Despite a severe shortage of troops, and after announcing it will end COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is pressing forward with discharging dozens of unvaccinated personnel. .For months, it's been reported the CAF is seeing problems with recruitment and retaining soldiers, sailors and air crew. Defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre on October 6 told the House of Commons committee on public safety and domestic emergencies, the problem will get worse before it gets better. ."The CAF will experience higher than normal attrition and lower than normal recruiting unless appropriate professional culture and personnel management modifications are implemented," Eyre .Eyre said he is "very, very worried" about the CAF's dwindling numbers, adding, "The military we have today is not the one we need for the future."."I am concerned as the threats to the world security situation increase, as the threats at home increase, our readiness is going down within the Canadian Armed Forces.".Following those comments, on Friday Eyre announced the forces will end its blanket COVID-19 vaccine requirement, but would move forward with the forced expulsion of hundreds of unvaccinated military personnel. .Eyre, in an interview with The Canadian Press, said it's expected service members follow legal orders and the refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine by troops when ordered to do so "raises questions about your suitability to serve in uniform." .“It’s dangerous in the military to have legal orders disobeyed,” he said. “It’s a very slippery slope.”.Along with his announcement, Eyre released an update to the CAF vaccine policy calling it an "interim policy," which suspended the previous requirement for all members to be fully vaccinated or face disciplinary action. He advised the policy could be reinstated should the pandemic take another turn. .The updated policy included a list of those who will still need to be fully vaccinated, currently described as having two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, including those in the special forces and the disaster assistance response team. Vaccine requirements will also remain for those working alongside specific organizations such as NATO or the United Nations, and for all sailors on warships overseas. .“The medical advice is continuing to evolve,” he said. “What is the bare minimum that’s required to protect the force, to protect operational output, while at the same time respecting the individual decisions that members want to make.”.In early August, six weeks after the federal government dropped its mandatory vaccine policy for all federal workers, the CAF continued to discharge members. .READ MORE: CAF members continue to be discharged under vaccine mandates.At that time, figures to May 31 indicated more than 96% of troops attested to being fully vaccinated. A total of 1,573 military personnel were discharged or disciplined under the COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and another 307 civilian employees were suspended at the Department of National Defence for declining to show proof of vaccination, and yet another 100 left voluntarily. .Military personnel number well under the required minimum strength of 61,000 fully-trained members and the longstanding target of 68,000, sitting at approximately 56,000 in August. .Likely contributing to recruitment issues, a report on sexual misconduct in the military was released at the end of May. .READ MORE: Scathing report on sexual misconduct says Canadian military faces 'existential crisis'.“Operating as a totally self-regulated, self-administered organization, entirely reliant on deference to authority, it has failed to align with the ever-changing, progressive society we live in," the report said on the culture of the CAF.."This disconnect is a liability for the CAF and for Canada.”.The 403-page report, which was shaped by 4,000 documents and hundreds of interviews and meeting with stakeholders, said Canada's military faces an "existential crisis" that will require political will in order to change..Instances of military sexual misconduct has been fueling a crisis in the CAF for quite some time, said CAF Ombudsman Gregory Lick in April. .READ MORE: Ombudsman says public knowledge about military sex cases is driving crisis.At that time, Lick's office had 687 outstanding grievances dating back "four to nine years," according to Blacklock's Reporter. .When asked why he thought people are leaving the military, Lick said the "misconduct crisis that is clearly in the news, and continues to be in the news, is certainly causing people to lose trust." .The Western Standard sought comment from the the CAF, but did not hear back in time for publishing.
