09/10 Budget Impact on PRes - Unit stand-downs, Class B Freeze, and so on!

[COBRA-6]

I would suggest that operational experience trumps courses or time-in-rank, regardless of Reg/Res status.

 

[dapaterson]

The CLS and LFC Comd stated in townhalls that they actually have no clue where all of these Cl B positions are... there was no accounting system to keep track of who got employed where and for what reason. I believe there is an audit going on at this time, but I'm sure some of the people that are actually employable are going to get their jobs cut in the mean time while the "Office Space" crew have become very good at staying under the radar.

CLS is LFC Comd - the Chief fo the Land Staff is the Commander of Land Force Command.  I suspect you mean LFCA Comd - Commander, Land Forces Central Area.  A not insignificant diference.


There's a lack of willingness to know.  It's easy to identfy at the top level (and has been done in the past).  One staff officer in less than a week used to be able to identify full-time employment of all primary Reservists belonging to LFC including employing L1, L2 and L3 organizations - that is, it could be identified that Cpl Bloggins of the Third Bn, Royal Moose Regiment, was employed full-time by LFDTS, under CTC.  No time consuming staff-checks required.

However, the worst offenders (Hello, LFCA and Land Staff) do not want to know about the problem - so claiming "it needs more study" buys them time.  It also permits them to continue to employ people doing useless or less useful tasks.  And best of all, it creates massive low-level staff churn and busywork, so everyone appears busy.

But here's a question:  If the CLS and Comd LFCA do not know where their people are employed, why are the G1s for the Land Staff and LFCA HQ not being charged with negligent performance of a duty?  One would think that the G1 branch would be responsible to track personnel - what have they been doing instead?


There is no institutional will to reign in the worst abuses - they are encouraged at the top levels ("Retire from the Reg F so I can post in a protégé to groom him for the future, and I'll hire you as a Class B reservist - and promote you too!").  "Faire une exemple pour encourager les autres" is needed at the top levels to clean out the rot.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Courses are just that courses.  A military career so much more unpinned by building lifelong experience in the regular world and rank if gained, gained in competion with an equivilent geen pool.

If you think rank gained in the reserves is equivalent then you are delusional, and likley incapable of understanding my and many others perspective on this.

Not easy reading for some, I'm sure.

My .02c.

There is some, limited, merit in what you say. The overwhelming majority of military members in the average, below average, and poor segments do, indeed, rely, almost solely, on "time in" to secure their comfortable, dare I say 'fat' uniformed sinecures. This was, in my (35+ years) experience, and probably still is pretty prevalent across the Regular Force.

The Reserve Force, in my much more limited experience, is different. There are, to be sure, a lot of 'time servers' - usually there for the social life. But many of the Reservists I knew/know are more like the better than most, superior, and exceptional Regular Force members who have limited - but often intense - experience, quite a few courses and an amazing capacity (greater than I had) to wring the maximum benefit from each experience.

As a long service regular who has had the pleasure to know some reservists I find your general tone 'stuffy' and narrow minded - and, I suspect, based upon ignorance or one or two bad experiences.

I, too, have opinions and (can be) an asshole.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I can't understand why some members are so worried about their place in the pecking order that they are willing to put the greater good of the mission and CF in general in the back seat.

I don't have that much experience but I've bumped into a lot of members who were more worried about it looking like someone was doing their job for them than actually getting the job done.  What happened to mission before self?

Really hoping that mentality dies out with the dinosaurs, the CF will be a better place for it.

 

[George Wallace]

Really hoping that mentality dies out with the dinosaurs, the CF will be a better place for it.

Unfortunately that mentality wasn't held by all the dinosaurs, nor is it restricted to the dinosaurs.  In fact, it seems to have been a rather recent phenomenon.

 

[Haggis]

Unfortunately that mentality wasn't held by all the dinosaurs

Don't you mean "Fortunately"?  Many dinosaurs were more than happy to have Resevists alongside them.  What a difference 20 years makes!  Oka/Akwesasne in 1990 was a perfect example.  During the 1970 October Crisis, when the Reg F showed up at the Armoury in Cornwall they sent all the Reservists home ("The pros are here.  Thanks for coming out.  Now leave.").  However when 1 RCR showed up in 1990, the CO immediately asked for, and was given, all the Reservists under command (Hey, I've got two extra platoons!!!)

nor is it restricted to the dinosaurs.

  Unfortunately I see it far too often in young(er) former Reservists who now treat their past peers with contempt.

In fact, it seems to have been a rather recent phenomenon.

  Not really.  It's just more out in the open now, I think, because the Reserves have reached an unforseen and uncomfortable level of expertise and experience bordering on professionalism as full members of the Defence Team.  Some see this as a competetive rather than complimentary situation when faced with resource pressures.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Tinfoil hat time. Does anyone think the policy of a tour, employed in trade, and a CT into the same trade allowing you to carry your rank over to the Regs has anything to do with this?

ie: An armoured reservist crew commander qualified MCpl, if employed on tour as a crew commander, can CT straight to amoured Regs as a cc qual'd MCpl.

Maybe the powers that be have seen this as a way to shut off that tap?

Why shut off that tap, it's the only one that effectively bypassed the choke-point in the recruit training system, which no-one has proposed a credible solution for yet.

 

[armyvern]

Don't you mean "Fortunately"? 

I think he was saying "Unfortunately, more than just dinosaurs have that mentality" ... peut être.

Whichever it is - the attitude of "We versus Them" sucks; is not warranted, is not deserved, and has been proven to be a total fallacy umpteen times ... yet still, there are those who insist on perpetuating this crap attitude. I think the attitude says more negative about the bearer of it though, than those of whom they believe they are speaking.

 

[PuckChaser]

If you think rank gained in the reserves is equivalent then you are delusional, and likley incapable of understanding my and many others perspective on this.

