Fellows,
Based on the posts above, several of us seem to be missing the extant point. And that point is that in accordance with the extant Army Strategy voiced by the CLS (now CDS), "Mech" and "Light" Infantry will continue to grow apart. Perhaps not to the point (like the Armoured Corps) where we are talking baseline "Occupational Specialities" (Recce) versus sub-set "Occupational Speciality Specifications" (Direct-Fire) but within our heretofore "homogenous" Infantry corps we are certainly envisioning a evolutionary distinction between mech (conventional) and light (specialized, SOC) capabilities, units and soldiers.
The FEC says that light infantry skills will continue to develop, and at the end of the day "mech" will not be expected to re-role to "light" without substantive training. Nor vice versa. The infantry corps will de-facto grow apart based on the recognized need for 2 comparatively distinct subsets of the basic infantry trade.
CFL: I am sure that light infantrymen would be able to pile into the back of a LAV and play "mech inf" if required. But at the end of the day, that would represent a fundamental waste of capability. Could you take a "pure" light battalion within the current Army environment and suddenly re-role it to LAV-III based Mech Infantry in terms of Crew Commanders, Platoon Commanders, etc, etc, etc? The answer is yes - if you really, really had to. But let's face it - the price of doing so for a single op deployment would constitute a grotesque waste of both efficiency and economy. Just imagine trying to re-train everyone within that "Light" unit on the LAV - from Driver, to Gunner, to Crew Comd. What a horrific waste of operationally-oriented money that could have been better spent on fully-qualified mech troops.
The exact same argument applies in reverse. How do you suddenly take a re-roled mech coy and instantaneously produce PIs, JMs, Pathfinders, MOIs, etc? Not to mention enhancing the basic qualifications (eg. moutain ops) of every single soldier within the unit? And then try to manage the fundamental expections and mindset of the formerly mech soldiers within the "light" requirements of the unit in question...
The fact of the matter is that the further we go down the road of "Light" being distinct (for validated reasons) from "Mech" Infantry, the opportunity for "mix and match" fulfillment of one another's roles will become increasingly untenable. In other words, the further we pursue satisfying the Army's "Force Employment Concept", the more we will face a situation where generic "Plug and Play" infantry simply do not work within the current Field Force construct. C Coy 2 PPCLI were able to integrate and perform exceptionally well within 3 PPCLI 3 years ago. If we follow the anticipated "way ahead" for the Army where the FEC dicates that mech infantry will not do light infantry tasks (without additional training) and vice versa, then mech/light compatability will inevitably cease to exist. For those who hang their hats on math, 9 becomes 6 + 3 - and rarely shall those numbers deviate.
If the existing Light Battalions continue to evolve in line with the Army Commander's stated "SOC" intent, then the "delta" between mech and light infantry will only continue to grow at an exponential rate. The past ability of "C Coy" 2 PPCLI to integrate with 3 PPCLI after a very short light-infantry work-up period will become increasingly null and void. The respective "Specialist skills gap" will simply become too great when the light infantry begin to depart from the "common denominator" infantry skill-sets in favour of producing a SOC organization. And the same applies in reverse. Even within the same Occupational Specialty, one has to wonder if there ought not to be "Light" and "Mech" Infantry OSS. After all, if (according to the Army Strategy), mech and light infantry forces are entities with fundamentally different capabilities and associated training requirements, do they not necessitate distinctive qualification requirements? Perhaps an 031 (Mech) OS, with an 031 (Light) OSS is the way ahead?
The 3 x Canadian light infantry battalions are moving towards specialization to an ever greater degree based upon clear direction contained in the SORD, the FEC, and the results to date of the Army Light Forces Working Group. Our light battalions are clearly headed towards "Special Ops Capability". This ought not be a surprise to anyone who had the opportunity to view 3 PPCLI's comparative performance within TF Rakassan/187 BCT in Afghanistan. Truth be told, within the coalition/NATO context 3 PPCLI BG was already quite "Special Ops Capable".
At the same time, the increasing "specialization" of the "light fighters" suggests that their interchangability with the mech infantry is increasingly untenable. The SORD calls for the light infantry to specialize. It should therefore come as no surprise to anyone that the rather "free-wheeling" "3rd Battalions" have already set the ball in motion (to varying degrees). Indeed, most of the "Light Battalions" are already significantly ahead of the rather obvious Land Staff direction. Just don't expect them to suddenly transition to LAVs. And (one would truly hope) vice-versa.....
Sorry, but I don't have the time this evening to address multiple contributors to this rather fascinating thread. For CFL specifically however, I would argue that your contention is increasingly untenable. You stated that "with a little more time a mech solider can re-role into a light role and perform their duties well". That may have held true back in 2002 when the light battalions were still feeling their way through the light role, but it is no longer the case. The re-roling "gap" could be readily bridged back in 02. But let's face it - there were extenuating cricumstances, not the least of which was the fact that OC C Coy had just left 3PPCLI after 3 years of service within the unit with the "light" mindset. Devil39 can speak for himself, so I will say no more.
As time marches on, if the Army Strategy and Force Employment Concepts take effect then the differentiation between mech and light infantry will likely continue to grow. The FEC already says that neither will be expected to perform the function of the other without additional training. Mech verus Light infantry will become defacto OS versus OSS skill-sets. Not necessarily separate from a corps perspective, but certainly distinct. It won't be something that either side can easily "pick up" given a couple of weeks' training. They will (and are already fast-becoming) very distinctive skill-sets within the overall Infantry Corps.
The days of relatively simple sub-unit-level mech/light cross-pollinization are pretty much over. We lived it at a particular point and place in time, and it worked spectacularly (eg. C Coy 2 VP with 3 VP). But that was because the "Light" Infantry construct was not yet fully defined and implemented. The minute we divorce our light battalions from the inanity of "conventional WW III mech ops" and focus their efforts on typical SOC tasks, the disparity between the "LAV soldier" and the "Light Soldier" will become increasingly pronounced. To the point (I would argue) that we as a common corps may not be able to bridge the gap between the two with a simple OS versus OSS fix. Certainly, we will no longer be able to take a mech pl or coy and "re-role" it as "light". Or, vice-versa. The specialized skill-sets simply will not exist in either direction.
Anyhow, enough thinking for this evening. It is time to imbibe (more).
;D
