Tours

[brad_dennis]

I‘m curious about going on Peacekeeping tours (I believe called roto‘s) here are some questions.
1) On average as a reg F INF. officer, how many tours can one expect, or is it hit and miss?
2) What is the length of a tour?
3) Are CF members on tours given any pay perks?
4) What are the pros of such tours and as such what are the cons
5) Is it hard to become a UN LO?
6) Is a a UN LO attached to a Cdn headquarters?

Please forgive the lack of technical semantics

 

[MP 811]

Hope I answer most of your questions here. Reg Force officers can expect to see as many tours as the troops, although they do go on supervisory missions as well. Pay......well, you do get extra, but it depends on the mission. If it‘s dangerous, you‘ll get more. For instance, If you went to Ehtiopia, you would have recieved more than a tour in Bosnia. Bosnia‘s more established and less dangerous.........

 

[MP 811]

oh yeah.......the average tour is 6 months long. But you‘ve got work ups as well.

 

[FredDaHead]

And how many tours do the regular troops see? ..And what are those "supervisory" missions?

 

[MP 811]

normally after a tour, the troops should get a minimum year between tours. This doesn‘t always happen however. There have been instances where a second tour has occurred before the year is up. And as for supervisory tours for officers, they get to act as observers in areas such as Cambodia, and what not

 

[Spr Earl]

From the Engineer side work up start‘s 3 to 4 month‘s before the tour ,were we go through all of task‘s as Engineer‘s i.e.recovery from a mine field‘s wheather it be pers. or a vehicle‘s and all our drill‘s in aiding the Battle Group to Operate and at the same time we get refresher‘s on our own task‘s we have to do with in our own Familiy
to make sure we have our fece‘s cohesive

As for the extra‘s when I was in Bosnia (married) I got the usual over sea‘s allowance and danger money etc. all came to about $1,400 buckshee
I hear now only the engineer‘s are getting danger money now ( Editor correct me if I‘m wrong ) due to the fact U.X.O.‘s and mine field‘s and the over all job of the Sapper .

 

[enfield]

DND tries to give a year between tours overseas, more if possible. There‘s a rotation schedule that it‘s place, and Army policy is to give each unit a recovery period after each tour, a period of training (QL4‘s, leadership, etc.), and then a period of work up for the next tour. Each period is, I believe, supposed to 6 months. (someone correct me if I‘m wrong)

However, the one-time missions (ie, those beyond the major commitment to Bosnia) keep popping up. Kosvo, East Timor, Haiti, Afghanistan, all throw wrench into the grand scheme. It owuld be very surrising if a soldier finished a 3 year term in the Inf battalions without a tour.

Officers, Res and Reg, have the oppurtunity to go on a variety of officer-only tours. These include UN unarmed observers (SNCO‘s may also be eligible for some of these), Liason Officers, Supervisory Officers, plus exchanges with foreign armies. For example, there‘s a half dozen SNCO‘s and officers training the Sierra Leonean Army right now under the British Int‘l Military Assistance Training Team.

Now, if you REALLY want to spend a lot of time overseas, go Sigs. Those guys spend more time on tours than anyone else. After them would probably Engineers, and other important but specialized support trades.

 

[Soldier of Fortune]

What do NCM‘s do inbetween Tours? Do they do QL courses?

Also, how many QL courses do you need to have to be elegible for a tour? Do you only need basic?

 

[portcullisguy]

From what I‘ve been told, you need basic, your basic military occupation, and your trade... which I think puts it up to QL-4.

For infantry, this would be basic training, plus basic infantry, plus an advanced course such as machine-gunner, driver, recce, etc.

Of course, someone will no doubt correct me if I am wrong...

 

[enfield]

Between tours soldiers to their job: They Prepare for War.
Peacekeeping, not yet anyways, is not the primnary function or purpose of the Army. The primary function of the Army is to fight and win wars, and as such, soldiers spend their time training to fight and win - or perhaps training for operations other than war on occasion.

