Canadian Forces Welcome First Female Admiral As Chief Reserves And Cadets

[Nfld Sapper]

MODS move if needed.....

News Release

Canadian Forces Welcome First Female Admiral As Chief Reserves And Cadets

NR 11.048 - May 30, 2011

OTTAWA—Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett was appointed as the first female Chief, Reserves and Cadets today, replacing Major-General Dennis Tabbernor upon his retirement from the Canadian Forces. Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, presided over the ceremony at National Defence Headquarters.

The Chief Reserves and Cadets advises the Chief of the Defence Staff and other senior DND/CF officials about matters concerning the 35,000 member strong Reserve Force to help ensure their unique requirements are integrated with Canadian Forces policies and programs. The Reserve Force includes the Primary Reserve, the Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service, and the Supplementary Reserve.

“The history of Canadian service women is an important part of our national military heritage and their achievements contribute to the full and equal inclusion of women in our society and national institutions,” said the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence. “I offer my congratulations to Rear-Admiral Bennett upon her appointment as the first female Canadian Forces Chief Reserves and Cadets and her promotion as the first female Admiral.”

“It’s a great honour to congratulate Rear-Admiral Bennett on her recent promotion and appointment as Chief, Reserves and Cadets," said General Walt Natynczyk, Chief of the Defence Staff. “I am also pleased to thank Major-General Tabbernor for his remarkable, 43-plus year career with the Canadian Forces and for his distinguished service to Canada.”

“I intend to build on my predecessor’s work to ensure the Reserve Force remains flexible and responsive to the needs of our nation,” said Rear-Admiral Bennett, who is originally from Hamilton, and has served in Kingston, Victoria, Ottawa and Quebec City. “I also look forward to working with Cadets and Junior Canadian Rangers, our leaders of tomorrow.”

The Chief Reserves and Cadets also oversees departmental support to the Cadet and the Junior Canadian Rangers programs for over 50,000 Canadian adolescents as well as the Canadian Forces Liaison Council programs aimed at supporting Reservists’ availability for training and operational commitments—both in Canada and abroad.

– 30 -

Notes to editor / news director:

Additional information about the Chief Reserves and Cadets organization can be found at: http://www.vcds-vcemd.forces.gc.ca/cres-cdts/acr-apc/index-eng.asp

Rear-Admiral Bennet’s biography is located at: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dsa-dns/sa-ns/ab/sobv-vbos-eng.asp?mAction=View&mBiographyID=297

Contact information:

Myriam Bower

Public Affairs Officer

Tel: 613-995-8893, Cell: 613-608-2185

E-mail: myriamBower@forces.gc.ca.

 

[Infanteer]

Considering the Army Reserves belong to the LFAs, Naval Reserves report to NAVRES and the Air Reserves are integrated into the Wings, what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets do?  I read this "advises the Chief of the Defence Staff and other senior DND/CF officials about matters concerning the 35,000 member strong Reserve Force to help ensure their unique requirements are integrated with Canadian Forces policies and programs" - isn't this something the normal chain of command is for?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Considering the Army Reserves belong to the LFAs, Naval Reserves report to NAVRES and the Air Reserves are integrated into the Wings, what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets do?  I read this "advises the Chief of the Defence Staff and other senior DND/CF officials about matters concerning the 35,000 member strong Reserve Force to help ensure their unique requirements are integrated with Canadian Forces policies and programs" - isn't this something the normal chain of command is for?

;D

 

[Neill McKay]

Considering the Army Reserves belong to the LFAs, Naval Reserves report to NAVRES and the Air Reserves are integrated into the Wings, what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets do?  I read this "advises the Chief of the Defence Staff and other senior DND/CF officials about matters concerning the 35,000 member strong Reserve Force to help ensure their unique requirements are integrated with Canadian Forces policies and programs" - isn't this something the normal chain of command is for?

Just considering the cadet side of it, her mandate includes the Directorate of Cadets which is the national policy-making and training development staff for the cadet programme.

The actual delivery of the cadet programme is by regional units whose chain of command is through the commander of MARLANT, MARPAC, LFQA, LFCA, and 1 Can Air Div, depending on the region.

I'm not sure how it shakes out on the reserve side, but I would imagine that there's a similar line/staff distinction.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Considering the Army Reserves belong to the LFAs, Naval Reserves report to NAVRES and the Air Reserves are integrated into the Wings, what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets do? 

A new broom sweeps clean. My guess is that she'll preside over a significnat downsizing of some kind. Just a hunch, of course!

 

[Haggis]

Considering the Army Reserves belong to the LFAs, Naval Reserves report to NAVRES and the Air Reserves are integrated into the Wings, what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets do?  I read this "advises the Chief of the Defence Staff and other senior DND/CF officials about matters concerning the 35,000 member strong Reserve Force to help ensure their unique requirements are integrated with Canadian Forces policies and programs" - isn't this something the normal chain of command is for?

