Fabius
Sr. Member
- Reaction score
- 1,087
- Points
- 810
In 2004 and 2005 the US Army did something approximating this when they used the US National Guard and Reserves to take over a very large percentage of the total deployed in Iraq. It was done deliberately to buy time for the US Army Regular Forces to complete the modernization/conversion to BCTs.Radical suggestion, the CA is already hurting for man power, we have the reserves but they lack experience, and equipment. We need manpwer though and inexperienced reservists are still quicker to get up to speed then a raw recruit off the street in Toronto. We need to cover the gap until the Reg force can recruit and train enough troops. So how do you do it when the reserves off volunteers you might get half a section?
Step 1: Order in Council the activation of reserve regiments for a period of 1 year
Step 2: Organize the units into full battle groups, and train them for three months under the guidance of a Regular Force Training Cadre.
Step 3: Deploy the Reserve brigade for 9 months using 90% reserve and 10% regular force members.
Step 4: repeat per each division for 1 year each
The end state is you reduce the regular force man power burden while they reconstitute, and as you rotate through each division we get a much more skilled and well trained reserve force. In theory if we do this once per 2,3 and 4 Division reserve elements, that gives us 3 years to get the regular force back into fighting shape. Will the reserves like it? probably not but guess what we signed that dotted line and desperate times call for desperate measures.
Overall it was successful at a strategic level in buying time, although it did have challenges on the ground in Iraq due to skill and strength challenges with the mobilized formations.