09/10 Budget Impact on PRes - Unit stand-downs, Class B Freeze, and so on!

[brihard]

Many young soldiers depend on the few hundred dollars a month they get from the reserves. I really hope they rescind this decision in January.

I wonder if the reserves will bounce back after the loss of faith all this stuff will accomplish.

Anything will bounce if dropped from high enough.  >

But yeah, our typical 'word of mouth' recruiting will probably be fairly significantly affected by this, and we certainly didn't need any *more* problems with retention.

 

[rormson]

That's what I was talking about! Instead of whining and bitching, put that energy into something constructive. Hell, you don't even need the CoCs permission for most of this stuff, if you conduct it as civies. Heck, winter indoc is just a weekend camping trip with the guys at the nearest campground! Go have some fun and maintain your skills and teach it to the newbies.

With all respect, I don't think anyone is whining. When your terms of employment are changed without notice it's a fair concern. When your lifestyle, family planning, and civ work commitments have been adjusted to make time for the army these types of decisions have a major impact. Civ outings are not equal to army training and winter camping is NOT a substitute for formal winter indoc. You can't get/use issue items without CofC permission and the reality is we need to use issued kit, comms, wpns, tpt to be proficient as a "force". 

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Thanks for proving my point. While others are trying to be proactive and brainstorm solutions, others just want to pout, and naysay. They might as well curl up and crawl under a rock. If you've nothing constructive to add..........

 

[George Wallace]

I'm on the weekend BMQ course ..........

A weekend BMQ in Toronto? 

Interesting.  We had a Trades Course with one day left terminated,  a PLQ Crse with three weekends left terminated.  Yes.  Interesting.

 

[Flap Jack]

With all respect, I don't think anyone is whining. When your terms of employment are changed without notice it's a fair concern. When your lifestyle, family planning, and civ work commitments have been adjusted to make time for the army these types of decisions have a major impact. Civ outings are not equal to army training and winter camping is NOT a substitute for formal winter indoc. You can't get/use issue items without CofC permission and the reality is we need to use issued kit, comms, wpns, tpt to be proficient as a "force".

But the whole point is trying to maintain unit cohesion. Although winter camping might not be a substitute for real training, at least it can give you a little taste of what would actually happen, just without as much equipment. And hey, its better than nothing! Just my  :2c:

 

[George Wallace]

Not picking sides here, but one has to remember that there are "Legalities" involved here.  What liability is being placed on the CF or DND when members partake in outside activities other than those authorized on their CF Expres or BFT forms?  What legal liability does DND or the CF have if any of these functions take place on DND property?  I have found in the past that the JAG is often the naysayer who shuts down many events.

 

[kratz]

If, something should go sour fast, there are also pensionable and medical release issues that need to be considered. The safest, friendliest "camping trip" could turn to disaster if a participant chooses to submit a CF98 for that unseen piece of black ice.

 

[jak3_dude]

That died when the Comm Res joined the Army, I doubt its coming back. Long Live the Comm Res Battle School in Shilo!

I can hope, so long as I don't hold my breath. 

I like the weekend courses and all, but seriously during exam period it IS tight. But like I said, these are extreme circumstances, they just may have to or else we could be looking to close to, if not more than, 60 PATs come October if our incoming numbers stay consistent. 

 

[brihard]

A weekend BMQ in Toronto? 

Interesting.  We had a Trades Course with one day left terminated,  a PLQ Crse with three weekends left terminated.  Yes.  Interesting.

Which trade course got canned? I know a bunch of dudes who got hit by the PLQ...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

If, something should go sour fast, there are also pensionable and medical release issues that need to be considered. The safest, friendliest "camping trip" could turn to disaster if a participant chooses to submit a CF98 for that unseen piece of black ice.

Which is why you just do it as a bunch of guys (girls) with the same interest. Not military, just going out on the weekend having fun. You just choose to do things like the military when you're out is all. It's all on your dime and your time. Leave the army out of it.

 

[Flap Jack]

Which is why you just do it as a bunch of guys (girls) with the same interest. Not military, just going out on the weekend having fun. You just choose to do things like the military when you're out is all. It's all on your dime and your time. Leave the army out of it.

I agree. I would definitely use sports as a good team building activity. And its fun! Who can say no to a good game of basketball/hockey/whatever?

 

[Dissident]

Naysayers can go pound sand.

Part of a leaders job is to remove obstacles to allow his subordinates to accomplish the mission easier. I despise the risk averse, career oriented leaders who seem to say "no" just to cover their arse.