C Res & Cdts is the pan Reserve voice at the table and the honest broker for the CDS when dealing with issues that touch all Reservists.  You cannot compare Army, Naval and Air Reserves, as each has entirely different employment constructs. (i.e. Air Reseves are predominantly Class B, trained to Reg F standards and fully employable alongside Reg F with little to no training delta).  There are also a few thousand "un-represented" Reservists - for lack of a better term - in Health Services and the PRLs which also need an advocacy voice.

Her most important Reserve role (supported by D Res) is  to serve as an effective and credible advisor to the CDS by advising in the formulation and implementation of pan Reserve policy, providing assistance to the environmental commands on Reserve issues and working within the NDHQ structure (bureaucracy) in the support of Reserve issues.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

... what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets do?  I read this "advises the Chief of the Defence Staff ..." - isn't this something the normal chain of command is for?

It would be for the normal chain of command, except for those areas that are relevant to all reserves and, at the same time, foreign concepts to Regulars. For instance the installation and working of civilian employment protection systems for reservists on call out, which is common to all reserves. For more details, see Haggis post above (came out while I typed this).

Little piece of trivia here: Admirals Bennet and Donaldson graduated to SLt's on the same parade from the NROC program (Naval reserve Officer Cadet) in 1979. I know, I was there too! Also, Her father, Commodore Bennet, was NAVRES at about the same era. She has gone one better than her father.

Congrats.

 

[dapaterson]

C Res & Cdts is the pan Reserve voice at the table and the honest broker for the CDS when dealing with issues that touch all Reservists.  You cannot compare Army, Naval and Air Reserves, as each has entirely different employment constructs. (i.e. Air Reseves are predominantly Class B, trained to Reg F standards and fully employable alongside Reg F with little to no training delta).  There are also a few thousand "un-represented" Reservists - for lack of a better term - in Health Services and the PRLs which also need an advocacy voice.

The Air Reserve is primarily breaking the law, as the NDA is quite clear that "Reserves" are "other than continuing full time service when not on active service".

Indeed, I have been at meetings where the Air rep stated that the Air Force has no Reserve, as it has already been committed...

 

[Good2Golf]

The Air Reserve is primarily breaking the law, as the NDA is quite clear that "Reserves" are "other than continuing full time service when not on active service".

Indeed, I have been at meetings where the Air rep stated that the Air Force has no Reserve, as it has already been committed...

So the Army's and Navy's B and B(A) positions are okay?  Or do you mean that the Army and Navy Reserves are just "less illegal"?

 

[dapaterson]

So the Army's and Navy's B and B(A) positions are okay?  Or do you mean that the Army and Navy Reserves are just "less illegal"?

Our overall management of the Reserves falls short of the NDA across the board.  But given that 80%+ of the Air Reserve is on full-time service at any one time, they are the worst offenders, and act as such in a deliberate, planned out manner.

 

[Haggis]

The Air Reserve is primarily breaking the law, as the NDA is quite clear that "Reserves" are "other than continuing full time service when not on active service".

If it's contract work (i.e. Class B) is it really "continuing full time service"?  It's semantics.

Indeed, I have been at meetings where the Air rep stated that the Air Force has no Reserve, as it has already been committed...

;D

This leads towards a whole other discussion which I won't delve into here as threads already exist on that subject.

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/24381.0.html  and
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/97275.50.html

So the Army's and Navy's B and B(A) positions are okay?  Or do you mean that the Army and Navy Reserves are just "less illegal"?

"Less illegal" by a matter of scale, maybe.  But, in dapaterson's assertion, illegal nonetheless.

Can we get back on the topic of the new C Res & Cdts?

 

[Infanteer]

C Res & Cdts is the pan Reserve voice at the table and the honest broker for the CDS when dealing with issues that touch all Reservists.  You cannot compare Army, Naval and Air Reserves, as each has entirely different employment constructs.

So, we need a "pan-Reserve" voice when the different reserve elements cannot be compared and have different constructs?  Which is it - one system or three (plus the extras you mention)?  What is C Res & Cadets saying that isn't already being said by the ECS?

Her most important Reserve role (supported by D Res) is  to serve as an effective and credible advisor to the CDS by advising in the formulation and implementation of pan Reserve policy, providing assistance to the environmental commands on Reserve issues and working within the NDHQ structure (bureaucracy) in the support of Reserve issues.

This may be me being skeptical, but this appears to be something that CMP and the Environmental Chiefs (with their appropriate Reserve advisers) should be able to work out.  The CDS has an adviser on Personnel issues; Chief Military Personnel (a 2 star).  This appears an additional 2-star (with staff) for the mix with little return on investment; it sounds more like a 4-bar job within CMP....

<edit:  wording>

 

[Haggis]

So, we need a "pan-Reserve" voice when the different reserve elements cannot be compared and have different constructs?  Which is it - one system or three (plus the extras you mention)?  What is C Res & Cadets saying that isn't already being said by the ECS?

