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South Alberta Light Horse Regiment to amalgamate with larger reserve force

It's too bad the Res F is so resistant to changes of role/name. The recent experience of the RCAF should inform us that if Reg F infantry battalions were re-named to divide the "mafia" 9 ways, they would accept it peacefully and soldier on. If only the Res F could emulate that professionalism.
 
That is where the discussion needs to start, not with protecting the glorious history of the Royal MukLuk Fusiliers of Flin Flon.

But they perpetuate a grouping of German Immigrants that fought at the Battle of Muzzletown Rapids and have a battle honour for it (awarded 200 years after the fact). And the CO is our direct link to the Mayor of Flin Flon! Think of the Children!
 
But they perpetuate a grouping of German Immigrants that fought at the Battle of Muzzletown Rapids and have a battle honour for it (awarded 200 years after the fact). And the CO is our direct link to the Mayor of Flin Flon! Think of the Children!
That's not a nice way to describe the Battalion Senate. Accurate, but...
 
It's too bad the Res F is so resistant to changes of role/name. The recent experience of the RCAF should inform us that if Reg F infantry battalions were re-named to divide the "mafia" 9 ways, they would accept it peacefully and soldier on. If only the Res F could emulate that professionalism.
I actually think that reading 6 of the regular Battalions to become regular Battalions of militia regiments would do a lot for cohesion between the two, similar to how The Black Watch and Queen's Own Rifles formally had regular Battalions.
 
Rename everyone in the Army to Canadian Guards, from A to Z

18 BN Canadian Guards Infantry
6 Reg’ts Canadian Guards Armour
Etc.

I solved two things there.
Well unless your a diehard monarchist;)
 
Rename everyone in the Army to Canadian Guards, from A to Z

18 BN Canadian Guards Infantry
6 Reg’ts Canadian Guards Armour
Etc.

I solved two things there.
Well unless your a diehard monarchist;)
Royal or bust. It's what separates us from the savages to the south 😉
 
All of which is why I like the notion of conforming to the artillery practice of creating 10 tactical groups, one per brigade.

Eg

41 Combined Arms Group
A Sqn (SALH)
B Sqn (KOCR)
C Coy (LER)
D Coy (CH)

...

I Coy (Whatever)
 
Let me ask you this - since you’ve both argue for whole sale reorganization and against it in your post. How many sets of night visions and pieces of armour do we send to the SAHL or the KOCR? What is their TO&E?
Simple question and simple answer. What ever the amount is required for the Full time equivalent sized structure. If SAHL and KOCR each provide a Troop of Soldiers. Then they each get a Troop worth of equipment allocated to them. If each are established as a Sqn then you allocate that much equipment. If they can not maintain the established numbers then you rotate the equipment through the units that can and keep life cycle use down.

What is the structure of the artillery in XX CBG?
Each Brigade gets a Artillery Regiment. Make up of Full time and Part time Gunners (Support Brigade Equipped with specialty such as surveillance etc)
Each Division gets a their own Artillery Regiment + All the other specialty such as T&A, large drone etc they may need.
How can we possibly effectively equip a force that has no structure?
We already have a structure in place. Each Division has Brigades has Regiments.
We are lacking equipment, dedicated money and People.

A large scale buy of Equipment with a generous influx right off the top would be a start. Tanks, Artillery, engineering vehicles ammo, missiles etc To fill the Training grounds with equipment that can be used by each Brigade.
Then continued slow rate production of Equipment would solve equipping each Reserve element properly.

Large Companies some how manage to ramp up and ramp down equipment purchases with slow rate production kept along the way. Let stuff sit on a fence for while, then put it into or back in service, Some how it works and works effectively.
Not sure why the Canadian Forces has not been able to figure that one out. Other then they have the wrong people in the right spots to continually mess it up. 7
 
Simple question and simple answer. What ever the amount is required for the Full time equivalent sized structure. If SAHL and KOCR each provide a Troop of Soldiers. Then they each get a Troop worth of equipment allocated to them. If each are established as a Sqn then you allocate that much equipment. If they can not maintain the established numbers then you rotate the equipment through the units that can and keep life cycle use down.

