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

[Haggis]

I was under the impression it was for units that could sustain growth. Some certainly can.  Others not so much.

As per Annex A, yes.  Units that are struggling will continue to struggle. Those that are flourishing will be rewarded - provided that the local demographics will support this.  Cities and towns with no business or industry to keep post secondary young adults in the community will not see an increase in A Res positions.

 

[PuckChaser]

Units that are struggling will continue to struggle. Those that are flourishing will be rewarded - provided that the local demographics will support this.  Cities and towns with no business or industry to keep post secondary young adults in the community will not see an increase in A Res positions.

As they shouldn't. Lack of positions is likely not the issue with these units. Creating more positions at units that can't even fill the ones they have wouldn't make much sense at all.

 

[Haggis]

As they shouldn't. Lack of positions is likely not the issue with these units. Creating more positions at units that can't even fill the ones they have wouldn't make much sense at all.

Which is why the plan is to "rebalance" the Reserves by removing positions from those units that historically cannot fill their establishments and assigning them to those units that can and will sustain growth.

What remains to be seen is, although the CDS stated that no units would disappear, will those struggling units be reduced to minor (sub) unit status with CO/RSM converted to OC/CSM in both position and rank?

 

[George Wallace]

Which is why the plan is to "rebalance" the Reserves by removing positions from those units that historically cannot fill their establishments and assigning them to those units that can and will sustain growth.

What remains to be seen is, although the CDS stated that no units would disappear, will those struggling units be reduced to minor (sub) unit status with CO/RSM converted to OC/CSM in both position and rank?

There is not method to the madness.  I have heard rumours that my former unit, which was finally stood up to Coy strength from Platoon, which has a strong recruiting base with many interested prospects applying, that some one has now deemed it to be on the chopping block for disbanding.  As a Platoon, it was larger than any of the three Coys that exist elsewhere in the country.  Now someone wants to undo the long hard struggle that it took to become a Coy.  Hopefully it is only a rumour and saner heads have not followed that train of thought. 

 

[Kirkhill]

As far as I can see the major news out of the CDS directive is the PRes finally gets a Line Item (ie Budget) all to itself.

STRENGTHENING THE PRIMARY RESERVE
GROUPINGS AND TASKS
1. Ll tasks in addition to those identified in the main document are assigned as follows:

A-1/4 .

a. ADM(FIN). By Apr 2016 develop a Reserve Corporate Account to ensure
dedicated funding is provided to the P Res in a predictable and sustainable
manner. Ensure that future financial reports show P Res funding and
expenditures as separate line items.

Supported by: All L 1 s

b. C PROG. By Apr 2016 segregate Reserve Force funding to enable a separate
reporting process designed to demonstrate the value of Government
investment in the Reserve Force and link assigned funding to expected
deliverables. Current processes do not lend themselves to reporting on these
measures in a forthright and clear manner.

Supported by: D Budget, All Lls

The second bit of useful news is a trimming of the recruiting procedure to 6 weeks and localizing as much of it as possible.

COORDINATING  INSTRUCTIONS

15.    The following  initiatives  will  be  leveraged  to ensure that the goals of strengthening
the PRes and  achieving the target  growth  are met with in the set timelines:

a. Re-engineer the Recruitment Process (CFAT to enrolment) to streamline the methodology and i
ncrease through put with the goal of 60 - 90 days for the recruiting process by summer 2016.
Continue to expand devolution and decentralization to units for some aspects of processing;
b. Develop a strategic governance and PRes SIP that will allow CFRG and the ECS's to manage PRes intake in a more flexible manner;

 

[PuckChaser]

60-90 days for Canadian Citizen applicants with no time spent living outside the country should be the standard for RegF and ResF recruiting.

 

[Haggis]

60-90 days for Canadian Citizen applicants with no time spent living outside the country should be the standard for RegF and ResF recruiting.

This sounds like a re-statement of the direction issued by Gen Hillier circa 2010.  That never came to pass because CFRG barely had the capacity to meet Reg F attraction and recruiting requirements then.  What has changed - or will change - to make this happen now?

