CDS/DM Message to Staff on the Directive on CAF Reconstitution

October 6, 2022 - Defence Stories

Message from the Deputy Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff
 

Team,

Looking ahead to the fall, you’ll be hearing more about Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reconstitution. Reconstitution is a term many of us in the military are already quite familiar with, and we apply reconstitution measures often at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels, as required to restore units to an acceptable level of readiness. In the context of CAF Reconstitution, we are at a point where undertaking one of the largest and most significant reconstitution efforts in recent memory is now a critical priority.

We have just issued a formal directive to all Level One (L1) leaders, which you can read for yourself. Force reconstitution will be big, complex and challenging. It’s first and foremost about people. It’s about rebuilding the strength and number of people in our force and, at the same time, building the structure and competencies that are necessary to defend and protect Canadians in an increasingly dangerous world. Most importantly, it’s something we’re doing to make us a stronger and more effective organization and we’re writing to encourage you to take it in that spirit.

At the heart of the issue is this: the ability to maintain and grow our Force has been at risk for a variety of reasons. Then, the pandemic exacerbated the problem by impacting the active recruiting we could do, as well as the pace of training we could undertake. This has resulted in a significant loss of experience and expertise to address our operational requirements.

We’re making the best of the situation—because that’s how this institution works—but it’s been stressful for our whole team and, frankly, it’s not sustainable—for all of you, or for the defence of our country in the long term. The Directive provides instructions, guidance and some timelines on how we will begin to tackle this challenge.

So what does it mean for you? As a Defence Team, we need to look at all the things that we undertake within the Department of National Defence (DND) and the CAF and make sure we are putting our energies into priority areas, as well as being laser-focused on work that will strengthen how we recruit, retain, and take care of our people. Central to this effort must be fostering a culture in which all Defence Team members feel welcome, safe and able to bring their best selves to work. Your leadership will be taking a hard look at where we can refocus our efforts in the coming months and years. We also need to rethink non-essential actions and outdated equipment and activities that are taking up time and energy we as an institution don’t have. Going forward, every new activity and operation will be planned through the lens of reconstituting the CAF.

There is a lot in the directive, including which L1s are responsible for taking specific actions, and also expectations we have regarding how to effectively and empathetically manage our different teams throughout this process. We also need to do this thoughtfully, ensuring we maintain the wellness of our current team, as well as our treaty and national security obligations, and our role as the force of last resort for helping out Canadians here at home. We will take the time, energy and funding that we save by putting aside unnecessary elements, and putting those resources into work that serves the larger purpose of getting the CAF up to the strength Canada needs it to be.

We appreciate that this is uncomfortable to hear. We assure you, it’s uncomfortable to write. At the same time, all of us in this organization are the first ones to step up and do the right thing for this country. This necessary work to pivot our focus to address our most pressing institutional challenges is completely in line with that modus operandi.   

We’ll communicate more in the coming months, but in the meantime, we wanted to share our thinking as work on reconstitution and modernization ramps up across the organization.

All Defence Team members are welcome and encouraged to read the document in full.

Thanks team,

General Wayne Eyre
Chief of the Defence Staff

Bill Matthews
Deputy Minister

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