There’s the rub isn’t it, because without set sizes we end up constantly reallocating, and none of the reserve units follows a similar or established structure.

Each Brigade gets an Artillery Regiment. Make up of Full time and Part time Gunners (Support Brigade Equipped with specialty such as surveillance etc)
Each Division gets a their own Artillery Regiment + All the other specialty such as T&A, large drone etc they may need.

We already have a structure in place. Each Division has Brigades has Regiments.
We are lacking equipment, dedicated money and People.

Those are two contradictory statements. Each brigade right now has an entirely random number of artillery regiments and batteries. Which may or may not have an existing command relationship.

A large scale buy of Equipment with a generous influx right off the top would be a start. Tanks, Artillery, engineering vehicles ammo, missiles etc To fill the Training grounds with equipment that can be used by each Brigade.
Then continued slow rate production of Equipment would solve equipping each Reserve element properly.

We all more kit, in that we agree. My point, which seems to be constantly missed so I’ll attempt to make it again and hopefully better, is that we need a reserve force structure that makes sense in order to equip it. Each Brigade gets an artillery regiment with 18 guns? Fantastic love it, that will mean merging 5 with 15 and 26 with 10. Huge fan of that. Push out armoured vehicles to training areas, with a Sqn per existing regiment? Love that idea too but we’ll need to recruit or hire a bunch of mechanics and revamp parade systems to get guys to their horses. Then let’s ask why we have extra admin hurdles to make planning between those too more complicated. (And yes I consider the superfluous emails between COs to a hurdle however small)

Large Companies some how manage to ramp up and ramp down equipment purchases with slow rate production kept along the way. Let stuff sit on a fence for while, then put it into or back in service, Some how it works and works effectively.
Not sure why the Canadian Forces has not been able to figure that one out. Other then they have the wrong people in the right spots to continually mess it up. 7

Because a lot of our equipment is substantially more sensitive to store and leave unattended. CN rail or Syncrude can sell off unused equipment, it’s much more difficult to dispose of weapons and radios.
All of which is why I like the notion of conforming to the artillery practice of creating 10 tactical groups, one per brigade.

Eg

41 Combined Arms Group
A Sqn (SALH)
B Sqn (KOCR)
C Coy (LER)
D Coy (CH)

...

I Coy (Whatever)

I actually very much like this. I don’t really like city and county named units simply for the purposes of potential expansion. I don’t know how well B Coy LER really ever appeals to the population of Yellowknife, and I’m not sure which regiment a denizen of Red Deer would want to be a part of.
 
Devolving into Napkin Army Territory

3 Division
39 Brigade41 Brigade38 Brigade
39 Service Battalion41 Service Battalion38 Service Battalion
39 Signals Regiment41 Signals Regiment38 Signals Regiment
39 Engineer Regiment41Engineer Regiment38 Engineer Regiment
39 Artillery Tactical Group41 Artillery Tactical Group38 Artillery Tactical Group
155 Fd Bty (5 Fd)61 Fd Bty (20 Fd)18 Fd Bty (10 Fd)
156 Fd Bty (5 Fd)78 Fd Bty (20 Fd)64 Fd Bty (10 Fd)
31 Fd Bty (15 Fd)20 Fd Bty (Indpt)13 Fd Bty (26 Fd)
68 Fd Bty (15 Fd)71 Fd Bty (26 Fd)
116 Fd Bty (Indpt)
39 Combined Arms Group41 Combined Arms Group38 Combined Arms Group
A Sqn (BCD)A Sqn (SALH)A Sqn (SaskD)
B Sqn (BCR)B Sqn (KOCR)B Sqn (FGH)
C Coy (RMR)C Coy (LER)C Coy (RWR)
D Coy (CScots)D Coy (CH)D Coy (LSSR)
E Coy RWmRE Coy (NSaskR)
F Coy SHoCF Coy (RRR)
G Coy (QOCHoC)

