Divining the right role, capabilities, structure, and Regimental System for Canada's Army Reserves

[Halifax Tar]

Would require an actual seat at the table first.

Who exactly comes to the table with that plan? And how does it fit it into the overall CAF plan? How is that plan going btw? Seems to me that the state of the A Res is a symptom of a dysfunctional and degrading reg force. And now that they actually need a ready A Res, there isn’t much to tap into.

Who makes the decision to reclassify and eliminate trades?

So, all of those things you mention cost money and time to do. It won’t happen unless you fund, equip and train it to match the direction and vision of what is wanted from the A Res.

But to an extent I agree with a lot of what you post. The first thing though is for the CAF writ large (and the army) to sort itself out first.

Don't bring that weak sauce. You have A Res CBG Commanders and higher with the A Res. And you have DGen Army Reserve. Don't try and deflect the current state of things without owning your portion.

If the organization wants to be a player it needs to help is self first. The first step is to propose a self reorganization into something rational and coherent.

I'm going around right now and SIVing units with an ES of 25 troops. Yet they have a compliment of command positions and staff. Re-dick-you-lous.

Break the cabals and mafias.

 

[ueo]

Well here is a way to get the Reserves fit

Better shape up the RF first as an example for the res. Like it used to was.

 

[Remius]

Don't bring that weak sauce. You have A Res CBG Commanders and higher with the A Res. And you have DGen Army Reserve. Don't try and deflect the current state of things without owning your portion.

CBG commanders report to Div and Div reports to Army. DGen Army reserves? LOL. Don’t make me laugh.

Have a real seat at the table.

It isn’t deflection. The army and the CAF have been left to rot from the top down not the other way around. Or does the blame for the state of the Navy test with your ships crew and COs?

If the organization wants to be a player it needs to help is self first. The first step is to propose a self reorganization into something rational and coherent.

So who does that? How many focus groups, town halls and meetings will that take? Or does the CO of that 25 man unit take the lead and do that? There are so many stakeholders in something like that that that would be impossible. All you’ll do is empower whatever cabals and mafias you think are directing the ARes. And what are we reorganising to do? What you propose is the tail wagging the dog.

I'm going around right now and SIVing units with an ES of 25 troops. Yet they have a compliment of command positions and staff. Re-dick-you-lous.

Then they should be tactically regrouped and or amalgamated. That sort of stuff has happened in other areas of the A Res. Nor reason why it can’t be done. Direction and orders from higher.

Break the cabals and mafias.

You won’t if you take a ground up approach.

 

[Eaglelord17]

The A Res shouldn't get an ounce more funding or equipment until it can come to the table to with a sensible restructuring plan that amalgamates and eliminates some units, eliminates ridiculously over ranked positions and reclassifies them correctly, and eliminates some trades that just aren't feasible or reasonable for them to have in the reserves.

Having now spent a while working with the A Res they and their silly regimental mafias are they're own worst enemy.

You could say the same thing for the Regs and the poor structures we employ there.

One thing the Regs don't like to mention about the Reserves is even if it doesn't bring that much to the table as regiments at the moment is it does bring recruits into the Regs, which is something that organization seems to be desperate for. That alone is enough reason to justify its existence as it currently exists.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I am going to have to agree with the folks proposing a re-org of the A Res. “Militia politics” are the only reason for the existence of 2 CBGs in Atlantic Canada, and for the existence of units that are troop/platoon strength in numbers but commanded by LCols.

I can’t imagine morale is high in the class A world. No kit, no decent trg consistently, no fun. Mandatory briefings and DLN courses. Etc etc etc.

I don’t know what the solution is, but “more money” is not the right one at this time.

The A Res is a sad place compared to what it was not that long ago (2 decades or so).

 

[daftandbarmy]

I am going to have to agree with the folks proposing a re-org of the A Res. “Militia politics” are the only reason for the existence of 2 CBGs in Atlantic Canada, and for the existence of units that are troop/platoon strength in numbers but commanded by LCols.

I can’t imagine morale is high in the class A world. No kit, no decent trg consistently, no fun. Mandatory briefings and DLN courses. Etc etc etc.

I don’t know what the solution is, but “more money” is not the right one at this time.

The A Res is a sad place compared to what it was not that long ago (2 decades or so).

I was talking to some of my former troops who are on a local Driver's course, led by one of my former SNCOs, and they are enjoying it immensely.

Well organized and delivered training is still possible, and valuable, in the ARes.

All they need is a 'mission' to train for otherwise every option will have equal worth.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Well organized and delivered training is still possible, and valuable, in the ARes.

How much of that is happening though in a max 32 day A class trg year, once all the mandatory stuff is completed? How many actual days are spent doing “hard” trade trg? What level of proficiency in core tasks are the average in todays A Res?

All they need is a 'mission' to train for otherwise every option will have equal worth.

And this; this isn’t the A Red’s fault. If mom and dad don’t give you the time and money needed to do your business, they have to accept it when you are asked to perform…and can’t.

I’m not convinced the GoC really cares much about the situation, honestly.

 

[daftandbarmy]

How much of that is happening though in a max 32 day A class trg year, once all the mandatory stuff is completed? How many actual days are spent doing “hard” trade trg? What level of proficiency in core tasks are the average in todays A Res?



And this; this isn’t the A Red’s fault. If mom and dad don’t give you the time and money needed to do your business, they have to accept it when you are asked to perform…and can’t.

