MilEME09
Army.ca Fixture
- Reaction score
- 6,478
- Points
- 1,210
Bag pipes and whiskey is my religionHow dare you, Sir!
Army Reserve Restructuring
- Thread starter FJAG
- Start date
- Reaction score
- 11,858
- Points
- 1,160
Fall out the dissenters and RCs. CofE carry on to Church service.
Or fall out RCs and others. Church of Scotland carry on.
Scottish very definitely was a religion.
- Reaction score
- 8,930
- Points
- 1,140
That was a long time ago now.
There is no way the GoC or Canadian public would go for a religious regiment in today's world.
- Reaction score
- 5,952
- Points
- 1,160
I'm not opposed to this but I'm also fine with maintaining the historical links to units that have proudly served Canada in the past. I just don't think it should get in the way of creating a unified force with shared traditions. Encouraging more hypenated-Canadianisms isn't the way I think we need to go, especially in these very divisive times.
Halifax Tar
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 16,900
- Points
- 1,260
In this day and age I do not understand why we need any facet of the CAF having any cultural links to anything other than Canadian. But if we are going to have Scottish regiments I don't see how you can argue against other cultures wishing to raise their own.
There is more Scott descended people in the US but I don't see them needing to have men in skits with funny hats pretending they have some linkage to the Victorian era British regimental system.
In divisive times we need to search for similarities not differences.
Last edited:
- Reaction score
- 335
- Points
- 930
All of these ideas have some degree of merit (based on your own perspective), but isn't the "real" answer "Stop making being in the Army, Navy, Air Force suck"? Think about this from an outsider's view:
- we don't have enough kit to go around and what we do have is mostly tapped out. Hell we can't even dress people in uniforms that match. Some BMQ students in 5XX have to get a rucksack from MEC as there aren't any in the system.
- We don't have enough vehicles for nearly any of our tasks. I would love to see the total amount we must spend on rental vehicles in a year. And don't get me going about the TAPV for example.
- we have mostly old decrepit infrastructure that is way beyond it's best before date. My son works in a building in Willow Park where the 1st floor is out of bounds because of the asbestos throughout, but apparently the top floor is GTG.
- we do a terrible job of showcasing those things we DO do well (pay is great) or new equipment. Yes DAPA I'm looking at you.
- we have news article after news article telling the public how shitty we are (all of the snr leader shannagains, how our equipment sucks, etc...) and we do nothing (mostly) to offset that or tell our side of the story. Again DAPA.
- we still treat our soldiers like crap a lot of the time. Latest example I heard yesterday: BMQ troops told to show up at 1st Field Armouries for course at 16:30. Then not provided supper, nor allowed to go get supper on the economy. (And not told to have supper before they arrived). As this is a mixed course, some pers were coming for quite a distance away, some as far as 1.5 hours.
- etc... Need I go on?
- Reaction score
- 37,476
- Points
- 1,210
The RCN and its RN fetish enter the conversation...
- Reaction score
- 8,930
- Points
- 1,140
The people responsible for that should be on RMs at the very least.
Shit "leadership" like that is exactly why people quit, and tell their friends how shit the CAF is.
- Reaction score
- 5,952
- Points
- 1,160
Agreed. Maintaining historical links and honouring your unit's past doesn't require a special order of dress. Other nations seem to be able to have pride in their units without it. If it's really that important save it for your Colour Guard. It would look a hell of a lot better on parade as well instead of a dog's breakfast of different uniforms.
- Reaction score
- 335
- Points
- 930
Agreed. Word of mouth is our best/most dangerous advertisement we have and we allow bad leaders to continue down the trace with no consequences.
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Fossil
- Reaction score
- 42,672
- Points
- 1,160
- Reaction score
- 8,930
- Points
- 1,140
I don't think the RCN, or RCAF should be advocating for traditions to be ended... They haven't shut up about their traditions being lost/cut since 1968.
Halifax Tar
Army.ca Legend
- Reaction score
- 16,900
- Points
- 1,260
Listen I'm doing my best to be obstreperous right now lol Don't burst my bubble
- Reaction score
- 8,668
- Points
- 1,260
Woah Woah are you suggestion the Victorian view of elevating certain ethnic groups as "martial races" might be a flawed premise for recruitment in 2025?Our view of the this "martial tradition and respected profession" mostly stems from their history in the Indian Army (and previously British Indian Army). Though the costumes that could be adopted could outshine the borrowed history and paraphernalia of our current regiments, would the other traditions that make those Indian regiments successful not also be required. There was a brief thread on these means not long ago that addressed one of those important traditions.
India's version of secularism at play in the military ...
