Canadian Forces to enlist 30 per cent of recruits within a week, Hillier says

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Sheila Fraser also warned of a recruiting crunch that loomed ahead as thousands of people who enlisted in the 1980s prepare to retire.

Several major factors, including a shortage of military doctors qualified to approve medical tests and a lack of training instructors, left the recruitment process "in shambles," said Alain Pellerin, executive director of the Conference of Defence Associations.

"The system of recruiting and training was broken, and I think what the chief is trying to do now is to address that as a priority," said Pellerin, a retired colonel.

But speeding up recruitment won't instantly reverse years of staff and resource cutbacks within the Canadian Forces, he said.

"It's like a big ship that once you decide to change course, it takes a long time to change course," he said.

Hillier acknowledged that qualified recruits were choosing other professions over the Forces because of a lengthy application process.

"Medicals, security clearances, fitness tests and a variety of things like that were taking months and months and months," he said. "As a result, we were losing good kids."

Hillier, in his first public remarks since the bodies of four Canadians killed on Aug. 3 in Afghanistan were returned home, also said the recent rash of casualties has been "beyond difficult" for troops based in the war-torn country and their relatives.

"I don't think tough quite describes it," he said in his speech.

"Tough is when you lose one soldier. When you lose the number that we've lost over these 10, 12 days here, that goes beyond that difficulty."

Seven Canadians have died in Afghanistan this month, five in attacks from the Taliban.

Hillier, who attended the repatriation Monday night of a military medic at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario, said the knowledge that the victims died helping rebuild a ravaged country does little to console their mourning families.

"All of that, when you meet grieving parents or a young widow with young children, is actually not a great deal of comfort when you're talking to them," he said.

"But you know what? I go to Trenton to show my respect and show my gratitude to those great young soldiers and their families, maybe trying to help inspire the families to get through the toughest days of their lives. And you know something? I always leave Trenton inspired by them."

Cpl. Andrew Eykelenboom, 23, was killed Friday when a suicide bomber plowed an explosives-laden pickup truck into a NATO convoy in southern Afghanistan. He is the first Canadian military medic killed in action since the Korean War.

Relatives and friends gathered Tuesday in Sherwood Park, Alta., at a funeral for Cpl. Bryce Keller, who was killed along with three other Canadian soldiers on Aug. 3 during a battle with Taliban fighters.

Twenty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since the Forces were deployed there in 2002.

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