Canada is facing serious military budget problems, and the manpower situation is going to make them worse. While Canada is supposed to have 60,000 military personnel, it has only 52,300 due to recruiting shortfalls. This situation is going to get worse as the "baby boomer" generation starts to reach the "earliest retirement age" and takes their pensions with them into the better-paying civilian job market. Focusing on manpower retention issues is going to make delaying some needed equipment purchases for at least two years.--Stephen V Cole