Often that mentality permeates through the ranks and a lot of people get confined by the box which tend to lead to a stifling of creativity. 

 

[George Wallace]

Which trade course got canned? I know a bunch of dudes who got hit by the PLQ...

There are QL5A crses being terminated.  That is what happened to us.  There are a whole list of Dvr Wheel Crses being terminated, which for most Trades are a bonus, but for Svc Bns it is a Trade.  Drivers are required to move Troops and Equipment.

As far as I know IBTS is still on.  Everyone does IBTS when joining a BG to deploy, sometimes several times.  If we don't do IBTS, we will when we join a BG.  If we don't do Trades trg, we have no one qualified to go to a BG, so their doing IBTS is a complete waste of resources.

 

[Larkvall]

A weekend BMQ in Toronto? 

Interesting.  We had a Trades Course with one day left terminated,  a PLQ Crse with three weekends left terminated.  Yes.  Interesting.

Yes there are still 3 BMQ courses running in the Toronto area along with a SQ and Comms course. All the courses that had not started were cancelled though.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Yes there are still 3 BMQ courses running in the Toronto area along with a SQ and Comms course. All the courses that had not started were cancelled though.

Ahhhh. The good old Centre of the Universe. Do as I say, not as I do. The Toronto mafia strikes again :

 

[Larkvall]

Ahhhh. The good old Centre of the Universe. Do as I say, not as I do. The Toronto mafia strikes again :

Huh? What do you mean by that? Who in Toronto told you to do anything?

 

[dregeneau]

There seems to be a lot of discussion about this topic on this forum, as well among the ranks from what I have seen. I was curious this morning listening to the news, whether this issue has, or will be published in the news media in the form of a press release by Army, LFCA, or whatever group before it comes to the attention journalists from other sources. So without having researched it myself, I did a quick 'google' search for news articles and I found these:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/11/25/11932166.html

Amid the Afghanistan war, and planning for the Vancouver Olympics and two international economic summits, the Canadian army is quietly cutting staff, training and recruitment in reserve units across the country.

Over the past few months, Southwestern Ontario’s 31 Canadian Brigade Group has cut its budget by about 16%, or $2.5 million on its $18.2-million budget.

Group-training exercises, exchanges with overseas units, and travel budgets have been cut and the brigade has dropped recruitment levels to about 260 from a high several years ago of 400, said Col. John Celestino, brigade commander.

The brigade has had to cut 25 full-time jobs, ranging from a lieutenant colonel to corporals.

“It hurts. There’s no doubt about it,” Celestino said. “This is nationwide . . . and the cuts are substantial.”

Nationally, the army is cutting 300 full-time reserve jobs from the force’s 4,750, moving about $15 million a year from personnel to other areas, Canadian Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Jay Janzen said in a telephone interview from Ottawa.

I personally don't know what to think about the spin the writer of this article was trying to put on by saying "moving about $15 million a year from personnel to other areas."

http://www.lotwenterprise.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2207147

Recruitment, jobs and training at Kenora's 116th Independent Field Battery continues despite a 10 per cent budget cut to 38 Brigade Group, the Winnipeg-based administrative headquarters for the local artillery and other army reserve units.

Colonel Robert Poirier, commanding officer of 38 Brigade Group, said the reallocation of approximately $1.4 million from the brigade's $14 million annual operating budget is being addressed through reductions in training, travel and administrative costs at the unit and headquarters level.

"It's being dealt with by taking from the units a bit of training and administration," he said. "It's controllable. I don't believe anybody's suffering. No 'pink slips' have been issued to full time people and major exercises are untouched."

Myself, I can state that I will be suffering, as I rely on this job as a main source of income to support my university studies. With the offer of a course being taken away, that is a significant loss of income which I came to rely on last year. If I end up having to resort to finding a secondary employment it could be a strain on myself as well. I don't doubt my capabilities of finding work, more of a case that I found something I like and I don't want to stress myself out with work I do not care for.

I agree with the ideas that we can maintain and grow our knowledge through extra-curricular activities. However, that doesn't solve the issue of loss of employment for students like myself.

 

[blacktriangle]

Can reservists like dredre qualify for a short period of EI?

Anyone?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Can reservists like dredre qualify for a short period of EI?

Anyone?

Depends if he/she has the required hours to claim EI.

 

[VIChris]

Can reservists like dredre qualify for a short period of EI?

Anyone?

I looked into EI a week or so back after the temporary loss of my main job, and was told there is at least a 6 week wait right now, and it's all for a payment of only 55% of what I was making before. For many people, EI isn't a viable short term option.