Canadian Federal Election 44 - Sep 2021

[Halifax Tar]

I thought this already existed; I know of a few people that ended up on a PCAT but stayed in uniform at a terminal rank and finished out their careers.

Needs some common sense to prevent MIR warriors clogging up the system, shifting the burden onto healthy people and burning them out, but for a fully trade qualified, experienced person that doesn't meet UoS as a direct result of injuries sustained in the CAF seems like a no brainer.

Wasn't there a few fairly public PA announcements on this with folks rehabing after IED related injuries continuing to work as instructors? The one that comes to mind was someone that had lost a leg, but don't recall the details.

Are you taking about retention policies ?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Don’t forget, the Liberal Party is renaming the defence policy “Strong, Secure, Engaged, and Inclusive.” (Ref. p.69)

So, does that mean they'll start paying proper attention to the Reserves?

 

[MilEME09]

So, does that mean they'll start paying proper attention to the Reserves?

You must be new here, or hit your head hard

 

[dapaterson]

Or maybe the broken infantry guy who still wants to serve can be remustered to a trade that can still employ him. There is potential. I see your point but I also see how the intent could work.

Already done routinely.

 

[Quirky]

Think about it this way, we have a great many on the CSS side who get out due to UoS or retirement only to be hired as a civilian contractor. Why not just keep them in uniform? Sure Bloggins might not be able to deploy, but maybe he would make a damn good instructor at the vehicle school.

Except you’ll eventually burn out the same people and you’ll run out of undeployable instructor positions. Then you’ll get people pissed off that they are always deploying because Bloggins is taking up the instructor spot. It’s why people release - burn out. I agree we need to amend UofS depending on your job, but there still needs to be a basic soldier and medical standard. We need to look at the pace of operations and why people release, not whittle down requirements to wear the uniform.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Think about it this way, we have a great many on the CSS side who get out due to UoS or retirement only to be hired as a civilian contractor. Why not just keep them in uniform? Sure Bloggins might not be able to deploy, but maybe he would make a damn good instructor at the vehicle school.

I know a few people who would have been great for the CAF if they stayed but got hit with the UOS breech and released.

On the other hand I have zero faith in the gov or CAF to handle something like this well. I would expect to see members filling positions who's MELs include 2x half-days a week; sedimentary duties no lifting more than 5lbs, no stressful environment.

 

[dapaterson]

Think about it this way, we have a great many on the CSS side who get out due to UoS or retirement only to be hired as a civilian contractor. Why not just keep them in uniform? Sure Bloggins might not be able to deploy, but maybe he would make a damn good instructor at the vehicle school.

There's a massive difference between "instruct in controlled environment" and "deployable at a moment's notice anywhere in the world with limited medical support".

We have limits on the number of uniformed personnel, and pay premiums for military personnel. Keeping non-deployable folks in because of the CAF's uncontrollable uniform fetish serves no one.

 

[Quirky]

A good friend of mine, pilot, was released for UoS. He received his medical decision after he landed from a combat mission in Irak…. Talk about a broken system.

Something about that doesn’t make sense. You need to be on a PCAT to be medically released and no way someone on PCAT is getting deployed. How do you even pass an aircrew medical for that matter.

 

[PuckChaser]

So, does that mean they'll start paying proper attention to the Reserves?

Nah, Reservists are only 92.5% of real people.

 

[Good2Golf]

Nah, Reservists are only 92.5% of real people.

Better than 85% they used to be…

 

[MilEME09]

Nah, Reservists are only 92.5% of real people.

We also have commitment issues....

 

[SupersonicMax]

Something about that doesn’t make sense. You need to be on a PCAT to be medically released and no way someone on PCAT is getting deployed. How do you even pass an aircrew medical for that matter.

It depends what the injury is. His didn’t prevent him from being fit to fly and I believe the medical dag may have been waived.

 

[Haggis]

We also have commitment issues....

There are many other websites that address commitment issues. Do we have to do that here?

 

[MJP]

I thought this already existed; I know of a few people that ended up on a PCAT but stayed in uniform at a terminal rank and finished out their careers.

It does but because it is pesky admin many folks do not understand it or how it applies to their people.

I know many know this but to recap, broadly speaking there are trade and U of S medical standards. If someone breaches those standards it is first dealt with within the medical system through TCATs. If it is an ongoing condition that won't be resolved it goes to D Med Pol for their determination. Note there is a bunch of stuff in the middle before it gets there but until it gets there it almost means nothing careerwise.

DMEDPOL will make a determination if the limitations will be permanent and assign MELs. The file then goes to DMCA 3 who will make a determination if the MELs are high or low risk. Both trigger an Administrative Review – Medical Employment Limitations (AR-MEL) with the difference between them is who actually conducts the AR-MEL

High Risk is DMCA 3 and almost always involve breach of UofS. I won’t detail the process but the outcomes can be retained w/o restriction, Compulsory Medical Occupational Transfer or release. With release depending on the severity of the condition and the mbr’s wishes retention up to 3 years is an option. My experience is that many/most DMCA 3 high risk AR-MELs result in release with lots of those mbr’s being retained for 3 years.

Low Risk AR-MELs are usually breach of trade standards and are conducted by a unit with the CO making the determination to either, retain w/o restriction (most common), retain with restriction, CMOT or release. The latter three determinations just escalate the file back to DMCA 3 who will then conduct their own AR-MEL on the file to ensure standardization across the CAF. So in essence the only thing a CO can do is retain w/o restriction. This is where people get confused and often equate it to retention from a high risk and act accordingly. It just means the member carries on with their career essentially and probably the ones with PCATs you saw finish out their careers!

Part of the problem with CO’s AR-MELs is that sometimes things slip through the cracks and people’s MELs are so restrictive they actually can’t operate in that trade. A unit should have probably sent that file back to DMCA 3 for them to run the AR-MEL but didn’t. So, we get folks that sit in spots for years occupying something that might have been a break for someone else. In many cases a unit thinks they have no recourse, but it can be reviewed by DMCA

 

[PuckChaser]

There are many other websites that address commitment issues. Do we have to do that here?

Is reservist.ashleymadison.com taken as a domain name?

 

[AmmoTech90]

In response to Quirky, you can deploy with a PCAT, did it three times. Just need to see the doc before deploying, as everyone has to do (which I pointed out).

 

[The Bread Guy]

More snapshots, these from Nanos here & here

 

[Remius]

Right now the CPC are on a good momentum ride.

 

[PuckChaser]

They just need to run a front-runner campaign by staying on message and make no more huge announcements. The LPC will self-immolate trying to catch up.

 

[Good2Golf]

They just need to run a front-runner campaign by staying on message and make no more huge announcements. The LPC will self-immolate trying to catch up.

…especially as Trudeau’s self-professed incredible COVID plan is taking a turn for