Thorbahn,
My 2 cents from what I know about this as I work at your Bde HQ in Halifax. With TF1-07 being the "big ticket" within 36 CBG right now, there is a serious concern not just for this summer (with the standup of the Battle School in Aldershot this month) that there is going to be a serious shortfall in qual'd instructors across the board. What the are seeing for the next few years is a shortage in people that have the TI, qual's and abilities to keep the units in 36 CBG going in the next few years, including unit trng, ARTS, augmentation to CTC, etc etc. My Cpl has just over a year in rank, and just left today for his Inf 2A, and then going right on his PLQ Mod 6 (Inf). From there, he is being tasked as a Instr on BMQ/SQ/DP1 Inf as required. Although young and lacking the DESIRED experience as a Section 2 i/c, he shows the potential to be a good Jnr NCO. That will be proven/dis-proven during the next 5 months. My other Cpl got loaded in PLQ (which is starting today I might add) last Thursday night. She stepped up to the plate and is soldiering on. Some will..some won't.
According to our Comdr and COS, what we need in 36 CBG is for people who might not have had the opportunity this early in their PRes career, to step up to the plate and fill in the gaps. Not uncommon in the Army or Army reserves really, it is just getting alot exposure right now as the high command element of your CBG is looking 1-2-3 years down the road. Remember, there is a tendancy for Reserves to do Component Transfers in mass sometimes following a tour. That happened in '93 when we sent a bunch of guys with 2 PPCLI with UNPROFOR. Lots CT'd to Reg Frce. How do I know this? Because my Capt was on leave the last few weeks, and I have been at the COS (Chief of Staff) and the Brigade Commanders O Groups, and had a briefing from the Bde G3 (Reg Frce Cmbt Arms Major) about this.
While I agree that there is such a thing as pushing people too fast thru the sausage machine (the first PRes MCpl I had as a Crew Cmdr had 18 months in...and while he had all the crse's they could throw at him, he had NADDA TI and it showed), our situtation and the one that 1st Fd and 84th are facing, common in our CBG, is an opportunity as well.
The question I have is...do you want to lead? To become a Jnr NCO, teach on courses, develop as a leader of soldiers, as well as a soldier in the PRes yourself?
I don't want it to seem to you, or others reading this thread, that our Bde or sub units are just throwing people on the PLQ for the sake of it. The intent is to start developing the people now that will be filling the Jnr Leadership roles in the units, the Bde so that we don't have the gap over the next few years. From the Bde perspective, we have some major limitations in filling all the positions for this coming summer. Thats across the board. IF TF1-07 deploys...the case will be the same next summer.
There is a somewhat unique opportunity in our Bde because of this, where there will be some movement in the ranks, of probably most of our units, that would not necessarily be the case if TF1-07 had come from LFWA, LFCA or SQFT.
Are you up to the challenge? If so, and your unit is willing to send you, and support you, why not go for it? If you are happy with the prospect of being a Bdr, and driving the gun tractor for 10 years and don't want to train PRes troops, then do that. The Army and the Bde needs both jobs done, in the long run.
17th