QOR Para Coy & parachute tasking reserve sub-units

[fortuncookie5084]

What‘s the scoop on the QOR‘s jump company? Will it be there for a while or do the members nervously expect to be wearing green hats some day soon? I know I meet the physical standards for parachute units, and would love to be a part of one while still in school---but I would not want to relocate to Toronto only do be a rifleman (I like being a Guard better anyway!)

 

[McG]

I do not agree with a reserve unit being given an elite tasking. specialist and combat support (recce, AT, Mor, Pnr, etc.) taskings are fine when at the sub-unit level. Maintaining a parachute capable reserve regiment is a drain on an already thin budget.

 

[Gunner]

Well, unless things have changed drastically in the last while, the QOR do not have a jump role or mission of providing a jump company etc, etc.

Some background. When Res F units were given operational taskings several units were deemed operationally tasked to the Airborne Regiment. Out west it included the Royal Westminster Regiment and the Loyal Edmonton Regiment. The demise of the Airborne Regiment and the subsequent revoking of Res F operational taskings took away the jump role from select infantry units.

Why does the QOR have a percieved "jump"role? It was never designed to be as an infantry role, rather, the positions were there to support the Canadian Parachute Centre which moved to Trenton in 96. So while the QOR may bill itself as having a "jump company" it doesn‘t really have a mission to have that role.

I have to agree with McG inthat there really isn‘t a role for a Reserve unit to have a jump company and the focus should be on the basics of infantry.

My two cents.

 

[Art Johnson]

Visit the Para Companies Web Site and ask questions. http://www.qor.com/airborne/airborne.html

 

[fortuncookie5084]

The QOR website advertises an actual company- tasked with providing parachute infantry at the reserve level. The above link is where I got most of my info from. They apparently jump a few times a year and adhere to SOP‘s similar to 3RCR para coy‘s. Whether such a reserve unit deserves a para tasking is not what I wanted to discuss. Getting a blast of **** from holier-than-thou reg force soldiers does nothing to further the cause of soldiering in Canada. It is divisive and elitist at a time when all of Canada‘s soldiers should promote Airborne capabilities at every level. By the way...I have yet to hear any of my British friends say anything bad about 4Para TA.

 

[Yard Ape]

I have to agree with Gunner & McG inthat there really isn‘t a role for a Reserve unit to have a jump company and the focus should be on the basics of infantry. If anybody wants to do something more fancy than that, they should train as mechanized with the vehicles being held by the local ATC.

:fifty: Yard Ape

 

[ender]

I think that reservists should continue getting jump courses in order to have something to aspire too. I know my unit gets very few spots on the jump course, and a lot of our soldiers work really hard in order to try and get it. This raises the morale and competence of our unit. Anyway, that‘s my opinion.

 

[Doug VT]

Absolutley! Keep the parachute capability alive! However, what we really need is another unit based in the parchute/airmobile role to really bring back something to aspire to.

 

[MP 811]

Hey gents...........being a new guy to this board and seeing this message thread, I had to add my two cents. I belonged to this particular unit back in 86 - 89 and was a member of the para coy. We were never really a company to begin with as the most we could muster was about 35 qualified jumpers at most. Most my jumps were done with 3 Cdo, the airborne engineers and the yanks. Although the unit thought of itself as an airborne unit...........and probably still does...........you guys are correct in stating that there primary tasking is to provide qualified jumpers to support the CPC in Trenton.......nothing else....... And from what I hear...........with militia reforms.............the unit might cease to exist altogether anyways..........

 

[the patriot]

It‘s hard to say that the unit may cease to exist. Due to the fact that a majority of the jumpers or a certain number of them are currently overseas in support of 3 RCR Para Coy which is tasked out to Operation Palladium in the Balkans.

-the patriot-

 

[MP 811]

I didnt know that they had anyone tasked overseas at the moment...........all I know is that when the pearly palace released the militia reforms paper, the QOR was one of the units slated on the paper to be stood down. Hopefully things have changed and the govt has rethought that one out. Wouldnt be the first time the govt backtracked on a proposed move!

 

[Se7eN]

I agree also, its almost a driving force in itself. To try to be the best that you can be, for me thats to be a future airborne soldier.


- JH

 

[Yard Ape]

There is room for reservists to take jump courses without there being a reserve unit maintaining a parachute company. There is barley enough time allotted in a year for reserve units to maintain basic light infantry skills. There is room for a Reg airmobile battalion, but not for reserve jump Coys.

Yard Ape

 

[spacemarine]

Being a reservist in QOR is a helluva deal compared to the other infantry regiments. They get to fill spots on jump courses (when I did my course usually 3 or 4 QOR NCOs came along to fill up the space on each jump, along with the American soldiers) and when I was on my course they stayed in the CPC barracks and jumped all one long weekend. It‘s too bad there‘s not the money for the other 3 reserve regiments who lost their jump taskings. Just curious, what do you guys think about the army cadet jump course (1 in 6 courses is for army cadets)?

 

[Brad Sallows]

The only "paper" I remember was a list of units which had not scored sufficiently high on their LFRR evaluations. That did not necessarily mean they were subject to any form of change. It was simply a "report card".

 

[McG]

One course a year is for army cadets, and in the past Reg and Reserve personnel have been loaded on course with cadets. If only 7 course are run a year then the ratio would be 1:7, and if twenty were run in a year the ratio would be 1:20.

As for the number of QOR troops who get loaded on jump courses, why should they have this monopoly to get in when soldiers from other regiments rarely get hope of taking the course? Maybe the reserves should take a look at how the cadets load people onto the course. The best people from across the country who volunteer are considdered. This makes it a reward that all reservists could reasonably work toward.

 

[spacemarine]

We were told they were only running 6 courses a year now.

 

[Travis]

umm does anyone have any sites on paratroopers in the reserves or even on pilots in the reserves. I would just like to know the basic info on the reserves and being a paratrooper or pilot. How much you have to work, how long till you can volunteer for a UN mission etc.

 

[Marti]

Here‘s a link to the only reserve unit in Canada that has a jump tasking www.qor.com . They‘re located in Toronto, so unless you move there, I think you‘re SOL. I‘m not if we have reservist pilots, but you could probably find out pretty easily on the DND recruiting site. As far as going on tours, I have a buddy who signed up in early June, did his QL2/3 over the summer, volunteered as soon as he got back to his unit and got it. He had to go through selection and pre-deployment training, so it‘s not guaranteed you‘ll actually make it through to the deployment, but it worked out for him so it‘s possible.

 

[Spr.Earl]

I beilieve the Westies in B.C. still have a jump platoon.