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

[Old Sweat]

DAP, Do you feel better now?

I'm not sure the situation is fixable, except by working from the grass roots up.

There have been all sorts of solutions proposed over the years for as long back as I can remember. Remember total force and claiming we could mount a combat ready organization in thirty days, despite all sorts of evidence to the contrary. It must have been possible because a senior general decided it was our policy.

At least no one has mentioned vital point protection, at least yet. At one stage a couple of decades ago the army was actually talking about tasking a huge number of militia (30,000 comes to mind, but I ain't sure) for vital point protection units. And this was on top of the war tasks to fill out the division for Europe.

To recall it, is to weep.

 

[WLSC]

In my opinion, a fairly good reserve unit, train for war can do most if not all the task of domestic ops.  A cordon his a cordon.  The idea to train unit with specialist role (NBC and other) his not bad, we would see a move of pers between unit because of the prefence of individuals.  I dont quite see why we should have specialize unit for the arctic, we are a northern country and everyone should be able to do this !!

If they keep combat units, NBC unit etc, it might, might work

 

[dapaterson]

Feel better?  Hmm... not really.  But thanks for asking....

Ultimately, part of it is trying to work a cultural shift from being local militias to being the Army's Reserve (to borrow the terms used by another MGen who I have all the time in the world for).

Perhaps step one is to build an Army or CF identity - then go from there.

 

[WLSC]

DAP, you may be wright !  I like the historic sense of the word ''Militia'' but it kind of put it to a ''bunch of armed guy'' level.  Army reserve realign this a little !

 

[Civvymedic]

There are also many Reservists who have obligations in there Civillian jobs that also may require them to act in a domestic Emergency in there Civillian jobs......I.E. Police,EMS, Hydro workers, the list could be long.

 

[WLSC]

There are also many Reservists who have obligations in there Civillian jobs that also may require them to act in a domestic Emergency in there Civillian jobs......I.E. Police,EMS, Hydro workers, the list could be long.

That's true.  One option his to specialised a entire unit.  If one unit his vital point protection/NBC management unit and you are a EMS, firemen or police, you can choose a unit

 

[George Wallace]

That's true.  One option his to specialised a entire unit.  If one unit his vital point protection/NBC management unit and you are a EMS, firemen or police, you can choose a unit

Some of that was tried in the past, with certain Reserve Units being tasked as D&S for CMBG HQs.  How long did that last?

 

[George Wallace]

Right now the CF as a whole has a more serious problem: the Training System is broken.  Recruiters are doing their job.  Recruiting is meeting its goals.  Unfortunately, the Training System in the whole of the CF is unable to train people in a timely manner.  It is totally unacceptable to have people waiting up to three years, sometimes longer, to become fully trained in their Trade. 

 

[WLSC]

Some of that was tried in the past, with certain Reserve Units being tasked as D&S for CMBG HQs.  How long did that last?

I dont know, I dont remember having see this    What a do remember his what happen when the decision have been made to give the CIMIC and PSYOPS to reservist.  There was 2 option, to put a CIMIC sub-unit inside an existing unit or to create a temporary unit when need it.  What happen, permanent unit have been create with from what I heard, cap badge in the comming.  So more units...

Give a unit a role.  Tell them you are now a Vital point unit.  But it need to come from NDHQ (ORBAT), not from secteur has a wish.

Right now the CF as a whole has a more serious problem: the Training System is broken.  Recruiters are doing their job.  Recruiting is meeting its goals.  Unfortunately, the Training System in the whole of the CF is unable to train people in a timely manner.  It is totally unacceptable to have people waiting up to three years, sometimes longer, to become fully trained in their Trade. 

I dont see why both cant happen in the same time.  Since the reserve his highly employed in the process, a sgt would stay a sgt and still be double tasked.  Even with a new role for ihs home unit.

