Ghost778 said:
It always gets mentioned how reserves going overseas with the reg force bring back a lot of experience that they can pass on.
I agree they do bring back a lot of experience but passing it on isn't that easy. First of all it's hard for privates cporporals and sometimes even sgt's to really pass this informaton on and change how a regiment operates.
....
I've seen warrant officers tell sargeants to basically shut the **** up when the sgt tried to point this out.
Sorry for going a little off topic.
Yes reserves learn a lot about the reg force over sea's but applying it to the reserves is a whole different story.
basically you learn to do it the right way but still have to do it the wrong way.
Until the senior Army Reserve soldiers, particularly those that teach in the Reserve system get some "real world" experience of thier own, the
Old Way will always be the
Right Way. Thankfully this is happening in a limited way. As you know, aside from ex-Regs, the number of senior leaders in the Army Reserve world with "real" experience is quite small.
The Naval Reserve, however, has bags of experience thanks, in part, to the crewing of the Maritime Costal Defence Vessels with almost 100% Reservists. Why we can't transfer that mindset to the Army Reserve is beyond me. Yes, Kandahar is dangerous and I don't agree that Reservists (now) are suitable for deployment as formed sub units (yet) but I'd argue that the North Atlantic in winter is just as bad a$$ a workplace as the streets of Kandahar.
KevinB said:
CURRENTLY the regular force combat arms do not need any reserve augmentation.
We have before and we may need it again, but currently we do not.
So there is ZERO valid reasons to take reservists in that capacity.
Agreed, but the grown ups have decided that they're gonna go. Why? Because the Reserve Pte/Cpl who deploys with you now may well be the MCpl/Sgt/Lt who leads more Reservists "over there" in 2-5 years time.
I read a quote recently, something like "Experience is the one thing you don't get until right after you need it."
You and the others on your tour
can fix that by taking the Reservists, screening and training them as you would your own troops, employing them to thier full capacity and encouraging them to do the same when they go home. That way, in five years, when you're near to getting your Afghan citizenship 'cause you've been there so many times, you can safely watch capable, confident and
experienced Reservists go in your place while you read the Maple Leaf on the next Roto 0.
... and I wasn't lecturing... ;D