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

[markppcli]

Fair enough but in my opinion they aren't overly well informed reform ideas. How do you deal with the lost time from cut training? Reservists aren't coming in every weekend for nine months. I'm all for reform, but it needs to make sense.

Where is this every weekend coming from? Because the other half of the arguments about the reserves are that units are only allocated 34 training days per soldier. It can’t be both.

 

[Rudburg]

Where is this every weekend coming from? Because the other half of the arguments about the reserves are that units are only allocated 34 training days per soldier. It can’t be both.

Most ARes units already run about one training weekend a month covering IBTS, Ceremonial activities or CT. That's about 8 weekends from September to May.

BMQs and many other IT courses (Dvr Whl, Comms, etc) run on weekends through the training year. Typically this is about two weekends a month for the duration of the course (ie 11 weekends for a BMQ, alternating weekends for about six months). These courses draw on the available pool of MCpl-WO pers as instructors, and Pte-Cpl as students. Ideally, you would have a pool of instructors who are not required to participate in other unit training activities, but that is unrealistic as very few ARes units can spare the junior leaders. For the most part, BMQ instructors are also Section Commanders within the unit's normal organization.

Note that IT does not count towards the 30-ish days per year.

Parade nights are inefficient, but the second order effects of changing that system have to be considered. Taking away parade nights in favour of additional training weekends means that most pers will be asked to work at least two weekends per month, and others (generally at the leadership ranks) even more.

 

[PrairieFella]

Most ARes units already run about one training weekend a month covering IBTS, Ceremonial activities or CT. That's about 8 weekends from September to May.

BMQs and many other IT courses (Dvr Whl, Comms, etc) run on weekends through the training year. Typically this is about two weekends a month for the duration of the course (ie 11 weekends for a BMQ, alternating weekends for about six months). These courses draw on the available pool of MCpl-WO pers as instructors, and Pte-Cpl as students. Ideally, you would have a pool of instructors who are not required to participate in other unit training activities, but that is unrealistic as very few ARes units can spare the junior leaders. For the most part, BMQ instructors are also Section Commanders within the unit's normal organization.

Note that IT does not count towards the 30-ish days per year.

Parade nights are inefficient, but the second order effects of changing that system have to be considered. Taking away parade nights in favour of additional training weekends means that most pers will be asked to work at least two weekends per month, and others (generally at the leadership ranks) even more.

Further at my unit we're already at two weekends and up to three rarely.

 

[markppcli]

Most ARes units already run about one training weekend a month covering IBTS, Ceremonial activities or CT. That's about 8 weekends from September to May.

I think we can safely cut about…. All of the ceremonial duties Tbf.

BMQs and many other IT courses (Dvr Whl, Comms, etc) run on weekends through the training year. Typically this is about two weekends a month for the duration of the course (ie 11 weekends for a BMQ, alternating weekends for about six months). These courses draw on the available pool of MCpl-WO pers as instructors, and Pte-Cpl as students. Ideally, you would have a pool of instructors who are not required to participate in other unit training activities, but that is unrealistic as very few ARes units can spare the junior leaders. For the most part, BMQ instructors are also Section Commanders within the unit's normal organization.

Note that IT does not count towards the 30-ish days per year.

Fair point, so the actual reality is a great deal more training than the 34 days allotted.

Parade nights are inefficient, but the second order effects of changing that system have to be considered. Taking away parade nights in favour of additional training weekends means that most pers will be asked to work at least two weekends per month, and others (generally at the leadership ranks) even more.

my biggest reason for being anti parade nights is not just the cost benefits of switching, it’s the ability to adjust the whole structure. We have chunks of the population that can’t realistically drive to a parade night, and we can have longer commutes for full weekends which means we can better mass units.

 

[Rudburg]

I think we can safely cut about…. All of the ceremonial duties Tbf.

I'm sure most soldiers would agree (I certainly do). In most cases there aren't many true ceremonial days in the annual calendar, but it depends on the unit.

my biggest reason for being anti parade nights is not just the cost benefits of switching, it’s the ability to adjust the whole structure. We have chunks of the population that can’t realistically drive to a parade night, and we can have longer commutes for full weekends which means we can better mass units.

That is certainly a potential benefit, particularly for some of the more rural units. I seem to recall that about 15 years ago there were a few units in LFWA that experimented with that approach, and for that reason - they had too many senior leaders who lived far away from the armouries. I'm not sure if they still do.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I think we can safely cut about…. All of the ceremonial duties Tbf.



Fair point, so the actual reality is a great deal more training than the 34 days allotted.



my biggest reason for being anti parade nights is not just the cost benefits of switching, it’s the ability to adjust the whole structure. We have chunks of the population that can’t realistically drive to a parade night, and we can have longer commutes for full weekends which means we can better mass units.

I found that if you had four parade nights, and one weekend ex, per month you were pretty much guaranteed to see every soldier at least once monthly. The risk of missing people was diversified.

When we tried the two weekends a month, and no weeknight parades, it was easy to go weeks without connecting with some troops whose schedules didn't allow them to attend two weekends. Students need to study, families need to do family things, some people have more than one job... etc

 

[Blackadder1916]

The comparison of which model (the US of 1 wkend/mth or the Cdn of one evening a wk plus additional wkends) provides the best value is often made. However, I've yet to see any mention about the different pay protocol between the two. While we are all familiar with the Canadian practice of a half days pay for an evening (less than 6 hrs) and a full days pay for up to 24, the Americans breakdown that two day weekend into four "drill periods". A drill period is defined as a four hour block and each is paid the full day rate; thus the American reservist is paid four days pay for participating in a two day weekend "Battle Assembly" (BA - USA term). BAs are limited to 48 drill periods per year. Pay for most other activities, such as their Annual Training (AT) - the 14 days once a year, is a straight one day's pay for each calendar day.