Discussion About Maroon Berets? split- more infantry work. Artillery or Armored

[Blackadder1916]

I still have all three designations. Only ever got bronze, but found a bunch in a drawer when we stopped issueing them.

I'm going to put them all on my Frontiersman tunic when I retire ;D and refuse to give any to the other guys.

Wasn't that the official qualifying criteria?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

CFSME should ahve four colours, not three - unless the Air Force has been kicked out...

Well as it pertained to the LF I intentionally left out the Airforce.

:nana:

 

[old fart]

Are you sure?

I am sure that with the disbandbent of the CAR and the reorg of the SSF to 2 CMBG all those Operational Jump positions were done away with until the Jump Coys were brought back in the Bns.  As far as I know the outlying posns never got reinstated.  Does the RCD have their Jump Troop back?  This may just be a bunch of new Jumpers using their own "initiative" and you know what that could mean.

[Edit:  Mike......Your Spell Check missed my typo of "disbandbent".  ]

After the disbandment the Airborne Engineer Platoon became part of the Airborne Holding Unit and then for a couple of months under what was called the '3 Cdo Coy Gp.'  After the first airborne exercise (a raid on Camp Argonaught in Gagetown - Ex LETHAL REACH) in June 1995 we moved to 2 CER.  15 jump positions were retained in what was called the Airborne Planning Cell.  The brokered deal of keeping us together fell apart and those lucky enough to keep a jump position were dispersed across 2 CER. 

Although we did our best to keep things going it was not easy...ex platoon members jumping on cas para status being a bit peeved etc.  I left in 98, and as far as I know the planning cell positions were deleted by the CME branch a couple years later.

I am intrigued about the mention of Maroon berets being worn again in 2CER (I would be surprised) and will follow that up with the RSM, who is an airborne sapper and a section commander of mine in his younger days.  Previously there was only one sapper with a maroon beret...and he hangs his hat...in Trenton.

 

[Good2Golf]

dapaterson is the closest to the answer.  DP, swing by 19NT...the answer lies therein. 

 

[old fart]

Not from a 2 CER source but from someone with some knowledge of this matter...

"2 CER has, or is in the process of building a troops worth of jumpers.  2 Bde is going with an "enhanced" jump company based around M Coy of 3 RCR.  They will be however on Cas Para only for now but have all the rights and privileges (maroon beret/t-shirt).  Its hoped that when 2 Bde becomes more "air mobile" then the position will become hard para."

More to follow, but the notion that the RSM is permitting dress violations or letting soldiers wear whatever they please is laughable. ...and all the posts on that aspect just garbage/useless waffle. 

 

[old fart]

More on same....

2 CER have established a 31 man Airborne Fd Tp...so maroon t-shirts on PT and beret's are the order of the day...they started re-building the capability last Nov IAW the Bde Comd's intent with regard to airborne and air mobile capabilities. By all accounts things are going very well.

Amen to that...AIRBORNE etc....

 

[jeffb]

There are no positions with the AHYL OSS within 2 RCHA or 2 CER.  AHYL = Basic Para.  Therefore, there is no airborne designated sub-unit within 2 RCHA 2 CER.  Therefore, IAW the CF dress manual, no one within 2 RCHA or 2 CER should wear a maroon beret.

I'm away from work on a course so I can't get the exact details however, the TC of 2RCHA's jump troop is sitting in a room next to me right now. E Troop jumped recently on the Bde Ex Spartan Bear. Based on the fact that the Bde Comd tasked 2RCHA with this jump, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that this is an actual capability and not just something that CO 2RCHA made up. I can also say that on the 5 exercises preceeding Spartan Bear, E Tp has been employed in a dismounted mortar role. Also, there is a FOO party that is wearing maroon berets. So either, the Bde Comd is confused, the RSM and 2 BSM's aren't doing their jobs or in fact, 2RCHA does have a jump capability. (That was rethorical )

 

[McG]

... the Bde Comd tasked 2RCHA with this jump, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that this is an actual capability and not just something that CO 2RCHA made up.

But at what level comes the authority to assign a jump mandate to a unit or portion thereof?  As I pointed to earlier, this is clearly an initiative higher than unit level.  However, as dapaterson points out – there are signs this initiative may be rolling ahead of formal implementation from the levels that actually do have the authority to look at the requirement and assign such a mandate.  That should not be taken to imply the formal process is not happening, just that such processes take place where most of us cannot see and those processes have a tendency to be somewhat slow.

 

[old fart]

....... However, as dapaterson points out – there are signs this initiative may be rolling ahead of formal implementation from the levels that actually do have the authority to look at the requirement and assign such a mandate......

More waffle....please make it stop....

Same as the comments eluding to RSMs (and COs) or lone soldiers for that matter doing their own thing without the sanction of the CoC (not that you MCG added to the latter)....laughable at best.

The only 'signs" I care about are that this is happening...blessed you can be sure by the CoC above Bde.

 

[Good2Golf]

...this initiative may be rolling ahead of formal implementation from the levels that actually do have the authority...

...and it may not. 

As noted earlier, those who would like to get ground truth can find it in 19NT...or ask your director to ask COS(Land Strat) to ask...well, you get the idea. 

 

[Fishbone Jones]

...and it may not. 

As noted earlier, those who would like to get ground truth can find it in 19NT...or ask your director to ask COS(Land Strat) to ask...well, you get the idea. 

Thx Duey. No one ever takes me seriously :facepalm:  ;D

I really don't know how much easier it could get. However, far be it from me to kibosh a good speculation thread with a simple solution like 'Ask someone involved'

 

[PanaEng]

Hey, here's an idea. Why doesn't someone, who has access, just go ask them. :

That, or we could spin this fifty ways to Sunday, get all pissy with each other's opinions while wrapping ourselves around the axle, only to find out no one was right anyway after 14 pages of debate.

Gee, you take the fun away from a good argument party...

All I want is about 4 cas para spots for 33 CER  ;-)  (maybe even a section)

Chimo!    Airborne!

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

PM sent for those who want some background info on this

 

[PanaEng]

Well, here is more info from the trenches (figure of speech)
A young Lt friend from 1 CER has been tasked with standing up a jump troop - he has about 10 pers qualified so far. Similarly for 2 CER.

Chimo! Airborne!

 

[Prototype]

We work for 3RCR UMT and here are the rules as they have been explained to me (as this is still new)

-We wear maroon berrets
-We support 3RCR
-When the company jumps, we jump
-If we refuse, we lose the berret
-If we don't want to jump anymore, we get posted to another UMT
-If we hold the position for longer than one year, we get White Wings pending approval by 3RCR
-We get paid when we jump, but not jump pay

But there never seems to be enough positions available on the aircraft, and the company only takes one medic with them now.

 

[Prototype]

... also, we have medics who are BMO qualified and (if I have my way) RECCE qualified. Just like we should have even more combat arms types with TCCC training.

 

[bick]

Interesting Army News story:

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/land-terre/news-nouvelles/story-reportage-eng.asp?id=5463

 

[ottawaguy25]

We asked about getting a jump course for RCD's and they said it's never going to happen you can't air drop are LAV's

 

[Good2Golf]

Interesting Army News story:

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/land-terre/news-nouvelles/story-reportage-eng.asp?id=5463

Love the jumper flailing in the background with his PDB while MBdr Cunningham is debriefing his jump (about 4/5 the way through vid).

Regards
G2G

 

[Petard]

Love the jumper flailing in the background...(about 4/5 the way through vid).

Normal drill, if you have twists in your lines, you kick to get the turning motion to untwist them and get the canopy fully deployed, otherwise you've got a faster rate of decent to deal with