Reserve Forces Foreign Service Arrangements

[Danjanou]

I had an Aussie medic attached/parading with my company back in the 1990's fro a year. Really can't remember the paperwork involved (and probably changed some too) but i is doable. we even managed to get him qualified ont he C7- C9 etc.and Basic Winter Warfare.  Mind as we were a Kilted Regiment he did look abit odd on parade.  8)

 

[macattack]

Thanks lads, good advice.

I am actually a Medic, not MO or RN. When we say soldier in Australia nine times out of ten we mean an OR.

 

[1feral1]

G'Day Cobber!

I am a former ARA turned Choc, based out of a 11 Bde Unit in Enoggera.

Your request to parade in Canada can be done. You'll normally get your ARTDs as you would with your AGR Unit. Pay goes into your Aust bank acct, and accessed thru ATMS in Canada. Best to go thru your ARA Trg WO, with any evidence you can provide to assist you. If he says no, he is being lazy or ignorant. On the other hand he might know more about it himself.

Macca, the provision is there, and I've seen it done. I can give you further info via PM.

The key to everything is time, as it might take up to a year to get it going. Plan now.

Regards,

OWDU

 

[macattack]

I'll ask next Tuesday, thanks bud. Our new TRG WO seems pretty switched so far, the OPSGT is even better.

I will let you all know the results. Thanks.

 

[chrisf]

Memorial University of Newfoundland (St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada) - Excellent Business School, low tuition rates, extremely friendly locals, reserve field ambulance unit in close proximity.

http://www.mun.ca/

 

[Haggis]

macattack:  PM inbound.  Read it and contact me.

Cheers

 

[Haggis]

Australian Reservists can parade with Canadian Reserve units under the Reserve Forces Foreign Service Agreement (RFFSA), signed between Canada and Australia.  In short, the Reservists must be qualified to the operational functional point (OFP) which, in Canada, is DP1.  Requests are usually made to accommodate Reservists who find themselves in the other nation by virtue of school/work or spousal school or work commitments.  Pay, LDA etc are paid by the sending state.  TD and associated training costs (ammo, rations, quarters) are paid by the host nation.

The reverse, a Canadian "going south", is also possible.  To be eligible, the Reservist must apply through their chain of command.  A host unit should be contacted to ensure that the incoming Reservist has a position while in Canada.  If a host unit cannot be located (or the member doesn't know where to start) Director Reserves can help.

RFFSAs also exist between Canada and the United Kingdom and, recently, the United States.

Anyone needing more info is welcome to contact me via PM.

 

[ks1989]

Hi,

I'm an ADF reserve heading to the UK for a year or two with my partner (she's a briton) later this year and I'm just trying to find out as much as I can about the MOUs and RFFSA before presenting to my chain of command about it. But in all honesty I don't even know where to begin. I've been googling and forum searching for a few hours now. I've found 2 potential units in her home district. Should I contact them directly and inform them I'd like to be able to parade with them later this year under a MOU/RFFSA, looking for a heads up on what they think?

Basically any information / help / ways to get the ball rolling would be appreciated.

Thanks in adv for any info or advice.

 

[Haggis]

PM me your e-mail address.  I am the Canadian Forces desk officer for the RFFSA.

 

[ezbeatz]

Hey gents, I saw a year or two ago that an agreement was made between the Canadian Army and the British Army that allowed reservists from each other's armed forces to attach post to (or at least train with) a reserve unit in the other's country. I haven't unfortunately been able to find that again so I was wondering if anyone knows what I'm talking about or has any insight into the matter.

 

[Bzzliteyr]

CANFORGEN 177/12 VCDS 023/12 281909Z SEP 12
RESERVE CLASS A FOREIGN SERVICE AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
UNCLASSIFIED


REFS: A. MOU BETWEEN DND AND THE UK MOD CONCERNING THE RESERVE FORCES FOREIGN SERVICE ARRANGEMENT (RFFSA) DATED 17 MAY 05

B. MOU BETWEEN DND AND THE AUSTRALIAN DOD CONCERNING THE RFFSA DATED 20 JUN 07

C. MOU BETWEEN DND AND THE USA DOD CONCERNING THE RESERVE FOREIGN TRAINING PROGRAM (RFTP) DATED 04 FEB 10



CHIEF RESERVES AND CADETS (C RES AND CDTS) SIGNED THE REF DOCS FOR CANADA ENABLING MEMBERS OF THE PRIMARY RESERVE (P RES) FROM CANADA, UK, USA OR AUSTRALIA TO PARADE IN THOSE COUNTRIES WHILE MAINTAINING THEIR CLASS A PARADING STATUS AT THEIR HOME UNITS. THESE ARRANGEMENTS ENSURE DUTY OF CARE FOR MEMBERS PARADING IN THE RECEIVING STATE, A CONTINUATION OF SVC WITH THE PARENT UNIT WHILE OUT OF THE COUNTRY, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMPARE, AND CONTRAST TRG WITH ALLIED NATIONS


THE AIM OF THIS MSG IS TO PROMULGATE THE PROCESS REQUIRED TO ACCESS THE RFFSA WITH THE UK AND AUSTRALIA AND THE RFTP WITH THE USA TO ENSURE THAT P RES CLASS A MBRS ARE AWARE OF THE OPTION TO PARADE OUTSIDE CANADA WHEN THE NECESSITY ARISES DUE TO CIV CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRING AN INTERNATIONAL RELOCATION, AND WHEN THE RECEIVING STATE IS ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE P RES MEMBER AT A LOCAL UNIT


