Divining the right role, capabilities, structure, and Regimental System for Canada's Army Reserves

[daftandbarmy]

100% agree. Or utilize troops trained in other trades as the band members. I know a few people who serve as Reservists in other trades but for the ceremonial events parade with the band.

Reg force would it really be so hard to cut loose band members for a half day once every week or two to practice as a group for the unit band? Thats basically all the group practice most Reserve bands have and they do pretty good overall. Obviously training schedules/work requirements permitting but your going to have a hard time convincing me that 365 days a year thats not a option.

Most PRes Band members are members of other bands because they like to play music. Alot of them are also civilians, and not Class A Reservists or otherwise.

I'm sure that, given the right incentives (a good band facility, uniforms provided, meals occasionally, good instructors), civilian musicians could be recruited by military units to provide their Band support. It already happens alot with Pipe Bands, and I assume the same thing goes on with Brass bands etc.

Make it an ongoing relationship with various schools of music across the country and you might even attract some people to the point that they'd like to join the CAF.

 

[markppcli]

100% agree. Or utilize troops trained in other trades as the band members. I know a few people who serve as Reservists in other trades but for the ceremonial events parade with the band.

Reg force would it really be so hard to cut loose band members for a half day once every week or two to practice as a group for the unit band? Thats basically all the group practice most Reserve bands have and they do pretty good overall. Obviously training schedules/work requirements permitting but your going to have a hard time convincing me that 365 days a year thats not an option.

You assume we have enough people that we can just cut guys away. The average platoon I’ve been in in the last 6 ish years is sitting around 20 / 36 on a good day? I don’t know how many clarinet players we have to spare regardless

Fully agree on the PERI trade; but a big chuck of this is that we don’t seem to actually engage PSP ever.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Well, since we lowered the bar on dress standards, why not allow volunteers to choose their own instruments and form their own military bands, the only requirement being that they have to be able to play whatever it is while marching.

Looking forward to the first march past featuring "Enter Sandman".

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Crazy Train...Bodies...so many possibilities!

 

[Blackadder1916]

Well, since we lowered the bar on dress standards, why not allow volunteers to choose their own instruments and form their own military bands, the only requirement being that they have to be able to play whatever it is while marching.

Looking forward to the first march past featuring "Enter Sandman".

 

[ueo]

Yes; if there's one way to look like a complete chickensh!t force compared to many of our allies, it would be to use recorded music everywhere. Except when using mounted loudspeakers, riding into battle.

Kelly's Heros?

 

[daftandbarmy]

You assume we have enough people that we can just cut guys away. The average platoon I’ve been in in the last 6 ish years is sitting around 20 / 36 on a good day? I don’t know how many clarinet players we have to spare regardless

Fully agree on the PERI trade; but a big chuck of this is that we don’t seem to actually engage PSP ever.

There are a surprising number of troops who are already skilled musicians (at various levels), or who have an interest in playing military music.

If the opportunity was offered, perhaps on the same basis as participating in various sports teams for example, you'd likely get alot of takers.

The other fun thing about bands is, like many sports, it's rank/gender blind and you can sometimes see private soldiers and colonels, men and women, sitting side by side making 'beautiful music together'

 

[FJAG]

Let's leave aside the burning question of bands and turn to something more slightly more important.

I just read a recent article in "Canadian Army Today" titled "Stalwart Guardian: Air mobility, urban assault, and a bridge that went boom".

The usual PA trivia but then I came across this.

After more than two years of mostly individual and unit training, the return of Stalwart Guardian was a welcome event for the more than 145 Reserve infanteers primarily from 32 Canadian Brigade Group (CBG) but also 31 and 33 CBG.

The light infantry battalion – comprised mostly of Reserve members from the Queen’s Own Rifles, the Royal Regiment, the Lorne Scots, the 48th Highlanders, the Toronto Scottish, and the Lincoln and Welland Regiment – was organized into two companies “so we can exercise platoons working within a company context, but still doing their own platoon level tasks,”

Are you kidding me? The sum total of twenty infantry battalions from 4 Div on their first collective training exercise in two years could only muster 145 all ranks?

Even if it was just the six named battalions from 32 CBG we're still talking a miserly turnout. I mean these are some of the strongest units from the GTA and Golden Triangle.

Anyone with knowledge of this event have an explanation?

 

[daftandbarmy]

Let's leave aside the burning question of bands and turn to something more slightly more important.

I just read a recent article in "Canadian Army Today" titled "Stalwart Guardian: Air mobility, urban assault, and a bridge that went boom".

The usual PA trivia but then I came across this.




Are you kidding me? The sum total of twenty infantry battalions from 4 Div on their first collective training exercise in two years could only muster 145 all ranks?

Even if it was just the six named battalions from 32 CBG we're still talking a miserly turnout. I mean these are some of the strongest units from the GTA and Golden Triangle.

Anyone with knowledge of this event have an explanation?

I'm going with either bad leadership, or 'shrinkage'

 

[OldSolduer]

Kelly's Heros?

