They have a large task list but when I say this parliment, that is a 4 year cycle potentially. Ive heard a few snips of ideas being tossed around, like fully staffed permenant battleschools for the CBGs. We are talking each ARes brigade probably increasing by 3 or 4x. Plus expansion of the Navres and Airres
Just like any other gig, ever are doing to present a bunch of COAs with all their factors analysis and lay out the trade-offs. I am expecting a lot more sober deliberation when that is presented.
People here are talking about training. I'm wondering about basics. Like simply kitting them out. It already takes like 3 hrs to get anything done at Supply in Ottawa. Imagine what that will be like if there's another 6000 reservists in the city. Imagine what lines will be like in larger cities like Toronto, or Montreal.
Growing a large reserve force like that, requires a complete rethink of the CAF. And when that is presented with all the hurdles and costs, I expect the vision will get more streamlined.
There's two big values that I see:
1) Keep retiring Reg F engaged. That's a lot of knowledge and experience. That can be leveraged. On everything from training to helping organize a larger reserve.
2) Skilled trades. There's people who are red seal chefs and mechanics. There's university students who know more space operations than some of our operators. If we can find a way to get them to OFP quickly based on their civvy knowledge and experience, we can create a deep bench of talent that be mobilized quickly in a war or can even be routinely drawn on to relieve the Reg F more.
Whatever the plan though, once we start getting past the 30-40k reservists we have now, we're taking about fundamentally changing the way the institution is organized. And that isn't easy or cheap. I'm skeptical that happens, or that it happens quickly, given everything else that is happening right now.