Being a commissioned means the ability to command troops,
Leading troops is the primary reason the CAF has doctors, lawyers, padres, and pilots.
I am simply asking is how effective is the Cadet program in it's current state to the operational needs of the CAF.
Its effectiveness should be measured against its mandate. It has no mandate related to operational needs of the CAF.
the Cadet program exists under the DND umbrella, which means it must be beneficial to the CAF/DND, it's can't exist for the sake of existing.
It exists to develop in youth the attributes of good citizenship and leadership, promote physical fitness, and stimulate an interest in the sea, land, and air activities of the Canadian Armed Forces. It exists in the department because our civil masters mandate and fund it in the department.
But you want benefits to the CAF? If the organization is successful in the objective to stimulate an interest in the CAF then some cadets will join after. More importantly, those who do not join go off into society as voters with more favourable and informed opinions of the CAF.
And we invest in infrastructure to support cadets but then use that infrastructure to support Reg F & PRes training in other seasons. I have used Cadet infrastructure (which would not have existed in absence of the program) for training in Vernon and Gagetown.
If the CAF wants to stomp its feet and fuss about the program in absence of more immediate benefits, then the program will just be pulled away, demilitarized, and handed to another department which will not promote a positive interest in the CAF. The related funding will leave with the mandate, and likely the real property too.
I would like to see cadets have more interaction with the CAF, normally starting with their local reserve unit. More opportunities to attend regimental exercises, which does sometimes. It would also be good to see the cadets come out with additional qualifications that could actually transfer over to the CAF while still being useful the the cadets in a civilian setting.
used to be able to take Cadets out with us on live fire artillery exercises, they worked hard to impress us and many joined up. Thanks to our risk adverse Civil and Military leadership, that opportunity has seemed to gone by the wayside.
More interaction between cadets and affiliated units (which are not always PRes) is possible in the way that all sorts of units civilian familiarity outreach events. But if we want to train someone as a soldier and take them on exercises like a soldier, then we should ensure they are medically and physically fit as a soldier, that they are security vetted like a soldier, that they have compensation & benefits like a soldier, and that they have at least as much accident protection as a Class A reservist. It’s not about being risk averse; it os protecting the people you bring into the field.
If cadet instructors do not require a commission to do their job isn't keeping it a matter of "well we've always done it this way so lets not change"?
If there were a coherent argument to remove commissions and the the opposing argument was that we have always done it that way, then sure. But it’s just ad hominem when you are tossing around the accusation despite nobody having raised the argument in opposition to the proposal.