There's no simple way to explain it, unfortunately.  There have been many instances when that "one" policy has been applied "three" different ways by each of the environments.  Her (thier) role is to ensure that CF policy - on a wide ranging host of issues touching everything from pay, to health benefits to employability to deployability - is equitable to all Reserves and doesn't disdavantage them in comparison to thier Reg F bretheren. 

This may be me being skeptical, but this appears to be anything that CMP and the Environmental Chiefs (with their appropriate Reserve advisers) should be able to work out.  The CDS has an adviser on Personnel issues; Chief Military Personnel (a 2 star).  This appears an additional 2-star (with staff) for the mix with little return on investment; it sounds more like a 4-bar job within CMP....

Since it's already been proven that they CAN'T work it out, there is a need for the C Res & Cdts division.  As I said it's more than just personnel and personnel policy.  It's the interrelationship that those policies have and the second and third order effects of them in concert with each other.  All that, at least for the Reserves, is done by a staff of ONLY six in D Res.

D Cdts (which falls under this 2 star as well) is much much bigger becasue it also exercises a C2 function on the Canadian Cadet organization which is, in fact the largest youth movement in Canada.

 

[dapaterson]

There's no simple way to explain it, unfortunately.  There have been many instances when that "one" policy has been applied "three" different ways by each of the environments.  Her (thier) role is to ensure that CF policy - on a wide ranging host of issues touching everything from pay, to health benefits to employability to deployability - is equitable to all Reserves and doesn't disdavantage them in comparison to thier Reg F bretheren. 

Since it's already been proven that they CAN'T work it out, there is a need for the C Res & Cdts division.  As I said it's more than just personnel and personnel policy.  It's the interrelationship that those policies have and the second and third order effects of them in concert with each other.  All that, at least for the Reserves, is done by a staff of ONLY six in D Res.

It is a function that properly vests with CMP.  That it is not always done there speaks to institutional issues that need to be addressed.

D Cdts (which falls under this 2 star as well) is much much bigger becasue it also exercises a C2 function on the Canadian Cadet organization which is, in fact the largest youth movement in Canada.

C2 for Cadets is exercised through the RCSUs.  RCSUs are units of the Canadian Forces, embodied in the Reserve Force, and allocated not to C Res & Cdts, but to various environmental formations.  For example, RCSU Central is allocated to Land Forces Central Area.  316 Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps are assigned to RCSU Central, and thus their C2 is through Commander LFCA to Comander LFC to the CDS.  (Ministerial Organizational Order 2002010 and Canadian Forces Organizational Order 3935 refer).

C Res & Cadets is a purely staff organization.  They do provide key support to the Cadet movement, but they do not command it.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Considering the Army Reserves belong to the LFAs, what does a Chief Reserves and Cadets Director General Land Reserves do?  I read this "advises the Chief of the Defence Staff   CLS and other senior DND/CF officials about matters concerning the 35,000 20,000 member strong Reserve Force Militia to help ensure their unique requirements are integrated with Canadian Forces policies and programs" - isn't this something the normal chain of command is for?

Fixed that for you...

 

[Infanteer]

Fixed that for you...

All of this speaks to the "senior staff cutting thread" also running in these forums.  For some reason, there is a Reserve "shadow" organization that seems to mirror the chain of command from top to bottom.  Is this necessary?

 

[Haggis]

All of this speaks to the "senior staff cutting thread" also running in these forums.  For some reason, there is a Reserve "shadow" organization that seems to mirror the chain of command from top to bottom.  Is this necessary?

No.  C Res & Cdts does not command any Reserve formations/units.

It is a function that properly vests with CMP.  That it is not always done there speaks to institutional issues that need to be addressed.

True, in respect to personnel.  But there are more policies than personnel policies.

C2 for Cadets is exercised through the RCSUs.  .....C Res & Cadets is a purely staff organization.  They do provide key support to the Cadet movement, but they do not command it.

Quite true, as I noted above.  I over-simplified in my last response.

 

[aesop081]

But there are more policies than personnel policies.

True but if personel policies can (and should) be handled by CMP, can operational and other policies not be properly handled by the ECS ?

 

[Stoker]

Interestingly enough she is in Class A position. She is being looked after that's for sure.

 

[dapaterson]

[ soapbox ]

The reason such organziations have arisen is due to staff at various levels declaring reserve issues to be in the "too hard" pile - and thus shadow orgs arise to try to deal with some of those issues that those functionally responsible ignore.

That sort of overlap does not work well; as I recall the Land Staff underwent a re-org around 2005 to try to eliminate it.  Unfortunately, directorates that received more positions in the re-org chose to assign them to do more of what the directorates already did, and continued to ignore some reserve issues - so the reduced organizations grew back again.

In some cases there is a lack of understanding of the differences between Reg F and Res F and how that can drive needs for differences in policies, reporting, or timelines (or all three) - having some pers to advise on that can be useful.  But they should be integral to the larger staff cosntructs, not in their own little world.


"Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution. - Clay Shirky"

[ /soapbox ]