Divining the right role, capabilities, structure, and Regimental System for Canada's Army Reserves

[dapaterson]

It's remarkable that even under the "recruit until your ears bleed" era of LFRR the same units always remained small and stressed, and always had a litany of reasons why they couldn't grow and couldn't retain their soldiers.

But it's always easier to blame someone else, rather than to attempt any substantive change to the things under our own control.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Previously in the thread there were discussions about the idea of a volunteer model for the Militia which obviously has some significant issues, but what about a mixed paid/volunteer model?  New recruits would start parading, doing their basic in-unit training and going on exercises on as volunteers.  A per diem rate of pay would kick in if they go away on course, go on exercises lasting longer that a weekend, or are called up for duty in an emergency. 

Once a member completes their trades training and now has value to the Reg Force as a potential augmentee (and have the potential to advance in rank to a leadership role) then the normal reserve pay would kick in. 

I have zero personal experience with the Militia so this is more of a "what if" for the sake of discussion.  There seem to be lots of discussions about how long it takes to get on a trades course, especially if your work schedule is restrictive but it also sounds like keen recruits with a flexible schedule could pass through the "volunteer" phase of their service pretty quickly if they want to.  For others they may not really have a great desire to move up the ranks beyond being a "militiaman" and a longer-term volunteer service might be enough as long as training can be kept interesting.

Would something like this allow the Militia to keep the level of pay similar to what it is now while also expanding the size of units by opening up recruiting of volunteer members?  I'm sure there would be cost increases in both equipment and training costs to support the larger numbers, but would having larger units not also benefit the paid members (by providing more leadership opportunities, more elaborate training possibilities, etc.?).

We already have a lot of volunteers associated with militia units.

For example, our Pipe Band is mainly volunteer staffed, we only have 5 x Class A positions out of about 40 pers. Our associations are all volunteers. Our Trustees are volunteers. The regimental kit shop is manned by volunteers. The Ladies auxiliary are volunteers, as are the Museum staff.

Guess where the most problems are in the regiment at any point in time? You guessed it... all of the above.

If there's one thing that keeps convincing me that I never, ever want to be a CO it's the fact that the majority of your time is usually consumed appeasing and managing issues from the all the 'volunteers' we have already. A complete PITA and waste of time IMHO, and some thing that few Reg F CO's ever have to deal with (along with recruiting by the way).

Add volunteer riflemen to that mix? Inconthhhhhhheivebale!

 

[Haggis]

It's remarkable that even under the "recruit until your ears bleed" era of LFRR the same units always remained small and stressed, and always had a litany of reasons why they couldn't grow and couldn't retain their soldiers.

Yes, it was.  No matter what you do, those units seem to survive nonetheless, which is, in itself, remarkable as well.

But it's always easier to blame someone else, rather than to attempt any substantive change to the things under our own control.

Are there ways we can do things better in the Army Reserve?  Of course!  This thread alone is filled with probably 50 of 80 pages of ideas.  What's needed is the institutional will and organizational flexibility to enact those changes.

But we can agree that the recruiting system is broken, yes?  And neither the Army or the Army Reserve  owns that piece of the problem.

Personally, I'm a big fan of a streamlined or even standalone recruiting system for the Reserves.  There are several hurdles to overcome before it can happen and it will probably result in some of the same challenges at the corporate end due to the necessary sharing of certain resources (CAF Health Services, for example).

 

[dapaterson]

We already have a lot of volunteers associated with militia units.

For example, our Pipe Band is mainly volunteer staffed, we only have 5 x Class A positions out of about 40 pers. Our associations are all volunteers. Our Trustees are volunteers. The regimental kit shop is manned by volunteers. The Ladies auxiliary are volunteers, as are the Museum staff.

Guess where the most problems are in the regiment at any point in time? You guessed it... all of the above.

If there's one thing that keeps convincing me that I never, ever want to be a CO it's the fact that the majority of your time is usually consumed appeasing and managing issues from the all the 'volunteers' we have already. A complete PITA and waste of time IMHO, and some thing that few Reg F CO's ever have to deal with (along with recruiting by the way).

Add volunteer riflemen to that mix? Inconthhhhhhheivebale!

And how do those groups assist your unit in training soldiers to close with and destroy the enemy?

 

[Kirkhill]

Are there ways we can do things better in the Army Reserve?  Of course!  This thread alone is filled with probably 50 of 80 pages of ideas.  What's needed is the institutional will and organizational flexibility to enact those changes.

But we can agree that the recruiting system is broken, yes?  And neither the Army or the Army Reserve  owns that piece of the problem.

