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2023 CAF Recruiting Ad

OK, but the CBC will still bring it up.
Well yeah, it happened. Some of those files are still going through the process.

To be fair, that statement by the CBC isn't wrong and is still current now. I wouldn't even say it's really being a smear because it's not insinuating anything.
 
Why should anyone bother with the military when they look at the majority of the equipment which is old, breaking , non-existent or inadequate. If the country is not serious about the role, why should the next generation take it seriously?
I suspect a lot of potential recruits don't get that far along in the thought process, they likely look at the base locations and opt out based on that... Who honestly wants to live in Oromocto, Wainwright, Petawawa, or Cold Lake?
 
Or they come on here as part of their research and see the intense negativity that is the norm here and suddenly reconsider.
 
I suspect a lot of potential recruits don't get that far along in the thought process, they likely look at the base locations and opt out based on that... Who honestly wants to live in Oromocto, Wainwright, Petawawa, or Cold Lake?
The CAF is going to continue to struggle for a number of reasons. The struggle is going to be exacerbated because these reasons also intersect without any offsets.

  • The equipment is antiquated
  • The locations are generally crap
  • Some of the jobs are really hard and have pretty low compensation
  • The pay and benefits for most members compared to the requirements aren't that great
  • There are no missions to keep it interesting
  • Oh and the Govt has a general disdain for the Armed Forces on top of all of that

The lack of actual combat/expeditionary missions also just makes things entirely uninteresting tbh. I would def stay in if we had some sort ongoing expeditionary commitment that kept things interesting. The CAF would still have shit kit, the same leadership boils, etc but at least it would have a purpose.

The most fun I've ever had has been on actual operations. I felt like I excelled in that environment and with those types of pressures. I def don't excel in the Garrison Military, that's for sure.
 
The CAF is going to continue to struggle for a number of reasons. The struggle is going to be exacerbated because these reasons also intersect without any offsets.

  • The equipment is antiquated
  • The locations are generally crap
  • Some of the jobs are really hard and have pretty low compensation
  • The pay and benefits for most members compared to the requirements aren't that great
  • There are no missions to keep it interesting
  • Oh and the Govt has a general disdain for the Armed Forces on top of all of that

The lack of actual combat/expeditionary missions also just makes things entirely uninteresting tbh. I would def stay in if we had some sort ongoing expeditionary commitment that kept things interesting. The CAF would still have shit kit, the same leadership boils, etc but at least it would have a purpose.

The most fun I've ever had has been on actual operations. I felt like I excelled in that environment and with those types of pressures. I def don't excel in the Garrison Military, that's for sure.
Oh gawd... Now the "akshually CAF members are overpaid" brigade will appear to remind everyone struggling to make ends meet that they are paid better than the "average" Canadian. :ROFLMAO:
 
Oh gawd... Now the "akshually CAF members are overpaid" brigade will appear to remind everyone struggling to make ends meet that they are paid better than the "average" Canadian. :ROFLMAO:
For the average officer, pay is pretty damn good.

For the average rank and file, especially skilled tradesman, pay is mediocre tbh.

As a Train Conductor, I grossed close $11,000.00 my first month I worked as a fully certified Conductor. Most of the guys I was working with in the craft made six figures a year.
 
For the average officer, pay is pretty damn good.

For the average rank and file, especially skilled tradesman, pay is mediocre tbh.


As a Train Conductor, I grossed close $11,000.00 my first month I worked as a fully certified Conductor. Most of the guys I was working with in the craft made six figures a year.
Unpossible!

You can't seriously be suggesting that a pay system based on a Victoria era concept of of the Officer/NCM relationship is not suited to the modern military!
 
As a Train Conductor, I grossed close $11,000.00 my first month I worked as a fully certified Conductor. Most of the guys I was working with in the craft made six figures a year.

How much was that in OT pay? I would gladly work 10-12s if I was compensated for it.
 
How much was that in OT pay? I would gladly work 10-12s if I was compensated for it.
I worked a mix of yard work and road work.

Yard work compensation works out to about $42 bucks an hour with OT.

Road work is significantly more lucrative. Those big Intermodal trains can be around $100 bucks an hour if everything goes well and you don't get delayed enroute.

You're paid an hourly wage in the Yard and by the Mile on the road. More miles = more money.
 
Unpossible!

You can't seriously be suggesting that a pay system based on a Victoria era concept of of the Officer/NCM relationship is not suited to the modern military!
I was an Officer in the CAF as well. I've got an appreciation for the struggles of the blue collar worker though.

I'm a manager now on the Railroad but the guys and girls who are on the ground and work for me are incredibly hard workers and earn every cent for the work they do.
 
