Millennial Military

By Justin Crouch

The Canadian Armed Forces is actively hiring millennial recruits.

While some military recruiters find fewer millennials enlisting at the U.S. and European military, Canadian recruiters have yet to see a shortage.

Hooman Shirazi is an airforce pilot and director of operations at Southern Ontario’s Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre.

Shirazi said the role of millennials is “paramount to the future of the CAF.” He said he sees a bit of the same energy, drive and focus he had in the younger generation. Shirazi said the number of millennial recruits is not low.

“We have become very active on the Internet and social media to pass on informations about CAF career opportunities which has been welcomed by younger audiences,” said Shirazi.

The CAF launched a Dare to be Extraordinary campaign this past summer. They advertised at the movies during commercials before the feature films.

In Canadian Military Family Magazine, Charles Lamarre, Commander of Military Personnel Command said, “We have a dedicated, motivated and highly skilled CAF, to defend Canada and promote Canadian values and interests at home and abroad.”

Recruiting millennials is not the only goal.

“We welcome and hire all Canadian citizens between the ages of 18 and 57,” said Shirazi. All applicants must meet the minimum physical and medical standards, but all are welcome.

“Out of over 100,000 applicant files we process nationally each year, I can easily say the majority are between the ages of 18 and 30,” said Shirazi.