I’m not convinced the GoC really cares much about the situation, honestly.

My CBG used to get about $20M per year to spend on training for under a thousand regular paraders, probably more like 600 or so in all units.

If you can't train up a world beating force with those kind of ratios, there's not enough money in the world to fix that problem.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Without focusing on money, though - how many of the 32 days/year (not much to start with…) is left after all the mandatory stuff to train soldiering stuff?

And how effective are those remaining days with the kit shortages etc?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Without focusing on money, though - how many of the 32 days/year (not much to start with…) is left after all the mandatory stuff to train soldiering stuff?

And how effective are those remaining days with the kit shortages etc?

Like anything else, it's usually about how well you plan it out.

The key to good training is good battle procedure.

'Last minute scampering around trying to cobble things together because Bde HQ said so' isn't one of the steps of BP, as I recall

 

[Kirkhill]

My CBG used to get about $20M per year to spend on training for under a thousand regular paraders, probably more like 600 or so in all units.

If you can't train up a world beating force with those kind of ratios, there's not enough money in the world to fix that problem.

That 20MCAD... did that include the salaries for the command and training staff as well as the actual Class A training hours? Or were those separate?

100 full time "organizers" (Regs and Classes B & C) at $100,000 per year (support and benefits) = 10 MCAD or half the budget.

 

[daftandbarmy]

That 20MCAD... did that include the salaries for the command and training staff as well as the actual Class A training hours? Or were those separate?

100 full time "organizers" (Regs and Classes B & C) at $100,000 per year (support and benefits) = 10 MCAD or half the budget.

You know what? I'm not sure. Budgets are closely guarded so there is minimal accountability for performance related to investments, I believe.

 

[markppcli]

You could say the same thing for the Regs and the poor structures we employ there.

One thing the Regs don't like to mention about the Reserves is even if it doesn't bring that much to the table as regiments at the moment is it does bring recruits into the Regs, which is something that organization seems to be desperate for. That alone is enough reason to justify its existence as it currently exists.

Disagree; those troops would just join the regular army of the option for the reserves didn’t exist. The numbers probably end up being neutral from the “don’t join the regular army because I can join the reserves” vs the “tried it and liked it” crowd.

CBG commanders report to Div and Div reports to Army. DGen Army reserves? LOL. Don’t make me laugh.

Why is that a joke? You have 10 Cols, and DGen Res to advocate to the Div commanders as to how they can be be organized / support their Div commanders intent. What does a “real seat at the table” look like to you? Do you need equal representation ? Where is that going to come from?

You want to fix the Reserves. Equip them properly, stop cancelling courses, stop watering down their existence and give them the resources to succeed.
I have to ask a question, How many Reservists were killed in Afghanistan because they were a Reservist and lacked training? How frigging many? Tell me I am curious.
I know a buddy of mine was blown up over there because of wrong place wrong time. The Regular Force guys killed same. They all died the same, no one said dam that Reservist lacked training that's why he died. They all died in a piece of crap unarmored g wagon.

If you give the Regular Force the same lack of equipment, same course cancellations, the same lack of resources as you do Reservists I assume you would have the same issues and the same results. In some cases all the difference between Reg and Res is wages.

Was there a point to this beyond trying to grand stand on our casualties ? I was a reservist augmentee in 2008. We did 10 months with 1 VP before we deployed. Hard to call us “mitiatmen” at that point I’d think. You obviously know that no one can answer your first question because no inquiry will ever say “soldier x wasn’t adequately trained” so your just trying to create a manufactured outrage. Be an adult.

 

[Brad Sallows]

What's the current expected/anticipated amount of Class A days for a Res F CO? When I got out, I understood it was about 60.

 

[daftandbarmy]

What's the current expected/anticipated amount of Class A days for a Res F CO? When I got out, I understood it was about 60.

At the rifle company level we had to work with 37 days - between September and May. Some of those had to be spent on Bn/Bde level stuff though.

It's a paltry sum, unfortunately....

 

[KevinB]

That 20MCAD... did that include the salaries for the command and training staff as well as the actual Class A training hours? Or were those separate?

100 full time "organizers" (Regs and Classes B & C) at $100,000 per year (support and benefits) = 10 MCAD or half the budget.

Budgets for Militia Districts didn't include the RSS, but did cover all the Class A days, and for Staff the B days.

What's the current expected/anticipated amount of Class A days for a Res F CO? When I got out, I understood it was about 60.

Parade Night, and Admin Night = 2x 1/2 day a week x 52 weeks, so around 52 ish plus exercises (if they go)...
60 sounds fairly close to what would be expected (albeit I suspect that many of those Admin nights are boondoggles based on a lot of the unit sizes these days)

 

[Rifleman62]

A CBG Salary Budget included all Cl A, B, and B "A" positions 15 years ago. Our super Compt fitted everything in.

 

[markppcli]

At the rifle company level we had to work with 37 days - between September and May. Some of those had to be spent on Bn/Bde level stuff though.

It's a paltry sum, unfortunately....

37 days, as in 37 full days or 37 half days ? Would you think that an transition to one weekend each month would be a better value that 4 class A nights ? Given the amount of training you get for the same “price” I mean.

 

[dapaterson]

37.5 paid days, a mix of half and full days.

However, the rate of pay is based on calendar, not working days, so there is a de facto class A discount.

 

[Rifleman62]

Cl A nights for Trg are a waste of time. Admin only. Exception would be prior to a weekend FXT to prep, do BP etc.