Doing More With Less

The war in Ukraine has laid bare the truth about Canada’s Armed Forces and its capabilities, and unfortunately, it has been found wanting.  

For defence analysts, and those who’ve served in the CAF this won’t come as a surprise, but I'd wager that for most Canadians it has. But why? There has almost literally, and certainly figuratively, been a parade of defence procurement bungles spanning at minimum, the past four decades. 

From the abysmal management of our fighter fleet, search and rescue helicopters, to our secondhand submarines; our procurement has been embarrassing at best. The future doesn’t look any better either, especially since the Browning Hi-Power (1940’s) replacement is delayed at least another year, and the ballooning budget of the yet to be built surface combatant vessels grows daily. 

But I’m not an expert on procurement and many more educated and informed minds have discussed the problems inherent to that file in far greater depth and detail than I could ever hope to manage. What I feel like I can speak to, with some degree of credibility, is the people in the CAF and how they are by far the most impressive asset of organization but also its greatest enemy. 

Now some will be reading this and saying, “how can that possibly be true?!” But it is and I’ll do my best to explain why. 

The phrase, “do more with less”, might as well be the CAF’s unofficial motto, it is muttered so often by those within its ranks I’d be surprised if it wasn’t tattooed on more than a few vets. For it to be official though it would need to be in Latin, which I think would be “Egenus Batenim Vinco”. This roughly translates to “Wanting yet Overcome”. It is this mindset that is at the heart of why CAF personnel are their best ally and worst enemy, and why over time, has led to the organization's current situation. 

When you join the CAF, you are indoctrinated and pumped up on a steady diet of mantras like “mission first” or “no fail”, “drive the body” …etc. This is for good reason; you don’t want to send soldiers to war with a defeatist or non-engaged mindset. The evidence why is on full display in Ukraine and the lackluster performance of the Russian army and their columns of burned-out vehicles. Credit to the outstanding soldiering and tenacity of the Ukrainian people not withstanding.

But that’s a war, and Canada isn’t at war, at least yet. However, that doesn’t mean that the psychological preparations for war that our soldiers, sailors and aviators undergo in training is not being applied in a real-world sense on a daily basis. While there is no traditional enemy for the CAF to fight right now, there is a drawn-out battle taking place, but it is against a lack of equipment, abysmal recruiting and sky-rocketing rates of attrition. These are the long standing enemies that the men and women of the CAF are engaged in a war against currently, and they are losing.  

Imagine, you’re trained to think creatively, to adapt and overcome any problem or situation you come across no matter the odds. You’re given task, after task, after task and you succeed. But every year you have less people and less money to carry out those tasks, but because of your training, you adapt and achieve the missions asked of you regardless. Those who assign those missions, the generals and politicians see this, they see the perseverance and think, “I can save a few bucks on defence and spend it elsewhere because those fine folks will find a way”. You can’t blame them; the proof is evident. 

Like a CD with a scratch, this tired old song continues to loop over and over without anyone bothering to hit skip. Instead, those in government and senior CAF leadership turn down the volume so it's not noticeable, that way it’s unlikely to draw any attention. Except doing so doesn’t change the fact that there is still a problem, and the longer it goes on the worse and more jarring it gets for those who can hear it. But regardless they carry on, because that’s what they’re trained to do, they’re essentially under orders not to say anything, and in doing so enable those who’ve turned down the volume and ensure that others (the public) are not aware of how terrible things are becoming.  

So yes, the CAF has achieved incredible things, always with less, but their no fail attitude, pride and perseverance, has resulted in everyone shouldering a growing burden. It’s unsustainable, yet simply because of the fact of who they are, it has become an accepted view that it is. Hence, best asset and own worst enemy.

They won’t change and thank God for that. No one wants an army that is willing to let the system fail. They’ll continue to serve in the manner and tradition of those who went before them, which is why they are still so highly regarded by other militaries around the world today. They will continue to work themselves tirelessly, and deploy uncomplaining with substandard equipment and less resources than necessary that is frankly embarrassing for a G8 nation.  

This isn’t a war they can win though, it won’t end until we the public, and our government step up and end it for them with proper and well thought defence policy, a realistic and strategic vision on how we plan to use them and appropriate funding.

There is no reason that they should be fighting a war of attrition, against an unassailable foe and taking needless causalities, when we expect them to go and fight real wars for us, and our values elsewhere. 

We need to do better. 

Thanks for reading and all the best, 

John