Vanguard Magazine

I N T E R V I E W www.vanguardcanada.com JUNE/JULY 2024 19 Q What do you see as the biggest challenge to RCAF modernization? The main challenge is having the people to be able to do the modernization. Right now, we're approximately 2,000 regular Force members short out of our 13,500. We're pretty good on our public service employees. In terms of reserves we're about 500 short from what our establish- ment could be, but we're at a higher num- ber right now than we've been for quite some time for filled positions. We have about 70,000 people who are actively talking to our recruiting centres, trying to get into our military. Those numbers are higher than we saw prior to the pandemic. Our recruitment numbers went up last year, hence the growth, but they didn't hit the numbers we wanted them to. We're three months into our new fiscal year, and we're on a track to hit our numbers this year. We're at least six to 10 per cent higher compared to this time last year for our recruitment, to the point where we now must send some more peo- ple to be instructors for the basic military qualification training. It's a very positive trajectory. The goal I've given our team and the way I've framed it is in the strategy we put out for 2035. Within there, there are four strategic objectives. I distill them to be people, readiness, modernization and part- nerships. Amongst those four strategic ob- jectives mapped out to 2035, we set a goal of 2028 as being operationally relevant to do continental defense as an air and space We have about 70,000 people who are actively talking to our recruiting centres, trying to get into our military. Those numbers are higher than we saw prior to the pandemic. force. What does that mean? That means that by 2028, we can effectively see, share, command and control, and act on threats to North America from an air and space per- spective in a relevant way. If a cruise missile is flying into Canada, I could do something about it. We are trying to maximize the 100th an- niversary of the RCAF to remind our avia- tors, and those who are training, about their Air Force. I'm noticing a sense of optimism and a keen interest in joining the RCAF and I'm sure we're going to be successful going forward. And just to be clear, I do care about what's happening in the Navy, Army and Military Personnel Command, because at our wings we have over 90 dif- ferent occupations that work there, and the Air Force only owns 28 of those occupa- tions. So I need the full team to be filled up, not just Air Force occupations. Q Industry is always eager to support. How do you see industry participating? Industry participates every day, whether it's delivery of assets, or the maintenance and in service support contracts that goes along CH-149 Cormorant. Photo: DND MQ-9B. Photo: General Atomics

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