Canada's top general asked about getting equipment fitted especially for women

[dimsum]

This is a better fit* than the News forum.  For comedic value, watch the video for Gen Vance's answer - and "don't get him started on boots".  :nod:

*See what I did there? 

Canada's diminutive top soldier told a compact female cadet that he can relate to womens' complaints about oversized body armour and other kit designed for larger men.

"Listen, I hear you sister. I'm like five seven, I've been chaffing against this stuff my whole career too," he told Officer Cadet Melissa Sanfacon at the Conference of Defence Associations Institute 2017 Ottawa conference.

Sanfacon asked the question in relation to the military's efforts to get more women into the force. She said some of the equipment she uses is fitted for the size of an average soldier, which is much larger than her nearly five foot stature.

"So the fit, and I'm going to assume it's the same way for many women, is not quite functional or practical, sir," she said.

Vance said he completely agreed and immediately pointed to Lt-Gen. Paul Wynnyk, Commander of the Canadian Army, and instructed him to: "do better."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vance-conference-question-sanfacon-1.3989588

 

[Rifleman62]

Well Paul Wynnyk is an Engineer, so maybe.....

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

With the final comment on boots ... is he intimating that the problem with the Army boots is caused by the Army, not the supply (and I mean the materiel acquisition type here) system?

(and PS: I am asking because quite frankly, the Army boot problem baffles me. In my 24 years of active service in the Navy, I have never been issued with a pair of sea-boots that didn't do the job, and frankly have hardly ever heard any people complaining about them).

 

[Rifleman62]

If the Army's boots are so bad, why not purchase off the shelf from the US or are their boots sub quality also? Yes I know jobs for Canada (or for Oldgateboatdriver, jobs for Quebec  :rofl

 

[Navy_Pete]

While they are at it, uniforms that aren't sized for a command gut would be nice, at least for DEUs. 

 

[Loachman]

If the Army's boots are so bad, why not purchase off the shelf from the US or are their boots sub quality also?

Treasury Board will not permit that.

The aftermarket boot (and other kit) markets are thriving in the US. It's highly competitive, which inspires companies (large and small) to produce innovative, high-quality, reasonably-priced items to paying customers.

In Canada, companies who have neither background nor interest in military footwear get large contracts to produce failure after failure with no penalty, and, therefore, no incentive to do better.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Perhaps Canadian Forces members (and tax payers) deserve a bit of a better answer about our boot fiasco.

 

[OldSolduer]

If the Army's boots are so bad, why not purchase off the shelf from the US or are their boots sub quality also? Yes I know jobs for Canada (or for Oldgateboatdriver, jobs for Quebec  :rofl

Heretic!! Blasphemer!!!! What will Canadian footwear companies do?

 

[MilEME09]

Heretic!! Blasphemer!!!! What will Canadian footwear companies do?

Stick to making crappy hiking boots and sneakers?

 

[George Wallace]

Stick to making crappy hiking boots and sneakers?

Once upon a time, Greb made good boots.

Kind of sounds like a Fairy Tale now.

 

[PMedMoe]

Well, she does have a valid point.  And that includes footwear too. 

 

[jollyjacktar]

And those of us with small willies.  How am I supposed to fill that gigantic pouch in the issue underwear?  Unless that is a form of Russian Maskirovka, thinking that any enemies who find our underwear on the battlefield must assume they are up against Canadian Übermensch.  :nod:

 

[George Wallace]

And those of us with small willies.  How am I supposed to fill that gigantic pouch in the issue underwear?  Unless that is a form of Russian Maskirovka, thinking that any enemies who find our underwear on the battlefield must assume they are up against Canadian Übermensch.  :nod:

As they are "one size type fits ALL", you had better remember the Canadian Übermenschen.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Looking forward to the sponsored thesis on the 'Devil Dwarfs' and the resulting Army lessons learned primer...  ;D

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bantam-battalions-how-britains-devil-dwarfs-helped-allies-win-world-war-one-1458322

 

[sailorprivateer]

Hmmm... I'm 5'1" and 5'2" on a good day, so how screwed-up am I?

