Thank you.

My name is Christopher Banks. I retired as a sergeant and quartermaster after 20 years in the army reserve.

During my career, I deployed to Bosnia in 2003 as a peacekeeper. I deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 as a machine gunner in the battle group. I deployed in Operation Cadence in 2010, the Canadian Forces contribution to the RCMP-led security task force for the G8 conference in Toronto. I deployed again in 2010 on Operation Nanook, an Arctic sovereignty patrol based out of Resolute Bay in Nunavut. My last deployment was in 2017 on Operation Lentus. We were based out of Rigaud, Quebec, in response to the flooding. I suffered an OSI from combat and retired “3B” in 2019. I then began working as an advocate for veterans and for serving military.

One thing that gives me pride about my service, when I reflect back, is how uniquely capable we are as an institution. I have quite literally seen engineers move mountains. I have seen the impact we've had on Canadians when we've engaged positively with them. The three domestic operations I served on were progressively more fulfilling. In Resolute Bay, I met with a shopkeeper who told us how excited he and the whole town were to have us. They were especially thankful for our contributions to their economy. In Hudson, Quebec, the town was so thankful for our assistance that they threw us a barbeque in their fire hall.

Within the military community, the discussion of whether to enhance the military's domestic operations capabilities is split. As a diverse institution, there is debate on nearly every issue. However, the debate here focuses on primarily two criticisms—that the CAF “should not” and that the CAF “cannot”.

The first criticism is primarily ideological. What should or should not a military engage in? We can all agree that there are some absolutes. The military must be a combat-ready force capable of defending the nation. The military should not be the police. However, within this range is a large scope of capabilities—humanitarian assistance, aid to civil power, disaster relief, search and rescue, avalanche mitigation, firefighting and winter rescue. These are all tasks that the CAF has completed. We are capable of more—always have, always will—and that is the strength of Canada's military.

The second criticism is that the CAF “cannot”. In this regard, the criticism is correct. The decades of continual budget erosion have left the CAF on weakened ground. The error by the government has always been that the CAF continues to accomplish its tasks, and therefore it can operate at a reduced budget, when in fact the soldiers have been taking the brunt of the cuts. Because soldiers are so uniquely capable, they persevere. That leads to burnout, the root cause of CAF's retention problem.

Do you understand how demoralizing it is to join the military and to be continually told throughout your career that exercises are being cancelled because of the budget, courses are being cancelled because of a lack of ammunition, and the barracks are condemned, so you'll be spending the winter in tents? Our equipment is old, obsolete, broken or lacking. Armouries are leaking, flaking red paint and asbestos, and are without parking, classrooms or insulation. There are wait-lists for base housing longer than some members' postings. Bases lack the appropriate number of barracks.

Our aging infrastructure is being held together by the sheer will of our collective angst. Our equipment and personnel are beyond stretched. There's no time for maintenance or home life. Everyone wears more than one hat. Benefits were once again on the government's chopping block this year, and that was before the most recent budget cuts. The treatment of members is so often an afterthought that it is driving away recruits.

No, the CAF cannot manage an increase in domestic operations commitments, not yet. The CAF cannot manage much more than its expeditionary commitments when its personnel and infrastructure are near breaking points. It could and it should, but the trend of budget erosion would need to be reversed. Asking the CAF to increase its capabilities without an appropriate and permanent increase is asking for more to be cut from the bottom.

Right now the CAF needs investments in housing, equipment, ammunition, personnel and more—investments that are beneficial to our economy and that are investments into those who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces and their families.

Thank you.