This amounts to various training courses in weapons, leadership, skills, and trades, to exercises and practicing, to lots of maintenance on kit and vehicles, to preparing for various events - like Rememberance Day, to perhaps teaching on some courses, and certainly lots of PT. There is also employment as support staff on training courses/activities - drivers, enemy force, stores, whatever.

I don‘t believ ethere are any requirements for a Reg F soldier to go on tour beyond being a trained soldier. You go when your unit goes.

 

[Cbt Engr]

Being QL3 is enough. We sent a fair number of FNG sappers to Ehtiopia last year.

As for hazard pay, usually everyone gets it. Engrs only get EOD pay when posted to an EOD unit. UXOs/mines are part of the job.

Now if you were a rad tech (now LCIS), you could sit in an a/c office in summer, a heated one in winter and get spec pay. But that‘s an off-topic rant

 

[Soldier of Fortune]

Yes the rad techs, REMF (Rear Echelon Mother F*ckers) aren‘t they?

 

[korgano]

I hav4e another question relating to this, are tours mandatory? I am a reservist, so we have to volunteer and even beg to get on tours, and I‘ve heard a rumour lately that regs can turn down tours if they dont want to go. Is this true? Or do you have to go on tours no matter what?

 

[Spr Earl]

Originally posted by Cbt Engr:
[qb]Being QL3 is enough. We sent a fair number of FNG sappers to Ehtiopia last year.

As for hazard pay, usually everyone gets it. Engrs only get EOD pay when posted to an EOD unit. UXOs/mines are part of the job.

Now if you were a rad tech (now LCIS), you could sit in an a/c office in summer, a heated one in winter and get spec pay. But that‘s an off-topic rant [/qb]

1 C.E.R. like the Reservist have at least their QL.5 and if they don‘t they will take a long hard look at the member and it‘s a nay or yay situation.

In regard‘s to E.O.D.the only time they get the extra‘s is when they actualy go out and deal with a U.X.O. or I.E.D. and this is the only time E.O.D. get extra pay , and this is a sore point right now within the E.O.D. world ,no spec. pay !

 

[Soldier of Fortune]

Does anybody know how often units would go on tours? I know somebody said that each soldier goes about everyear so does that mean that if enlisted then you would be gone on a tour in at least a year of completing your basic?

 

[Sharpey]

I have a question about job security. I understand that in Oct. 2003 a Reserve tour will be initiated, first in history. I am seriously considering this, despite the fact I have a great job in Civi land and a Daughter! It will be tough leaving my Daughter, the job, ahh, I need a break. But, what will the Government do to protect my job until I get back?
And while on the topic of this particular tour, does anyone have anymore details?

 

[John Nayduk]

Bill C-42 changes the NDA to provide job protection. Here’s the link.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/37/1/parlbus/chambus/house/bills/government/C-42/C-42_1/90173b-7E.html#34
IF the government doesn’t back peddle on this it could be in place by the end of March.

 

[Sharpey]

Just found out through a responce to my post on DNet that being "called out on service in respect of an emergency" does not apply to a Reservist volunteering for a Peacekeeping mission. That makes if more difficult I think for Reservists to experience a tour. I think I will research this more with the CFLC.

 

[RCA]

From those of us that know, Ontario is not the centre of the Universe.

The Composite Reserve Infantry Company is going on ROTO 11 and is coming from the Army of the West. It is 100% reserve. It stands up May 02 for deployment on Sept 02

And someone correct me if I‘m wrong, but 3 RCHA took over and almost complete reserve battery to Cyprus in 92.

However ther will be plenty of opputunities down the road, with 2 PPLCI potentialy being 2 comapnies short for ROTO 12 and rumours of a CRAB (Composite Reserve Artillery Battery) for ROTO 12 or 13 also from the West.

 

[Gunner]

RCA, I‘ve heard of the CRAB idea but it has not been seriously discussed by anyone within the west outside of the reserve arty units. It‘s probably too late to start as the majority of the individual training has to be conducted the summer prior to deployment. There will be large amounts of augmentation to the arty battery.

The idea of a reserve battalion going overseas is still in the idea stage...don‘t everyone get their hops up as I think the Bosnia mission is going to change very soon as it is not supportable in its current form.