Divining the right role, capabilities, structure, and Regimental System for Canada's Army Reserves

[OldSolduer]

Well there was also teh statement that some areas cannot promote growth.  Hopefully this means cutting those reserve unit that struggle to recruit and maintain adequate numbers and beef up those that can.

Don't count on that. We have two infantry regiments, an armoured recce regiment, a Service Company, a Med Coy and some MPs in Winnipeg and that is hard to sustain. In a city of around 700,000 we can't fill our establishment.
Having said that, the solution IMO is to put all that clag under comd of one  LCol and be done with it.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Don't count on that. We have two infantry regiments, an armoured recce regiment, a Service Company, a Med Coy and some MPs in Winnipeg and that is hard to sustain. In a city of around 700,000 we can't fill our establishment.

Don't forget 31 Engineer Squadron too....

 

[Brad Sallows]

I'd be curious to know how much of the Res F recruitment/retention problem is due to constant policy shifting.  Do USAR and NG forces have to cope with constantly changing conditions to a comparable degree?

 

[quadrapiper]

Well there was also the statement that some areas cannot promote growth.  Hopefully this means cutting those reserve unit that struggle to recruit and maintain adequate numbers and beef up those that can.

A flexibly structured PRes would include, IMO, the ability to scale units up or down as local demographics wax and wane, even if that means a captain, WO, and RMS MCpl as RHQ. Keeps the CAF in general visible, following the same line of reasoning that saw NRDs established far, far away from salt water.

What's the smallest sustainable unit? A platoon?

 

[Kirkhill]

A flexibly structured PRes would include, IMO, the ability to scale units up or down as local demographics wax and wane, even if that means a captain, WO, and RMS MCpl as RHQ. Keeps the CAF in general visible, following the same line of reasoning that saw NRDs established far, far away from salt water.

What's the smallest sustainable unit? A platoon?

QP:

You just described the basic organizing principle that kept the British Army supplied with troops from Cromwell's day until WW1.  The Company led by a Capt and his Sergeant, with a coy clerk.  The size of the company ranged in size from 40 to 200.  Companies were grouped in regiments for administration then divided into battalions for fighting wars.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

We can't have 2 different rank models, unless you never plan on deploying the Reserves to augment the Regular Force, or even having them work together. We already have enough issues with inflated ranks on deployments to match other countries (Op ATTENTION comes to mind).

Actually the RN did that for years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_Reserve

 

[Kirkhill]

Actually the RN did that for years https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_Reserve

And don't forget the Wavy Navy (the R(C)NVR)

  R(C)N

  R(C)NR

  R(C)NVR

http://www.naval-history.net/WW2aaRN-PayTables00Ranks-Badges.htm

 

[Journeyman]

And don't forget the Wavy Navy (the R(C)NVR)

That would meet the needs of the "let's change badges" crowd.

As for a Company led by a Capt and his Sergeant, with a Coy clerk.... the horror.  All those LCols and Majors-in-waiting simply couldn't go on. 

Sure, there'd likely be some downside too...   

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Interestingly enough, however (and it is seldom mentioned), the ratings, be they Chiefs, Petty Officers, seamen or boys, had no distinction whatever between the "three" navies (Regular, Reserve, Volunteer Reserve), unless you count the seamen cap tallies that would identify their unit as a reserve one while serving there.

 

[Kirkhill]

.....

As for a Company led by a Capt and his Sergeant, with a Coy clerk.... the horror.  All those LCols and Majors-in-waiting simply couldn't go on. 

......

Eggzackly.  The only reason those old Regimental Colonels paid LCols and Majors was to do the actual work that they themselves were unwilling to do.  Thing was - the cost of those LCols and Majors came out of their profits - a major disincentive for hiring them.  Likewise for Captains hiring Lieutenants and taking on Ensigns.

Time to put the commission back into the commission.

 

[Jed]

Eggzackly.  The only reason those old Regimental Colonels paid LCols and Majors was to do the actual work that they themselves were unwilling to do.  Thing was - the cost of those LCols and Majors came out of their profits - a major disincentive for hiring them.  Likewise for Captains hiring Lieutenants and taking on Ensigns.

Time to put the commission back into the commission.

Yep, but who would do the never ending mandated poltically correct nauz?  When Op orders go back to 1 page and harassment briefs are forgone and societal experimentation doesn't rule, we can slim down our ORBAT.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Yep, but who would do the never ending mandated poltically correct nauz?  When Op orders go back to 1 page and harassment briefs are forgone and societal experimentation doesn't rule, we can slim down our ORBAT.

Once upon a time most senior leaders had enough experience and character to filter out the important from the trivial, and spare their troops the latter. This allowed us to get on wit things with far fewer 'PowerPoint builders' than we have now.

In some areas this is still the case, of course, and we should look upon these areas of good practice as examples to follow.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Have all the "Obligatory courses" taught by NDHQ types, except all of them must be taught while in the field, during a live fire ex and in a tactical setting. Having the class dug in while MG's rip overhead should provide entertainment to the troops watching the presenter crap themselves. After all you want them to be able apply these important lessons they are learning while under stress.  8)

 

[a_majoor]

As for a Company led by a Capt and his Sergeant, with a Coy clerk.... the horror.  All those LCols and Majors-in-waiting simply couldn't go on. 