Apocalypse Now

 

[childs56]

Let's leave aside the burning question of bands and turn to something more slightly more important.

I just read a recent article in "Canadian Army Today" titled "Stalwart Guardian: Air mobility, urban assault, and a bridge that went boom".

The usual PA trivia but then I came across this.




Are you kidding me? The sum total of twenty infantry battalions from 4 Div on their first collective training exercise in two years could only muster 145 all ranks?

Even if it was just the six named battalions from 32 CBG we're still talking a miserly turnout. I mean these are some of the strongest units from the GTA and Golden Triangle.

Anyone with knowledge of this event have an explanation?

I have to wonder if the long break over Covid along with lack of courses taskings due to being cancelled etc if the Reserve Soldiers are either tired of taking time off to be cancelled, their employers are tired of taking time off to be cancelled.
How many of them were on taskings elsewhere. I wonder if the new online training standard call in Parade nights also might have something to do it.

 

[Remius]

I have to wonder if the long break over Covid along with lack of courses taskings due to being cancelled etc if the Reserve Soldiers are either tired of taking time off to be cancelled, their employers are tired of taking time off to be cancelled.
How many of them were on taskings elsewhere. I wonder if the new online training standard call in Parade nights also might have something to do it.

A lot of that was a factor. Another was the lack of new recruits over two years, the normal rate of attrition etc etc.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I have to wonder if the long break over Covid along with lack of courses taskings due to being cancelled etc if the Reserve Soldiers are either tired of taking time off to be cancelled, their employers are tired of taking time off to be cancelled.
How many of them were on taskings elsewhere. I wonder if the new online training standard call in Parade nights also might have something to do it.

Online parade night training??

 

[Remius]

Online parade night training??

That was thing during COVID. When buildings and facilities were closed. Parade nights were online. On MS teams.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

That was thing during COVID. When buildings and facilities were closed. Parade nights were online. On MS teams.

Not that there was really a choice or better option but this would water down already watered down skill sets.

I can’t imagine what a FTX on a weekend would be like these days. Can’t be very pretty.

 

[Remius]

Not that there was really a choice or better option but this would water down already watered down skill sets.

I can’t imagine what a FTX on a weekend would be like these days. Can’t be very pretty.

It requires a lot of back to basics. A lot of walking before running. Imagine a recruit who just got off course just before everything closed down. Now two years later. Lots of skill fade at many levels.

 

[markppcli]

Let's leave aside the burning question of bands and turn to something more slightly more important.

I just read a recent article in "Canadian Army Today" titled "Stalwart Guardian: Air mobility, urban assault, and a bridge that went boom".

The usual PA trivia but then I came across this.




Are you kidding me? The sum total of twenty infantry battalions from 4 Div on their first collective training exercise in two years could only muster 145 all ranks?

Even if it was just the six named battalions from 32 CBG we're still talking a miserly turnout. I mean these are some of the strongest units from the GTA and Golden Triangle.

Anyone with knowledge of this event have an explanation?

This is from the QOR instagram, that’s “the regiment.” This system doesn’t work, doesn’t recruit, and doesn’t generate forces and it’s seemingly getting worse.

 

[daftandbarmy]

This is from the QOR instagram, that’s “the regiment.” This system doesn’t work, doesn’t recruit, and doesn’t generate forces and it’s seemingly getting worse.

On the other hand, you might see some really sharp young troops waiting for some inspiring and competent leadership

 

[markppcli]

On the other hand, you might see some really sharp young troops waiting for some inspiring and competent leadership

You might, but I don’t know that we need a Lt Col, CWO, Maj, MWO, and a hockey sock of Captains through WOs to supervise that platoon of sharp young troops.

I’d love if every reserve regiment was actually a Bn, or even a full subunit coupled with a training sub unit but that’s not the case and I don’t know that it’s every really been the case. Reasons abound for why that is: lack of interest from perspective recruits, poor recruiting system, underwhelming training opportunities, “real jobs” becoming the priority as life goes on. It’s systemic and all over the place.

 

[FJAG]

I agree a whole lot. I'm a fan of the "regimental" system. One shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater but based on the reality of the system, we need to restructure the whole Army to make the most use of it.

I'm still tied into having hybrid RegF/ResF units that vary in ratios between high readiness units (100 RegF) to low readiness units (30 RegF/70ResF) with the more esoteric, use only in times of extreme emergency capabilities in the latter. In effect, reservists could expect to rise to being company OCs or CSMs at most. Make each ResF battalion a company with a RegF core and being a part of a 30/70 battalion commanded by a RegF CO and with one RegF company and 2 to 3 ResF companies. The battalion maintains one high readiness company and a headquarters and several low-readiness sub-units.

Besides restructure there also needs to be a fundamental retuning of ResF terms of service.

I simply can't see any other solution to solving the problem of providing effective leadership and resources to the ResF without such integration. Apparently, after 70 years of dicking around, the Army hasn't found a system either.