Faced with rising threats from competing states and climate change, the top military minds in the Canadian Armed Forces are drafting a plan to bolster the nation’s defences by creating a civil force made up of 300,000 volunteers.

I will be signing up if they offer that. New skills are always good. Best case we never have to use them but worst case we are a bit more prepared.

“Those who join the civil defence corps would face less restrictive age limits and meet lower physical and fitness requirements. Their training would be limited to five days per year to ensure accessibility.

In that short period, volunteers would learn skills such as shooting, moving, communicating, driving a truck and flying a drone, according to the mobilization plan. Canada’s civilian force would get medical coverage during training, but not pensionable benefits.”

  • healthetank@lemmy.ca
    152·
    4 hours ago

    Arguing that were not better than the US or Russia (the two biggest neighbours and both much more aggressively imperialistic than Canada), is extremely disingenuous.

    I think Canada has the potential to do better and I’m not about to give it up or roll over for another country to come in, particularly one like the US who has shown an incredible swing towards facism and aggression to LGBTQ and POC. Me defending this country, if they were to invade, would have direct benefits to those of my family who are LGBTQ and those of my friend group who are immigrants. Arguing that because Canada has a problem with wannabe monopolistic companies and a bleed over of American individualism its basically as bad as any other is a stance I disagree with.

    The most likely deployment for these forces would be natural disasters and support - something I’m interested in doing anyway. If this does come out its something I’d explore and see if its a good fit.