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This is based on LFWA and WATC with an Artillery flavour, but I'm sure it is the same across the country. I am making points that have been made on other threads, but I would like to tie them together to get the feel of a bigger picture. The Militia is slowing being strangled by policies and decisions made mostly (but not all) by the Reg F. And I'm not even going to talk about equipment.
At one time not that long ago, the Militia ran its own training (ARTS, NRQS) and any soldier that required a summer job, could be guaranteed 6 weeks at a min. If a crse was short candidates, then a call went through the staff and anyone interested (and had the required rank level/prerequisites) was put on the crse to fill up the numbers. I remember being in Firing Troop in Shilo, and asking was anyone interested in taking the FOO Tech, Comms and/or Drivers crse. And off they would go, no Itmis, no CFTPO, no muss, no fuss. As to recruiting, we had guys coming in May, and we were able to enroll them and have on summer crse by Jul. The QL2 and QL3s (or their equivalents) were always full. I don't remember a shortage of Staff. And if we were, we made do, improvising. Courses were very rarely cancelled. If you were full-time, your summer employment was guaranteed. You knew where you were going. We stayed in crappy old barracks, or tent city (and you got FOA for that), and there was no such thing as leave. It was 24/7 if need be, and days off when there was no task.
Then came along the Total Force concept. Recruiting would be centralized, and since Reserve trg wasn't meeting the standard, it would be also be centralized under the Reg F Trg Centres. Now we can't get anyone in, and when we do, we can't get them trg. This year most crses in WATC are being cancelled due to lack of reserve instructors. What the Reg F doesn't understand/realize is that there are none out there because of previous shortsighted policies. During the 90's there were not enough reservists moving along the progression route, and now we are facing critical shortages of Officers and NCOs. One of our biggest draws was summer employment, and now we can't gaurentee that. Thguaranteeme a Reg F in WATC tells me they are not an employment agency, I just may have to punch him out, nothing else seems to work. There are a couple soldiers in my unit who can't and probably won't get tasks this summer. That was unheard 15 years ago. If we don't care for him he won't care for use. Another one lost. Retention my ass.
As well decisions are made in Trg Centres that don't have any reserve input, even though it affects reservists. For instance, last year, the DP2 Det 2ic was cancelled at WATC because of lack of candidates 9 instead of a min of 12), even though a viable solution was put forward. The BC wanted to make a point by cacelling the crse, and cancellinglery lost 9 potential MBdr for another yr. Instructors that could have instructed this yr. As well the MOD 6 for the PLQ was suppose to be 10 days, so a reservists could do it in a two-week block. Lo and behold when it came out it was 26 days long and more potential leader's/instructors lost. Firing Troop in WATC, an ecellent trg ground for yoexcellenters, was total tasked to 1 RCHA and a potencial of appox 50 taskpotential_
I have heard the Reg F complain about Total Force, but I really think we got the short end of the stick. What the Reg F was looking for was a pool to fill out the overseas taskings (Yugo was just starting up about this time). Train them to DLOC, deploy those that they require (cut the others loose), and when those got home, RTU them and forget them until the next deployment. There is a support network for the Reg F, but once a reservist walked out the gate, they were forgotten, and that is still happening.
Bde Op Pans always tell units to concentrate on recruiting and retention. Obviously they are are paying lip service. First, units are hamstrung by CFRC whose focus is else where, and sometimes we fell like an after thought in their game plan. Recruiting my ass. Once we get the individual in, it can take up to two yrs to get him trade qual (and that's in the combat arms, the treatment of the CSS is a disgrace). We can't take them to the field because of the non-trained policy. Bde tells units to do exciting and different trg for retention and then doesn't give enough money for the year do other then mandated trg. Or a unit submits it's Ex Instr for trg well in advance, and Bde staff came back a week before the Ex with a shopping list of requirements that some G3 weenie needs done, and the Ex gets cancelled, Retention, my ass. And the administration that Bde expects a unit to do would boggle your mind. Each G staff has there own agendas, and forgets they are not the only kid on the block when asking for requests, reports and returns. And when a unit requests Cl B money, you would think you were asking for their first-born. Does anyone remember the promise to cut back at HQs ansd send more to the units. Obvioand they weren't thinking about Arae and Bse HQs. One of the threeArea liesBdei, I'm from Bde staff, and I'm here to help you.
Any political party or military staff that says that they are increasing the Army Reserve numbers is either outright lying or doesn't have a clue what they are talking about. Our solution has always been the same. Quantity. The Reg F is on a 3-cycle program â “ Pre-Deployment, Deployment, Reorganization. Where does training the Reserves come in. Until a conscious effort is made, we are on a downhill spiral. If anyone is serious about making us more effective, then a concentrated effort must be made to recruit reserves, and the Reg F helping trg the infux. There are not enough reserve instruinflux out there to make us self-sufficient and there won't be for some time. But as effective recruiting carries forward, the amount of Reg F instructors will ultimately decrease.
