Unit Leave vs Indiv Leave

[Infanteer]

Yep.   I didn't want to just refer to those on LTA (Leave), although that is certainly a concern in our current climate of six monthitis.   LOB would include

sick
parental leave
career course
leave
etc etc.

With a 12 man section, you could train in the sure knowledge that you would always go out the gate with 8 soldiers that you had trained with.

Yes, another advantage.   With regards to sixmonthitis, I've always supported "unit leave", rotating sub-sub units or even sub-sub-units out for LTA.   We had, at one point, only 10 guys in the platoon on the ground because of the way Leave and R&R worked.  Perhaps 4 coys in a manuever battalion would help to implement this?

 

[PPCLI Guy]

Yes, another advantage.   With regards to sixmonthitis, I've always supported "unit leave", rotating sub-sub units or even sub-sub-units out for LTA.   We had, at one point, only 10 guys in the platoon on the ground because of the way Leave and R&R worked.   Perhaps 4 coys in a manuever battalion would help to implement this?

You know, it never ocurred to me to challenge the concept of individual leave plans..

<Dave smacks forehead, and wanders off mumbling to himself>

 

[Infanteer]

You know, it never ocurred to me to challenge the concept of individual leave plans..

<Dave smacks forehead, and wanders off mumbling to himself>

I got the idea after going on ex with the Brits.  They said that after Jungle Warfare training in Belize, they were let loose on unit leave in Cancun during college springbreak.  I could only imagine a Battalion of Scots let loose on the city with a bunch of 19-year undergrads wandering around.  

 

[enfield]

I could only imagine a Battalion of Scots let loose on the city with a bunch of 19-year undergrads wandering around.  

...probably spent the first week looking for the sheep....  ;D

 

[Danjanou]

I've been in Cancun when a Bn of Brits "fresh" from Belize arrived and "sheep" is an appropriate term for those poor college students when set on by 500+ wolves in DPM. You should also see what they do to Belize City as a warm up.  ;D

 

[mainerjohnthomas]

I've been in Cancun when a Bn of Brits "fresh" from Belize arrived and "sheep" is an appropriate term for those poor college students when set on by 500+ wolves in DPM. You should also see what they do to Belize City as a warm up.   ;D

    The same thing they do to the sheep.  Those baaad baaad men........ Scot, the race that gave us battle dress, in actual dresses, gotta love it.

 

[readyfourzero]

I can't see the attraction personally, When I came out of the jungle in Belize it took me the best part of the week to scrub the dirt out of my skin and get rid of my zits, dirty, filthy place.

So who's been to Rauls then? They would be about the only women that would look at you after a good couple of weeks in the 'J' on hard routine (and we know how young officers like to practice that don't we!). 

I was also lucky enough to go to Australia for 4 months on attachment to 3 RAR and believe me the night we came back to Sydney after 3 weeks at Canungra (close Country Warfare School - Jungle really) there was hell to play with the local 'Sheila' population!

 

[Danjanou]

readyfourzero, is that the dance hall place out on the highway going to the airport and San Ignacio?

I know what you mean I was just backpacking around down there, and my firsts day back in Belize City I literally used up all the hot water (and over an hour) in my B&B getting rid of the mud and crud from Tikal and other parts east. Mind my mistake going there in there in rainy season.

Back to the original idea I can see the merit in it. Logistically it makes sense, although you may want to deply with an extra platoon in the battalion that basically would plug into and replace whatever unit is on leave.

From a morale standpoint I could see a definate advantage. You get to go away with your buddies.  Tearing apart Bangkok or Budapest with your section mates helps develop a certain bonding, "those that play together figt together." While I realise that the married types etc will disappear to see their families, they may share the first/last night with the rest of the platoon.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

We managed our HLTA on a Patrol basis.  One of our Patrols (eight men/2 vehs) would be on leave at a given time.  When it returned the next Patrol would start leaving.  This meant that crews and patrols were not being constantly re-organized.  You will never please everybody all the time, but I think that this method worked well.  An equivalent for other organizations would be to put entire sections or platoons on leave. 

Cheers,

2B

p.s. As an aside I was once on a 24 hr "Liberty" in Reno Nevada with a battalion of US Marines coming off a mountain warfare exercise.  Quite a night.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

We managed our HLTA on a Patrol basis.   One of our Patrols (eight men/2 vehs) would be on leave at a given time.   When it returned the next Patrol would start leaving.   This meant that crews and patrols were not being constantly re-organized.   You will never please everybody all the time, but I think that this method worked well.   An equivalent for other organizations would be to put entire sections or platoons on leave.  

Any problems "selling it" to the troops?

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

I don't recall it coming up as a point of concern but perhaps it was dealt with at the Tp WO/SSM level.  I did deal with many morale issues on behalf of my OC; however, and Patrol HLTA was never one of them.  I think that it simplified the issue, since the decision regarding when an individual was on leave was done "en masse."  We did have some flexibility if the situation warranted it (weddings etc).  Of course that doesn't mean that everyone was happy with their leave block.  Still, I think that most were "on board" for the concept. 

Our Op was primarly a Patrol Commander show, so it was vital to have high Patrol cohesion.  An added benefit was that the Patrol was in the same frame of mind as they prepared to leave and then returned.  I would recommend this method for any organization that relies on small team cohension.  I'd prefer to have one complete team covering a bigger area than two hodge-podge ones covering their standard AOs.

Cheers,

2B