Active service and training are both different aspects of the NDA and both have clear requirements.They don't. You have a fundamental misunderstanding about how legislation works. Legislation rarely covers everything. It covers the key concepts and then empowers various individuals and agencies to fill in the blanks in ever reducing layers. First you have regulations made under the legislation and then directives or orders or policies etc where the legislation and the regulations permit. It is only
Key to what we're talking about is that the reserve force is created as a component of the CAF by the NDA s 15(2) and (3).
Next, under the powers that the NDA grants to the Minister, he has divided the ResF into four sub-components under QR&O 2.034 - namely the primary reserve, the supplementary reserve, the COATS and the Rangers. That's absolutely within the powers granted to the Minister by the legislation. See @Blackadder1916 explanation above. He's bang on as to how it functions.
The key part of 2.034 b. reads:
The NDA itself in s 33(3) states:
So, by virtue of QR&O 2.034 b, members of the supplementary reserve are provided terms of service which makes them subject to the provisions of NDA 33(3) and thereby makes them solely liable to being placed on Active Service unless they volunteer for other types of service or duties.
Although the Governor/ Minister has authority to force things. They do not have the authority to force a class A Reservist to 60 days of training of continues training without a defined required need.
The premise behind the 60 training days a year was broken down into the intent of regular training throughout the year..ie two days a month broken down into 4 half days (Authorizing the training days).
Plus one weekend a month and training concentrations ie spring breaks etc.
What would happen and has happened when the GOC/ Minister failed to provide those 60 training days a year..does the Reservist have to right to grieve the lack of training get pay back, What about when they cancel a course..although the school/ formation may cancel the course the GOC/ Minister are ultimately responsible for theses functions.
Since it is near impossible to charge a class A Reservist for AWOL unless they were at work. Even then it is rare and difficult. I would love to see the COC mandate Class A reservists to attend training for 60 days continuous. You might get two years of this. Then it would fall apart. We don't have the training Cadre nor the equipment to perform such an endeavor.
We tried years ago to enforce if you miss x amount of days your NES, or miss two major exercises in a row and your considered NES. (Total time would equal 14 days with Easter ex). Turns out the Military understands reservists who work shift work, public safety/Healthcare etc can not attend some training exs.
Now it would make.more sense to move Reseve Units to Active service to fill the QRF for NATO or UN on a 6 month basis. They would not have to "deploy" but you could train the group up.pretty good under the auspice they are the ready response. That might be more palatable by the Reservist and their employers. I doubt it.
If you want to fix our Army Reserve, first thing is better define their role. Equip them properly and give them a proper budget. Provide the training and opportunity for them to work with the Regular Force on contracts at all levels.
Once you provide good training and good opportunities, then you can provide good recruiting. Anything else's and your throwing money out the door
