Neill McKay said:
If another reason is necessary, it's that the old pattern combats are no longer being produced and you can only go on issuing used uniforms from existing stock for so long before running into problems with sizing and such. There are something close to 7000 CIC officers in the Canadian Forces spread out over the country. It would be a serious logistical challenge to maintain enough various sizes of a uniform that is no longer being produced in each location necessary to provide for issues and exchanges.
Neill,
I know we've been through this before. I will assure you once again that there are thousands of sets of OG107 combats STILL in the system, being held on charge by CSTCs ... and a great many of those sets are in mint, manufacturer sealed boxes. Thousands.
7000 CIC officers is diddly squat. Clothing Stores here is a pretty small building ... and we held OG107 combats, AF CEMS cadpat, CTS cadpat TW, 3 enviornmental DEUs, Cash sales, and shitloads of operational Army kit ... for the 8500 personnel we support just out of this building in all the size ranges!! There's methods to figuring out how many of each size you should hold .. "usage rates." That's what clothing stores does. It always has. Including the one supporting those CIC officers accross the country.
It doesn't suddenly become a logistical nightmare to hold uniforms in various sizes just because it may be Olive drab in colour vice cadpat, we've always held many types of uniforms in all the size ranges. But heck, now that the DEU is gone ... the supporting clothing stores near you has lots of room for some OG on the shelf if 1 CAD has indeed killed the Air CIC entitlement to cadpat.
It'll just get recalled from CSTCs to issue to the CICs. I'll check the scales in the morning.
Edited to address this:
The issue of operational vs. non-operational is irrelevant: combats are now worn as daily garrison dress by CF members of all stripes in offices, classrooms, and everywhere else.
Operational/non-operational certainly IS relevant. And, NDHQ has deemed it such -- they have deemed that the CIC are part of the Reserve Force, but NOT part of the PRIMARY ResF. The Primary ResF is an operational Force, and you are not. That is a fact, and that is why your entitlements are different and why you have your own scale of entitlement quite seperate from the RegF and the Primary ResF. That's why you are only entitled to 2 sets ... and NO gortex. They are not the same thing ... at all ... and it is relevant.
RegF members and PRes working with cadpat as their DoD in classrooms, garrison, and everywhere else are doing such in performance of their daily duties. Since when is wearing a uniform a daily duty required by a CIC officer?? Yes, there are cases where some CIC officers ARE wearing a uniform daily (a very very select few of them) when on long-term FULL-time employment supporting the CCM -- in those cases (see my response to AirMich) they then fall under another scale of entitlement, NOT the CIC scale. Yes indeed, there is a BIG difference.