Class A reservist

[Gratitude1]

Hi everyone,

How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?

Also, does anyone know if a Class A reservist could participate in this program - Christmas New Year's 2024 Leave Travel Program Announced - Canadian Military Family Magazine Is Class A reservist allowed to get on a stand-by military flight to travel for personal reasons? This is on page 19 of 2025 army reserve information handbook.

Please advise.

Thank you everyone!

 

[ModlrMike]

Hi everyone,

How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?

I'm not sure what you're asking here. Two years service is two years. If you mean how many days do you need to parade or train to accumulate the equivalent of two years full time service, then the answer is going to be 356x2 = 730. If we assume that you have four parade and three training days per month, then the answer is going to be 84 days per year, which maths out to about 8.6 years.

Also, does anyone know if a Class A reservist could participate in this program - Christmas New Year's 2024 Leave Travel Program Announced - Canadian Military Family Magazine Is Class A reservist allowed to get on a stand-by military flight to travel for personal reasons? This is on page 19 of 2025 army reserve information handbook.

Class A members would likely fall into the category 2 group. That being said, for a Class A member to travel on a service aircraft, they would have to be on duty for the purposes of pay. That being the case, the unit would have to foot the bill, and there would have to be substantiation made for this. The same goes for the stand-by military flights. The member would need to placed on duty for the purposes of pay, and the unit would have to foot the bill.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . . Class A members would likely fall into the category 2 group. That being said, for a Class A member to travel on a service aircraft, they would have to be on duty for the purposes of pay. That being the case, the unit would have to foot the bill, and there would have to be substantiation made for this. The same goes for the stand-by military flights. The member would need to placed on duty for the purposes of pay, and the unit would have to foot the bill.

Is this something new? If my memory hasn't failed me, Class A reservists used to be able (by the book, but rarely getting the opportunity) to fly 'opportunity' (i.e., space A). They didn't actually have to be paid to be considered on paid service.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Is this something new? If my memory hasn't failed me, Class A reservists used to be able (by the book, but rarely getting the opportunity) to fly 'opportunity' (i.e., space A). They didn't actually have to be paid to be considered on paid service.

When Service Air was in operation, the 707 Milk Run across Canada, I caged some flights here and there on standby as a Class A member.

With the Boeing Going, all that changed of course

 

[Kilted]

Hi everyone,

How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?

Also, does anyone know if a Class A reservist could participate in this program - Christmas New Year's 2024 Leave Travel Program Announced - Canadian Military Family Magazine Is Class A reservist allowed to get on a stand-by military flight to travel for personal reasons? This is on page 19 of 2025 army reserve information handbook.

Please advise.

Thank you everyone!

Depends what you need the two years for.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Depends what you need the two years for.

Given that the OP had posted a question three weeks ago that suggests he is not yet in the CAF, and all of his posts (few as they are), dating back a couple of years, are inquires about what various occupations do or what are the benefits, I would suggest that even he doesn't know what he would need the two years for.

 

[Gratitude1]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate all the responses. I am still very new to the military as I just joined a few months ago so appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge.

I am not being clear here, my apologies.

Why I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?" is because for the Christmas New Year’s Leave Travel Program from this article: Christmas New Year's 2024 Leave Travel Program Announced - Canadian Military Family Magazine, it says the following.

Space Available Travel​

If space is available, once the first two categories are processed, there may be room for additional passengers. These passengers include all other CAF personnel and eligible dependents, "Class A reservists with two years of qualifying service", and active members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, without dependents.

In quotation - "Class A reservists with two years of qualifying service", so I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?"

Also, on page 19 and 20 of 2025 army reserve information handbook: The Army Reserve in Canada - Soldier Information Handbook, it says the following.

Stand-by on military flights. Can I jump on military flights for free to go on vacation?

Yes. It is free, and available all year. People who know about this use it often - in Canada and anywhere DND flies (so
yes to Europe). It sounds like a myth until you have used it once. You just have to be prepared to have an alternate
plan if you get bumped. Class B people can use this, and "any Class A person with two consecutive years of service."

In quotation "any Class A person with two consecutive years of service.", so I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?"

Please advise.

Thank you!

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate all the responses. I am still very new to the military as I just joined a few months ago so appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge.

I am not being clear here, my apologies.

Why I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?" is because for the Christmas New Year’s Leave Travel Program from this article: Christmas New Year's 2024 Leave Travel Program Announced - Canadian Military Family Magazine, it says the following.

Space Available Travel​

If space is available, once the first two categories are processed, there may be room for additional passengers. These passengers include all other CAF personnel and eligible dependents, "Class A reservists with two years of qualifying service", and active members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, without dependents.

In quotation - "Class A reservists with two years of qualifying service", so I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?"

Also, on page 19 and 20 of 2025 army reserve information handbook: The Army Reserve in Canada - Soldier Information Handbook, it says the following.

Stand-by on military flights. Can I jump on military flights for free to go on vacation?

Yes. It is free, and available all year. People who know about this use it often - in Canada and anywhere DND flies (so
yes to Europe). It sounds like a myth until you have used it once. You just have to be prepared to have an alternate
plan if you get bumped. Class B people can use this, and "any Class A person with two consecutive years of service."

In quotation "any Class A person with two consecutive years of service.", so I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?"

Please advise.

Thank you!

In my experience, you just need to have served 2 calendar years (not parade days).

 

[ModlrMike]

I would suggest that as long as there are no periods of NES, it would take two years. The number of days paid per month are not relevant for this purpose.

 

[ModlrMike]

Is this something new? If my memory hasn't failed me, Class A reservists used to be able (by the book, but rarely getting the opportunity) to fly 'opportunity' (i.e., space A). They didn't actually have to be paid to be considered on paid service.

Class A members who are on duty are required to be paid; voluntary (unpaid) service is not permitted. I forget the actual regulation regarding this.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate all the responses. I am still very new to the military as I just joined a few months ago so appreciate you sharing your experience and knowledge.

I am not being clear here, my apologies.

Why I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?" is because for the Christmas New Year’s Leave Travel Program from this article: Christmas New Year's 2024 Leave Travel Program Announced - Canadian Military Family Magazine, it says the following.

Space Available Travel​

If space is available, once the first two categories are processed, there may be room for additional passengers. These passengers include all other CAF personnel and eligible dependents, "Class A reservists with two years of qualifying service", and active members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, without dependents.

In quotation - "Class A reservists with two years of qualifying service", so I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?"

Also, on page 19 and 20 of 2025 army reserve information handbook: The Army Reserve in Canada - Soldier Information Handbook, it says the following.

Stand-by on military flights. Can I jump on military flights for free to go on vacation?

Yes. It is free, and available all year. People who know about this use it often - in Canada and anywhere DND flies (so
yes to Europe). It sounds like a myth until you have used it once. You just have to be prepared to have an alternate
plan if you get bumped. Class B people can use this, and "any Class A person with two consecutive years of service."

In quotation "any Class A person with two consecutive years of service.", so I wanted to know "How long does it take for a Class A reservist to accumulate two consecutive years of service if they do 1 parade night a week and 1 exercise on the weekend per month?"

Please advise.

Thank you!

Might want to check with your Unit's BOR...