Forgive the cynicism, but with Patrick's issues aside, could you perhaps tell me exactly what the CF is doing to improve the recruiting process? An article, or web page or anything else you could direct me to?
I ask because, as a recruit waiting to be sworn in and meritt listed, I have had nothing but pure trouble with recruiting so far. My entire file was lost at one point and hung in limbo somewhere, nothing was followed up upon (I actually had to get my father who's a chief clerk - he posts here himself - to pull some strings on his end to find it..not every recruit has this connection at all) then they wait another month or so to tell me that I need xxx more forms filled out (which I will point out now, they did not inform me I needed in the beginning whatsoever) and so far, every single time I have done what they asked, they pull something new out of the hat. I'm at the point now where I can literally think of nothing else they want for me but I still expect something new to come out of the woodwork.
Now, obviously as an army brat and a former Reservist, I've been exposed to the military all my life and know much more than a regular civvie coming off the street. But, I do not have the experience - I acknowledge that.
However, I've had a Chaplain, a PO2, an MWO, a few Sgt's and plenty, plenty of Junior NCO's all tell me what a joke recruiting is. I can even understand dismissing some of what the Junior NCO's may have told me as a Cpl or a MCpl may not have a tremendous amount of time under their belts at all. But I cannot dismiss what the Senior NCO's and the Chaplain has said to me. They didn't simply say "recruiting sucks" they explained their beefs pretty thoroughly. How can I dismiss what I have heard and now witnessed - and by the way, one of the Senior NCO's works in recruiting and admitted this to me, so there is even more informative feedback on the subject. The collective experience between the Senior NCO's and the Chaplain would easily end up around 100 years in total. That simply can't be ignored and now as I said I'm finding it out for myself.
I know already that there are some soldiers involved with recruiting on these boards (won't mention names) who valiantly defend the CF recruiting and such. That's all fine and great, but from all of the above, you could be a damned recruiting Major and tell me recruiting is doing a fine job and there is no way in hell I would ever believe you. Especially after several of my friends have had as bad or worse problems than me (and to clear things up - they are not un-intelligent, lazy, physically unfit or anything else of the nature). How can anyone possibly say nothing is wrong with recruiting?
Unfortunately I don't know enough about the system to say exactly what is wrong and put my finger on it. However one day I will know enough and believe you me, I'm definately going to put forward a ton of suggestions in how to fix things instead of just sitting here griping. And I am still going to write to the Ombudsman - maybe some more negative feedback will get him going all the faster to do whatever he can do to improve things.
I can tell you one suggestion though: get the freaking departments and people involved to talk to the other. There was so much mis-communication on recruiting sides part that it boggled my mind when the respective depts. told me about it.