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

[FJAG]

Good idea in theory but in reality cadets should be separate because they suck up a lot of valuable space in our armouries.

One of the principle values for cadets is as a lead in to joining the reserves and one of the lead ins for the reserves is joining the regular force. Removing cadets from where they have contact with and a visual presence of the reserves is what triggers the transition Remove them from armouries and your already dismal recruiting statistics will drop further.

Most armouries could free up space by consolidating messes or by abandoning heritage buildings unfit for purpose... But it seems sometimes that the Regimental silver is a higher priority...

Agree entirely. There has been a slow move to integrating messes but the share of space is still poor. One needs to remember that these building had their origin in a time when 80% of the training took place on the parade square and a nearby empty lot and the largest piece of equipment might have been a 12 pdr. It's hard to apportion valuable space even if it is not used on a day to day basis but stands empty much of the time.

 

[dapaterson]

Inevitably these discussions turn into arguments about one's bona fides, so I will skip posting my MPRR and merely state that there continue to be units leveraging external influence to protect their facilities at the cost of their capabilities. And "leadership" that lack the ability to inspire lasting, necessary, institutional change.

In a thread on the Res F I won't point out my critiques of the Reg F (well, fine, I chase rabbits on occasion). But having seen the sausage be made, from the armory floor and from the 13th floor, I will note that ignorance of administration and management of the CAF is the usual order of business for both the Reg F and the Res F leadership. And that translates into the inertia we far too often experience.

So we fight to keep unfit for purpose facilities - which means those dollars can't be used to acquire better ones. We stall and spin and let hundreds of millions of dollars go unspent because of a lack of leadership.

The Army needs adult leadership who will commit to and execute a plan that will survive APS and ensure.

 

[quadrapiper]

Separating Cadets and Reservists is generally a very wise thing.
Yes it can be more costly - but, at the end of the day so are alcohol related incidents with minors...
*Yes some reservists are still minors I know.

Keeping the members of each physically separate makes sense. Having, say, Rocky or Vernon sitting vacant (or, equally, some facility only used by reservists) if there's a Reserve use for them at some point in the year doesn't.

 

[KevinB]

Inevitably these discussions turn into arguments about one's bona fides, so I will skip posting my MPRR and merely state that there continue to be units leveraging external influence to protect their facilities at the cost of their capabilities. And "leadership" that lack the ability to inspire lasting, necessary, institutional change.

In a thread on the Res F I won't point out my critiques of the Reg F (well, fine, I chase rabbits on occasion). But having seen the sausage be made, from the armory floor and from the 13th floor, I will note that ignorance of administration and management of the CAF is the usual order of business for both the Reg F and the Res F leadership. And that translates into the inertia we far too often experience.

So we fight to keep unfit for purpose facilities - which means those dollars can't be used to acquire better ones. We stall and spin and let hundreds of millions of dollars go unspent because of a lack of leadership.

The Army needs adult leadership who will commit to and execute a plan that will survive APS and ensure.

A LOT of ARNG Armories are in as dilapidated state as a lot of CA PRes ones. The whole State/Fed funding split can mean drastic differences in Armories and unit make ups.
Generally just an orderly room, some offices, class rooms, weapons vault and parade square. The difference is there isn't a lot that goes on there - as weekend drills, and active time are done at actual bases (other than active guard admin/HQ staff).
One goes to the VFW for a bar, not the Armories.
Virtually none of the Armories hold any significant equipment - all the A Vehicles, Artillery etc are all at either NG Camps or AD bases, where units go to train... Many have some ancient artifact (like a M1 Howitzer, M60 Tank, or M113) is on a cement pad, but that is generally it -- but they do have their Logistics vehicles - and conduct road moves with them, as well as the ability to conduct internal support deployments with those. Many do have significant simulators though - which at least for the AFV's can be networked.

 

[markppcli]

Key word in this case is probably "was".

Your barking up the wrong tree

The glorified social club view of most units have been dead since the buddies of reservists were dying in Afghanistan. Sure elements of it remain but to imply most reservists are more interested in the silver and bars is somewhat disrespectful. We want to do the job but time and time again the military prevents us from doing so in some way, shape or form. Maybe I just have an overly rosy view of my fellow reservists from 3 Div.

I was a reservist from 2004-2010. It was for sure as much a social club when I got back in 2008 as it was when I got in in 2004, and hadn’t changed much in 2010. More to the point the institution and the people are very different things: ie the elements that want to hold onto the mess silver are very rarely the folks doing the work on the armoury floor, but they do tend to be the people attending the various corps conference calls.

I haven't been in an armoury where this was the case in 10 years. Perhaps there are examples still out there where this is the case but most armouries that ratio would be flipped. Two to three rooms dedicated to messes are the usual max in armouries. There's only so much you can do with a room anyways that wasn't designed with modern IT and classrooms in mind. I think back to the "hangar" we had years ago at our armoury, problem was a GWagon couldn't fit in some of the doors, they were too low. What is a reservist supposed to do with that?

Most armouries I’ve been in had a 2:1 mess to class room ratio. Single unit ones tend to have at least two bar rooms and a single class room, multi units ones often have split messes by unit. It’s all very silly and a legacy of the 1910s.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Your barking up the wrong tree



I was a reservist from 2004-2010. It was for sure as much a social club when I got back in 2008 as it was when I got in in 2004, and hadn’t changed much in 2010. More to the point the institution and the people are very different things: ie the elements that want to hold onto the mess silver are very rarely the folks doing the work on the armoury floor, but they do tend to be the people attending the various corps conference calls.



Most armouries I’ve been in had a 2:1 mess to class room ratio. Single unit ones tend to have at least two bar rooms and a single class room, multi units ones often have split messes by unit. It’s all very silly and a legacy of the 1910s.

Well said.

Culture eats strategy for breakfast, and the militia culture is a strong one