Why Supreme Court threw out Christian Army officer’s petition
Lt Samuel Kamalesan, a troop leader (officer commanding 3 tanks) in the Indian Army’s 3rd Cavalry Regiment was dismissed for refusing to participate in regimental religious rituals during weekly parades. He cited conflict with his Protestant Christian monotheistic beliefs.www.indiatoday.in
India’s Supreme Court Upholds Christian Army Officer’s Dismissal - International Christian Concern
The officer was dismissed from the Indian Army without pension or gratuity for refusing to participate in specific religious rituals during regimental parades.persecution.org
Indian Supreme Court upholds dismissal of Christian soldier who refused to enter temple
India’s Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of a Christian army officer who refused to enter the sanctuary of a regimental temple for worship...clericalwhispers.blogspot.com
daftandbarmy
Army.ca Fossil
- Reaction score
- 42,672
- Points
- 1,160
Meanwhile, the pondering continues... apparently ponderously 
The Department of National Defence is scrambling to figure out how it will clothe, equip and train hundreds of thousands of new reservists envisioned under an ambitious mobilization proposal that Canada’s top military commander describes as a work in progress.
Similarly, in what may be an ominous sign of the times, the department has established a key position dedicated solely to growing the military in the event of a major crisis.
Internal documents obtained by CBC News show the military buildup will, at the moment, proceed slowly because the defence industry is either overwhelmed — or not equipped for the ramp-up.
While Canada had various mobilization schemes during the first and second world wars, the new director general position is — according to a defence expert — the first of its kind and faced with the daunting mission of delivering 100,000 reserve soldiers and an additional 300,000 citizen soldiers in a supplementary reserve, should the need arise. That would be on top of an estimated 85,500 regular — or full-time — force of soldiers, sailors and aircrew.
"Existing supply chains, inventories and personnel systems are already at capacity," says an internal slide deck presentation, dated July 2025, from the Defence Department’s material branch.
DND scrambles to figure out how to mobilize and equip a citizens' army: documents
Supplementary reserve of 300,000 citizens envisioned
The Department of National Defence is scrambling to figure out how it will clothe, equip and train hundreds of thousands of new reservists envisioned under an ambitious mobilization proposal that Canada’s top military commander describes as a work in progress.
Similarly, in what may be an ominous sign of the times, the department has established a key position dedicated solely to growing the military in the event of a major crisis.
Internal documents obtained by CBC News show the military buildup will, at the moment, proceed slowly because the defence industry is either overwhelmed — or not equipped for the ramp-up.
While Canada had various mobilization schemes during the first and second world wars, the new director general position is — according to a defence expert — the first of its kind and faced with the daunting mission of delivering 100,000 reserve soldiers and an additional 300,000 citizen soldiers in a supplementary reserve, should the need arise. That would be on top of an estimated 85,500 regular — or full-time — force of soldiers, sailors and aircrew.
"Existing supply chains, inventories and personnel systems are already at capacity," says an internal slide deck presentation, dated July 2025, from the Defence Department’s material branch.
- Reaction score
- 3,780
- Points
- 1,160
Like most, my acquired view of Victorian thinking on military service in the subcontinent might stem from watching "Carry On Up The Khyber".
- Reaction score
- 11,858
- Points
- 1,160
I agree. They barely tolerate Christianity.
The point was in reference to the Indian subby that fell out for his Battalion's Hindu church parade. His army and our army come from the same tradition. And his situation is not that different than the situation experienced by many members of this forum. Religion used to be accommodated, tolerated even. Atheism, laicite, had not taken over as the established religion.
- Reaction score
- 18,570
- Points
- 1,160
An absolute waste of time and effort not to mention counterproductive. There are a hundred things that need fixing and most of them are CAF/PRes related long before you get to the ARes issues.
You might not have noticed this but the vast, vast bulk of ARes soldiers stay in the same unit for their whole reserve force career. A minor handful transfer and that's neither a personal nor a systemic burden.
You might not have noticed but notwithstanding that many of these units have British sounding names because of the heritage of the 19th Century folks who formed them, they are all Canadian units to the core and have been for 150 years or so. They were Canadian units before the homogeneous RCN and RCAF made their own forays into being just like Britain's version.
When I transferred from the RegF to the ARes I joined a highland unit. Not because they have a link to Scotland (albeit my wife has Scottish ancestry) but because the unit had less officers on strength than the other outfit in town and I thought they could use a hand. Very few of my troops had Scottish heritage but they all appreciated the traditions that linked them to their predecessors. It was a younger battalion only going back to 1910 being born when the RCN was. It had wartime service as several CEF battalions in WW1 and under its own name in WW2 including at Dieppe and NW Europe.
Here's a tip for the current crop of folks trying to figure out mobilization. The QOCHofC were ordered mobilized for WW2 on 1 Sep 1939. On 17 Sep - 17 days later - the battalion was at its full strength of 807 men.
