BigBen

Well, mine is not to reason why;

All that regular jazz aside, I was given a "Hard Copy" of that report. Remember paper, and not just links? It was heavy, and felt weird.

Yes, Canada has a tendency to spend a small amount (compared to others) on national defence.

We also have a very limited "Defence", per se, and instead concentrate our efforts on international peacekeeping efforts. Is that a bad thing? I am afraid I can't comment.

When you ask a soldier how much should be spent on National Defence, the correct answer should be : MORE, please. I contend that you would get the same answer from the US marine corps jarhead in Iraq right now. You could get the same response from your friendly neighborhood RCMP constable about how much should be spent on federal policing measures. MORE, please.

Canadian soldiers are well paid for the work they do, don't believe the people who cry poverty. It is a good job if you can get it. (please refer to THIS LINK for more information). The problem is not with the wages, it is the tempo of operations that is expected. Members are required to spend vast amounts of time away from loved ones, come home for short periods of time, and then back out again. It is no different than other armies, but it is still tough going.

Our equipment hit rock bottom in the early 90's, if my information is correct. We were using Viet Nam era technology, and the equipment was old. Just tired iron. We kept it in the best shape we could, but often found ourselves going without due to breakdowns. This is changing for the better, I am happy to say. How much more needs to be invested to create a renewed sense of vigour? Again, I hesitate to comment, but can say that things are much better.

When I first joined, Canada had 135 generals and 125 Leopard II tanks. We often commented that the rank structure was filled with old "Dead wood" and all we needed was a good war to get rid of the old guys who were holding things up. Not anymore. The old guys are gone, and people are often doing the work of two people because of a lack of personnel.

The CF has a weird process. I am curious about other armies, but there is a two stage process in human resource management: Recruiting and Retaining. When a company spends lots of time and money to select the best people and train them, does it not make sense to treat those people as valuable members and keep them around for a long time? We have a long way to go to achieve a proper retention policy.

I will end by saying this, and I have said it before: The canadian people do not realize how much the CF is made fun of in popular culture. The next time you see a comedian or sitcom that pokes fun at the proud members of the Canadian Forces, don't laugh. It is not funny. It is a trajedy that we as a society allow it. I am not a joke, and neither is the life I have chosen.

There is lots of misinformation about the CF, and Canadians allow themselves to remain ignorant (soldiers being issued bicycles, for christ's sake...).

__________________
3.141592654
Hey, if you are impressed with my memorizing pi to 10 digits, you should see the size of my penis.