SITREP ON MILITIA INFANTRY UNITS

[JBP]

Wow.... This exploded quite well while I was at Boston Pizza spending my hard earned $47.xx 1/2 days pay from last Thursday!

In anycase,
futhermore about the status of reserves...

So as I mentioned, I think it would be fantastic for units that are close together to have joint operations. A 30 min drive from my unit are 2 other reserve infantry units, the Argyll's and RHLI and also a Medical detachment from London+arty unit+arty unit that shares the same armoury as my unit (10th field battery)+srvc battl detachment...

I would say that's a lot of reserve force manpower and avail resources. Why not have some major joint-ops at Coy level based on new training in the 3 block war concept? Are these type of inter-operability concepts ever spoke of between regimental leadership or higher up? Or do they simply not see a need/point in bothering with that level of trg?

Also, anyone know of any reserve units that are "tasked" with being a local emergency response group? Can't remember the proper name but if your unit is "tasked" with it, you can take this little weekend course and be included in call outs for any type of immediate assistance needed... Things like the ice-storm etc... I know the Argyl and Sutherland Highlander's have this tasking, but not sure who else, what else and really what it includes...

Shouldn't maybe this extra trng for 1 weekend be included in all reserve units since we are suppose to take care of the home-front?

Any takers?

 

[warrickdll]

More trouble to the those that feel threatened in their little safe world away from the populace?

GO!!! was called earlier for seeming to have an axe to grind regarding reservists, your posts seem uncommonly derogatory regarding regulars (that was one of your milder quotes).

If we can agree that some citizens work/study and also feel a commitment to their nation’s security - fulfilling this commitment with their service as military reservists, can we not also agree that some citizens feel a commitment to their nation’s security - fulfilling this commitment with their service as military regulars? Others may have joined either for different reasons… but who cares, I would say most felt a sense of duty.

Many people question how the army reserves could be best utilized; question the capability of the army reserves to provide trained augmentees and/or its need to; some even question the need for the army reserves at all.

None of that has anything to do with any individual reservists or regulars commitment or sense of duty. And not everyone is selfishly protecting their niche or ego - are you sure you're not?

 

[warrickdll]

What should we do with the 13,000 odd Reservists we no longer need?

I’m not being sarcastic (especially since the question was directed to someone else), but what would need to be done with them? They are already employed, or are students, so it wouldn’t alter the economy.




How’s your SITREP going? - Ok, that part was a bit sarcastic.

 

[Haggis]

I’m not being sarcastic (especially since the question was directed to someone else), but what would need to be done with them? They are already employed, or are students, so it wouldn’t alter the economy.

Really?  IIRC the "average" Army Reserve unit has a budget in the neighbourhood of $900K, almost entirely spent in small communties.

How’s your SITREP going? - Ok, that part was a bit sarcastic.

I asked a similar question several posts back.  So....?

 

[the 48th regulator]

GO!!! was called earlier for seeming to have an axe to grind regarding reservists, your posts seem uncommonly derogatory regarding regulars (that was one of your milder quotes).

If we can agree that some citizens work/study and also feel a commitment to their nation’s security - fulfilling this commitment with their service as military reservists, can we not also agree that some citizens feel a commitment to their nation’s security - fulfilling this commitment with their service as military regulars? Others may have joined either for different reasons… but who cares, I would say most felt a sense of duty.

Many people question how the army reserves could be best utilized; question the capability of the army reserves to provide trained augmentees and/or its need to; some even question the need for the army reserves at all.

None of that has anything to do with any individual reservists or regulars commitment or sense of duty. And not everyone is selfishly protecting their niche or ego - are you sure you're not?

If you read it all, you would see that my posts were a reflection or a mirror of his, although the veiled concern of how to use utilize the reg force was not there as mine was not a half hearted attempt to show people I had compassion.  It was a lesson to show how asinine peoples comments can be when done in reverse.

but thank you for the critique.

dileas

tess

 

[warrickdll]

Really?  IIRC the "average" Army Reserve unit has a budget in the neighbourhood of $900K, almost entirely spent in small communties.

Does reservists' pay factor into that?

I asked a similar question several posts back.  So....?

Just remarking on how the thread continued off topic. Nothing more than that.

 

[Haggis]

Yes, it does.

As does the pay of the Reg F and civilian employees of a base.  That money plus funds used for O&M, parts, public utilities, supplies and services to support the base/armoury is all money that finds it's way into local economies.

