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Effects of Deployments on members

Lav968

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I just recieved this email.  I would assume it is from a 1 CER member but no idea who originated it.  It has made its way around and I thought it interesting and a good topic for discussion.  I have simply cut and paste and have not altered this piece; all ideas are that of the originator.  Would love to hear everyones thoughts.  Chimo


The Effects of Operations in Afghanistan on
The Regimental and there Families

          As with any unit, operations oversees can take their toll on the personnel and their families.  This is especially true for the operations in Afghanistan.  With the increase in terrorist activity comes the increase in stress on the home front. 

            1 CER is one of the busiest regiments when it comes to oversees operations.  With fewer soldiers than the other regiments in the brigade and being the only regular force engineer regiment in western Canada, 1 CER is constantly committing to operations overseas. The Regiment as a whole finds itself constantly struggling to man the positions required for deployment. The main reason for this is that at CFB Edmonton it support's 3 possible battle groups coming from The Lord Strathcona's Horse, 3 PPCLI, and 1 PPCLI as well as 2 PPCLI in Shilo, MB. This constant tempo of rotation leaves the Regiment drained of soldiers as well as moral. The end result is a unit that is beaten down.

                For the new soldiers, it can be very disheartening to hear the low level of moral in their peers who have been on operational deployments abroad. For the soldiers that have been on these operations, being away from their families and friends can cause deep emotional scars and an unwillingness to deploy on future missions. This is especially true in Afghanistan where the emotional burden is high. The main reason for this is the sights, sounds, and smells of a foreign land, especially in a place where a good percentage of the populous is at odds with your presence.  The native people of Afghanistan are not bad people. The majority of the population goes about there daily lives with great difficulty, but pride. However, the inability to differentiate between terrorist and civilians leaves constant doubt in a troops mind.

                This emotional strain felt by the troops eventually finds its way into the home. With more and more deployments the feelings of despair, hopelessness, impatience, and numbness become more frequent. (This is not always the case). The military preaches about family values yet it seems that the "Family" is the first thing to be put aside whenever an operation requires it. In some cases this can result in emotional detachment from spouses, and children as well as the soldiers themselves. Nothing is worse for a troop's moral then coming home to a family that does not recognize them. The operations are not the only cause of stress. Work up training on average is 180 days prior to embarkation. This alone can have adverse effects on the stability of a family. The high tension in turn take's its toll on the families. The unfortunate but sad result is often divorce.

                In closing, being one of the major players on the battlefield we find ourselves constantly tasked to perform for the Battle Group. As soldiers we all understand our duty and obligation to the citizens of Canada and the Allied countries. However, the military needs to pay attention to the delicate ties from the soldiers to their families. As the personal tempo increases we can expect to see more broken families and less deployable soldiers. In resent years the military has emplaced a lot of support for the deployed and their families. This needs to continue as well as keep improving in order to improve the quality of life at home and overseas. All soldiers are aware that it is there over all responsibility to care and nurture there families. Who is going to care for them? 
 
May be a bit on the whinny side.  First off, they are not the only ones in that boat.  The RCD are filling the role of sending a Recce Sqn on every Tour, because the LdSH (RC) don't have any Recce Sqns to send, and we are not to sure what 5 Bde is doing.  There are members of 2 CER who feel the same way.  Each and every Inf Bn feels the same.  Our Troops in Afghanistan don't come from one Base only, they come from all Land Bases across Canada.  They all have the same problems.  Stop crying in you beer coffee/tea.  Get you eyes out of you naval and look around at all the others in the same situation.
 
Wow, as I stated in the origional post, this is not my opinion and that I just found it interesting.  I am not crying in my beer/coffee/tea or anything of the sort, I just wondered what everyone thought about any possible solutions or ways to improve the current situation.  If it makes it easier for anyone reading this post, replace all 1 CER references with a general reference to the Army.  Sorry to sound like a whiner Mr. Wallace.
 
