Informing the Army’s Future Structure

[FJAG]

Which mean maybe it is more practical to plan for units that don't need to have that sort of thing.
Maybe BC isn't a good place for a PRes Arty unit - and maybe just Infantry (Light/Mountain) and Engineers (Light/Mountain) are practical in that area.

It's still necessary; it just needs to be the right type.

Have more Armoured and Artillery units in the Prairie's...

By all means but the Prairies are not good performers for the mass that you need. That mass is around Vancouver (which is also a weak producer of soldiers for its size) SW Ontario and SW Quebec. You can't make the population move to where the ranges are so you need to get very serious with training simulators of various types that will work locally and you need to get very serious air moving people to the ranges of operational areas where they will consolidate their training.

The symmetry aspect of the MO is pretty unproductive. BC has the population and terrain to be able to a pretty legit reserve mountain infantry brigade. Sure they won't be 10th Mountain or the Alpini, but you'd have an actual useful formation.

BC's primary problem is the underperformance of their establishment. The very old figures that I have show that 39 CBG generates about 1,500 folks. That's far short of a brigade, even a stripped down light brigade of some 3-3,500 folks. You would think that with a population of 5.5 million with just short of 3 million in Vancouver and Victoria. The Maritimes, with a total population of roughly 2.5 million generate some 3,000 collectively in 36 and 37 CBGs

With only 11 units its hard to tell with they are close to filling their allocated paid ceilings or are unable to fill what they have.

I'm not against them being trained as mountain troops but I look at both coast to need something in the nature of anti-access/area denial forces that can operate along the length of the coast. In fact I would consider it a prime component of a joint command that fuses ARes with NavRes and 4 CRPG. Components that could be generated with current strength would include:

a) an ARes coastal surveillance regiment of both CRPG and ARes armoured subunits (including SUAS)

b) an ARes air defence battery for CFB Victoria (devolved from 5 BC Arty Regt)

c) a NavRes coastal patrol vessel squadron (think Combat Boat 90N)

d) a NavRes coastal mine laying/clearance squadron (think Kingston MCDV class)

d) an ARes light infantry battalion trained to operate both amphibiously with CB 90Ns as well as in rugged coastal terrain.

e) an ARes anti-ship missile battery (think NMESIS, devolved from 15 Fd Regt)

f) a hybrid joint headquarters with long range comms, EW, cyber, MI capabilities

I see something similar, only larger for the east coast.

Assuming that the leadership can lose a few pounds first, of course

Fire the leadership. If all they can do is generate the wimpy force that they have from that large a population then a new team is needed.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The big challenge in Vancouver/Lowermainland is the cost of living, our classic recruiting base, either can't afford to live here, once they graduate most have to move. The others are working like dogs to keep their head above water. Likely they don't have the energy to commit to another profession. Plus 3 of the major demographics all look down on the military as a low status occupation or for the people incapable of succeeding in business. Or their parents have experienced war (Indo-Pak, Iran-Iraq) and don't want their kids having to go to war as well.

 

[Kirkhill]

The big challenge in Vancouver/Lowermainland is the cost of living, our classic recruiting base, either can't afford to live here, once they graduate most have to move. The others are working like dogs to keep their head above water. Likely they don't have the energy to commit to another profession. Plus 3 of the major demographics all look down on the military as a low status occupation or for the people incapable of succeeding in business. Or their parents have experienced war (Indo-Pak, Iran-Iraq) and don't want their kids having to go to war as well.

Consider Janissaries and Mamelukes.

 

[markppcli]

Consider Janissaries and Mamelukes.

While I appreciate out of the box thinking I don’t think enslaving Balkan children is a viable recruiting method, frankly the population base in Canada means it’s just not viable.

 

[Kirkhill]

Dane-geld

1 IT IS always a temptation to an armed and agile nation To call upon a neighbour and to say:– “We invaded you last night–we are quite prepared to fight, Unless you pay us cash to go away.&#8…

www.kiplingsociety.co.uk

IT IS always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
To call upon a neighbour and to say:–
"We invaded you last night–we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld
And then you'll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say:–
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say:–

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"

Heritage History - Products

www.heritage-history.com

Hengist and Horsa were brother chieftains from Jutland, who led the first Saxon bands which settled in England. They were called in by the British king Vortigern to defend him against the Picts and other enemies. The place of their landing is said to have been Ebbsfleet in Kent, probably sometime around 450 A.D.. Hengist and Horsa were at first given the island of Thanet as a home, but they soon quarrelled with their British allies, and gradually possessed themselves of what became the kingdom of Kent. In 455 the Saxon Chronicle records a battle between Hengist and Horsa and Vortigern at a place called Aegaels threp, in which Horsa was slain. Thenceforward Hengist reigned in Kent, together with his son Aesc. There later followed three subsequent battles, which resulted in the expulsion of the Britons from Kent.

Saxons, Danes, Mamelukes, Janissaries - unintended consequences of defence on the cheap.