 

[dapaterson]

One hypothesis tossed around a few years ago was that any domestic response from the ERserves would be by units from outside the local area.  The assumptions were that local units would (1) have members tasked to respond with their civilian jobs and (2) have their pers taking care of themselves and their families.

Of course, being able to move 500 km into another AOR implies a whole other set of potential tasks, and support issues- and the Reserves have traditionally been bad at CSS.


As for the training system: again, we have poor internal comms.  At a recent national meeting of COs, one school announced that they would not be offering a QL3 Franco serial because there was  no demand.  The unit COs from SQFT who stood up and announced their numbers lead to what I'm told is a memorable deer-in-headlights look...

 

[Hotspur]

From the slightly expanded story at National Post.com

http://www.nationalpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=1354437&p=3

NEW RESERVE UNITS

A sweeping plan to remodel the military reserves will create seven new units in four regions across Canada to deal with domestic threats, from terrorists to natural disasters. The change sees part-time, volunteer soldiers training for dark scenarios already envisioned in apocalyptic Hollywood movies:

ATV SQUAD
Estimated size Four squads of 20 vehicles

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL,

RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR DEFENCE

ARCTIC RESPONSE
New unit Arctic Response Company
Estimated size 600 to 800 personnel

PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS
Estimated size Unknown

CIVIL MILITARY CO-OPERATION TEAMS
Estimated size Four teams of two to five
Nightmare scenario Soldiers and civilians need to work closely together to defeat enemy

ENGINEERS TEAM
New unit Engineers Team Estimated size Unknown

POTABLE WATER SUPPLY TEAM
Estimated size
Enough personnel to run 22 clean water machines

 

[McG]

What if every unit were assigned two roles from the national level: one domestic role and one fole for international operations?

Hmm.  I wonder if someone might have been foreshadowing back in December ….

In any case, here is what we get from the deep thinking at the National Post today:

NEW RESERVE UNITS
A sweeping plan to remodel the military reserves will create seven new units in four regions across Canada to deal with domestic threats, from terrorists to natural disasters. The change sees part-time, volunteer soldiers training for dark scenarios already envisioned in apocalyptic Hollywood movies:

ATV SQUAD

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR DEFENCE

ARCTIC RESPONSE

PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS

CIVIL MILITARY CO-OPERATION TEAMS

ENGINEERS TEAM

POTABLE WATER SUPPLY TEAM

Estimated size: Four squads of 20 vehicles Nightmare scenario: Desperately need to get across rubble of destroyed buildings or heavily wooded ravine Movie it suggests: Daylight starring Sylvester Stallone

Estimated size: Unknown Nightmare scenario: Cordon off wide area after calamitous contamination strikes Movie it suggests: Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman

New unit: Arctic Response Company Estimated size: 600 to 800 personnel Nightmare scenario: Airliner crashes in the High Arctic Movie it suggests: Alive starring Ethan Hawke

Estimated size: Unknown Nightmare scenario Why don't these people realize we're here to help?? Movie it suggests Operation Dumbo Drop starring Danny Glover

Estimated size: Four teams of two to five Nightmare scenario: Soldiers and civilians need to work closely together to defeat enemy Movie it suggests: Independence Day starring Will Smith Estimated size Various

New unit: Engineers Team Estimated size: Unknown Nightmare scenario: Must rebuild crucial bridge lickety-split Movie it suggests: Bridge On The River Kwai starring Sir Alec Guinness

Estimated size: Enough personnel to run 22 clean water machines Nightmare scenario: Our water is poison! Movie it suggests: Batman Begins starring Christian Bale

 

[medicineman]

Something tells me that the white powder on this guy's Special K is not sugar...

MM

 

[George Wallace]

ATV SQUAD
Estimated size Four squads of 20 vehicles

Squads?  80 ATVs.  Where?  Range Controls?

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL,

Major centers already have formed their own Chemical/Biological/Nuclear Response Teams.  This is rather redundant, unless they are to augment the CRBN Teams in Trenton as despersal warehouses.

RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR DEFENCE

Part and parcel with the Chemical and Biological answer above.

ARCTIC RESPONSE
New unit Arctic Response Company
Estimated size 600 to 800 personnel

600 to 800 pers from where?  The Coy being formed in Yellowknife would be lucky to get 100.  It has been mandated.  Are seven more Coys to be mandated, in locations such as Goose Bay, Dawson, etc.?  Or does this now count all the Rangers in some creative accounting scheme?

PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS
Estimated size Unknown

Has the mandate been signed off by the Minister and Treasury Board?  Where does the Equipment come from?  Where do the Pers come from?

CIVIL MILITARY CO-OPERATION TEAMS
Estimated size Four teams of two to five
Nightmare scenario Soldiers and civilians need to work closely together to defeat enemy

CIMIC already exists.  Do we now create positions in every major city that has a Bde for a "Liason Team" to be formed?  Is this not another scheme to create top heavy HQs with too many senior officers?

ENGINEERS TEAM
New unit Engineers Team Estimated size Unknown 

Has the Minister and Treasury Board signed off on this and the resulting requirements for specialized Engineer Equip purchases?  What about Training required for these skills?

POTABLE WATER SUPPLY TEAM
Estimated size
Enough personnel to run 22 clean water machines

22 Clean Water Machines.  From where?  Just like the specialize equipment required for CRBN Response Teams, these are specialized pieces of equipment.  Where does the money to purchase the kit and training come from?

Did Treasury Board just give DND the winning numbers for the next fifteen years of LOTO 649?

 

[dapaterson]

Much of the kit exists and will just be moved from gathering dust and rust in Reg F lines to gather dust and rust in Res F lines.

Other items are already in the capital plan, and when delviered will be diercted to the units tasked to operate them.

Remember, however, that a lot can change - and if we end up not deployed en masse anywhere post 2011, expect to see equipment and tasks repatriated to the Reg F to keep them entertained.


And so the circle of life continues...

 

[TimBit]

Has the mandate been signed off by the Minister and Treasury Board?  Where does the Equipment come from?  Where do the Pers come from?

PsyOps already exist, got briefed on them way back in 2003. Link on an exercise:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=4511

I know at least one unit that has this role.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I envision Dom Op unit HQs with skeleton staff based on the few pers that other organizations are forced to let go to this new priority manning task.  Unit line serials will be filled a la 10/90 double-hatting.  Large issues of smoke, mirrors and paper will make the appearance of new units, simulated by lots of message traffic between these new HQs and already busy units which will nod and smile as another local HQ sends them orders, instructions and requirements for their troops to get trained to fill their Dom Ops responsibilities.

So, will "Operates an ATV" now be added to IBTS?

(I also predict this thread will be bookmarked by a number of reporters and news researchers.)

 

[McG]

George,

ROWPU -  The National Post indicates that this capability (including already owned equipment) will be cascaded from the regular force.

CB & RN – These would be CBRN, not two separate capabilities as quoted above.  If we really want to stay ahead of the curve, they should probably be CBRNE (where ‘E’ = explosive).  Just like CJIRU, these would be secondary or tertiary responders in a domestic situation.  For deployed international operations the role could be CBRN Recce & support to mass decontamination.

Engrs – I suspect a regiment for every Bde, and more satellite squadrons for the existing regiments.  While great for domestic stuff, this is also important in meeting of force generation requirements for current international operations.

 

[George Wallace]

So, will "Operates an ATV" now be added to IBTS?

(I also predict this thread will be bookmarked by a number of reporters and news researchers.)

IBTS.  You had to bring up that.  IBTS at the expense of all other training.  ARRRRRRGH!

 

[WLSC]

In SQFT, a group was form that include inteligence, CIMIC and PSYOPS.  We lost member to these units.  So, yep, it's real, not a paper invention...