Personally, I'm a big fan of a streamlined or even standalone recruiting system for the Reserves.  There are several hurdles to overcome before it can happen and it will probably result in some of the same challenges at the corporate end due to the necessary sharing of certain resources (CAF Health Services, for example).

The one thing that continues to amuse/amaze/gall me is the constant refrain - no matter what the proposal (and as you said there are 80 pages of them here) - "You can't do that!"

Pretty sure that is the same thing that Sam Hughes heard in August 1914.

 

[Haggis]

And how do those groups assist your unit in training soldiers to close with and destroy the enemy?

They don't.

But they do, in a small way, assist in maintaining the community connection (footprint) nurturing the extended regimental family and preserving the history and heritage of the regiment.

These are important and years ago unit COs and RSMs could manage them on their own.  Today, however, with the ever increasing demands for time and administration on unit leaderships, these task by necessity, must be done by volunteers (either off-duty or retired) or fall by the wayside.

 

[Kirkhill]

They don't.

But they do, in a small way, assist in maintaining the community connection (footprint) nurturing the extended regimental family and preserving the history and heritage of the regiment.

These are important and years ago unit COs and RSMs could manage them on their own.  Today, however, with the ever increasing demands for time and administration on unit leaderships, these task by necessity, must be done by volunteers (either off-duty or retired) or fall by the wayside.

Years ago, when the CO was responsible for recruiting, they were part and parcel of the recruiting effort.  Our "unit funds" came in part from local donors, members of the extended family, who supported things like local advertising, arranging meet and greets with the community, supplying funds for social exchanges with folks like the Washington National Guard, New Year's Levees, Highland Balls, St Juliens, Walcheren, kilts-buttons-bows, support for the pipe band, arranging the production of pipe band CDs, and a host of other "useless" activities.

I don't recall ever putting out a dollar of pay for anything, mess dinners, social engagements, whatever, in my time in the Highlanders (or my short stint with the Johns for that matter)(although I do recall spending a lot of money in the mess).

And those engagements were part of the attraction to the unit that all ranks experienced.  And our patrons (including ww2 vets like Maj Mark Tennant and LCol Sam Nickle who also were our honoraries) managed to arrange spectacles such as getting our new colours presented in person by Her Majesty (with Gen de Chastelain parading with the Pipe Band as an ordinary piper - where he started his career). Actually the presentation of Colours was organized in large part (and funded) by one of our Honoraries, Fred Mannix.

All of those activities I now presume are managed by fully qualified and permanently paid professional LCols of the Public Relations and Human Resources varieties - to great effect and efficiency.

No.  Those volunteers did nothing to make your troops more efficient.  All they did was make sure that you had soldiers to train and the soldiers got a few perks on the side.  Nothing of consequence.

 

[MilEME09]

Long ago and far away (1980s) we recruited a Platoon into the Calgary Highlanders every September and the KOCR that shared the same armouries got a similar influx.  Both units, together with th Svc Bn,  the MPs, the Comm Squad, the Fd Ambulance managed to remain viable. 

For St Julien's Day we (the Highlanders) could turn out 100 - 150 on parade.  We had a platoon of high performers (rappel, airborne, pioneer, all infantry weapons qualified, sigs) and managed to retain 10 to 25% of the September intake through the first year and get them loaded on summer courses. 

Weekend exercises were well attended when interesting  (40 to Wainwright by Chinook for ranges, similar numbers for Suffield) and not so well when not interesting (pitching tents for a Boy Scout Jamboree).

Weeknights were fine for first year recruits (class work and parade work) but generally a waste of time for everybody else unless they were involved in training the recruits or preparing exercises or general administration.

The Highlander's and the KOCR enjoy good turnouts and high numbers from all i have witnessed, and people I walk to. The same cannot be said for the other units. Attrition is out growing recruiting by leaps and bounds, or in some cases just no one wants to join in certain trades, we've had no cooks for years.

 

[daftandbarmy]

And how do those groups assist your unit in training soldiers to close with and destroy the enemy?

They provide good examples of what not to become, of course.

 

[George Wallace]

They provide good examples of what not to become, of course.

Yup....Don't get old.

 

[tomahawk6]

What might be helpful is to change Canadian law along US law for Reserve Components.We are able to call up entire reserve/national guard units as well as individual augmentee's.Their civilian jobs are protected.We also have a program called Active Guard/Reserve where they work full time at their unit.

http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/current-and-prior-service/continue-serving/army-reserve-prior-service/active-guard-reserve.html

 

[FJAG]

What might be helpful is to change Canadian law along US law for Reserve Components.We are able to call up entire reserve/national guard units as well as individual augmentee's.Their civilian jobs are protected.We also have a program called Active Guard/Reserve where they work full time at their unit.

http://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/current-and-prior-service/continue-serving/army-reserve-prior-service/active-guard-reserve.html

Canada has the legal ability to compulsorily "call up" reservists and units as well.  See here:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-queens-regulations-orders-vol-01/ch-09.page

The fact of the matter is that for well over the last half century we have not used this provision and have relied on individual volunteers to round out regular force units/elements.

