Garter Crest-Should It be Our Hatbadge?

[jeff001]

RCA:
Never have I stated anything about the militia or any type of comparision.Could you provide something in which that is based on.

 

[RCA]

I was replying to other comments made on this thread. I tend to rant when comparisions/put downs occur. However, we are all members of the Artillery, cool heads have prevailed, and as stated, the matter can safetly be put to rest.

End of Mission

Stand Easy.

As to the matter of the Garter Crest, healthy debate is what will the Regiment moving in a forward direction. There good reasonds for and against the idea. My opinion (right or wrong) is I am against. Call me a traditionalist.

Gunner is right (as he tends to be sometimes) and we face greater challanges in the future and what direction we are heading.

As for being a mortarman, rumour has it that 116 Fd Bty will be getting theirs in the very near future.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I must admit that I don‘t follow these things enough. RCA, do you mean by this that the mortars would replace their guns or that they would have both responsibilites?

 

[Gunner]

Gunner is right (as he tends to be sometimes)

Thanks...I think.

As for being a mortarman, rumour has it that 116 Fd Bty will be getting theirs in the very near future.

Well I am not that fussed about mortars, it could be a very good capability within the reserve artillery world. We just have to make sure that we don‘t try and field two indirect fire weapons in the reserves (81 mm and 105 mm C3) and secondly we have to make sure we develop a critical mass that will allow enough gunners the opportunity to get train and conduct collective training.

Regards

 

[RCA]

I don‘t have enough backgound as of yet, but I think the 81s will be their weapon, once LFRR shakes out. What you will end up seeing is C3 and 81 Batterys. The interesting question is what happens to the RCHA once they mothball the M109. There isn‘t enough LG1s to go around, so do they downsize Batterys or move to the C3?

Remember this is stricly rumour and conjecture on my part.

 

[tmbluesbflat]

Question for Arty types, the 81 you are refering to is that the old mortar platoon 81mm? If it is what became of the 4.2 Inch mortar? Is it still on Bn strength? Is there still a support Coy Mortar platoon? I‘ve been out since 68 there have been changes made! Bombs gone out!

 

[jeff001]

This is getting off topic, thanks for the input and opinions. Each according to thier own.Like I stated the majority of replies were not from members of other Regts.That has been started by word of mouth and on other means. The support is there and growing, the organization of preparation of a formal way in which to organize and present a formal package is the next step.I‘m not trying to get every one up in arms and there is no comparison between any two seperate units or componant,so please don‘t read into it.

OUT

 

[River Fenix]

Hey guys, I was just reading some threads in the Archives, and I came to something particular that I thought I should say something about.

   

37B, I was not really trying to make a point other than clarifing tech's position, at least what I believe to be tech's position. I do not know whether or not troop recieve thier cap badge after completing some training, or not, but that's what his post would seem to indicate. I do know that officers get a cap badge without any training. What I'm saying is a standardized right of passage to recieve a cap badge, would mean more.

  I am basically as new as you get, when It comes to both Artillery and the CF.. so I can speak first hand about how things Are at the moment (in respect to recruitment). When I did my basic course (BMQ), the instructors were very strict when It came to candidates wearing anything that bore the Arty badge - which is as it should be. In my opinion, and the opinion that I believe is with most arty guys, is that a person has to EARN the right to wear that Cap badge.

Ive done my courses.. including my DP1 Artilleryman's course.. and I can speak for all the new gunners that trained this summer in Pet, it was the best feeling in the world to finally be able to wear the cap badge. Its unsettling when I see people wearing a cap badge that they did little, to nothing, to earn (Im not speaking only of Cadets, which is a whole other topic in itself).

I wear the Arty cap badge with pride... and whenever I talk to recruits I remind them of how hard I worked to be able to wear it. I am a reservist, so I understand any resentment that a Reg. Force guy would have to me wearing the same cap badge as him.. But in the same respect It is not as though I learnt to operate the howitzer from a TV show. I spent a helluva lot of time training, manhandling and sweating on the Guns before I earned the right to call myself a Gunner.

I cant speak from experience, but I dont think even a member for 20 years could forget how hard they worked to get to the point where they could call themselves a Gunner.

So I guess what Im getting at, is that It shouldnt be whether a person had to do 100 push ups, or 10 push ups to be able to say they accomplished something, its whether they pushed themselves and completed the task with enthusiasm, self-worth and pride in what they accomplished. If that doesnt make sense then   im a retard...

-River

Any comments?

