Canada moves to 2% GDP end of FY25/26 - PMMC

[Quirky]

Maybe. But what I've seen is that a lot of them care way more than most natural born Canadians.

MCS Dashboard could probably pull up a metric of how many in the CAF are naturalized. Until then it's all subjective.

 

[MilEME09]

It seems most of the people joining the reserves these days are people who have come here in the past 10 years, or their children. A common theme when teaching basics (of which I've instructed around 20) is that they want to give back and serve their new country.

But feel free to dogwhistle if you'd like.

The number of ukrainian refugees or their children I've seen on BMQs lately is quite something.

 

[childs56]

I doubt the majority of people who arrived here in the last 10 years really care about patriotism or that sort of thing.

My foot patrols I did on Canada Day would disagree with you.
I had people thanking us, telling me Canada is the greatest country in the world. They were proud and happy to now be here. A few of them arrived just weeks before. Many if not all were waving Canadian Flags, Had maple leaf tattoos on their faces and arms and were engaged in the festivities.
It made me proud to be born and raised in such an amazing country that affords so many peace and stability.

 

[HavokFour]

The number of ukrainian refugees or their children I've seen on BMQs lately is quite something.

When the 51st State rhetoric started up, several family members of friends currently fighting there that I assisted settling here in Canada contacted me to find out where they needed to go to apply their skills and trades learned mid-war to help out Canada. Lot's of Ukrainian women filling in roles usually done by men, you'd be surprised how many learned to operate heavy machinery do to stuff like dig anti-vehicle ditches.

 

[The Bread Guy]

MCS Dashboard could probably pull up a metric of how many in the CAF are naturalized. Until then it's all subjective.

Again, any data showing naturalized CAF members being less patriotic than "old stock" Canadians?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Again, any data showing naturalized CAF members being less patriotic than "old stock" Canadians?

Random, unscientific survey says that new Canadians are pretty darned patriotic...

 

[Quirky]

I had people thanking us, telling me Canada is the greatest country in the world. They were proud and happy to now be here. A few of them arrived just weeks before. Many if not all were waving Canadian Flags, Had maple leaf tattoos on their faces and arms and were engaged in the festivities.

Sure, but the original topic was a hypothetical conscription to the Baltic front in the name of patriotism. Waving a little flag and thanking people for their service and being happy to be here is not the same as answering the call in a draft. I'm not convinced Canadians of any stripe will be patriotic enough to die in some shit hole in eastern europe, considering how monetary support alone for the Ukrainian war in Canada is falling.

 

[PrairieFella]

I'm not convinced Canadians of any stripe will be patriotic enough to die in some shit hole in eastern europe, considering how monetary support alone for the Ukrainian war in Canada is falling.

Have you deployed to Latvia? If you have, did you make sure to tell them they live in a shithole?

 

[The Bread Guy]

... I'm not convinced Canadians of any stripe will be patriotic enough to die in some shit hole in eastern europe ...

Silly me - I thought you were only talking about certain segments of Canadians ....

I doubt the majority of people who arrived here in the last 10 years really care about patriotism or that sort of thing.

MCS Dashboard could probably pull up a metric of how many in the CAF are naturalized. Until then it's all subjective.

 

[McG]

Sure, but the original topic was a hypothetical conscription ..

Actually the tangent started on mobilizing the PRes, which some people seemingly can’t understand is wholly different from conscription. Neither one is part of spending 3.5% of GDP on direct defence requirements.

 

[ytz]

“Rumint” = gossip

Who is “they”?

What is it called when you know somebody posted to said team?

 

[ytz]

Wasn't it the Green party that called for something like this ?

This thing

Green Party will create a National Civil Defence Corps to Strengthen Canada’s Resilience – Green Party Of Canada

www.greenparty.ca

Not quite the same thing. The mobilization reserve, as far as I've heard, is basically just Basic Training and then you do 1 week per year, which I presume will be normal requals (Force Test, First Aid, Rifle, pistol, Gas hut, Fire extinguisher, and maybe some DLN stuff). I assume there will be a kit check and PRV annually for these folks too.

It would create a pool of people who can be screened and trained quickly into other trades. And it would allow a call up for folks who have special skills (languages, cyber, etc) on demand.

 

[McG]

What is it called when you know somebody posted to said team?

Depends who somebody is, and how well they briefed you. Or, name drop the responsible directorate instead of the valueless “they”.

They are standing up a tiger team to grow the PRes to 100k and a new mobilization reserve that will be several times the size of the PRes.

 

[FJAG]

And many countries we are interested in are no longer interested in our interests.

