- Reaction score
- 6,425
- Points
- 1,260
http://www.cdfai.org/newsreleases/sept282005granatsteinbelzile.htm
September 28, 2005 - Calgary, Alberta - Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI) released a report today, The Special Commission on Restructuring of the Reserves, 1995: Ten Years Later. The original report served as a blueprint for restructuring the Reserves. Two of the original members of the Commission, Lt. General (ret'd) Charles Belzile and Canadian military historian Jack Granatstein, re-visited their original report to evaluate the reforms and the outcomes over the past decade.
The Reserves have a long and relevant history in Canada. Their strength in the spring of 1995 was 18,347 and their units were spread across the country. Most were woefully under strength, with a top-heavy rank structure and suffering high annual turnover rates. And yet, the Regular Army, stretched beyond endurance by overseas commitments, had been forced to rely ever more on reservists to augment its ranks.
Today, while many positive changes have occurred, the Canadian Forces are still underfunded, understrength, and facing equipment shortfalls. "Ultimately, it is the duty of the Canadian government to provide the resources required by the military. It is also the responsibility of the Canadian people to demand that their sons and daughters have everything they need to meet the challenges they must face," says Dr. Granatstein. "Neither government nor people have yet accepted their responsibilities and not even new threats to North America have truly stirred them to action."
This report makes 13 recommendations:
The complete report is available online at www.cdfai.org
This report will serve as the foundation for a major national conference on the Reserves to be held in Calgary in December 2005, sponsored by the CDFAI and the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, and details for this conference can be found at www.stratnet.ucalgary.ca/reserves2005/
September 28, 2005 - Calgary, Alberta - Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute (CDFAI) released a report today, The Special Commission on Restructuring of the Reserves, 1995: Ten Years Later. The original report served as a blueprint for restructuring the Reserves. Two of the original members of the Commission, Lt. General (ret'd) Charles Belzile and Canadian military historian Jack Granatstein, re-visited their original report to evaluate the reforms and the outcomes over the past decade.
The Reserves have a long and relevant history in Canada. Their strength in the spring of 1995 was 18,347 and their units were spread across the country. Most were woefully under strength, with a top-heavy rank structure and suffering high annual turnover rates. And yet, the Regular Army, stretched beyond endurance by overseas commitments, had been forced to rely ever more on reservists to augment its ranks.
Today, while many positive changes have occurred, the Canadian Forces are still underfunded, understrength, and facing equipment shortfalls. "Ultimately, it is the duty of the Canadian government to provide the resources required by the military. It is also the responsibility of the Canadian people to demand that their sons and daughters have everything they need to meet the challenges they must face," says Dr. Granatstein. "Neither government nor people have yet accepted their responsibilities and not even new threats to North America have truly stirred them to action."
This report makes 13 recommendations:
- The Canadian Forces (CF) should develop Stage 4 Mobilization plans, something particularly important for the Army Reserves.
The CF recruiting system is broken and urgently needs to be fixed.
The CF needs to facilitate the process of transferring between Regular and Reserve components.
The Supplementary Reserve urgently needs revivification.
Reserve Entry Training Program graduates from Royal Military College should be obliged to serve five years in the Reserves.
Job Protection legislation should be implemented to ensure sufficient Army Reserve soldiers could be secured for Task Force deployments.
Domestic Operations (homeland security) require the Army, Navy and Air Force Reserves to do joint planning, most particularly to deal with Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Reservists returning from deployment must receive adequate care and follow-up.
The Regular Forces need to reduce their dependence on Class B reservists' service.
Communications and Health Services Reserve units working primarily with Land Forces Reserve brigades should normally be under Army command.
The Army Reserve priorities as enunciated by Minister Eggleton in 2000--mobilization, community footprint and augmentation-need constant reaffirmation.
Army Reserve sub-sub-units, if they are to be effective on deployments, should train on the same equipment as Regular Force soldiers.
Whole fleet Management must not deprive Army Reserve units of major equipment to favour Regular units.
The complete report is available online at www.cdfai.org
This report will serve as the foundation for a major national conference on the Reserves to be held in Calgary in December 2005, sponsored by the CDFAI and the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary, and details for this conference can be found at www.stratnet.ucalgary.ca/reserves2005/
