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Backgrounder
Modernizing the CFSA : Realities and Rigours of Military Service
BG-03.021 - May 15, 2003
The concept that the military has a role and lifestyle distinct from the general community flows from the military's distinctive mandate. The Canadian Forces are responsible for maintaining the security and defending the sovereignty of Canada, if necessary by means of force. By its very nature, a career in the Canadian Forces requires commitment and sacrifice.
Contemporary requirements
During the years 1948 to 1989, the Canadian Forces were deployed on 25 operations. In the decade since 1989, they have been deployed 65 times. On any given day, about 8,000 Canadian Forces members - one third of our deployable force - are preparing for, engaged in or returning from overseas missions. While the Canadian Forces have demonstrated the capacity to surge to support operations, sustaining a high personnel tempo - that is to say, the time members have to spend away from home, whether on deployment, training or other activities - has a long-term impact on Forces' members and their families.
Rigours of military service
The Standing Committee on National Defence and Veterans Affairs, in its 1998 Quality of Life study, identified many of the challenges that Canadian Forces members and their families must face, including:
hazards to health and safety, such as stress injuries, possible exposure to toxic materials and physically demanding activities;
uncertainty, such as long-term separations from family on short notice;
multiple postings and all the inherent challenges of re-establishing family life in a new location; and
needs of family members, such as health, housing, education and employment.
The objective of pension modernization is to maintain a modern and competitive
pension plan comparable to those of other Canadian employers. The pension arrangements
should also recognize the need to maintain a relatively young workforce, the
demands that military service place on members and their families and the limited
opportunities for post-retirement employment. Therefore, it is proposed that
members should be eligible to receive their pensions after serving a total of
at least 25 complete years of Canadian Forces paid service, regardless of their
age. Furthermore, members who have served for 10 years or more and who are released
because their health no longer allows them to carry out their military duties
would be entitled to an immediate pension.
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