Funny, in Starship Troopers Heinlein felt that was the ideal ORBAT for a company sized unit that carried tactical nucelar weapons and was capable of dropping onto the  target from space. (The clerk jumped in as well....)

I can only imagine what sort of organization would be dreamed up to use these capabilities if they were to become available today (and reading Karl Schroeder's attempts to write military futurology isn't going to help).

 

[a_majoor]

I'm starting to rethink a lot of things here.

Given the ever increasing complexity of the things *we* want to do, we should be considering taking only the high end capabilities into the Regular Forces, including enablers.

For many enablers and even trades, we can augment Regulars with reservists on the UK 77 Brigade model. Imagine the CF cyber capability with half full time Regular personnel, with the other half hired from high end IT positions who can keep the unit updated with current trends, industry training and techniques. Similarly a medical unit might have its reserve half made up of civilian doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical professionals. Service Battalions are also capable of using this model, hiring class A mechanics, and civilians who work in clerical, logistics and other trades as their Reservists.

For the Combat Arms, it is a bit dicier, but lets say each Brigade needs enough Regulars to man an IRU, and the R2HR and HR Brigades get fleshed out with reservists who fill the rifleman, gun number and other slots which require less training and experience. Reservists who are in the R2HR and HR Brigade get trade and career courses (and it is probably a good idea to "overstock" the R2HR Brigade to ensure that you will have enough people aboard when you cycle to HR), which provides a pool of people who go back to their units and provide the training and leadership in the Reserve world.

This should also provide enough actual troops to cary out DOMOPS if required, without the massive games of musical chairs necessary to carry out these tasks or cut and paste battle groups together for deployments. Even with the low number of troops available today (Infanteer's example of his battalion being short almost 100 men is probably not an isolated example), the battalions can concentrate their manpower for the IRU task, and "flesh out" with reservists as they move up the readiness ladder.

This also leads into another hobby horse of mine: equipment.

In order for a system like this to work, Reservists need to be familiar with the equipment they will fall into if/when they marry up with the Regular Force pars of their units/Brigades. Having a few large families of vehicles/equipment in sufficient numbers provides low unit costs for purchase, simplified logistics and seamless transitions between training and deployment. It also provides a much larger pool of equipment to raid when the Regular Force actually needs to cover contingencies, and is less likely to cripple Reserve training when that does have to happen.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I'm starting to rethink a lot of things here.

Given the ever increasing complexity of the things *we* want to do, we should be considering taking only the high end capabilities into the Regular Forces, including enablers.

They couldn't afford us

 

[George Wallace]

They couldn't afford us

LOL!


Then let's make it one and only one CAF; no Regular Force and no Primary Reserve.  Everyone in their Trade does the same courses.

Those who parade once a week and weekends (Part time) get paid Class A.

Those who hold full-time positions, get paid Class B.

Those who deploy overseas get paid Class C. 

Part-timers will be able to hold civilian jobs or go to school (perhaps even get rid of RMC).  If they want full-time employment, they can apply for Class B or Class C.  One Pay System covers them all.  One Training System covers them all.  One Supply System covers them all.  One Pension covers them all.

 

[cavalryman]

LOL!


Then let's make it one and only one CAF; no Regular Force and no Primary Reserve.  Everyone in their Trade does the same courses.

Those who parade once a week and weekends (Part time) get paid Class A.

Those who hold full-time positions, get paid Class B.

Those who deploy overseas get paid Class C. 

Part-timers will be able to hold civilian jobs or go to school (perhaps even get rid of RMC).  If they want full-time employment, they can apply for Class B or Class C.  One Pay System covers them all.  One Training System covers them all.  One Supply System covers them all.  One Pension covers them all.

And one ring to rule them all. 

 

[Nfld Sapper]

LOL!


Then let's make it one and only one CAF; no Regular Force and no Primary Reserve.  Everyone in their Trade does the same courses.

Those who parade once a week and weekends (Part time) get paid Class A.

Those who hold full-time positions, get paid Class B.

Those who deploy overseas get paid Class C. 

Part-timers will be able to hold civilian jobs or go to school (perhaps even get rid of RMC).  If they want full-time employment, they can apply for Class B or Class C.  One Pay System covers them all.  One Training System covers them all.  One Supply System covers them all.  One Pension covers them all.

And cause that makes alot of sense .. it will never catch on..... ;D

 

[runormal]

Are you guys actually being serious :facepalm:?

With regular force basic being 13 weeks alone who the hell is going to take that much time off work for a part time job? Let's not forget SQ plus DP1, Driver Wheel, Dp2, PLQ.

So it would take a reservist at least two if not three summers to be trained to the DP 1.0 level. Before DP 2.0, PLQ and driver wheel.

You can't just simply take off semesters either, this has implications for benefits from your parents, eligibility for scholarships, student employment opportunities (outside of the army),  not every course is offered every semester.

Unless the CF wants to introduce a robust benefits package, a scholarship program and other me steady cls B employment because my course schedule is fucked up, I might as well wait tables...