.

Currently, the Canadian federal government only allocates 1% of the country’s annual GDP to the military, which amounts to $15.5 billion.

This may seem like a significant amount of money on paper, but it amounts to very little when all expenses are taken into account. Canada’s military is completely underfunded and has been for years.

Politicians rarely discuss military affairs, and there still has been an overall lack of initiative by past governments to properly invest in the military.

While being a part of NATO and neighbors with America, arguably the most powerful country in the world helps, it is nowhere near enough. As a sovereign state, it is the federal government’s duty to ensure that the military is able to perform its duties properly without needing to rely on other allies.

In 2017, the current Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan said that the Canadian Armed Forces are in a hole. An overall lack of sufficient funding has left it unable to complete even the most basic of tasks.

This is worrying to Canadians. Without a strong military, sovereignty is at risk and bargaining power effectively decreases

A sad state of affairs in Canada’s forces

A 2013 report by the National Post noted that the Canadian military has been having to accept new recruits who are fatter, less educated and harder to motivate than previous generations because quality applicants are in dwindling supply, an internal Defence Department audit has concluded.

In order to remain at a constant level, the military needs more than 4,000 new recruits each year to offset attrition and keep 68,000 full-time troops in uniform.

The audit was conducted and found that “fitness and educational levels of recruits in the last five years have been slightly lower than in the past,” while “compared to previous generations, recruits of today are described as harder to motivate.”

In 2018, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) reported a shortage of 275 pilots. It also badly needs more mechanics, sensor operators, and other trained personnel in the face of increasing demands at home and abroad. The situation is in such shambles that it has added pressure on Canada’s flying corps and represents a challenge for the foreseeable future.

It is utterly shameful that the situation has reached such a low. The Air Force is a multi-purpose body and should be adequately funded, just as the other military branches. A greater initiative must be taken to ensure all measures for its strength are fulfilled.

Despite Trudeau promising a 70% increase in military spending, the miserable results continue. Under no circumstances should this be happening, and Canadian citizens too should be demanding more from their governments.

Unfavorable work conditions

Like any other employee, servicemen and servicewomen must enjoy their work environment. Despite the field of work in which they participate, their personal needs must be addressed. Unfavorable working conditions ultimately decrease any interest in joining the armed forces.

Burnout is a threat Air Force employees face. Many of its members are left to pick up the work of positions that have not been filled. The overwork they are subject to affects them psychologically and incentivized many pilots to leave for commercial airlines instead.

As a result of the continuous flow of leaving servicemen and servicewomen, the RCAF is paralyzed in a state of underemployment because, under existing regulations, it can only train and produce 115 new pilots annually.

It doesn’t end there

James Bezan, the Conservative defense critic, said that one of the potential reasons for the drop in RCAF pilots could be because of the CF-18 fighter jets being nearly 40 years old.

No high caliber pilot would want to fly 40-year-old planes, especially for an underfunded military with low numbers.

Another National Defence audit has found that many of Canada’s military bases are falling apart. This is because of chronic underspending on the maintenance, repair, and replacement of sewers, roads, and electrical systems. It also concludes that the risk of electrical outages, sewer backups and other service disruptions at military bases is set to increase. The disruptions threaten operations as well as the health and welfare of those living or working on or near the bases.

What needs to be done

If the Canadian government fails to take care of military bases and the welfare of its military, how can it possibly expect to attract new recruits? The negative trend will continue to happen unless serious decisions are made to greatly increase funding. Rather than spending on senseless government programs and buying off the media, the current Liberal government should do more for its service people.

It is time for Trudeau to stop blaming Harper for past issues and begin taking ownership and responsibility. He’s been in office for over 3 years, and the negative trend of Canada’s underfunded military must come to a conclusion.

American President Donald Trump has already had diplomatic tensions with Trudeau over NAFTA and is understandably upset that Canada has failed to increase its NATO spending. Prime Minister Trudeau is not in the position to begin another spat with the President of the United States.

Increased spending in both the military and NATO will send a message to Canada’s allies and foes that the country intends to become a bigger player in international relations. It is time to change the status quo, and become a revisionist state.

Partisanship is a distraction and wastes too much time. As Canadians, we must all demand the government to set adversarialism aside and work cohesively to save the Canadian Armed Forces.

https://www.thepostmillennial.com/canadas-military-needs-money-now-it-must-be-saved-before-its-too-late/