90k back in 1989 and now less than 60k with a population nearly doubled.

   

I grew up in a military family, and even then I didn't consider a career in the military as an option. They have always been bad at recruitment.

   

Yup, even when the cornflake was made the only option under Hillier they still couldn't get the combat arms to work together. It was very bad before, fiefdoms would be an apt description. Airforce, Army and Navy treat each others as competitors. When Trudeau scrapped the bonnie into razorblades it was the right thing to do but he only directed Hillier to triage the equipment and axe the harbor queens not the personnel. So we end up with a workforce that is resentful of the leadership, entrenched in the old ways and see any change as challenge. Getting women into the combat arms just opened up the Pandora's box of resentment and disdain. A lot of the old boys got sweet retirement deals just to get the hell out but the rot goes all the way to the top.

Our military is like the UN. If we didn't have it we would be forced to make it but the state it is in no one wants to join it. Turning it off and back on seems to be the only way to fix it. Total disband and restart. We can't do that but they can't keep things going and hoping they will turn around.