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

[tango22a]

MCG:

The regiments may be in the structure... Just as long as BSqdn 31st Recce Regiment retains its cap badge.

Babbling away,

tango22a

 

[tango22a]

Michael:

Sure did , Was on course with many of them. They always  called themselves 3RCR or 4RCR with London and Oxford Fusiliers in brackets after either 3RCR or 4RCR.

The Babbler,

tango22a

 

[Michael OLeary]

Michael:

Sure did , Was on course with many of them. They always  called themselves 3RCR or 4RCR with London and Oxford Fusiliers in brackets after either 3RCR or 4RCR.

The Babbler,

tango22a

Yup, and they survived changes of name and cap badges and soldiered on proudly.  Just like the soldiers in your "old" regiment will if it happens to them. 

The point is, we're not just talking about "your" regiment, amalgamations and changes have happened to others and it hasn't killed their history or their pride.

 

[Command-Sense-Act 105]

X

 

[tango22a]

dapaterson:

Agreed as long as cap badges are retained and The Windsor Regiment (RCAC) does NOT become B (Windsor) Sqdn 1H

Really, really babbling,

tango22a

 

[Michael OLeary]

Agreed as long as cap badges are retained and The Windsor Regiment (RCAC) does NOT become B (Windsor) Sqdn 1H

And, what if it does?

 

[McG]

What is this "PRes buy-in"?

Where are we - a marketing seminar trying to convince Generation Y to buy new iPods or switch brands of toliet paper?

I was always under the impression that PRes personnel are all soldiers, therefore subject to the Code of Service Discipline and all Res units subject to following orders and direction from their requisite formation and higher commanders.  Whatever happened to orders being issued, then followed, even if it means hanging up the colours/standard/guidon?

To be fair, I’ve seen more than a few plans/initiatives fail in the regular force because those who were supposed to implement (leaders including senior leaders) did not accept the direction, dragged heels, avoided the issue, became passive-aggressive, and generally displayed insubordination related to the contested topic.

 

[geo]

To be fair, I’ve seen more than a few plans/initiatives fail in the regular force because those who were supposed to implement (leaders including senior leaders) did not accept the direction, dragged heels, avoided the issue, became passive-aggressive, and generally displayed insubordination related to the contested topic.

Been to any aromured corp meetings ?

have a couple of friends who have attended those over the years - much ado about nothing.

 

[dapaterson]

To be fair, I’ve seen more than a few plans/initiatives fail in the regular force because those who were supposed to implement (leaders including senior leaders) did not accept the direction, dragged heels, avoided the issue, became passive-aggressive, and generally displayed insubordination related to the contested topic.

I'll second that.  There have been direct orders ignored due to a claimed lack of resources, while other iniitatives not directed were pursued instead.  Or branches doing their own thing, confusing technical advice with command authority.

The Reg F posting cycle of 2 or at most 3 years in a job exacerbates problems, as few people are around long enough to be held accountable for their actions - by the time impacts are felt or noted, "Well, it was the last guy - I'm just making the best of a bad situation."

Add to that the PowerPoint briefing, which shows everything in ADD-friendly chunks but provides no holistic understanding and you've got the current issues.

 

[Old Sweat]

Gang,

It probably will come as no surprise, but this sort of stuff went on before power point was a gleam in somebody's eye. Heck, it went on before the inventor of power point was a gleam in somebody's eye.

The whole dang thing was and is exacerbated by the ability of the system to outlast ideas, good and bad, that do not have wide spread acceptance. The only exception is when the person reforming inspite of corporate (k)oncerns (pr.ck) is of sufficient rank and energy to ramrod the project through the system. In fact even one detractor can derail a project by application of dynamic inertia. Given the tendency of people to come up with flashy, apparently brilliant concepts out of thin air that can not withstand sober second (or perhaps first) thought this is not always a bad thing.

In this case, however, it seems that the proposal has been studied to a death of feline proportions.

 

[McG]

The way to protect against this sort of subversion of orders, at least outside of operational environments, is for commanders to include the commanders 1-2 levels down in the development of institutional strategy ... coincidentally, this practice would also protect the CF from 'good idea fairies' imposing bad/inappropriate practices while in search of that leading change point on the PER.