Unfortunately after you have been in a number of years, you tend to get bitter and twisted, and to become a little paranoid. I don't think the Reg F is out to get us, but is just woefully ignorant of the different set of problems and circumstances Reservists face.
At one time not that long ago, the Militia ran its own training (ARTS, NRQS) and any soldier that required a summer job, could be guaranteed 6 weeks at a min. If a crse was short candidates, then a call went through the staff and anyone interested (and had the required rank level/prerequisites) was put on the crse to fill up the numbers. I remember being in Firing Troop in Shilo, and asking was anyone interested in taking the FOO Tech, Comms and/or Drivers crse. And off they would go, no Itmis, no CFTPO, no muss, no fuss. As to recruiting, we had guys coming in May, and we were able to enroll them and have on summer crse by Jul. The QL2 and QL3s (or their equivalents) were always full. I don't remember a shortage of Staff. And if we were, we made do, improvising. Courses were very rarely cancelled. If you were full-time, your summer employment was guaranteed. You knew where you were going. We stayed in crappy old barracks, or tent city (and you got FOA for that), and there was no such thing as leave. It was 24/7 if need be, and days off when there was no task.
Then came along the Total Force concept. Recruiting would be centralized, and since Reserve trg wasn't meeting the standard, it would be also be centralized under the Reg F Trg Centres. Now we can't get anyone in, and when we do, we can't get them trg. This year most crses in WATC are being cancelled due to lack of reserve instructors. What the Reg F doesn't understand/realize is that there are none out there because of previous shortsighted policies. During the 90's there were not enough reservists moving along the progression route, and now we are facing critical shortages of Officers and NCOs. One of our biggest draws was summer employment, and now we can't gaurentee that. Thguaranteeme a Reg F in WATC tells me they are not an employment agency, I just may have to punch him out, nothing else seems to work. There are a couple soldiers in my unit who can't and probably won't get tasks this summer. That was unheard 15 years ago. If we don't care for him he won't care for use. Another one lost. Retention my ass.
As well decisions are made in Trg Centres that don't have any reserve input, even though it affects reservists. For instance, last year, the DP2 Det 2ic was cancelled at WATC because of lack of candidates 9 instead of a min of 12), even though a viable solution was put forward. The BC wanted to make a point by cacelling the crse, and cancellinglery lost 9 potential MBdr for another yr. Instructors that could have instructed this yr. As well the MOD 6 for the PLQ was suppose to be 10 days, so a reservists could do it in a two-week block. Lo and behold when it came out it was 26 days long and more potential leader's/instructors lost. Firing Troop in WATC, an ecellent trg ground for yoexcellenters, was total tasked to 1 RCHA and a potencial of appox 50 taskpotential_
I have heard the Reg F complain about Total Force, but I really think we got the short end of the stick. What the Reg F was looking for was a pool to fill out the overseas taskings (Yugo was just starting up about this time). Train them to DLOC, deploy those that they require (cut the others loose), and when those got home, RTU them and forget them until the next deployment. There is a support network for the Reg F, but once a reservist walked out the gate, they were forgotten, and that is still happening.
Bde Op Pans always tell units to concentrate on recruiting and retention. Obviously they are are paying lip service. First, units are hamstrung by CFRC whose focus is else where, and sometimes we fell like an after thought in their game plan. Recruiting my ass. Once we get the individual in, it can take up to two yrs to get him trade qual (and that's in the combat arms, the treatment of the CSS is a disgrace). We can't take them to the field because of the non-trained policy. Bde tells units to do exciting and different trg for retention and then doesn't give enough money for the year do other then mandated trg. Or a unit submits it's Ex Instr for trg well in advance, and Bde staff came back a week before the Ex with a shopping list of requirements that some G3 weenie needs done, and the Ex gets cancelled, Retention, my ass. And the administration that Bde expects a unit to do would boggle your mind. Each G staff has there own agendas, and forgets they are not the only kid on the block when asking for requests, reports and returns. And when a unit requests Cl B money, you would think you were asking for their first-born. Does anyone remember the promise to cut back at HQs ansd send more to the units. Obvioand they weren't thinking about Arae and Bse HQs. One of the threeArea liesBdei, I'm from Bde staff, and I'm here to help you.
Any political party or military staff that says that they are increasing the Army Reserve numbers is either outright lying or doesn't have a clue what they are talking about. Our solution has always been the same. Quantity. The Reg F is on a 3-cycle program â “ Pre-Deployment, Deployment, Reorganization. Where does training the Reserves come in. Until a conscious effort is made, we are on a downhill spiral. If anyone is serious about making us more effective, then a concentrated effort must be made to recruit reserves, and the Reg F helping trg the infux. There are not enough reserve instruinflux out there to make us self-sufficient and there won't be for some time. But as effective recruiting carries forward, the amount of Reg F instructors will ultimately decrease.
Unfortunately after you have been in a number of years, you tend to get bitter and twisted, and to become a little paranoid. I don't think the Reg F is out to get us, but is just woefully ignorant of the different set of problems and circumstances Reservists face.