Not easy reading for some, I'm sure.

Maybe I'm the exception to the rule, but I'm a far better MCpl than some of the guys I've seen who've been in rank longer than I've been employed by the CF. Res F, Reg F, it doesn't matter. Its how you make the most of the training and experiences you've been handed. Its a real shame that there are people like you that judge pers simply on a small point on their MPRR that says Reg F or Res F, instead of actually letting someone prove that they are worthy of max, or minimum supervision on their own merits and work ethic.

 

[Rifleman62]

I seem to remember that a member here, while in a previous job, could answer instantaneously, any question relating to Army Reserve establishments, employment, budgets, parading strength, etc, etc, etc. Do you remember that guy DAP?

 

[armyvern]

I think that guy got out and went BClass ... DAP might know for sure.  ;D

 

[dapaterson]

I heard that guy left his class B, became a public servant, resumed class A service - but his unit has stood down for the rest of the FY because of budget cuts.

But that's just a rumour...

 

[armyvern]

Can that be considered to be some form of "triple-dipping"??  ;D

Geez, if those rumors are true, it sucks to be that guy! I feel bad for him.  :'(

 

[COBRA-6]

Naw, triple-dipping is when you leave the Reg F with pension to become a DND Public Servant, and are also a Class A Reservist!

 

[armyvern]

Naw, triple-dipping is when you leave the Reg F with pension to become a DND Public Servant, and are also a Class A Reservist!

Geez, I bet he just can't wait until end-FY then ... only to have them tell him on 01 April that "it's was all a joke".  :-X

 

[McG]

Tinfoil hat time. Does anyone think the policy of a tour, employed in trade, and a CT into the same trade allowing you to carry your rank over to the Regs has anything to do with this?

Courses are just that courses.  A military career so much more unpinned by building lifelong experience in the regular world and rank if gained, gained in competion with an equivilent geen pool.

If you think rank gained in the reserves is equivalent then you are delusional, and likley incapable of understanding my and many others perspective on this.

7 to 9 months on tour, plus 6 months work-up training before that covers a fairly significant chunck of the experience delta.  If the individual performed adequately for that period while employed in occupation (so not in an ATR position), then I would comfortably say that they could succeed in the Reg F.


I suppose there is a danger that the individual grossly under-performed and it was not reflected on a theatre PER and so will get through the screening.  From what I've seen, that danger is not any greater than already Reg F under-performers sliding along through the system.

 

[CountDC]

and the fun continues.

CANFORGEN 003/10 CMP 002/10 051828Z JAN 10
CHANGES TO NDHQ PRL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESSES
UNCLASSIFIED

1. DUE TO TO INCREASED DEMANDS FOR PERSONNEL TO TRANSFER TO THE NDHQ PRIMARY RESERVE LIST (PRL) THE FOLLOWING CHANGES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY

A. ALL REQUESTS FOR TRANSFERS, NEW HIRES OR RENEWALS, WILL REQUIRE 30 DAYS FOR PROCESSING STARTING THE DATE ALL COMPLETED PAPERWORK IS SUBMITTED. INCOMPLETE SUBMISSIONS WILL INCUR EVEN FURTHER DELAYS

B. ALL PERSONNEL WHO ARE HELD AGAINST A POSITION ON EITHER THE NDHQ PRL OR SUPP RES BUT WHO ARE WORKING FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL COMMAND WILL BE TRANSFERRED IMMEDIATELY TO THAT COMMAND

C. SPLIT ANNUITANT BREAKS ARE NO LONGER AUTHORIZED AND

D. EFFECTIVE 11 JANUARY 2010, ALL REQUESTS FOR CL B HIRES WILL BE PROCESSED BY THE NDHQ PRL STAFF WHO WILL USE THE NEW RESERVE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (REO) SOFTWARE. EMPLOYERS ARE TO CONTACT MCPL D. ARSENAULT AT 613-943-0636 WHO WILL PUBLISH ALL CL B EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY MSGS. HIRES MADE THROUGH THE OLD MESSAGING PROCESSES ARE NO LONGER VALID AND WILL HAVE TO BE READVERTISED FOR 30 DAYS THROUGH REO

E. PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM. DAOD 5023-2 IS CLEAR THAT TESTS ARE VALID FOR 365 DAYS UNLESS THE EXEMPTION LEVEL IS ACHIEVED. PERSONNEL WHO ARE NOT RETESTED WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE EXPIRATION DATE AND WHO DO NOT HAVE A MEDICAL EXEMPTION, WILL BE PLACED ON INITIAL COUNSELLING. EMPLOYING UNITS WHO WERE TOLD PRIOR TO THIS CANFORGEN TO ISSUE AN INITIAL COUNSELLING AND HAVE FAILED TO DO SO, HAVE UNTIL 31 JAN TO SIGN APPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION OR THE MEMBER WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO FIND A NEW UNIT TO TRANSFER TO. CF MEMBERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THEIR PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST IS UP TO DATE FOR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS UNLESS PERSONALLY GRANTED BY THE CO NDHQ PRL, ASST CMP OR CMP

2. UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE DEMANDS UPON THE NDHQ PRL FOR CL B PERSONNEL ARE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED, THE ABOVE CHANGES WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT

3. SIGNED MGEN W. SEMIANIW, CHIEF MILITARY PERSONNEL

 

[Remius]

Ouch.  CMP is getting in on it.  I wonder how many people are on the NDHQ PRL.

 

[COBRA-6]

It should be noted that Land Staff Class B Reservists would be on the LFC PRL, not the NDHQ PLR in most cases.

 

[CountDC]

True enough but by reading para 1(b) it appears that LFC along with the other commands decided NDHQ PRL was a nice place to park some of their Cl B's.