My comments would be that people join for a number of different reasons. Some are attracted to earn qualifications, advanced education, to improve their work skills and their qualifications. Some people are attracted to adventure and travel. There are people who want to challenge themselves.
I would agree that there was a segment of the Canadian population that joined during the time that Canada was actively involved in combat operations in Afghanistan, but we also need to recognize that there was another portion of the population that was not attracted by the combination of those activities and, quite honestly, the recruiting ads that were being run at the time.
It's a challenge for the military. People have multiple different reasons why they join.