Public servants shocked by “ridiculous” military training directive

The Department of National Defence’s controversial new directive to train public servants in firearms and operating drones has sparked considerable backlash, with critics slamming it as “ridiculous."

Source: PICRYL

The Department of National Defence’s (DND) controversial new directive to train public servants in firearms and operating drones has sparked considerable backlash, with critics slamming it as “ridiculous.”

The directive encourages public servants to join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Supplementary Reserve to increase the size of the army to 300,000.

Toronto Sun journalist Bryan Passifiume compiled several public servants’ reactions to the news, with several calling it “ridiculous.”

Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan and defence deputy minister Stefanie Beck signed off on the mobilization plan in May. The plan would train federal and provincial employees in a one-week crash course to handle firearms, drive trucks and fly drones.

First reported by the Ottawa Citizen, the supplementary recruiting push will “prioritize volunteer public servants at the federal and provincial/territorial level” with less restrictive entry standards.

“The entry criteria for the Supplementary or other Reserve should be less restrictive than the Reserve Force for age limits as well as physical and fitness requirements,” reads the nine-page DND directive.

The Supplementary Reserve is made up of inactive or retired CAF members who are willing to return to duty if necessary. It currently has 4,384 personnel but would be boosted to 300,000 in the event of an emergency, according to the directive from Beck and Carignan.

Once initiated, public servants would be required to do one week of military training annually. They would not be issued uniforms and the time would not count toward their pensions, but medical coverage would be provided for their annual military service.

According to the directive, their training focus would be on “basic skills (e.g. shoot, move, and communicate; drive a truck; fly a drone: etc.)”

The DND also approved the creation of a “tiger team” to prepare a Defence Mobilization Plan. The team will review what changes are required to government legislation to permit such an influx of personnel in the military.

Department of National Defence spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin told the Ottawa Citizen that participation would be voluntary.

“Initial planning has begun to explore how the CAF could contribute to greater national resilience, including leveraging increased readiness from an expanded Reserve Force for defence purposes, in times of crisis, or for natural disasters for example,” she said.

No timelines have been announced for the creation of the mobilization plan.

Additionally, the directive includes plans for a major increase in CAF reservists, which would jump from 23,561 to 100,000 for the mobilization plan. However, it included no details on how that increase would be managed.

The CAF is seeking a Whole of Society approach that would see all Canadians required to contribute to the initiative.

“Defence will not accomplish the outcome alone, rather it will necessitate shaping, facilitation and engagement with the Privy Council Office, other government departments and agencies as well as socialization with the Canadian public,” write Carignan and Beck.

The tiger team also plans to consult with Canadian allies, “including Finland which is a recognized leader in this area.” Finland’s conscription-based military states that all male citizens aged 18-65 are liable for military service, as well as women on a voluntary basis.

Meanwhile, AMAPCEO, the union representing more than 16,500 public service workers in Ontario, filed a union-wide dispute over what it called an “unfair and unreasonable delay” in processing requests for public servants to remain working remotely. The dispute was in response to the OPS Employer implementing a four-day in-office “standard” effective October 20, and five days starting January 5.