Reservists in AFG (merged)

[glenndon]

Mud Recce Man!  Nice to hear from you!  Aren't you doing an Sig Op type job?

And yes all you Sig Ops, you should be afraid, a combat arms/black beret type doing one of your jobs. . .  and you want spec pay??  ???

At least MRM has seen the light, and has applied to go 226.  Smart guy I say!!

Awwww JSR Op, nice to know you care!!

Glenn

 

[DSB]

We have some members from 23 FD AMB over there.

 

[17thRecceSgt]

Mud Recce Man!  Nice to hear from you!  Aren't you doing an Sig Op type job?

And yes all you Sig Ops, you should be afraid, a combat arms/black beret type doing one of your jobs. . .  and you want spec pay??   ???

At least MRM has seen the light, and has applied to go 226.  Smart guy I say!!

Awwww JSR Op, nice to know you care!!

Glenn

Don't even get my started.  I have the most unmilitary job in the military.  "A-typically employed" as my PER says.   :

I am a civiliaSergeant...

226 is my current goal but...but...tic toc tic toc.

I may be CRA before that CT goes thru...maybe...maybe they have something lined up for me and are waitin to give it to me at Christmas...

"Everyone who is going to STILL be in the CF after Leave step forward.  WHERE ARE YOU GOING MRM!  STEP BACK YOU!"

 

[Sig_Des]

Mud Recce Man!  Nice to hear from you!  Aren't you doing an Sig Op type job?

And yes all you Sig Ops, you should be afraid, a combat arms/black beret type doing one of your jobs. . .  and you want spec pay??   ???

At least MRM has seen the light, and has applied to go 226.  Smart guy I say!!

Awwww JSR Op, nice to know you care!!

Glenn

Glenn, don't even start.

Just so you're aware, I spent the 10 days in Wainwright working with and *GASP* teaching techs. In fact, sometimes it FEELS like I'm doing a technicians job. Esp when it comes to building vehicle installations.

 

[17thRecceSgt]

Would this constitute a thread hijack? ;D

 

[Angry_Infanteer]

I wish i was there right now...

 

[R031button]

Wow, that's quite the showing for a small regiment.  Is the Association doing much to support you guys, and those who have returned?  How is the community support?

What's the attendance like on parade nights?  When I was in in the mid 90's, we would be lucky to muster a platoon for A Coy.

Pretty much as per, we're at a full platton ow (woohoo) but it's still a very small unit. We haven't had any return, the first bunch of us will be going over in Feburary, and then a year later the second batch of us will be going over.

 

[Sgt_McWatt]

Some from 4 RCR, S Coy have gone over and are going over. One person is actually beginning work up in 9 days ha ha.

 

[RangerRay]

Pretty much as per, we're at a full platton ow (woohoo) but it's still a very small unit. We haven't had any return, the first bunch of us will be going over in Feburary, and then a year later the second batch of us will be going over.

Kloshe nanitch, Rangers.  Be safe and come home. 

 

[The Rifleman]

The TA in Britain are getting pretty much the same deal in regards to media exposure. The most recent mention was a heroic defence action below.

When a key strategic town in Afghanistan's Helmand Province fell to the Taliban, British commanders ordered that it must be retaken as a top priority. But with the UK's main fighting units locked in bloody battles further north, it was left to a ragtag band of 12 British soldiers, including TA reservists and medics, to lead a force of barely-trained Afghan soldiers and police across Taliban-held the desert. They hoped to retake the town of Garmisir within 24 hours. In fact they faced an astonishing 14 day close-quarter battle - isolated, heavily outnumbered and fighting for their lives in an action reminiscent of Rorke's Drift.

but this is an isolated case. Most tours by TA units go by un-noticed by the public in the UK. Local papers sometimes mention them, but most seem to refrain so as not to upset their Muslim readers.

 

[Rad]

The guys from 1 and 2 RNFLDR are getting ready to go over on 1-07.

R.

 

[Fraser.g]

One CCNO from 17 Fd Amb just left, one CCNO from 16 is still there, two from the PRL  and a Sgt from one of the Fd Ambs in Que.

 

[bran]

Can a reservist apply for a tour if they are SQ qualified? I was told this by someone and was just seeking confirmation. I'd really like to get on one of the final tours by 2011 but I won't be fully qualified in time, however I will have SQ.

Thanks

 

[Jarnhamar]

Afraid not.

Even fully trained reservists with previous tours are having a hard time fighting for spots on tour.

 

[Haggis]

I have seen Reg F members deploy without completing SQ (but having their DP1 due to out-of-sequence training).

However, in competition with other Reservists who are fully qualified and looking for a tour, your chances are none to nil.

Don't worry, though.  Another war will be along shortly.

 

[DEVES]

Afraid not.

Even fully trained reservists with previous tours are having a hard time fighting for spots on tour.

Not sure if your right about that^, there was plenty of positions for TF3-09 for reservists.

As for going to Afghanistan with just SQ, might be possible, But don't get all caught up in wanting to just go to Afghanistan, its not a glorious place to be . Do your training and get your trade and i am sure there will be other tours popping up.

 

[Jarnhamar]

ONT is reserve infantry keep in mind.

The regular force already has enough of a problem working along side fully qualified reservists with multiple tours under their belt.  Are they going to accept a reservists who's not even fully qualified? 
The reg -/- reservist relationship has improved a lot over the last 10 years but their is still a huge 'you can't do my job' attitude.

The manning process is weird. They ask for reservists, a ton show up then they have too many reservists for the positions to be filled send a bunch home then a month before employing they start screaming that they don't have enough people for the job and where the hell did the reservists go.

 

[OldSolduer]

Flawed Design speaks wisely.

A few weeks ago a peer of mine who is to deply on TF 3-09 asked me if I had any Sgts or MCpls that could deploy. He is short a whole whack.

The relationship between 2VP and the local Infantry Reserve Units in Winnipeg is pretty darned good right now.

 

[Roy Harding]

...
The manning process is weird.
...

Yes it is.  And it always was.  If it makes you feel any better - it is not only Reservists this happens to.  Although I will say that the potential impact on a Reservist is certainly more severe (the Reg guy still has a job, after all).

I used to call it the "TO &E" Tango.

There are many reasons for it - tactical situation in the mission area changes.  Incoming CO has different ideas regarding manning than existing CO.  Government changes the mission at the last minute.  Some ALLIED government changes THEIR mission at the last minute.  Ad nauseum.

BUT - (this is based on much experience both manning and deploying on various missions) - much (perhaps most) of the problems regarding manning boil down quite simply to poor communications.  Poor communication from NDHQ to Area (and back), poor communication from Area to Bde (and back), poor communication Bde to tasked unit (and back).  And it has been so since at LEAST 1984, when I first became involved (at least peripherally, and in an extremely minor role) in manning a SNOWGOOSE Roto.

I don't know why that is - I know for a FACT that all those HQs are manned (for the most part) by good, intelligent, hardworking, dedicated service men who have only the best intentions, and GENUINELY are trying to keep the confusion out of it, and make it easy on the deploying troops - but it never works.

It seems to be a military thing (not just CF) - and goes back many, many, many years - I'm sure there's an amateur (or professional) military historian on here who can quote a Roman or Greek commander lamenting the same thing.

I dunno' what the answer is - and it would appear neither do folks many pay grades above mine.


Roy

 

[bran]

Thanks for the replies, I suppose I won't get discouraged about it. Maybe we'll end up staying for a few more years, who knows. When parliament talks about ending the current mission, could that be something as simple as moving operations into another province (ie, Helmand)?