A leaked internal report shows the Canadian military is losing new recruits at more than twice the average rate, as frustration grows over training delays and the inability to get into desired roles.
The 2023–24 report, obtained by CBC News, found that 9.4% of newly enrolled members quit, compared to 4.3% across the entire Canadian Armed Forces. Many cited long waits—over 200 days in some cases—for specialized training, lack of equipment, and difficulty adjusting to military life.
"There are not enough trainers, facilities, or support," the report said. New members often face “months of underemployment,” which is driving morale down.
While the military says it's addressing recruitment challenges, retention is proving just as urgent. A Defence Department program designed to tackle the issue was quietly shut down this year, its funding and staff redirected.
Critics say that move undermines the military's stated priority of rebuilding its workforce. "Since 2022, we've been hearing that personnel issues are a priority," said Charlotte Duval-Lantoine of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. "But the military is not putting its money where its mouth is."
Military leaders admit the training bottleneck is a problem. Commander Lt.-Gen. Lise Bourgon said the forces are partnering with civilian colleges to help ease the load. Basic training improvements are also underway, according to Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jennie Carignan.
The leaked report also warned that experienced soldiers close to retirement aren’t being encouraged to stay. Many feel overworked and overlooked, and leave as soon as they're eligible for a pension.
One exception may be the Navy's one-year trial program, which lets recruits test the waters before fully committing. Early results suggest it's helped reduce early exits.
The Armed Forces are short about 14,000 members. Yet as plans for Arctic expansion and new global commitments grow, the gap between recruitment and readiness continues to widen.
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All six U.S. service members aboard a plane that crashed in western on Iraq on Thursday have died, the U.S. military confirmed on Friday (13 March). Meanwhile, one French soldier was killed in a drone attack in the Erbil region of northern Iraq, President Emmanuel Macron announced.
The treatment of some detainees in Georgia “has arguably reached the threshold of torture”, a probe into the country’s human rights situation backed by 23 OSCE members has found.
In times of geopolitical upheaval, nuance is often the first casualty. Complex realities are reduced to convenient narratives and countries caught in the crosscurrents of regional tensions find themselves portrayed through a single, often misleading lens.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued veiled threats to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and Hezbollah on Thursday (12 March), during his first press conference since the conflict with Iran began.
The U.S. military confirmed on Friday (13 March) that all six service members aboard a plane that crashed in western Iraq on Thursday had died, as conflict in the Middle East continues.
The U.S. should shut down its military bases in the Middle East, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday (12 March). His words were read out by a broadcaster on state Iranian television.
Norwegian police apprehended three brothers suspected of carrying out Sunday's (8 March) bombing at the U.S. embassy in Oslo, in an attack investigators have branded an act of terrorism.
At least 64 people have been killed in southern Ethiopia following recent landslides and floods, the regional government’s communications office said on Thursday (12 March), citing local police
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has set recognition of Tehran’s inalienable rights, payment of war compensation, and international guarantees against any future invasion as conditions for ending the U.S.–Israel war with the Islamic Republic.
NATO air defence systems intercepted a third Iranian ballistic missile over Türkiye early on Friday morning. The incident occurred at approximately 03:30 local time over the southern province of Adana.
The European Commission will instruct governments to be flexible in enforcing EU rules on gas imports, diplomats told Reuters on Thursday (12 March), a move likely to benefit imports from Azerbaijan.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13rd of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ayman Ghazali, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, crashed his truck into the hallway of a Detroit-area synagogue on Thursday (12 March) while children attended preschool. Security personnel shot him dead during the confrontation, and authorities said no one else was seriously injured.
Balendra Shah is set to become Nepal's prime minister after winning a landslide in the country's 2026 elections. The election comes after a GenZ-led protest in which dozens died in September last year, helped to overthrow the government
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