 

[tango22a]

Michael:

Sometimes I can be led to think:  " why bother with him"  but then I remember an old saying: "never RPT never get in a pi$$ ing contest with a skunk"  And as I (SUPERSKUNK) will again tell you that If this idea of rebadging ( which you seem to support) carries on that I would counsel you (and various others) not be in the back-blast area when this whole gigantic can of worms explodes.

Cheers.

tango22a (SUPERSKUNK)

 

[Michael OLeary]

Michael:

Sometimes I can be led to think:  " why bother with him" but then I remember an old saying: "never RPT NEVER get in a pi$$ ing contest with a skunk"  And as I (SUPERSKUNK) will again tell you that If this idea of rebadging ( which you seem to support) carries on that I would counsel you (and various others) not be in the back-blast area when this whole gigantic can of worms explodes.

Cheers.

tango22a (SUPERSKUNK)

I notice you like to hint at significant reactions when your readiness to participate in logical debate fails.  What are you suggesting? A military coup because someone decides to rebadge your regiment?

Yeah, silly suggestion, isn't it?

I guess as a retired member you really have two main choices when your "old" regiment is amalgamated

Option 1 - You can be an aggressive element in a new combined regimental association to ensure that all existing and new soldiers learn to honour the important aspects of your shared past histories.

Option 2 - You can sulk in a corner with a dying "old regiment" association group, refusing to acknowledge anything after the date of amalgamation until, eventually, the last man dies and you are forgotten.

It's a simple choice, and neither of them include getting in the way of the Army's process to be more efficient at what it does, i.e., training soldiers.

 

[tango22a]

Michael:

" It ain't over until the fat lady sings"  and I will not sit  solemnly in a corner crying in my beer or other sort of beverage. Admittedly I lack the experience of RegF insight, but I can recognize when a bum deal is presented to me. I am positive that more than a few others feel the same way I do.Mindless attention to orders is not one of my bad points.

Superskunking to my best ability,

tango22a

 

[Michael OLeary]

" It ain't over until the fat lady sings"  and I will not sit  solemnly in a corner crying in my beer or other sort of beverage. Admittedly I lack the experience of RegF insight, but I can recognize when a bum deal is presented to me. I am positive that more than a few others feel the same way I do.Mindless attention to orders is not one of my bad points.

What does that even mean?  What are your realistic courses of action, since you seem to believe you have some?

 

[tango22a]

Michael:

If you think that I am rock-headed, wait until they try to re-badge The Essex & Kent Scottish as 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment!

Cheers,

tango22a

 

[Michael OLeary]

Michael:

If you think that I am rock-headed, wait until they try to re-badge The Essex & Kent Scottish as 4th Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment!

Cheers,

tango22a

Uh, we've already got a 4th Battalion.  And changing the subject doesn't make the unanswered questions go away.

 

[tango22a]

Michael:

There's not really much this battered old  PRes soldier can do but indicate my opposition to this travesty.
Especially since this re-badging has your obvious support.

Cheers,

tango22a

 

[Monsoon]

In our CBG we have the following in a city of less than 115,000: a Nav Res stone frigrate; an Army Res Inf Bn and Svc Bn; a Coms Res Sqn; and a CFMG Fd Amb. The local area cannot sustain this many units, nor produce the senior leadership.

I assure you do NOT have a Naval Reserve unit in your CBG. And since that looks like Victoria I'm going to have to point out that MALAHAT has had no difficulty generating command and admin staff, and parades over 130.

 

[GDawg]

I haven't read the entire thread, has anyone mentioned the Comm Res experiment? I know that 73 Comm GP amalgamated into an Alberta Comms Regiment, but has since disintegrated back into 3 separate squadrons. Now my understanding is that the Comm Res is being dismantled, transferring to the army, and amalgamating into some type of grouping of Int, Sigs, and Psyops units. The official name escapes me but I've referred to the concept units as "nerd herds". Any plan to scrap HQ's is a step forwards in my books...but I'm jumping ship to the Reg force so I have no personal stake in the matter of reserve restructure.