Defence Minister Anita Anand yesterday said the military will launch a new recruitment campaign for the army, navy and air force..According to Blacklock's Reporter, Anand in testimony at the House of Commons defence committee made no mention of the recent loss of Canadian Armed Forces members due to a vaccine mandate..“We are in the middle of launching many new initiatives to attract and retain more people in the Canadian Armed Forces,” said Anand. “This is primarily a program of reconstitution led by the Chief of Defence Staff.”.“There will be an initiative we will launch very soon,” said Anand. She did not elaborate..The Department of National Defence on May 31 said a total 1,573 soldiers, sailors and air crew resigned, were discharged or faced discipline for failing to show proof of vaccination. Another 307 civilian employees were suspended without pay. Figures for reservists were not disclosed..“We know it’s critical for the armed forces to improve its recruitment and retention,” Bloc Québécois MP Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, Que.) yesterday told the defence committee. Anand replied, “we have to make sure we have the right number of people, the right equipment and the right support.”.Neither Anand nor department managers mentioned the impact of a November 15 vaccine mandate. Some 1,300 military applied for waivers on religious or medical grounds. A total 140 were approved, by official estimate..Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre earlier estimated more than 95% of regular forces were already vaccinated when the directive was issued. “For those unwilling to be vaccinated administrative measures could culminate with release from the Canadian Armed Forces,” wrote Eyre, adding: “There is a requirement to undertake measures to protect the remainder of the workforce.”.The military requires a minimum strength of 60,500 regular members fully trained. Actual retention dipped as low as 56,300 in 2016 even as cabinet kept increasing recruitment targets..“It’s a challenge,” John Forster, then-deputy defence minister, testified at 2017 hearings of the House of Commons public accounts committee. “It has been a challenge and it continues to be a challenge.”.“There is no point in us having a target of 68,000 and continuing to be 4,000 people short,” testified Forster. “There are some reasons for that. One is our capacity to recruit.”.Forster said the military also had to retain volunteers by providing “good training and good support.” The army, navy and air force are currently estimated to be short by 7,000 recruits.