 

[dr.no]

I wear my cornflake with pride!  ;D

 

[sjm]

Ya know "River",  you may be right but that doesn't eliminate the possibility that you may still be the latter.

 

[san]

Once a gunner .... always a gunner!  Like you, I earned the right to wear the capbadge.  And don't even ask where my cornflake went?

 

[sjm]

right on!  I assume mine is somewhere between areas 6 and 8 or it was deposited on the bore...

 

[the_moose]

To wade in to this debate or not... hmm....

Well in my humble opinion to wear my artillery cap badge is an honor.    I like all of the rest of you worked very hard to earn my cap badge.  It is something i show with pride every day I am in uniform.    The issue with officers getting them right away without time on the guns and the cadets wearing the same cap badge, especially when they look like a total slob....  those do sadden me a bit... there is a lack of pride when they wear the cap badge ( cadets more so than the OCdt's).   

But to each person the cap badge means something different.... to some it may be just something on their hat.... others, especially those of us in the artillery it is our mark of the brotherhood of Royal artillery.  I don't know of any other trade that wears the same cap badge throughout the monarchy armies (Brit's, Kiwi's, etc..) as the artillery does.  And anywhere you go as an artilleryman, you are welcome. 

And with the whole "I'm a reservist" / "I'm reg force" thing with qualified and wearing the same cap badge...  we ALL have earned it... done our time in the mud, dragging the trails,  whether raining, snowing or blistering sun.... we have all been there and done it....  we have all earned it.      If your a gun number, a cp tech, or FOO tech.... you have all trained to do that skilled job and wear that cap badge.    in the future we may have to work side by side... reservist and reg force..... together fighting for our country.  We have the rely on another.

Well there's my two cents for now.

Moose.

 

[Gunner98]

Quote from RCA Moose "The issue with officers getting them right away without time on the guns."

I guess the fact that officers get a 'commission' without making a sale must make you mad, too.  Upon what vast experience do you judge what an OCdt does to 'earn' his cap badge and earn the right for you to call him sir or Mr, when he calls you "Bomber" or "Bomb" or "hey you, Gun Bunny."

I imagine you did a similar basic officer training course as I did in 1983 at CFRS Cornwallis, and BOTC II followed by French Training in 1984, perhaps not. My obligatory service committed me as an OCdt to wear my cap badge for 5+ years.  Then, I graduated with an Hons BBA from an outstanding business school in Canada.  Then on Arty Phase II, I learned to lead a section attack and how to be a No. 1-9 on a gun.  I did the Basic Tech crse and Basic Comms course between Arty Phase II and Phase III. When I graduated from Phase IV, I went to Germany before the wall came down and served with 1 RCHA.

I think I earned my pretty cloth cap badge and the right for you to call me, sir.  Whenever I miss the guns I drive over to 2 RCHA and reminisce with the M-109 on permanent static display.  Bad knees and hearing loss, oh, the memories we share.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

2 RCHA had M-109's??.....oops, sorry rookie..... ;D

I kinda got choked when I saw that the L-5 gun race at the 100th anniversary in Pet was being done by an all trades group.
How did we give that one up?......

 

[Cloud Cover]

I imagine you did a similar basic officer training course as I did in 1983 at CFRS Cornwallis,

8340?

 

[Gunner]

RCA_Moose, welcome to the artillery forum and army.ca. 

 

[SHELLDRAKE!!]

The gun race team got taken away from the artillery and offered up as the "Army gun race team" a few years back because the CF saw it as a public affairs freebie. For the cost of one fuel tank of a snowbird, you can run a gun race team for an entire weekend at an airshow. Im glad to see other trades interested in our fair mountain gun though. Also I do believe manning a full gun race team (roughly 50 pers) was taxing on the regiment during summer taskings.

 

[Gunner98]

Yes Bruce - SP Arty first came to Pet in 1968.

"On completion of its Germany tour in 1967, 2 RCHA moved to Gagetown. The following year, F Battery was reduced to nil strength as part of a general force reduction; the remaining D and E Batteries converted to the 155mm SP M109."

The Army Gun Race Team goes well with the latest olive drab motto "One Army, One Team, One Vision".

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Quotes,
The Army Gun Race Team goes well with the latest olive drab motto "One Army, One Team, One Vision".
Also I do believe manning a full gun race team (roughly 50 pers) was taxing on the regiment during summer taskings.

Which both make perfect sense, it was just a wee bit disconcerting because I WAS expecting the two teams to be from 2 RCHA.
Probably just me thinking I was going to see a few more old gunners around. :crybaby: