The head of Canada’s armed forces says the new Department of National Defence (DND) directive that could see as many as 300,000 Canadians recruited into a ‘Defence Mobilization Plan’ is not solely focused on public servants.Despite reports suggesting federal employees would be called up for military training, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan has said participation in the plan will be voluntary and open to all Canadians, as the directive aims to expand the Canadian Armed Forces’ regular and supplementary reserves.“It is not focused directly on public servants,” Carignan told CTV News on Tuesday.“Our public servants already contribute extensively to the work that we are doing in defence. All Canadians would be invited, based on various skills, to be part of this endeavour. We are studying this, and then we’ll see how we can make this happen.”The directive, co-signed by Carignan and Deputy Minister Stefanie Beck on May 30, sets out a plan to modernize and expand the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) by preparing a large-scale reserve of trained personnel who could be mobilized in times of national or international crisis..Carney government looking into army of bureaucrats in new defence plan.It includes provisions for offering basic weapons and tactical training to civilians who choose to join the Supplementary Reserve.Carignan said the mobilization effort is part of a broader modernization strategy to ensure Canada’s military can respond to emerging global threats.“It is clear that since the Cold War, the situation has changed; what we’ve been asked to do over the past 30–35 years has greatly changed in terms of mission,” she said.“A counterinsurgency mission in Afghanistan is very different from the type of conflict we’re seeing on the horizon today. We need to be equipped, structured, and organized differently to face those threats.”The general said the CAF remains operationally ready, but the mobilization plan reflects a five- to ten-year vision to build capacity and strengthen Canada’s ability to respond to both domestic and international crises, linking the effort to recent demands on the military during domestic emergencies, including wildfire and flood responses, which stretched personnel and equipment.The new plan follows a major boost in federal defence spending, with the 2025 budget allocating $85 billion over five years to the CAF..Canadians skeptical of Carney’s plan to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP .“It's very good news for us and will allow us to work on our readiness and also in our transformation and modernization efforts,” Carignan said.The plan also comes amid longstanding challenges in the CAF with recruitment and retention of members.A recent Auditor General’s report highlighted gaps in recruitment systems and ongoing shortfalls in trained personnel.Carignan said the recommendations of the Auditor General were welcome and noted the CAF has recently exceeded its annual recruitment goals and improved retention rates, with over 2,000 more recruits than expected coming into the CAF in 2024.“We have a lot of Canadians showing up at our door interested in the service,” she said.“Last year we did more than achieve our target, which was good news. And then this year, we are also on track to do extremely well in terms of recruiting, having expanded our target as well. So efforts are ongoing, and we’re consistently improving our system.”