APPROVAL AND COORD OF THE MOU S IS DONE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL BETWEEN THE SIGNATORY MOD STAFFS. C RES AND CDTS IS THE NATIONAL AUTHORITY FOR CF RESERVISTS AND IS ALSO THE AUTHORITY FOR FOREIGN RESERVISTS WISHING TO BE HOSTED BY A CF P RES UNIT. THE DIRECTOR RESERVES (D RES) IS THE OFFICE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMIN OF THE MOU S ON BEHALF OF C RES AND CDTS


P RES MEMBERS MAY APPLY THROUGH THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND (C OF C) TO D RES FOR PERMISSION TO PARADE OUTSIDE CANADA. D RES WILL MAKE APPLICATION TO INTERNATIONAL STAFFS ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT AND NOTIFY THE C OF C WHEN PERMISSIONS ARE IN PLACE ENABLING FOLLOW ON DIRLN FOR SENDING AND RECEIVING UNITS


P RES MBRS RELOCATING TO COUNTRIES OTHER THAN THE UK, USA OR AUSTRALIA MAY APPLY FOR CONSIDERATION TO PARADE ON A CLASS A BASIS USING ONE OF THE EXISTING MOU S AS A TEMPLATE. D RES WILL THEN DETERMINE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS WHETHER IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PARADING ARRANGEMENT TO BE MADE OR NOT


APPLICANTS AND THE C OF C ARE REMINDED THAT P RES MBRS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO PARADE IN THE RECEIVING STATE UNTIL ALL AUTHORIZATIONS HAVE BEEN GRANTED BY THE CF AND THE RECEIVING STATE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE MOU S PERMIT BUT DO NOT COMPEL SIGNATORY NATIONS TO HOST INDIVIDUAL P RES MEMBERS DURING INTERNATIONAL CIVILIAN RELOCATIONS. LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ARISE WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR A RECEIVING STATE TO GRANT A CF P RES MBR S REQUEST


THE GUIDES TO USING THE EXISTING RFFSA AND RFTP ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE D RES STAFF UPON REQUEST. THE D RES DESK OFFICER IS CWO J DEVINE, D RES 3-2, CSN 995-6581 E-MAIL: JAMES.DEVINE(AT)FORCES.GC.CA


SIGNED BY VADM A.B. DONALDSON, VCDS

 

[Haggis]

CWO Devine is a member and frequent contributor on here.  Feel free to contact me by e-mail or PM.

 

[Snakedoc]

Does anybody know someone who has gone through the process of using the MOU's before?  Was it a fairly lengthy and difficult process or was it pretty straightforward in the end by just going through the CoC etc.?

 

[Haggis]

Does anybody know someone who has gone through the process of using the MOU's before?  Was it a fairly lengthy and difficult process or was it pretty straightforward in the end by just going through the CoC etc.?

I have extensive experience with all three current MOUs.  I'm CWO Devine.  ;D

In short, the length of the process depends a number of factors, such as:

- how expeditiously your chain of command can get the request to us at NDHQ;
- which country you are going to;
- if you have already identified a potential host unit in the receiving state; and
- the completeness of your submission.

The entire process can be done by e-mail.  If your CO provides a signed letter, for example, your unit can send that as a scanned .pdf, rather than by snail mail.

If you have any more general questions, post them here and I'll respond here for everyone's benefit.

 

[Haggis]

If you are a CF Class A Reservist who is living in the United States, United Kingdon or Australia and want to parade/drill with a local Reserve component unit in the country where you are living, please tell your CF parent unit about CANFORGEN 177/12 and have them start the process to legally allow you to perform training.  Not doing so could mean that you (or your dependants) may be denied benefits if you are killed or injured while serving outside of Canada.  Why take the risk?  Let us help you do it right.

If you have general questions about the process or the MOUs, please post them here and I will answer them here.  The MOUs are not presently on the Internet as our website is under review.  When they are reposted I will announce it here.

If you have specific questions about your particular circumstances, or have already initiated the process and need specific information that your chain of command cannot provide, contact me at the e-mail in the CANFORGEN or by PM.  Remember, though, that the approval process MUST follow the chain of command.  I can assist, but will not intervene, in that process.

CWO Jim Devine
Director Reserves 3-2
CF Reserve NCMPD CWO

 

[Snakedoc]

As I am currently looking into this... Just a note for naval reserve members looking to do this in Australia, the Australian naval reserve system is quite different from here in Canada. 

They used to have individual units where reserve members parade at weekly and do training on the weekends like our NRDs but they got rid of those a couple years ago and now RAN reservists just fill part-time and full-time positions at RAN reg force establishments.  This is important to note because some of these big bases can be further outside the major cities making them difficult to get to compared to our traditional in-city reserve units. 

The Australian Army however, still uses the reserve unit model so that will make taking advantage of the MOU a bit easier for Canadian Army reservists.

 

[Skitzo_222]

I'm a Spr in the CF, and I am doing a study abroad year in England next year.  I talked to my Capt while on my last course and he said that i could parade out of a British unit for the year.  Since talking to him I have not found much of anything in regard to this topic.  I have heard that it is possible as long as it is a commonwealth country.  Does anyone else know if this is possible? Has anyone heard of someone parading out of unit in another country?

 

[The Bread Guy]

If you're a reservist, there's a thread on this here:
http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/58217.0.html

 

[DAA]

CANFORGEN 177/12 "Reserve Class A Foreign Service and Training Programs" provides details.  DND has an MOU with the UK MOD, Austrailian DOD and US DOD, so what your asking is very possible.

 

[Haggis]

Skitzo_222:  Check your PMs

DAA, IRT CANFORGEN 177/12, contacting the High Commissions or Embassy will not help.  They will simply refer you to your parent unit.  Go to your parent unit and refer them to CFG 177/12.  The process must be initiated there.  E-mail me on the DWAN if you have any questions.  My e-mail is in CFG 177/12.