 

[muskrat89]

If we can agree that some citizens work/study and also feel a commitment to their nation’s security - fulfilling this commitment with their service as military reservists, can we not also agree that some citizens feel a commitment to their nation’s security - fulfilling this commitment with their service as military regulars? Others may have joined either for different reasons… but who cares, I would say most felt a sense of duty.

Thank you - none of that "hurts my feelings", and it makes sense. Actually, I am long - released, and living in a different country.. I don't have a dog in this hunt any more. Bottom line, for me I think is that the Militia members that are debating on this site are probably NOT the slugs and lazy-asses that some of you have encountered. That's one problem. The other is not taking it personally. Look at the reaction (from all of us) when there is an editorial or group of civilians (i.e York U) criticicizing the Military, its usefulness, and its lack of purpose/mission. Our reaction is visceral, and typically Regular Force members who weigh on on the topics are offended, and aghast - at both the point of view, and the lack of knowledge.

 

[little jim]

It should be noted that the SITREPs on PRes Inf units would be interesting next year.  While most people on here would agree that they are less than enamored with the approach GO!! Takes he does have some points with respect to availability of PRes soldiers for domestic tasks and overseas deployments.

Due to the current op tempo there is a possibility this summer that PRes soldiers might not be able to get full time employment even if they want it.  Why?  Because there are so few RegF pers available to do summer instructional taskings (talking primarily Sgt’s here) due to managed readiness.

Apparently the various areas have cunning plans to do leadership training early in the summer so that these newly qualified people can roll into instruction roles for the remainder of the summer.  Fact is that unless PRes soldiers pony up to fill these bills there just isn’t the avail in the RegF to backfill this summer….hence serials being cancelled.

Couple of points before you all flame me to death:

1. Army Individual Trg is actively looking at decentralizing courses (ie back to the armoury floors);

2. Managed Readiness was only designed around roughly 1200 pers deployments – current rotation is like 2300….


Training will happen this summer.  Virtually every able-bodied RegF in the trg system of appropriate rank to teach will down tools to run courses this summer (big time negative impact on standards, courseware development, CoE duties...).  The success of this summer, which rolls into the effectiveness of a ton of PRes units will depend on the willingness of the PRes to man the trg system….

Interesting to view this thread this fall I think.

If anyone has specific questions please feel free to pm me.

 

[pbi]

48th: Whoa up, there, just a second.....

That's right so that the alter can be cleaned for you to have your soapbox, and collect your day to day on my dime, after we as reservist pay into the system so that you can do that, then we serve our country out of an obligation to our community at large.

and...

More trouble to the those that feel threatened in their little safe world away from the populace?

As you know, I started out as a Res soldier, and I have always tried to give Res a fair shake in my posts here. (To the point where some RegF folks may wonder if I've "gone native"...) But what you have posted here is inflammatory and just plain wrong. It is every bit as harmful as some of the anti-"Mo" stuff posted by others.

I pay taxes, just like you. Lots of them. In fact, I bet that with all the moving around from province to province that my family and I have done,I've paid more taxes than you ever will (ever tried Manitoba's Provincial Income Tax...Winnipeg Property Tax?) In fact, the taxes I pay go toward my own pay packet.  So I guess I'm paying myself? They also go to all the thousands of other places that Federal money finds its way to in this country, like the streets you drive on, the hospital you go to, and the subsidized business you may work at. (or may not, I don't know...) I shop at Loblaws and buy gas at Esso. I pay, and pay, just like you. So, bin this comment, please: it's meaningless. We all pay taxes. It's not a badge of honour: it's the price of life in a modern country.

As for living "away from the populace", what does that mean? Most people in the RegF don't live in barracks or PMQs, and haven't for years. The figure (IIRC) is no more than around 30% of the total strength. The rest of us live in homes we own or rent. Right next to...(GASP)... REAL CIVVIES!!!. (As terrifying as that may be for those poor citizens forced to live next to our trash-littered hovels...). Our kids go to real schools. We go to real churches and shop in real malls. Lots of us (and our families) belong to Boy Scouts and Brownies and PTAs and volunteer fire departments and church groups or help out some other way. We care about the same things our neighbours care about (except that they didn't volunteer to be sent to jolly places at no notice, and we did...)

So, please, for the sake of accuracy and fairness, if not for the tone of this thread, let us not indulge in throwing this kind of stereotyped sh** at each other. It's useless.