IE: the EU shitcanning Carney's Net Zero enterprise.

The point is that we are looking for tighter relationships with non-US countries. If they have no interest in us now but we see them as potential business partners then we have to build that interest. One very important way is to show them our support for their defence.

Personally I couldn't give a rat's ass about Net Zero. We should all can it until China and India are on board . . . and if that ever happens S America will probably not be there anymore judging by the pictures of traffic smog in Lima, Peru.

Not quite the same thing. The mobilization reserve, as far as I've heard, is basically just Basic Training and then you do 1 week per year, which I presume will be normal requals (Force Test, First Aid, Rifle, pistol, Gas hut, Fire extinguisher, and maybe some DLN stuff). I assume there will be a kit check and PRV annually for these folks too.

It would create a pool of people who can be screened and trained quickly into other trades. And it would allow a call up for folks who have special skills (languages, cyber, etc) on demand.

Here's the point about conscription vs mobilizing the reserves. Conscripts have not volunteered to serve and some resist being conscripted. Reservists, OTOH, have already volunteered to serve. Where and how is up to the government. You are on the hook until formally "released" when the term of service you enrolled for expires under NDA s. 30. And even then, if an "emergency" is declared, you are on the hook for the duration. (see also QR&O 15)

One thing that a "mobilization reserve" creates is a pool of folks who have already taken the King's shilling and are legally liable to do whatever is asked of them.

 

[ytz]

As long as the word coming out of the CAF is we're going to grow the reserves to 100,000 I'll know they aren't serious. That's not mobilization planning. When they say we'll build a dozen equipment and munitions factories, three armoured and three light divisions, 12 submarines, 30 armed patrol vessels, and another hundred aircraft, or something of that nature, then I'll start to pay attention.

This is exactly why you create a tiger team and get them to build a plan. Kinda hard to start building before there's a plan.

And I'm sure the plans and numbers will evolve in time.

 

[McG]

One thing that a "mobilization reserve" creates is a pool of folks who have already taken the King's shilling and are legally liable to do whatever is asked of them.

Desirably, a PRes member could also register their civilian trade/profession and be eligible for operational employment in that capacity. Not every mechanic who joins the PRes wants to join and do their day job, but they might happily do that day job on an operation after a few years as a weekend infanteer.

 

[ytz]

The biggest value for a Mobilization Reserve, from my perspective:

1) Ex-Reg F who simply wants to keep touch with the military community and still serve in some capacity. But can't (no trade availability) or doesn't want to do PRes things. What exactly is an AESOP going to do for example, in the PRes?

2) List of specialized skills. Not just mechanics. Languages, cultural advisors, highly specialized cyber, etc.

There's room for this, that is different from PRes.

 

[Underway]

So the mobilized reserve is actually being called the Augmented Reserve.

This Week in Defence (7/7/25): 500,000 man military?, Polar Helicopters, Spending Limits, Restructuring

And huge congrats to LGen Jamie Speiser-Blanchet, MGen Denis O’Reilly, Rear-Admiral Dave Mazur, and Capt. Samuel Patchell on all their new positions! We will miss you Dave!

open.substack.com

For the links and rumours from last week. Here's a great substack on all things CAF.

 

[childs56]

Sure, but the original topic was a hypothetical conscription to the Baltic front in the name of patriotism. Waving a little flag and thanking people for their service and being happy to be here is not the same as answering the call in a draft. I'm not convinced Canadians of any stripe will be patriotic enough to die in some shit hole in eastern europe, considering how monetary support alone for the Ukrainian war in Canada is falling.

I hear lots of immigrants are applying to the Canadian Forces. Many as their way to pay their duty to their new country. When I have talked to few of them they say they would go where needed.
I often let them know about the Reserves but also the option within the regular force and the benifit. More then a few were Interested past a basic three year engagement.
To each their own.
The issue i see with the Military is a lot of experienced military people institutionalized to a set parameter way of thinking and doing things. Even those who do the full 20plus years and retire are similar. One sees it across any industry or job types.
We need to think outside of the norm and get things done.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

The biggest value for a Mobilization Reserve, from my perspective:

1) Ex-Reg F who simply wants to keep touch with the military community and still serve in some capacity. But can't (no trade availability) or doesn't want to do PRes things. What exactly is an AESOP going to do for example, in the PRes?

2) List of specialized skills. Not just mechanics. Languages, cultural advisors, highly specialized cyber, etc.

There's room for this, that is different from PRes.

Umm, AESOps fly in the Primary Reserve…

The RCAF does things a bit differently. We insist our reservists are trained to the same standard as the Reg F folks.