Informing the Army’s Future Structure

[KevinB]

Which is why I suggested that the Reserve units should have a Reg Force Brigade and Battalion HQ structure. Ties the units together under Reg Force direction and unified training, gives you an additional deployable Brigade HQ (plus several Battle Group HQs) if required and provides a pool of senior Reg Force officer and NCM positions to provide depth of experienced personnel to draw on if we ever have to face to prospect of combat losses.

My bad, I hadn’t had coffee and missed the Reg Force HQ aspect.
I really think a major rework of the entire CA needs to be done to make effective formations.

 

[daftandbarmy]

In reality they actually are already...just really inefficiently. Our Reg Force units are only manned to 70% and require Reserve augmentation to deploy already, so formalizing the integration of the nearby units directly into the Reg Force units (say a single 30/70 Company per Battalion equivalent?) simply cuts out the middle man (and Reserve HQ overhead).

Realistically the rest of the Reserve units are too far away from the Reg Force units to efficiently integrate but are fortunately(?) located in the most population dense parts of the country. We know that there are already too many small Reserve units so re-organizing them into a small number of Battalions under Reg Force HQs just makes sense.

All the units in BC could be organized under the RCN and/or RCAF.

I'm sure the improvement in ration quality would be welcome

 

[ArmyRick]

My bad, I hadn’t had coffee and missed the Reg Force HQ aspect.
I really think a major rework of the entire CA needs to be done to make effective formations.

It goes back to my my thought on a REAL defence policy. We need one.

And it needs to be realistic.

 

[ArmyRick]

Wait, you had a CO that went into the field ... with the troops?

But the RSSO was still home guarding the TV all weekend, as is the tradition, right?

Well to be honest, Shane McArthur was retired RCR, and his OC under him that weekend was Phil Brown (Ex-RCR and Dwyer Hill), and more rank than you could shake a stick at. My old regiment is a Reg F retirement home (Foresters are right near Borden and Meaford)

 

[Furniture]

All the units in BC could be organized under the RCN and/or RCAF.

I'm sure the improvement in ration quality would be welcome

You weren't on my last deployment with the RCN... IMPs would have been a massive upgrade to the food we were served on many days.

 

[Kirkhill]

My point was toward the separate REAL Brigade’s.
To me that is a fools errand, the only way the ARNG works now is all the officers have Res Commissions, and GWOT was a great trial by fire. The PRes doesn’t have the depth of experience in the SNCO and SrO levels to do much beyond a Coy.

Kev, everything has to start somewhere. And sometimes that first step can be a doozy. Mind the gap!

Even you GWOT ARNG had to do some OJT - hell your whole army did. Tacvests. Body armour. Infantry and MPs from Arty. Armoured HMMWVs to MRAPs. Caged Strykers.

Back to Rumsfeld with a dash of USMC adapt and overcome.

I think the Candian Army and the Canadian Reserves can accomplish whatever is deemed necessary.... just as soon as somebody somewhere deems it necessary.

Change is necessary, in my opinion. But there seem to be a lot of folks, and not all of them civilian, content with the status quo.

 

[Kirkhill]

In reality they actually are already...just really inefficiently. Our Reg Force units are only manned to 70% and require Reserve augmentation to deploy already, so formalizing the integration of the nearby units directly into the Reg Force units (say a single 30/70 Company per Battalion equivalent?) simply cuts out the middle man (and Reserve HQ overhead).

Realistically the rest of the Reserve units are too far away from the Reg Force units to efficiently integrate but are fortunately(?) located in the most population dense parts of the country. We know that there are already too many small Reserve units so re-organizing them into a small number of Battalions under Reg Force HQs just makes sense.

The units in this Reserve Brigade don't have any heavy vehicles/weapons currently and almost certainly won't for quite some time, so organizing them as Light role units fits in with their current equipment and training capabilities. They can continue to be a source if individual augmentees for Reg Force deployments as they are now, but under Reg Force leadership can start training for the capability of deployment at sub-unit and eventually unit levels. For example they could Force Protection Companies to accompany a Reg Force deployment (eventually even full Battalions in the FP role or even as combat elements for a deployed Reg Force Light Brigade).

If at any time in the future the GOC/Army see fit to secure enough vehicles to properly outfit the Reserve Brigade with vehicles and heavy weapons then by that time we should hopefully be able to put in place the support systems required (or at the very least centralize the equipment with the Reg Force and have it on hand for work-up training for a required Reserve call-up).

Once upon a time the Loyal Eddies supplied jumpers to the PPCLI and the Calgary Highlanders supplied a Defence and Duties Platoon - thus the issue of Grizzlies and, apparently, later, Bisons.

 

[RangerRay]

You had an atypical experience.

Generally in those regiments they have a lieutenant lead the 50 folks in the field while the Lieutenant-Colonel stays in the office and does reports on band uniforms.

You guys had a band? And dress uniforms? Luxury…

 

[FJAG]

You guys had a band? And dress uniforms? Luxury…

Every ARes unit I've been in had a nifty band; two pipe bands and one brass. The Legal reserve not so much. Someone tried to start a Kazoo band but we put paid to that.

I like bands but I think you can get away with a couple of drummers and fifers. Drums and bugles is as far as I'll go. Esoteric bands with mixed wind instruments aren't my thing.

