Life in the Forces

Vacation

Annual leave is a per-month entitlement for all members when employed on a full-time basis for 30 days or more consecutively. Members are entitled to 20 paid annual leave days per year when they have less than five years of service. This increases to 25 paid annual leave days per year after five years of service and reaches 30 days of paid annual leave per year after 25 years of service (see chart below). Annual leave can normally be scheduled around training and operational requirements.

Additionally, the CAF also offers other types of paid leave such as special, short, and compassionate, which are designed to support our members professionally and personally throughout their career.

CAF members are entitled to annual leave as prescribed in the table below for each month of paid service during that fiscal year (or yearly cycle for Res F members):

Diversity

Diversity is the strength of Canada’s population and is essential to our military’s operational effectiveness and long-term success.

Individuals in the Canadian Armed Forces will always be seen as a soldier first, regarded for your duty, work and contributions above all else. The Forces welcome applicants from all genders, religions, ethnicities and sexual orientations.

Successful careers begin in the Forces

All our members enjoy a range of prestigious full-and part-time career options in fields like healthcare, law, IT and engineering, the possibility of specializing in your career, accelerated responsibilities and faster advancement opportunities than in the civilian world, the chance to travel and work around the world, and a full range of enviable benefits and advantages.