4 Division
31 Brigade32 Brigade33 Brigade
31 Service Battalion​
32 Service Battalion​
33 Service Battalion​
31 Signals Regiment​
32 Signals Regiment​
33 Signals Regiment​
31 Engineer Regiment​
32 Engineer Regiment​
33 Engineer Regiment​
31 Artillery Tactical Group​
32 Artillery Tactical Group​
33 Artillery Tactical Group​
11 Fd Bty (11 Fd)9 Fd Bty (7 Fd)1 Fd Bty (30 Fd)
16 Fd Bty (11 Fd)15 Fd Bty (7 Fd)2 Fd Bty (30 Fd)
29 Fd Bty (11 Fd)130 Fd Bty (7 Fd)35 Fd Bty (42 Fd)
10 Fd Bty (56 Fd)109 Fd Bty (42 Fd)
54 Fd Bty (56 Fd)30 Fd Bty (49 Fd)
69 Fd Bty (56 Fd)148 Fd Bty (49 Fd)
31 Combined Arms Group​
32 Combined Arms Group​
33 Combined Arms Group​
A Sqn (1H)A Sqn (GGHG)A Coy (GGFG)
B Sqn (WR)B Sqn (QYR)B Coy (SDGH)
C Coy (4 RCR)C Sqn (OntR)C Coy (Brock R)
D Coy (RHFoC)D Coy (HPER)D Coy (CHoO)
E Coy (EKS)E Coy (LS)E Coy (PWOR)
F Coy (ASHoC)F Coy (QORC)F Coy (IRoC)
G Coy (GSF)G Coy (RRC)G Coy (AlgR)
H Coy (LWR)H Coy (TSR)
I Coy (RHLI)

2 Division
34 Brigade35 Brigade
34 Service Battalion​
35 Service Battalion​
34 Signals Regiment​
35 Signals Regiment​
34 Engineer Regiment​
35 Engineer Regiment​
34 Artillery Tactical Group​
35 Artillery Tactical Group​
7 Fd Bty (2 Fd)57 Fd Bty (6 Fd)
50 Fd Bty (2 Fd)58 Fd Bty (6 Fd)
66 Fd Bty (2 Fd)59 Fd Bty (6 Fd)
81 Fd Bty (62 Fd)
185 Fd Bty (62 Fd)
34 Combined Arms Group​
35 Combined Arms Group​
A Sqn (RCH)A Sqn (12 RBC)
B Sqn (RdH)B Sqn (SH)
C Coy (CGG)C Coy (VdQ)
D Coy (RHR)D Coy (FdSL)
E Coy (4 R22R)E Coy (RdlC)
F Coy (6 R22R)F Coy (RdS)
G Coy (FMR)G Coy (FdS)
H Coy (RdM)
I Coy (RMtlR)

5 Division
36 Brigade37 Brigade
36 Service Battalion37 Service Battalion
36 Signals Regiment37 Signals Regiment
36 Engineer Regiment37 Engineer Regiment
36 Artillery Tactical Group37 Artillery Tactical Group
51 Fd Bty (1 Fd)89 Fd Bty (3 Fd)
87 Fd Bty (1 Fd)115 Fd Bty (3 Fd)
84 Fd Bty (1 Fd)
36 Combined Arms Group37 Combined Arms Group
A Sqn (Hfx Rfls)A Sqn (8 CH)
B Sqn (PEIR)B Coy (RNBR)
C Coy (PLF)C Coy (NSR)
D Coy (WNSR)D Coy (1 RNFLDR)
E Coy (NSH)E Coy (2 RNFLDR)
F Coy (CBH)

As I mentioned earlier - Each Militia Regiment Association provides one Squadron or Company to the Combined Arms Group.

