We have come a long way since Canada’s Defence Policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged, was announced in June 2017. In the 18 months since its release, the Defence Team has made tremendous strides towards implementing this ambitious, 20-year policy that will shape the role of Defence for decades to come.

Thanks to your efforts—military and civilian members working together across Defence—we have achieved substantial progress on numerous fronts and delivered on 77 projects since the release of the policy. We have invested in new Defence facilities across the country, launched processes to equip you with the tools you need, and started establishing innovative partnerships to ensure that we are prepared for today’s threats and ready for those that lie ahead.

Most importantly, we are making real progress on the single-most important element of Strong, Secure, Engaged; taking care of our people. We are placing an unprecedented focus on building a Defence Team that is well-supported, diverse and resilient. This year, we have:

• stood up the CAF Transition Group to improve military members’ experiences with the process of transition through their careers;
• introduced the new Veteran’s Service Card to help members stay connected to support programs;
• rolled out the Seamless Canada initiative to improve the coordination of services across provinces and ease the burden of moving for military members and their families;
• enhanced services and expanded access to Military Family Resource Centres;
• updated the CAF beard policy to better accommodate military members’ personal choices regarding their appearance;
• launched the Positive Space Ambassador initiative and offered training across the country in support of an inclusive work environment for everyone;
• expanded relocation benefits available for military members by updating CAF relocation policies;
• made it easier for military personnel to acquire combat boots of their choice;
• issued the first-ever Defence Workplace Well-being Survey that will identify areas of strength as well as areas of opportunity to better support workplace well-being for military members and civilian employees, and;
• enacted a retroactive pay increase for military CAF members to ensure world-class compensation for our men and women in uniform.

Together, we have accomplished a great deal but important work remains to build on the momentum in implementing Strong, Secure, Engaged, and to ensure its long-term success. We encourage you to watch this video and see just a few of the recent examples of the progress achieved in making this policy a reality.

We will continue to provide you with updates as we work together to build the Defence Team of the future.

For more information on Canada’s Defence Policy, visit the Strong, Secure, Engaged web page.