 

[ballz]

Well, she does have a valid point.  And that includes footwear too.

She does, it's a sad state of affairs when even the CDS laughs off the idea that he might have enough influence/authority to fix this issue.

 

[Ryan_T]

This is a better fit* than the News forum.  For comedic value, watch the video for Gen Vance's answer - and "don't get him started on boots".  :nod:

*See what I did there? 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/vance-conference-question-sanfacon-1.3989588

I remember when i 1st got in to the CF. Non of my gear fit. They were all to small.

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk

 

[Good2Golf]

With the final comment on boots ... is he intimating that the problem with the Army boots is caused by the Army, not the supply (and I mean the materiel acquisition type here) system?

(and PS: I am asking because quite frankly, the Army boot problem baffles me. In my 24 years of active service in the Navy, I have never been issued with a pair of sea-boots that didn't do the job, and frankly have hardly ever heard any people complaining about them).

Principally, yes for general use clothing.  DLR essentially is responsible for Army and general purpose (CAF) boots. DAR still sets the specification for aircrew-specific footwear and DMR the same for sea-duty specific footwear.  Once procured, DSSPM (Directorate of Soldier Systems Program Management) oversees the life-cycle management of all footwear.  DSSPM is a Directorate within DGLEPM (Directorate General of Land Engineering and Program Management), which although an organization subordinate to ADM(MAT), responds to CCA (through COS(Land Strat)).  So yes, the Army's fingerprints are pretty heavily imprinted on boots, and rucksacks, and camouflage clothing, used by the general CAF population.

:2c:

Regards
G2G

 

[TCM621]

(and PS: I am asking because quite frankly, the Army boot problem baffles me. In my 24 years of active service in the Navy, I have never been issued with a pair of sea-boots that didn't do the job, and frankly have hardly ever heard any people complaining about them).

Part of the reason is that you don't put the kind of miles on your feet in the navy as you do the army. When you are putting in the kind if miles even support staff have to put in just to do their AFT,  going the one style works for all method the army keeps trying to implement is not feasible. To top it off,  supply is handcudfed by policies that don't allow them to offer solutions. For example,  I have hyperhydrosis (aka really sweaty feet)  and by the end of the day my feet are sliding around the mk4s I tied hockey skate tight at the beginning of the day. The solution is breathable footwear. We have them in the system but I can't get issued desert boots unless I deploy or seaboots unless I'm Navy. Our ninmagen team even had issues getting cut boots to March in because their airforce and are only entitled to steel toed boots.  Then there is the dress Nazis,  who assume because I am wearing magnums,  I am less effective than if I was wearing issued boots. I miss the Gypsy military to a certain extent,  things were more flexible in those days,  even if I did have to buy my own kit

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

 

[Navy_Pete]

Something of a non-sequitor, I was wearing a step counter for a while on ship and was averaging between 20-25k steps each day and doing about 40 flights of stairs.  My stride is just under a meter so you can do the math, although most of the extra weight I was carrying was the 10 yards of additional fabric built into all NCDs so that they don't fit anyone properly.

I always thought people got around the boot issues with a med chits from doctors/physio.

Funny story though, when I was in ADM(Mat) years ago I was asked to be involved in a survey for the new sea boots.  I went up to a room, saw a bunch of boots on the table, and was asked to rate them on appearance.  ???

I asked a few questions about their funcitonality and was told it didn't matter for the survey, but did weight the ones with zippers and mesh sides heavily for completely unrelated reasons.  They wanted to know what I thought about the leather grain, colour, etc, so it was kind of bizarre.  (The new boots suck for wet weather, but fantastic to have kicking around for pulling on quickly during bong bongs).

Anyway, unless the requirements types put in something about that to make the dress committee happy, that would have come from the project.