The Company Officers (Captains and Lts) are Militiamen as are the Sergeants and below. Senior Militia Sergeants are Staff Sergeants and Colour Sergeants

On joining the Combined Arms Group, and placed under the command of a Lt Col each Company gets assigned a Major. The Lt Col is assisted by those Majors, a DCO and an Ops & Trg O. All assisted by WO/MWO/CWO and their Instructors.

Structure of the Coys and Squadrons as per standard issue sub-units reinforced with unit combat support elements. Training conducted at local armouries with concentrations 2 or 3 times a year ( a couple of long weekends and a 10 day effort).

Combat support elements attached locally to increase training opportunities and brigaded during the concentrations. The model is the Infantry Coy Wpns Dets which are distributed one per platoon + one per company and can be concentrated into one company group of 4 dets when and if.

Honourary Colonels are responsible for the Regimental Association, for keeping the field company supplied with volunteers, managing cadets and supp lists and ensuring that returning members are taken care of by the community.
 
There’s the rub isn’t it, because without set sizes we end up constantly reallocating, and none of the reserve units follows a similar or established structure.
How do they not follow the established structure? They are formed as a Regiment. In reality they are Companies at best.
If they follow along and can provide a Company sized element then they get allocated that amount of equipment. If they need more we will get them more. If they fall below their numbers their equipment gets parked on the fence and cycled through the units that need the equipment.
Those are two contradictory statements. Each brigade right now has an entirely random number of artillery regiments and batteries. Which may or may not have an existing command relationship.
When I started at 5th BC Field Regiment were were the 5th BC Field Bty. Due to mystery funding and reallocation we stood up as a Regiment again. Yet we had no where near a Regiment of People, hardly had a Troop worth of equipment. But we had Two Gun Troops plus of Gunners and continued to grow. 56 Bty (now 156 Bty) Grew to over hundred Gunners. Drilling well over 60 a night. Hard to continue training using one gun and no radios, no rifles.
It would be simple fix for the multiple Regiments. Call them XYX Brigade Artillery Regiment compromising of each Bty . Stand them down to Bty size. Have them Fill a Bty Each compliment, If they cant do that then have them fill a Troop each.

All administrative action that can be done.

I wonder how well the Full time Infantry Regiments have for staffing levels now?
We all more kit, in that we agree. My point, which seems to be constantly missed so I’ll attempt to make it again and hopefully better, is that we need a reserve force structure that makes sense in order to equip it.
That structure is already there on paper. The staffing levels are the concerns as are the actual budgets and equipment.
SIMPLE SOLUTION amalgamate the Current Regiments into Companies, Btys, Troops etc. Keeping their traditional Names.
Each Brigade gets an artillery regiment with 18 guns? Fantastic love it, that will mean merging 5 with 15 and 26 with 10.
You can have 5th BC Fd Bty and 15th Fd Bty with a H&Q Svc Bty. They live fire together anyways. (twice in my time in they did not because they had to many Gunners and not enough equipment). Good make it happen. Same as 10th and 26th Fd
Huge fan of that. Push out armoured vehicles to training areas, with a Sqn per existing regiment? Love that idea too but we’ll need to recruit or hire a bunch of mechanics and revamp parade systems to get guys to their horses.
So hire mechanics/techs. Contract the work out lots of companies who can provide the services. (some have higher security clearance requirements then our guys)
Then let’s ask why we have extra admin hurdles to make planning between those too more complicated. (And yes I consider the superfluous emails between COs to a hurdle however small)
Admin hurdles can be eliminated and or fixed with the right people.
Because a lot of our equipment is substantially more sensitive to store and leave unattended.
Store it at the Training centers then. Or secure property with the proper security protocols. As if CFB Edmonton or Shilo is that secure. An alarm system with a MP or two showing up.
CN rail or Syncrude can sell off unused equipment, it’s much more difficult to dispose of weapons and radios.
A few manufactures made their own equipment and stored it in their secure yards for years. Had hundred pieces of equipment sitting idle. Did a one for one as required. Flowed extra equipment to the field as required and then rebuilt the old stuff.