As to civilian job protection, one can argue the effectiveness in the various approaches used by different countries. In theory the USERRA (see here: http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-ednc/legacy/2011/04/29/EmploymentRights.pdf) is much more effective than our hodge-podge of provincial legislation but practically speaking, for the most part, deploying reservists will take a hit in their civilian careers unless their employers are genuinely committed to the system. This, in large part, is why Canada focuses more on building employer relationships than legislating compliance (Not to mention that such legislation is not an issue of major importance for any of our political parties)

Full time service by reservists exists through our Class B and Class C reserve service. Prior to Afghanistan the use of these two services was somewhat arbitrary but since then, in general, we use Class C for operational deployments while Class B relates to more administrative "temporary help" jobs (some of which "temporary" jobs have been in place for decades). Again, IMHO, the pay and benefits structure Canada uses to distinguish Class B and Class C service is arbitrary and based on antiquated concepts that the system continues to use.

:cheers:

 

[Kirkhill]

Canada has the legal ability to compulsorily "call up" reservists and units as well.  See here:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-queens-regulations-orders-vol-01/ch-09.page

The fact of the matter is that for well over the last half century we have not used this provision and have relied on individual volunteers to round out regular force units/elements.

As to civilian job protection, one can argue the effectiveness in the various approaches used by different countries. In theory the USERRA (see here: http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/usao-ednc/legacy/2011/04/29/EmploymentRights.pdf) is much more effective than our hodge-podge of provincial legislation but practically speaking, for the most part, deploying reservists will take a hit in their civilian careers unless their employers are genuinely committed to the system. This, in large part, is why Canada focuses more on building employer relationships than legislating compliance (Not to mention that such legislation is not an issue of major importance for any of our political parties)

Full time service by reservists exists through our Class B and Class C reserve service. Prior to Afghanistan the use of these two services was somewhat arbitrary but since then, in general, we use Class C for operational deployments while Class B relates to more administrative "temporary help" jobs (some of which "temporary" jobs have been in place for decades). Again, IMHO, the pay and benefits structure Canada uses to distinguish Class B and Class C service is arbitrary and based on antiquated concepts that the system continues to use.

:cheers:

So does that mean that if the individual were ordered to duty their job would be protected (and the Government liable)?

By asking for volunteers, and putting the onus on the individual, does the Government dodge obligations and liability?

 

[FJAG]

So does that mean that if the individual were ordered to duty their job would be protected (and the Government liable)?

By asking for volunteers, and putting the onus on the individual, does the Government dodge obligations and liability?

That's apples and oranges.

The ability to call up reservists is a federal government action while job protection in most instances comes under the labour powers of the provincial governments (because most civilian workers fall under provincial labour law).

This page is DND's info page on the topic and has links to all the relevant legislation:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/business-reservist-support/job-protection-legislation.page.

The federal government is never liable nor dodging responsibilities; it's the reservist's employers who are the ones who have obligations under the respective laws.

:cheers:

 

[Kirkhill]

Thanks for the clarification.

 

[George Wallace]

The federal government is never liable nor dodging responsibilities; it's the reservist's employers who are the ones who have obligations under the respective laws.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government is also a large employer of Reservists in their "Day Jobs".  They are inconsistent in their treatment of those Reservists when the Reservists go on deployments.

 

[ModlrMike]

There's also the question of financial loss. Many long serving reservists are well advanced in their civilian careers, and can't afford the income delta for very long. This makes Class B service much less attractive to them, resulting in a shortfall of experienced members available for tasking.

 

[tomahawk6]

If a reservist is called up why couldnt their employer continue to pay them for the length of their deployment ?Then whatever their pay was would be a tax write off for the business.This might require legislation.

 

[Blackadder1916]

If a reservist is called up why couldnt their employer continue to pay them for the length of their deployment ?Then whatever their pay was would be a tax write off for the business.This might require legislation.

Employee's pay and benefits are already a deduction.  What would be the employer's advantage to continue paying them without receiving any work?

 

[geo]

The CF is, on the whole, a lousy employer of reservists.
You may be due for a career course, there may be an available position on same said course, but your class B employer won't let you go... So you want the full time job, or the course and career advancement?