On 7-8 Aug 1944 the battalion had three commanding officers in quick succession. The first wounded in action, the second killed the next day and the third carrying on for the next two weeks when he too was wounded in action. In total the battalion had three commanding officers killed in action and three wounded in action at Dieppe and in one year in NW Europe. That may not mean anything to some folks but it certainly matters to the folks in the battalion.
You're looking for a problem that doesn't exist. The divisiveness in our society doesn't come from what we call an ARes battalion. 99.9% of Canadians don't even know these battalions exist. They blissfully find their hatred in other places.
You know me. I'm a big advocate for reform of the PRes and the ARes in particular. Changing unit names is not on my list of things that need fixing. IMHO, renaming ARes units is just another one of those "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" moves that mostly RegF personnel come up with because they can't get a handle on what really needs doing and if they do find out, they give it up as just too difficult for them.
- Reaction score
- 18,570
- Points
- 1,160
I read that case. The point is that the Indian army has a whole has a directive that within any unit, individuals are permitted to practice their own religion in halls or structures specifically designated for worship. Officers are directed to attend such services with their men to show that there isn't favouritism to one particular religion. He refused to attend this particular service because of his Christian beliefs but was given multiple explanations of the policy and opportunities to follow the policy. He steadfastly refused even after being given advice by a Christian pastor that his attendance was not against Christian beliefs.
Effectively he was disobeying orders.
- Reaction score
- 11,858
- Points
- 1,160
Question: what Canadian company could manufacture 300,000 hoodies?Meanwhile, the pondering continues... apparently ponderously
DND scrambles to figure out how to mobilize and equip a citizens' army: documents
Supplementary reserve of 300,000 citizens envisioned
The Department of National Defence is scrambling to figure out how it will clothe, equip and train hundreds of thousands of new reservists envisioned under an ambitious mobilization proposal that Canada’s top military commander describes as a work in progress.
Similarly, in what may be an ominous sign of the times, the department has established a key position dedicated solely to growing the military in the event of a major crisis.
Internal documents obtained by CBC News show the military buildup will, at the moment, proceed slowly because the defence industry is either overwhelmed — or not equipped for the ramp-up.
While Canada had various mobilization schemes during the first and second world wars, the new director general position is — according to a defence expert — the first of its kind and faced with the daunting mission of delivering 100,000 reserve soldiers and an additional 300,000 citizen soldiers in a supplementary reserve, should the need arise. That would be on top of an estimated 85,500 regular — or full-time — force of soldiers, sailors and aircrew.
"Existing supply chains, inventories and personnel systems are already at capacity," says an internal slide deck presentation, dated July 2025, from the Defence Department’s material branch.
AI Overview
Several Canadian companies, or companies with strong Canadian operations, have the capacity or the business model to handle a large order of 300,000 hoodies, either through domestic manufacturing or integrated global sourcing.
Key potential manufacturers and suppliers include:
HNGPromo: This company is located on Vancouver Island and explicitly states it produces "over 300,000 custom screen printed and embroidered items per year". They are a direct manufacturer/decorator with the existing capacity to handle this volume.
Iconic Apparel House: Described as one of the "Best custom clothing manufacturers in Canada," they offer wholesale custom hoodies with competitive pricing and can handle bulk orders.
Calhoun: With over 50 years in the Canadian clothing industry, Calhoun maintains a strong Canadian manufacturing footprint, with much of the design, printing, and finishing taking place in Ontario. They are known for their sweatshirts and hoodies and are equipped for large-scale production.
Gildan Activewear Inc.: A major Canadian manufacturer of blank activewear, including hoodies, which are subsequently decorated by screen printing companies. While they might not do the final decoration in-house for you, they are a massive Canadian-owned and operated supplier of the blank product itself.
MVFA: MVFA works with full cut & sew facilities in Toronto, Canada, and also has global strategic partnerships for import production, offering flexibility for a large order like 300,000 units.
Jerico: An ethical Canadian manufacturer committed to high-quality, sustainable apparel made and sewn in Canada, suitable for brands that prioritize domestic and socially conscious production.
For a large order of 300,000 units, contacting these companies directly to discuss production capabilities, timelines, and logistics is the recommended next step.
...
Clothing solved.
I read that case. The point is that the Indian army has a whole has a directive that within any unit, individuals are permitted to practice their own religion in halls or structures specifically designated for worship. Officers are directed to attend such services with their men to show that there isn't favouritism to one particular religion. He refused to attend this particular service because of his Christian beliefs but was given multiple explanations of the policy and opportunities to follow the policy. He steadfastly refused even after being given advice by a Christian pastor that his attendance was not against Christian beliefs.
Effectively he was disobeying orders.
And justly treated.
Everybody always attended Remembrance Day services, regardless of religion.
Similar threads