I did not say sell off equipment, store it. Long term/ short term. Right now we could use a few dozen more Tanks/ Howitzers/ Jets etc. We dont have any along the healing fence to put back into use.
I actually very much like this. I don’t really like city and county named units simply for the purposes of potential expansion. I don’t know how well B Coy LER really ever appeals to the population of Yellowknife, and I’m not sure which regiment a denizen of Red Deer would want to be a part of.
They amalgamate keep their name in tradition as a Bty, Troop, Company or they get stood down. Either way it works and can work well. As much as I do not like how the Americans stand down units and redesignate them. I think if we cant find a solution to the Unit name administrative issues then we need start doing this.
 
PS - 39 Brigade could do with the following:

Air Defence Batteries for

Vancouver Airport
Abbotsford Airport
Pat Bay Airport
Equimalt Harbour
Deltaport
Burrard Inlet
Comox
Kitimat
Prince Rupert

And a couple of Coastal Defence Batteries for the harbours although, perhaps an integrated troop in the AD batteries would suffice.

As an example. Other brigades across Canada will have their own variations of those needs.

And maybe we don't need a battery at each location, maybe modern technology makes it possible to get the job done with troops.
 
PS - 39 Brigade could do with the following:

Air Defence Batteries for
My thinking keeps coming back to the current existence of numerous platoon to coy/sqn/bty sized entities, their use of G-Wagons, and the number of capability gaps that could could be filled with with sub-unit and smaller entities in the Senator cargo version. SHORAD batteries, C-UAS platoons, NLOS AT/ LAM platoons.

Then I think further, and while a Senator isn't a LAV, a 3+7 configuration with a 7.62mm RWS would maintain crew/role/small unit training continuity with the mech units, and it would be better than nothing when the balloon goes up / to slot formed motorized platoons to round out for training.
 
My thinking keeps coming back to the current existence of numerous platoon to coy/sqn/bty sized entities, their use of G-Wagons, and the number of capability gaps that could could be filled with with sub-unit and smaller entities in the Senator cargo version. SHORAD batteries, C-UAS platoons, NLOS AT/ LAM platoons.

Then I think further, and while a Senator isn't a LAV, a 3+7 configuration with a 7.62mm RWS would maintain crew/role/small unit training continuity with the mech units, and it would be better than nothing when the balloon goes up / to slot formed motorized platoons to round out for training.
Like.

Ultimately I am more concerned with this view of any vehicles purchased.

1711652019894.png

To me that is what the interior of a utility TCV should look like, regardless of the armour, size of engine, or armaments or whether it has wheels or tracks.

If the purpose is to transport Troops and Cargo then that is what the vehicle should be built around.
 
Like.

Ultimately I am more concerned with this view of any vehicles purchased.

View attachment 84098

To me that is what the interior of a utility TCV should look like, regardless of the armour, size of engine, or armaments or whether it has wheels or tracks.

If the purpose is to transport Troops and Cargo then that is what the vehicle should be built around.
Honestly given their performance in Ukraine and their lower price point, I wouldn't be surprised if Terradyne or Roshel is seriously in the running for the LUV program to replace the GWagons. The Roshel MRAP with that knockoff Natter 12.7 RWS looks pretty sick. Maybe they could partner with GDLSC on weapons and C4ISR and they'd be cooking with gas. Seemed like Hawkei had a slam dunk years ago but this program languishing has allowed local competition to look good.
 
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Rename everyone in the Army to Canadian Guards, from A to Z

18 BN Canadian Guards Infantry
6 Reg’ts Canadian Guards Armour
Etc.

I solved two things there.
Well unless your a diehard monarchist;)
That may be confused with the newly announced (today) Nova Scotia Guards. 😅
 
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