 

[RangerRay]

Every ARes unit I've been in had a nifty band; two pipe bands and one brass. The Legal reserve not so much. Someone tried to start a Kazoo band but we put paid to that.

I like bands but I think you can get away with a couple of drummers and fifers. Drums and bugles is as far as I'll go. Esoteric bands with mixed wind instruments aren't my thing.

If we wanted music, we had to rent the local pipe band. It was a little odd since we weren’t a highland regiment. We were able to get the Westies’ band to play at our change of command ceremony.

We were lucky if most of us had DEUs for Remembrance Day. Some of us even had accoutrements.

Although I am proud of my regiment’s history, we should be more like the Brits and be amalgamating our PRes regiments. If the SHTF, we can make new ones.

 

[KevinB]

Kev, everything has to start somewhere. And sometimes that first step can be a doozy. Mind the gap!

Even you GWOT ARNG had to do some OJT - hell your whole army did. Tacvests. Body armour. Infantry and MPs from Arty. Armoured HMMWVs to MRAPs. Caged Strykers.

Back to Rumsfeld with a dash of USMC adapt and overcome.

I think the Candian Army and the Canadian Reserves can accomplish whatever is deemed necessary.... just as soon as somebody somewhere deems it necessary.

Change is necessary, in my opinion. But there seem to be a lot of folks, and not all of them civilian, content with the status quo.

Yeah but wait your reg Force had those issues - body armor no night vision, etc.
Your res still do and most of the regs

 

[Kirkhill]

Yeah but wait your reg Force had those issues - body armor no night vision, etc.
Your res still do and most of the regs

Agreed.

Your lot took measures. Our lot took some limited measures.
Your lot are converting MPs in TAPV back to Bird Gunners in Avengers. Our lot's changes are yet to be announced.

 

[KevinB]

Our lot's changes are yet to be announced.

or still circling the drain?

 

[Kirkhill]

or still circling the drain?

That's possible too.

You and I can afford to be cynical. I don't think serving members can.

 

[KevinB]

That's possible too.

You and I can afford to be cynical. I don't think serving members can.

If I wasn’t laughing, I’d be crying

 

[KevinB]

Meanwhile

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630955167062405121

 

[markppcli]

Meanwhile

https://twitter.com/x/status/1630955167062405121

Maybe now their conscripts will be able to afford dinner and drinks.

If we wanted music, we had to rent the local pipe band. It was a little odd since we weren’t a highland regiment. We were able to get the Westies’ band to play at our change of command ceremony.

We were lucky if most of us had DEUs for Remembrance Day. Some of us even had accoutrements.

Although I am proud of my regiment’s history, we should be more like the Brits and be amalgamating our PRes regiments. If the SHTF, we can make new ones.

I was also a proud Rocky Mountain Ranger; but I think we all scratched our head at least once on an exercise with 15 troops, 3 OCdts, 2 Lts, 4 Capt, 2 Maj, and a Lt Col. Like that can’t be workable.

 

[markppcli]

Which is why I suggested that the Reserve units should have a Reg Force Brigade and Battalion HQ structure. Ties the units together under Reg Force direction and unified training, gives you an additional deployable Brigade HQ (plus several Battle Group HQs) if required and provides a pool of senior Reg Force officer and NCM positions to provide depth of experienced personnel to draw on if we ever have to face to prospect of combat losses.

Per your suggestion I humbly submit this:

RCIC Regiments tasked to augment Reg reg force units and formations:
QORC - 2 CBG Augmentation Bn
Ontario Rifles
Les Fusilier Royal du Mont-Royal (Montreal Regiments) - augments 1 Coy to 5 CBG
Les Voltiguer du Quebec (rest of Quebec) - 5 CBG motorized Bn
Royal Newfoundland Regiment - Augments a Coy to 5 CBG
1st Canadian Rifles (LER / Cal High / RRR / RWpgR, Cameron’s, NSaskR) regiments) - augments 2 company of CMBG
The British Columbia Regiment (all of BC)-1 CMBG motorized Bn


RCAC Augmentation:
Royal Canada Hussars (Sherbrooke) - LAV Augmentation
8th Hussars - Armour Augmentation
Fort Gary Horse - Armour Augmentation
South Alberta Light Horse - LAV Augmentation

The RRCA regiments are rationalized thus
3rd Field Regiment (the Loyal Company) - the Maritimes
5th Field Regiment - Western Canada
6th Field Regiment - Quebec
7th Field Regiment - Ontario

Each will be 3 gun batteries with all but 3rd providing an augmentation Bty to a regular Bde.

Allowing for now 4 CBG of
The Ontario Rifles
Nova Scotian Highlanders
1st Hussars
3rd Field Regiment

 

[RangerRay]

Maybe now their conscripts will be able to afford dinner and drinks.




I was also a proud Rocky Mountain Ranger; but I think we all scratched our head at least once on an exercise with 15 troops, 3 OCdts, 2 Lts, 4 Capt, 2 Maj, and a Lt Col. Like that can’t be workable.

I’m actually surprised you got that many officers out on an ex.

 

[markppcli]

I’m actually surprised you got that many officers out on an ex.

Well the one Maj just sat there and watched us load / unload trucks