Military struggling to attract personnel
Pauline Tam
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The Canadian Forces were to welcome 200 new recruits to their ranks Saturday, with a CF-18 fly-past, a 21-gun salute and a pomp-filled ceremony, presided over by the highest brass, at the Canadian War Museum. Behind the scenes, however, the military is struggling to attract personnel.
The trained effective strength of the Forces is roughly 52,000. Those in favour of a robust military would like to see that number grow by at least 10,000. But the latest assessment by Auditor General Sheila Fraser does not inspire confidence. It shows that the Forces are hard-pressed to meet the targeted expansion of 5,000 set previously by the Liberals, let alone the Harper government's benchmark of 13,000.
Despite their best efforts, the regular Forces have had a net gain of only 700 full-time members since 2002.
More to the point, the military has failed to recruit visible minorities and new Canadians. Those who identify themselves as visible minorities make up less than three per cent of the regular Forces and four per cent of the reserves. In total, there are fewer than 2,500 visible minorities in the military.
Calls for a more diverse military have come from the top. Earlier this year, Chief of Defence Staff Rick Hillier publicly mused about ways to encourage new Canadians to enlist. He floated the provocative idea of granting fast-tracked citizenship to landed immigrants who join the military.
Last week, Charles Belzile, a retired lieutenant-general, weighed in, suggesting that the military should relax its security-clearance requirements, which act as a barrier for immigrant recruits.
Belzile, who co-authored a major study on the role of military reserves in defence, told the National Press Club that immigrant recruits should be allowed to serve while security checks are being done. If the screening process flags any concerns, the military would have the power to reject a candidate. This form of conditional enlistment would streamline a recruitment process that, at the moment, takes up to 30 months.
Aside from the practical implications of these proposals, the need for armed forces that better reflect Canada is obvious.
The effectiveness of this country's role in the world rests on having a multicultural military. When Canadian soldiers go abroad, diversity is what they can count on to win hearts and minds. Speaking another language is an asset, but being from another culture means soldiers see solutions to problems from different perspectives.
The need is urgent given Canada's presence in Afghanistan. According to Belzile, however, the Forces' ability to recruit from Muslim communities is limited. "It's not because they're unsuitable but because it's not attractive to them," he said.
This is an understatement considering the way anti-terrorism measures have targeted these groups.
The military's image problem is similar to one faced by police forces. Both are state institutions that newcomers tend to view with suspicion. Indeed, many come from countries where the police and military are instruments of repression. Even in this country, race relations between police and visible minorities remain a hot-button issue.
Another problem is that cultural minorities tend to have misconceptions about the nature of Canada's military, which is less a fighting army than one designed for peacekeeping, disaster response, reconstruction, humanitarian missions and border patrol.
There's no doubt that the Forces need to be more proactive in dispelling these myths. To that end, Belzile's proposal merits consideration.
Hillier's idea, however, is more problematic. Rewarding immigrant soldiers with citizenship, reminiscent of the French Foreign Legion, sends the wrong message about what the Canadian Forces stand for. It devalues military service and suggests that, with a personnel shortage, immigrants must be induced to take jobs that Canadians don't want. This is not the way to develop either a loyal soldier or an engaged citizen.
But even peace-loving liberals need to recognize that a military that does not reflect this country risks being seen as illegitimate. It also perpetuates a divide that leaves visible minorities and new Canadians less likely to embrace the values of this country.
Pauline Tam is a Citizen writer. E-mail: ptam@thecitizen.canwest.com
© The Ottawa Citizen 2006