# Canada Recruits Fat and Lazy



## RackMaster (Aug 16, 2013)

Saw this article and thought it would be an interesting discussion.  I wonder if it's just a Canadian problem or perhaps a Western problem; the new generations seem to be getting fatter and dumber.






> *Military recruits struggling to win the battle of the bulge, audit says*
> 
> 
> By Lee Berthiaume, Postmedia News August 16, 2013 6:27 PM
> ...


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## Diamondback 2/2 (Aug 16, 2013)

Yeah its a problem in the US Army too.


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## RackMaster (Aug 16, 2013)

I'll have to ask a buddy at the recruit school what the attrition rate is like.  When I went through we had a lot of people PAT Pl (personnel awaiting training) but most were injuries; we had a few fat fucks on course but most were "forced" into getting in shape or buh bye.


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## Dame (Aug 16, 2013)

I wonder if it has to do with the unemployment rate. When the Army upped the age limit there were 40 year olds who had never put on a uniform signing up for a steady paycheck and benefits. Not making a judgment, just wondering if that could have something to do with it.


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## RackMaster (Aug 16, 2013)

That's part of it but from what I've seen, most of those 40 year olds actually have a work ethic and are in shape or work hard at getting in shape.  It's the younger generations looking for a silver spoon.


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## pardus (Aug 16, 2013)

Dame said:


> I wonder if it has to do with the unemployment rate. When the Army upped the age limit there were 40 year olds who had never put on a uniform signing up for a steady paycheck and benefits. Not making a judgment, just wondering if that could have something to do with it.



No, in fact the older recruits performed far better on average.



RackMaster said:


> Saw this article and thought it would be an interesting discussion.  I wonder if it's just a Canadian problem or perhaps a Western problem; the new generations seem to be getting fatter and dumber.



Its a western problem. New Zealand was struggling to work this out years ago.


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## SkrewzLoose (Aug 16, 2013)

Prevalent in the Navy.  It's infuriating.  Not just new folks, but those who have been in as well.


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## digrar (Aug 16, 2013)

> The audit report also noted Defence Department officials have looked at following the United Kingdom and Australia in privatizing military recruitment, but that the costs outweigh the benefits at this time.



We still have the military involved, although most of the leg work is done by civvies. I think they are hamstrung by the ADF to a large degree, making the process a lot longer than it needs to be and I also think the system favours the squared away and driven recruit, as you have to chase the civvies every step of the way to get your application moving. That's not such a bad thing, the demotivated drop off and those that really want it go the distance.

We haven't changed our education standards, but we have started easing up on the more rotund, the wheezy and the illicit drug experimenters.


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## Coyote (Aug 24, 2013)

RackMaster said:


> I'll have to ask a buddy at the recruit school what the attrition rate is like.  When I went through we had a lot of people PAT Pl (personnel awaiting training) but most were injuries; we had a few fat fucks on course but most were  "forced" into getting in shape or buh bye.



My basic had an attrition rate of approx 34%. Out of those who were dropped, it was pretty evenly distributed between guys being total princesses, medical reasons, 
and just being chubsters. 

Once I got to my trades course, we only had one guy leave because of a death in his family and another who 
couldn't qualify on the range.
With that being said, this all took place last year. I'm not sure if attrition rates in the distant past have been very different. 

In regards to the older aged guys, I can vouch for. In a different section on my trades course there was a guy who I would say was at least 40. One of the hardest working guys on course and was often appointed by course staff for leadership positions. We called him the 'platoon daddy'.


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