I am reminded of the bitter, stupid conflict that reigned in the volunteer fire dept I belonged to in Virginia. The County had placed a small cadre of "paid men" in each hall during the day, to ensure a response when volunteers were typically away commuting to work in Washington DC. But the halls, the trucks and everything else belonged to the various volunteer depts, some of which had long and proud histories as independent community bodies. The relationship was one of sneering superiority and dismissiveness on the part of the paid men (they even had separate quarters and different uniforms) towards us unpaid volunteers. The return reaction was one of resentment and suspicion. I remember seeing a notice pinned up on the bulletin board in our hall, by one of the volunteers who worked as a paid man in another county. In the letter the professional firefighters association was slamming volunteers as job thieves who stole the food out of the mouths of paid firemen's children. (Don't worry...I couldn't figure that out either...) The incidents and examples of friction were many, petty and endless.

My point is that just like us, the volunteers and the paid men in our county had joined an honourable calling to do good works: help the community, sometimes at great discomfort and inconvenience, sometimes at risk of their lives. But, instead of pulling together, they saw each other as enemies and spent their time repeating stupid insults about each other.

Sound familiar?

Cheers

 

[the 48th regulator]

pbi,

I have read your views in the past and you have summed up many times your respect for the reserves. My tone a bit harsh was it?  Well that is what the rhetoric sounds to me, when people have to come here and bash the reservists.  They claim a exulted privilege for doing it on a full time basis, as opposed to my part time service.  Fine then I will interject that I am am a full time tax paying citizens, who used his free time to defend our nation.

If people want to post and make negative comments towards reservist, and hide it behind thinly veiled theories on how to improve it, then they will be offended by my statement.  If you see that I am mirroring theposting style of these people, then I have achieved my goal.

This is a topic I feel passionate about, and I promised myself not to jump in to these types of situations, a few months back.  But as of late, it has begun to turn my stomach with the reccent surge of posters, that have now started to state we are "stealling positions".

dileas

tess

 

[pbi]

Ok, but fight your case with the truth, or at least reasoned arguments. Don't resort to the same kind of BS that Militia-haters stoop to using. The beauty about the internet as opposed to arguing face to face is that we have time to think about the other guy's comment, think about our response, then look at it before we launch it.

IMHO, this argument will probably never go away, even if we were as well funded as the US Forces. As far as I can tell, there has not been a very good relationship between the US Army and the ARNG, for example. When I was at Quantico in 97/98, the USARNG/Army Res wanted their own separate seat at the Joint Chiefs of Staff because they didn't trust the Active Army. When I was in Afgh in 2004/2005, I could still pick up slighting reference to Res by Active Army people, despite (or perhaps because of...) the huge Res presence on OEF. It may just be an automatic product of the argument that it is possible to have "part-time professionals", which in turn produces full timers who resent the "fly by nights" and part-timers who resent being accorded "second class" status.

It would probably be better to go back to the intended topic of this thread.

Cheers

 

[the 48th regulator]

Ok, but fight your case with the truth, or at least reasoned arguments. Don't resort to the same kind of BS that Militia-haters stoop to using. The beauty about the internet as opposed to arguing face to face is that we have time to think about the other guy's comment, think about our response, then look at it before we launch it.

That was the intent of my posts.  This topic has been hashed over and over, with well thought out posts in the past.  IF people want to get on and make statements based on negative beliefs, I too will counter with the same logic.

Curious, where was I being untruthful...I am getting concerned, I try to always be on the level...

dileas

tess

 

[Haggis]

This topic has been hashed over and over, with well thought out posts in the past. 

True, but some posters are so set in thier beliefs that the Reserves by thier own actions:

1. Rob the Reg F of deployment opportunties; and

2. Steal resources from the Reg F;

without looking deeper into who actually decides the proportion of Reserve augmentation to deployed ops or to who assigns resources (funding/equipment/ammo/rations/training vacancies etc.) to the Reserves.  The Reserve are by far NOT the masters of thier own fate and have little REAL control over what they get to train with.

So who does? And, by extension, who is to blame for the current state of the Army Reserve?

PBI, as a former Res CBG COS, you have probably seen numerous instances of Reserve units forced to "go-without" which is countered by an ingenious work-around to get the job done.  All this despite resource shortfalls and, in some cases, the absolute refusal of the Reg F to support the Reserves for no other reason than petty impetuousness.  (Personally I have seen examples of units refusing to loan equipment because they "might" need it in the future and didn't want it damamged "in case" they needed it.)