Or they come on here as part of their research and see the intense negativity that is the norm here and suddenly reconsider.
Those folks are going to CAF Reddit, which is exponentially more negative (bordering on toxic) than here.

This forum is maybe a 7/10 in negativity, if I'm being generous (in the negative sense) compared to there.
 
Those folks are going to CAF Reddit, which is exponentially more negative (bordering on toxic) than here.

This forum is maybe a 7/10 in negativity, if I'm being generous (in the negative sense) compared to there.

marge simpson GIF
 
Problem with the CAF is the hard workers make the same as the malingerers.
One of my friends used to work for a big global company in Asia. They thought they really won the jackpot, doing something relevant in their field and potentially making bank.

They lasted about 6 months because they couldn't believe how idiotic the work culture was there. "Overtime" there is expected, even when there's nothing going on. Why? Because if you're seen as leaving "early" (read: normal time) then you're seen as lazy, and that you will either get fired or not get the year end bonus.

But when there isn't any work to do, folks just go on their phone or chat or whatever to fill up the 2-3 hours of overtime every work day. With the time difference, we chatted so much that I was wondering if they were even employed at all.

That is the ultimate "it doesn't matter how hard you work" story I can think of. At least they didn't have to go for after-work drinks with their boss like in Japanese/Korean culture.
 
I'm a manager now on the Railroad but the guys and girls who are on the ground and work for me are incredibly hard workers and earn every cent for the work they do.

I used to watch my father drive the Turbo and LRC VIA trains. Nice overnight hotel layover. His life wasn't hard, cause he loved running engines. Didn't have to deal with the passengers. Pay wasn't bad either.

Those folks are going to CAF Reddit, which is exponentially more negative (bordering on toxic) than here.

This forum is maybe a 7/10 in negativity, if I'm being generous (in the negative sense) compared to there.

Talk to two guys doing the same job. One will tell you how great it is, the other will say the opposite.
 
Note modern equipment and technology etc.



I think these videos really hits the point home on how important it is to get to the point about what exactly the Armed Forces is.

It's a warfighting organization with the goal being fighting wars and winning!

Top comments I've seen from articles, if you care of that sort of thing, is for the CAF to "un-woke" itself. I couldn't agree more. The enemy doesn't care about our dress regs or how many minorities or women we have in theater. We need to focus on bullets, bombs and point, killy things, not hair colour. Our recent policies are a result of a bored and directionless military, give us something to do with the right equipment to do it.

What's funny is that the CAF can still be inclusive while also being a lethal killing machine focused on warfighting. It's not an either/or proposition which many seem to think it is.
 
The CAF is going to continue to struggle for a number of reasons. The struggle is going to be exacerbated because these reasons also intersect without any offsets.

  • The equipment is antiquated
  • The locations are generally crap
  • Some of the jobs are really hard and have pretty low compensation
  • The pay and benefits for most members compared to the requirements aren't that great
  • There are no missions to keep it interesting
  • Oh and the Govt has a general disdain for the Armed Forces on top of all of that

The lack of actual combat/expeditionary missions also just makes things entirely uninteresting tbh. I would def stay in if we had some sort ongoing expeditionary commitment that kept things interesting. The CAF would still have shit kit, the same leadership boils, etc but at least it would have a purpose.

The most fun I've ever had has been on actual operations. I felt like I excelled in that environment and with those types of pressures. I def don't excel in the Garrison Military, that's for sure.

Agreed. I can't understand why our Combat Arms, which arguably have the worst working conditions and are expected to do the most soul destroying part of our job are only base pay.

But some RCAF tech or RCN Ops Room type who have pretty pampered careers in comparison get extra pay benefits. It's ridiculous.
 
But some RCAF tech or RCN Ops Room type who have pretty pampered careers in comparison get extra pay benefits. It's ridiculous.
My understanding was that the Spec trades were based on the level of training, qualifications, responsibility, and knowledge needed to be OFP.


I think these videos really hits the point home on how important it is to get to the point about what exactly the Armed Forces is.

It's a warfighting organization with the goal being fighting wars and winning!
True, which makes the recruiting strategy harder when:
  • There isn't a shooting war going on (at present, for us, for now)
  • The country is involved in wars that its public isn't 100% supportive of (the US in Iraq/Afghanistan by the end)
  • The country doesn't want to be involved in the shooting wars that are going on (pick a place in Africa)
How does the govt convince its citizens that there is a need for a permanent "war footing" without looking like a warmonger? Because I bet that if the public gets told that "the Armed Forces is a warfighting organization..." in any of those scenarios above, the first response will be "but what if there's no war?"

I mean, my response would be "if there's no fire, do we disband the firefighters?" but I don't know how that would play out politically.
 
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