What I fear is a return to the two tiered CAF recruiting system of years ago wherein the Res F will be able to recruit people who could never meet the enrolment requirements of the Reg F.  This would bring about the return of a Res F member who CT's to the Reg F having to be processed from scratch because of the huge delta between Res F and Reg F processes.

 

[PuckChaser]

CFRG needs a gutting, and complete retool. Whether there's political will (political will being the Cols and GOFOs at the top) to do it, remains to be seen. In 2002 I was able to walk into a recruiting center in April and join in time for 26 June BMQ. Good luck getting that done now, and there's no reason why we can't get back to that.

 

[McG]

As per Annex A, yes.  Units that are struggling will continue to struggle. Those that are flourishing will be rewarded - provided that the local demographics will support this.  Cities and towns with no business or industry to keep post secondary young adults in the community will not see an increase in A Res positions.

I imagine that some regiments will be authorized another platoon in their one "mission sub-unit" while regiments in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouvre and Calgary might even be authorized to grow a second rifle coy.  150 positions could bring the Prince of Wales Rangers back to Peterbourough (they were 50 Fd Regt RCA when last stood down, but I don't see the resources for more arty today).

 

[Kirkhill]

....150 positions could bring the Prince of Wales Rangers back to Peterbourough Peterboro (they were 50 Fd Regt RCA when last stood down, but I don't see the resources for more arty today).

Through the 70s they were the Hasty P's  - Maj Jack Richardson OC.

 

[McG]

Different lineages.  The PWR are still on the supplementary order of battle as Arty.

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/art/50far-eng.asp

 

[blacktriangle]

Which PRes trades/branches currently suffer from the largest training deltas when compared to their RegF counterparts?

Anyone?

 

[Kirkhill]

Different lineages.  The PWR are still on the supplementary order of battle as Arty.

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/ol-lo/vol-tom-3/par1/art/50far-eng.asp

Thanks - I remember seeing the Prince of Wales's feathers and the Rangers reference on the sign at the armoury doors.  I didn't realize the unit could be reactivated.

 

[McG]

Which PRes trades/branches currently suffer from the largest training deltas when compared to their RegF counterparts? 

How do you measure this?  Is it by time required to make-up the missing training, or is it by the proportion of tasks a PRes member can not do?  Either way, I don't know.

But, why do you ask?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Which PRes trades/branches currently suffer from the largest training deltas when compared to their RegF counterparts?

Anyone?

All of them, depending on how good the training/ leadership is back in their units.

 

[vonGarvin]

B Company of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is in Peterborough, ON.

 

[runormal]

All of them, depending on how good the training/ leadership is back in their units.

It also depends on the member, if you don`t make the time and attend supplementary training (which no one can force you you to do). It doesn`t matter what your unit does.

Then there is the availability or lack thereof of equipment to use, in which case it doesn`t matter if you have the training or not.

Lots of factors in play it isn`t as simple to say well ACISS Res DP 1.0 doesn`t cover X,Y,Z. X,Y,Z could very easily be made up at the unit level, but if people don`t show or up, well what can you do?

Edit: For what it is worth I had a buddy who just recently CTed to the regs, he kept his Cpls, DP 2.0, DP 1.0 Etc, so it has to be close enough. But I know a guy who CTed- INF- INF who kept his cpls but had to redo his 3`s  ???.

 

[Kirkhill]

B Company of the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is in Peterborough, ON.

So they are still there then.    Thanks.

Jack Richardson was the terror of my High School.  He was the Vice-Principal.

 

[McG]

Interesting thing is that the regiments of the golden horseshoe are all established with only a single rifle coy.  The size of the established companies varies:  The QOR A Coy is established at five platoons while the Hast&PE A Coyu is established with three platoons and the RHF of C A Coy is in between with four platoons.  There are enough extranious Maj, jr offr and sr NCO in the HQ&Svc Coy for these units to organize into more rifle companies, but it is an illusion. 

 

[blacktriangle]

How do you measure this?  Is it by time required to make-up the missing training, or is it by the proportion of tasks a PRes member can not do?  Either way, I don't know.

But, why do you ask?

Maybe it's a combination of both?

I ask because I'm starting to wonder if we aren't just setting our PRes up for failure. Minimal trg time, minimal funding, lack of equipment etc. Is it possible there are some trades that currently exist in the PRes that simply should not be there?