We all know there are little enough resources to go around and this leads to units jealously guarding thier "stash", sometimes forcing Reserve units to drive 10 hours ONE WAY simply to borrow some NVGs from the ATC for a weekend exercise, even though the closest Reg F manouever unit was only 2.5 hours away.  Is that an effective use of resources?  Was that the choice of the Reserve unit to squander it's TD and fuel budget this way?  Do this trip 10 times and you've probably "paid for" one set of NVG for this unit.

Reg F soldiers are, by design, supposed to be better than Reservists, yet I have seen Reservists get loaded onto and eventually top Reg F career courses.  Yes, they are the exception but it still happens. If a Reg F solider tops a Reserve course, it's "expected" but if a Reservist tops a Reg F course, then he's a "ringer".

What bugs me the most is the constant "shyte slinging" on these threads, based on loose stereotypes and limited experience without taking a step back to look at the root causes for the shortcomings of either component.  If you slinging shyte, then you're not part of the solution.

This thread, like so many others about the Reserves, started out looking pretty good and within two pages, the old steretypes kicked in and the fight was on.

Reserves are not expected to be as good as the Reg F.  If you're a Reservists who aspires to this, then that's great.  Maybe you should CT.  But then again, maybe you have a $75K a year civvy job and the idea of drooping back to Pte (T) pay doesn't appeal to you.  That's great too. Take your skills and enthusiasm and pass it on to your peers and subordinates on the Armoury floor.  Help them to reach the standard you have set for yourself.

If you're Reg F you can take a role in making Reservists better by being a positive role model for the young soldiers and by supporting the Reserves in their desire to improve when they come looking for resources, equipment or even some sage advice. 

It would probably be better to go back to the intended topic of this thread.

I hope you have better luck steering this puppy that I did.  ;D

 

[warrickdll]

Yes, it does.

As does the pay of the Reg F and civilian employees of a base.  That money plus funds used for O&M, parts, public utilities, supplies and services to support the base/armoury is all money that finds it's way into local economies.

Thank you for the information. My assertion that it "wouldn't alter the economy" was too narrow. And, as I have nothing to add to the SITREP I will stay out of the topic.

 

[GO!!!]

Well,

According to 48th, my "few" good points are merely thinly veiled insults to his beloved component. How constructive, even when I'm right I'm still wrong!  :

By this logic, any suggestion to improve the usefulness or availablility of the reserves must be ignored, as it implies some defect, which apparently, do not exist. In the unlikely event that any are discovered, they (obviously) must only be discussed by current or former members of the militia, so that the pervasive reg force bias does not contaminate the discussion. So much for open discussion.

As has been aluded to, I have been somewhat rigid in my opinion of the reserves, and after doing a bit more reading (ongoing) I am finding out that (gasp) the reserves do not control their own destiny. So the problem lies "up, way up" as the friendly giant used to say. Evidently, I will have to rise to this level (Deputy Minister) to begin my fixing. I'll let you know when I get there.

But I still think

 

[the 48th regulator]

Well,

According to 48th, my "few" good points are merely thinly veiled insults to his beloved component. How constructive, even when I'm right I'm still wrong! 

When you state the obvious, with the chip on your shoulder, it does not make you the man that has discovered the true method of solving our "problems"

Our problems lie in the fact the military as a whole has been neglected.  You state that your beloved position as a reg force troop is jeopardised by the reservist seeking "sexy" postings....funny, when did I pay into and serve to defend such lucrative postings..

As has been alluded to, I have been somewhat rigid in my opinion of the reserves, and after doing a bit more reading (ongoing) I am finding out that (gasp) the reserves do not control their own destiny. So the problem lies "up, way up" as the friendly giant used to say. Evidently, I will have to rise to this level (Deputy Minister) to begin my fixing. I'll let you know when I get there.

Hallelujah we have made progress!! 

dileas

tess

 

[GO!!!]

Hallelujah we have made progress!! 

If by "we" you must have reassigned the meaning of that word to Haggis, pbi and others. All you have taught me is that my rage cannot be adequately expressed with a keyboard.

 

[TCBF]

Sure it can.  I do it all the time.  Give it a whirl...

(I am not helping here, am I?)

Tom

 

[Kirkhill]

Tom:

Can I get you a bigger stick?  It's easier to stir with.