Combat Boots policy 2018-CANFORGEN 127/18

[quadrapiper]

Still being issued;  the tech's don't seem to mind them it seems.  I despised them after 10 seconds after I walked in them.  Thankfully, wearing crappy liners in combat boots in the late 80s and 90s screwed my arches.  Orthotics = LPO for me.

I don't know their usual working environment - fairly static, or lots of tramping around?

 

[Haggis]

I see the end of BOOTFORGEN is on the horizon as the GoC awarded a combat boot making contract to a Québec-based company in a Liberal riding.

 

[cld617]

The CAF is still responsible to provide recruits footwear, lets hope that's what this is for.

 

[MilEME09]

I see the end of BOOTFORGEN is on the horizon as the GoC awarded a combat boot making contract to a Québec-based company in a Liberal riding.

Boot FORGEN was phase 1, remember? The program eventually is suppise to offer 3 different boot types on logistik unicorp eventually

 

[PuckChaser]

I see the end of BOOTFORGEN is on the horizon as the GoC awarded a combat boot making contract to a Québec-based company in a Liberal riding.

Not just that, they gave it to the company that failed on the original LTB replacement boots. Royer made those side zip ones that fell apart walking from the parking lot to work.

Best part of the announcement? 7 million dollar contract created 5 jobs.

 

[brihard]

I see the end of BOOTFORGEN is on the horizon as the GoC awarded a combat boot making contract to a Québec-based company in a Liberal riding.

Their factory is in a federal CPC, provincial CAQ riding.

 

[Haggis]

Their factory is in a federal CPC, provincial CAQ riding.

You are correct and I am not. The announcement was made in Sherbrooke, a Liberal riding.

 

[OldSolduer]

From what I can gather this has been a fiasco. The political will to tell Canadian shoe makers their products suck and the CAF can buy world wide isn’t there - to the detriment of the soldiers.

 

[MilEME09]

From what I can gather this has been a fiasco. The political will to tell Canadian shoe makers their products suck and the CAF can buy world wide isn’t there - to the detriment of the soldiers.

The fact the company failed once before to deliver boots that worked to the CAF shows this was political

 

[The Bread Guy]

... the CAF can buy world wide isn’t there ...

They CAN, but in Canada, on bigger buys, anyway, they often don't (or, politically speaking, aren't allowed to).

 

[MJP]

I see the end of BOOTFORGEN is on the horizon as the GoC awarded a combat boot making contract to a Québec-based company in a Liberal riding.

That was my initial thought but the delivery date of by Feb 2023 and the overall numbers are low. I suspect that this is a boot for new recruits and replacements in places when LPO is not an option (for a variety of reasons). Been wrong before but we will see!

 

[dapaterson]

Assuming 8k recruits annually, Reg and Res, each issued two pairs, then 40k pairs is a 2 1/2 year supply for recruits only.

 

[dimsum]

Best part of the announcement? 7 million dollar contract created 5 jobs.

Yeah, I don't know why they bothered with that sentence.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Meanwhile, my old mark 1s are still going strong, and would just need to swap out the sole to get them to last another decade. Use them all the time as generic boots, now that I no longer have to do silly bugger stuff.

Super glad the Navy has no part of this; the sea boots with the zipper on the side are pretty comfortable, and last at least a few years (unless you blow out the zipper). Mine are scuffed but still serviceable, and when I had a step tracker on was walking about 10k a day (and doing something stupid like 40-80 flights of stairs or more). Probably not fit for what the Army needs, but really glad we don't have to deal with this. Being on your feet 18 hours a day can suck enough even with comfy boots.

 

[dimsum]

Super glad the Navy has no part of this; the sea boots with the zipper on the side are pretty comfortable, and last at least a few years (unless you blow out the zipper)

Once again, I'm surprised why the RCAF didn't team up with the RCN on boots and fire-retardant operational clothing.

Aside from anti-spark and anti-FOD requirements for aircrew (which aren't that different than being on ship anyway), most requirements are similar.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

LOL buy this man a beer (from the CAF FB page)

Mike Stinger
Everyone please take a moment to recognize the public affairs officer who will be dealing with this thread. Thank you for your service!

 

[Maxman1]

The CAF is still responsible to provide recruits footwear, lets hope that's what this is for.

For now...

 

[Mills Bomb]

This seems to have really stirred a lot of anger online.

I think we're at the point where even new recruits are beginning to realize the kit they are issued is often very sub-standard compared to the countries we work with. I suppose the first step to change is awareness, and it seems a lot of members are waking up to the fact this government's procurement system results overwhelmingly in outdated and poor quality kit; boots, tac-vest, rain jacket, ruck, etc. etc.

I've heard the rumours that nobody in Canada can produce decent quality uniforms and kit. That seems like BS to me when we're the home of top of the line outdoor companies like Arcteryx.

If we could just get it together as a country and procure some decent stuff it would probably be one of the best things for moral and recruitment. I realize this is entirely political and unlikely to happen, but maybe someday!

 

[dimsum]

I think we're at the point where even new recruits are beginning to realize the kit they are issued is often very sub-standard compared to the countries we work with.

Yes.

However, having worked with some of those partner nations for an extended period of time, I'll say that most nations have literally the same gripes (ok, maybe Jamaica doesn't complain about their winter kit so much) about uniforms and kit.

It's partially that most of the CAF doesn't see the other social media forums of other countries. CAF Reddit and US military subreddits aren't that different in the level of griping. Same with UK, Australia, etc.

Am I saying that our kit is amazing? No. What I'm saying is that we (Canadians) don't generally hear the complaints about other military kit from their own personnel, so we think only we have this issue.

 

[Mills Bomb]

Having known people in other militaries, I agree with you. The US Marines are constantly complaining about kit as well; they often feel their kit is typically not as good as the US Army however it's still miles above the CAF.

I don't think there's any doubt that the CAF issues better equipment than most 2nd and 3rd world countries.

That being said, if you look at the British, US, Australians, Germans, etc. it would be hard to argue that what we're procuring is acceptable. I mean the rain jackets aren't even waterproof after a few uses in the field, the boots fall apart, and the field gear is really lacking to say the least.