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Most Canadians fail to understand what a bloody freaking miracle this is, how blessedly far removed are the men and women of the CF from the ghastly bureaucracies, chiefly the department of national defence but also veterans’ affairs, which purport to serve them.

Read more from Christie Blatchford …

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Some wonder whether senior military leaders, who have long complained that the current targets are unrealistic and unattainable, are simply trying to take the easy way out rather than genuinely addressing recruitment problems.

At the heart of the issue is a legal requirement in the Employment Equity Act that the Canadian Forces, like all federal government departments and agencies, must work to increase the diversity of its workforce.

Currently, the military is expected to aim for these targets: females should make up 25.1% of full-time military personnel and reservists; 11.7% should be visible minorities; and 3.3% should be aboriginals.

Those target numbers are lower than for other federal departments, in recognition of the unique nature of military service.

The Canadian Forces place well compared with many of Canada’s allies, particularly on the percentage of women in uniform. The military has also seen recent progress in the number of visible minorities and aboriginals joining up.

Yet it has never actually met its targets. Women currently account for 15% of personnel in uniform, a number that hasn’t changed in several years, while visible minorities represent 4.2%, and aboriginals 1.9%.