Reservists in AFG

[leroi]

Did anyone read the comments after Ms. B's article?
Interesting.

I tend not to read the comments because I usually find them upsetting: i.e. the stupidity of one person suggesting Canada's "occupation" of Afghanistan.

But yes, because you mentioned it, I went ahead and read them.

I did recognize one alumni from army.ca. 

(It's good to see more expository pieces in the MSM on the CF--whether Reserve or Regular.)

 

[Haggis]

Haggis I really did LOL after that one!! How's the new computer!!

This one's got Windows XP!!  (No friggin' Vista for this kid.)

Some people just don't get it.  My bet is that "JR L from Windsor"has not even never served a day in unform but has never met a CF member face to face.  It irks me that his post compares us in Afghanistan to the Nazis of WW2 in that we are now, in his eyes, engaged in "the same type of Imperial colonialism" as practised by the Nazi's.

Or am I reading that wrong???

 

[OldSolduer]

A few of these people need to take a trip to the Sandbox and get a dose of reality. I beleive in rights to free speech, but to spout off uninformed garbage makes me want to vomit.

 

[CountDC]

The Regular Force did that in the 70's and 80's as well.  Another thing both components had in common (but probably failed to realize it).

Your right for the 80's - the ones I talked to  didn't realize it as they blamed each other for the shortage.  If we didn't give so many to the reserves we would have them, if  the regular force didn't hoard them all we would have enough. Of course there was also the "why are we wasting ammo on training support trades" in both components which is still around today.

 

[Haggis]

Of course there was also the "why are we wasting ammo on training support trades" in both components which is still around today.

Because the Taliban insist on shooting at them!  If we can get them to stop then we wouldn't have a problem.

Frankly, our foes can't tell us apart, so why should we worry about it?  As an old former RSM says "There ain't no capbadge on a helmet!"

 

[Redeye]

The idiocy of those commenting there knows no bounds - on virtually any subject one is bound only to find "discourse" of no substance whatsoever.  I have to force myself not to look at the comments for fear of some of the complete lack of intelligence shown.  When it came to anything to do with the election it reminded me of Mr. Churchill, "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter".  Truly, truly scary stuff.

A few of these people need to take a trip to the Sandbox and get a dose of reality. I beleive in rights to free speech, but to spout off uninformed garbage makes me want to vomit.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Will someone please explain the errors in my thinking to me? Please use real life examples in similar geographical and demographic situations.

OK - I'll bite.  D Day +1 and the SD&G Highrs storm ashore.  Look carefully and you will see a Glens Battalion Hq, a Glens Coy, A Brocks Coy, and a P Dub Coy.  Worked in a war - why not now (ie a war)?

 

[Old Sweat]

I was aware that the Brockville Rifles raised a company to serve in the Glens, or rather that a company was recruited in Leeds and Grenville around a cadre from the Rifles. It also contributed to the Rocky Mountain Rangers. Go figger on that one. So far, so good. However the regiment was later mobilized and served in Canada and Jamaica.

Mind you, the key to making the best use of the reserves is to formulate a plan that is both militarily feasible and politically acceptable to the militia and to its community roots. How do we do that? I have no durn idea.

 

[CountDC]

  As an old former RSM says "There ain't no capbadge on a helmet!"

like that - have to remember it next time I have a "friendly discussion" on the issue.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

This article describes a great success story, namely, the reserves are doing a great job at force generation for Afghanistan and are sharing the load equally with their regular force counterparts. Despite the challenges of the past morale is good, quality is good and improving, and I'm betting you'd be hard pressed to pick out the reservists from any one of the rifle companies in action right now. Hell, we've even got a reservist who has won the MMV in battle recently (Capt Rob Peel).

Why change anything?

I agree that the current situation is likely the best thing that happend to the reserves in a long time, there will be a lot of combat veterns serving in the reserves for many years that will reshape the future, it also shows that the Regular force can not sustain long term operations without the reserve component. the question is how quickly will the lessons be lost when this operation winds down?

 

[pict]

  I think the reserves will always be the red headed step child of the military.  Although, i feel it has changed slightly in the public eye.  For the regs, i don't think it has changed much at all... They're the professionals and the reserves are the Sunday quarterbacks... 

 

[Haggis]

  I think the reserves will always be the red headed step child of the military.  Although, i feel it has changed slightly in the public eye.  For the regs, i don't think it has changed much at all... They're the professionals and the reserves are the Sunday quarterbacks... 

WTF??

Please enlighten me as to how Reservists serving in Afghanistan (the topic of this thread) are "Sunday quarterbacking"?

 

[GDawg]

  I think the reserves will always be the red headed step child of the military.  Although, i feel it has changed slightly in the public eye.  For the regs, i don't think it has changed much at all... They're the professionals and the reserves are the Sunday quarterbacks... 

I reckon the current mission has done a great deal to change impressions. From my experience overseas the military is so undermanned that extra hands are more than welcome and that people are judged by their performance and attitude rather by big "R" or little "r". Not to say that in some units the culture hasn't evolved to reflect reality, but I certainly did not serve in one of those units. I expected there to be a witch hunt for reservists to mock and I didn't find that, except in jest. A few of the guys actually didn't realize I was a reservist until we got to Cyprus, and again, I didn't realize that some of them were also reservists until we were wheels up and Canada bound.

 

[pict]

  I don't believe reservists are Sunday quarterbacks at all... however, there is absolutely most definitely that attitude from my experience... In some instances there is almost a resentment amongst some reg forces...

 

[PuckChaser]

They're the professionals and the reserves are the Sunday quarterbacks... 

I hope you're just trolling and don't honestly believe that. Probably the most ignorant thing I've heard said about reservists who march the same miles, carry the same weight, and drive over the same roads as the Reg F members, and do so with the same professionalism and dedication expected of any Canadian Forces member. I've seen some Big R members who I would never deem professional, as have I seen reservists who should never have passed a CFAT.

 

[pict]

  I don't believe reservists are Sunday quarterbacks at all... however, there is absolutely most definitely that attitude from my experience... In some instances there is almost a resentment amongst some reg forces...

 

[pict]

New here... but please read what I said...

 

[Haggis]

  I don't believe reservists are Sunday quarterbacks at all...

Really??  But earlier, in reply #50, YOU said they were.

Sort yourself out.

 

[pict]

In reply fifty i was referring to the regs attitude... Is it becoming clearer... and to make it crystal clear... I"M A RESERVIST... and to make it even clearer... I was training with the regs and that is the attitude that I saw... particularly with the younger reservists...not so much with me... hopefully that's sorted out now.

 

[PhilB]

buds, I dont know what you are smoking, or who you have worked with but.... I was on 1-06 and then 1-08 I have worked and trained and been augmented with 1, 2, and 3 PPCLI in different respects. I have never seen that attitude, except in jest as previously stated. It has been my experience that 99% of reg force guys will take you at face value and judge you based as an individual i.e. make their decision on you as a troop, as a person, just like a new reg force guy coming into a unit. There is the random case of a guy being an asshole but that was few and far between, and usually sorted out by the other reg force guys I was with, instead of by myself. Obviously this is just my experience but maybe it is you, and not reservists that is in issue.