Army looking to grow and diversify its ranks on P.E.I.

The Canadian Army is short 120 soldiers on P.E.I. and it's hoping to find some new recruits within the LBGTQ community.

"To be a strong army we have to be diverse," said Brig.-Gen. Derek Macaulay, army commander for the Atlantic provinces. "We're focused on informing all of those groups that the military is a great team to be part of."

Macaulay told CBC News: Compass host Louise Martin there are only about 150 soldiers on P.E.I. He said to increase the ranks, the army needs to be welcoming all citizens.

"They need to know that if they join our team, that they're going to be provided a safe, a respectful work environment in which they'll be allowed to grow, they'll be allowed to challenge themselves, they'll be allowed to basically achieve their goals."

Canada-wide, the Canadian military is down about 2,000 regular-force members and 5,300 reservists. The Trudeau government plans to increase the regular force to 70,500 members and the reserves to 28,500.

Macaulay was on P.E.I. Wednesday to do his part by promoting the benefits of joining the army, particularly the reserves.

"Certainly we want to be a lot stronger than we are right now," he said on CBC News: Compass.

Benefits of reserves

Macaulay said part-time soldiers are guaranteed summer employment and $2,000 a year toward a post-secondary education. Joining the army is not without risk, he said, but issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder are dealt with more effectively than in the past.

"We know that we're having an effect providing our soldiers with a lot of support."

He said now is an exciting time to join the army.

"It's so exciting because we're getting new equipment, we're getting new soldiers, and we're getting new opportunities, and so all of that, you're going to see here on the Island.

"And in fact, I just saw one of the newest vehicles, a tactical armoured patrol vehicle, arrive here in Charlottetown on Sunday. You'll probably see it rumbling around the streets, at 16-tonne or so."

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