Reserves-Short-term Contract Workers?

[bossi]

(sound familiar?  "... . Today's reserve forces, including the Guard, put in 13 million duty days per year, up from 1 million 10 years ago.")


Uncle Sam Wants Recruits
Monday, October 2, 2000      
Uncle Sam still wants them. But increasingly, young people are choosing jobs in the hot economy over military service, leaving the armed forces scrambling for new recruits.

In every branch but the Marines, recruits have been dwindling. The Army fell more than 6,000 new soldiers short of its goal last year, and the Navy and Air Force also faced similar problems.

"We've got to improve the way we're communicating to young people so that more will see the military as an option," said Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera.

Thanks to a new campaign, this year the Army, Navy and Air Force met their recruiting goals for the first time in years. Some of the Gen-Y friendly moves included: a $400 million ad campaign with Navy commercials directed by film-maker Spike Lee, flashy Web sites, and a psychedelic Humvee that's touring the country.

But the problem is far from over. In the join-a-dot-com-get-rich-quick world, it's tough for military service to compete.

It shouldn't be that way, said Army Maj. Gen. William Bond.

"There are a lot more things other than money," he said. "I think this is one of those things that's not only fun, but (you get the) great satisfaction of doing something for this country and helping other people."

Still, it may be the dinero that draws in the troops. New recruits are being offered $50,000 for college with a $20,000 enlistment bonus.
. Today's reserve forces, including the Guard, put in 13 million duty days per year, up from 1 million 10 years ago.

"It may seem like we're desperate," said Sgt. Alonzo Pierce of Army recruitment. "But at the same time, you know this country, the great country that we live in, we do need a military and we need someone to protect the country."

As the military shrinks, there's more pressure on reserves to meet the armed forces' needs. Service in the National Guard has gone from being a "part-time adventure" to a full-time commitment
Pentagon spokesman Charles Cragin said the use of reserves saves taxpayers billions. "Obviously, you had 700,000 men and women who were on active duty that you were paying their personal costs, their health care costs and various benefits," he said.

But some say that's taking advantage of people who volunteered for a much less strenuous commitment.

"Our people are citizen soldiers," said David R. Hudlet, retired brigadier general from the Army Air National Guard in California. "They have jobs downtown and we're asking them to respond more and more."

? Fox News' Trace Gallagher and Juliet Huddy contributed to this report
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[Brad Sallows]

It does resonate, doesn‘t it? I sometimes wonder if the achievements of the last few years have caused some people to forget that our reserves were not originally intended to be a pool of temps (short-term contract workers) to enable us to maintain the fiction that we have 9 active service infantry battalions.

 

[bossi]

Bravo, Brad!!!!!!!!

Personally, I‘m absolutely sick and tired of the mindset that treats reservists like "temp agency/Office Overload" help, and ridicules anybody who attempts to argue for a strong militia (unfortunately, I get so mad I "see red" to the point of incoherency, so I‘m going to bide my tongue in favour of more eloquent, articulate posts ... for now).

Dileas Gu Brath,
M.A. Bossi, Esquire

 

[Michael Dorosh]

That is the way ALL business in Canada is going. It is disgusting - they rely on contract and short term people so as to avoid paying pensions, etc. I worked for a bank and was on contract there for two years, despite occupying positions that were in reality full time permanent spots. When I left my first position after 15 months, the position was downgraded from contract to casual - meaning they had to pay even less benefits to my replacement - who did exactly the same job I did and worked the same hours. Sure, the president of the bank got a 1.1 million dollar Christmas bonus - I didn‘t even qualify for health care coverage to the tune of 34 dollars a month.

Not surprising the Forces would try and get away with the same thing. It is going on all over.

 

[Mud Crawler]

It‘s rare i agree with Micheal, but this time i do.Im also sick of all that bullshit with temporary employees.The result of all this?More single moms going on welfare cuz tehy got fired after 8 months cuz they had no tie to a company.Its fuking sick and job security has become a luxury over the years.Again, Liberals suck and tehy dont understand the need for an army.Guess what! The only elite force in Canada, the JTF2 is going public! By that i mean it,s gonna be disbanded and be thrown into the hands civilian COs.Its gonna become a FBI, loosing the investigating part!Fuck whats wrong with goverment?We all know that public bureaucrats are damn too slow to put up a rescue mission in lets say, i dunno, Philipines i.e. I‘m mad and i think the soldiers who were saved by JTF2 in bosnia, after being taken hostage by bosniacs, are too cuz tehy woulda been dead if it had been in public hands at that time.Aint it suppose to be our safety line?Whos gonna rescue us if we need help?A damn civilian who cant manipulate a damn C7? CONGRATULATION Mr. Eggleton, you fuked shit up!

 

[the patriot]

Hence the term "reserves" gentlemen... Only to be used when needed. As for the temp. placement agency approach to doing business, that‘s all part of that wonderful thing called Free Trade that was signed by a Tory government 12 years ago (if you remember too, in 1989 a whole bunch of bases were shut down by Mulroney; Cornwallis, London, Comox, Royal Rhodes Military College, Chilliwack to name a few). Canadian companies, try to maintain competitive to attract the same contracts they had then by reducing what employees get. Such as job security, pensions, benefits, etc. Unfortunately, you can see this mentality creeping into how the government does business now. On paper, the economy looks like it‘s doing well; what they don‘t tell you is that sixty percent of the workforce is nothing but placements from your local Manpower office. And Michael, what temp. agency did you go through? I know of places that will hire you on as their staff after three months (with benefits). Whoever you went through treated you like complete garbage. Try another placement agency, who knows, they might hire you as one of their recruiters.

-the patriot-

 

[RCA]

The latest thing about the reserves is thst we are now the pool that the regalar force can recruit from. Take our best and leave the rest. If they want you the processinfg time is shoert however if. What we get in return is retired reg f members looking for Class B jobs.
As for term positions I know for a fact that CFB Shilo does it only letting pers on 6 mo contracts