Mr Wallace,
    If you would notice in the title, the article pertains to 1CER.It is not an article about the Army in general.The reason I know this is because I wrote the article.It is to be posted on the Regimental web page.It was not ment for large scale dissemination.You are entitled to your opinion,however it is a &*%&en good article and I stand by it.
 
Sorry to have hurt your sensibilities, but while in Edmonton for the summer of 2005, everyone there seemed to think that 1 Bde were the only ones in Afghanistan, and that is what your write up comes across as.  If you don't think that it insults others who are in the same situation, then I can't say much more for you.  I do think that I am not the only one who will voice something along these lines, and the next ones may not be as polite.  Even if "the article pertains to 1 CER and not about the Army in general" it has been published and the public will no doubt voice their opinion.  Be ready for it.
 
In for the penny, in for the pound.

Do you really think that 1CER is different from 2CER, 5RGC or 4ESR?
Sorry to burst your bubble... it isn't.

Can't speak about 2 & 4 these days but with respect to 5RGC - they carry the same load as 1CER - xcept for the fact that 5Bde is on one base... (Reg't jammed into a hangar designed for 1-2 Sqns).
 
Waaahhhhhhhhhh, waaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....man, hard to believe that the author of this article can't see outside of his own unit. Here is a quick message for him though:

If you don't like it, get out!!!!!!!!! Take your whining and complaining somewhere else. What, does being married automatically make you not eligible to deploy as often as single guys??? Who cares. You can always go work in the oil patch cant' you? Or yeah but wait, you will have to go away then also.

 
I for one am sympathetic to the author of the article. I think if you take out the unit designation and look at the larger issue of the balance between family and operations, the author makes some valid points.

The organisation of an Engineer Regiment is different then any other Combat Arms unit. With just + or - 450 soldiers, with a significant number of those being CSS, the deployment rates of our Sappers is higher. An unscientific spot check can be done on any parade the men and women of a CER wear their medals.

I have heard the standard responses  before, "if you don't like it get out", what unfortunately happens is that good soldiers, trying to protect their families and being loyal to the Regiment, chose their families. Is this right or wrong...that is for each individual and their families to decide. We each must make our own decisions.

As the operational tempo has increased and the need of Engineers has increased there hasn't been any significant increase in the number of Sappers on the ground in a Regiment. When you couple that with speciality course such as, heavy equipment, water purification or explosive ordnance disposal, the even smaller core number of those specialist means more operations for them.

The another dynamic is when our soldiers redeploy they are usually due for some sort of trades training or leadership training that takes them from home again.

I will not try to speak for other Arms but I know this to be true to the Engineers. I am saying Engineers for it is happening in all of the Regiments.The fact that it is happening outside 1 CER does not negate the problem. You can interupt this as "whining" but I have seen what frequent deployments has done to my family and many others.

The only solution I can think of is increasing the size of the Regiments to have a larger core to draw from. We owe it to our soldiers and their families to have the very best family support services available to them.

So perhaps rather then some of the respondants here  being quick off the mark and being so judgmental, perhaps a deeper more analytical look at the issues might make for some better comments in this forum.  :salute:

 
Family problems are a serious issue.  Today's Army is an Army for Single personnel.  Too many deployments are making family life difficult. 

Why does 1 CER have a problem with it......Or 2 CER....or 5.  My point is that there are people in worse places and they have the same, if not worse problems.  Look at the RCD, a Regiment of 500 (only about 50 more people than 1 CER) and they are supporting two Brigades, (perhaps three,) not just the one that 1 CER is supporting.  They have had a Sqn in Afghanistan for over four ROTOs in a row now, and planning for two more.  So if the sensibilities of the author are hurt by my reaction, I can only shake my head in disgust.

 
Chimo said:
I for one am sympathetic to the author of the article. I think if you take out the unit designation and look at the larger issue of the balance between family and operations, the author makes some valid points.

The organisation of an Engineer Regiment is different then any other Combat Arms unit. With just + or - 450 soldiers, with a significant number of those being CSS, the deployment rates of our Sappers is higher. An unscientific spot check can be done on any parade the men and women of a CER wear their medals.

I have heard the standard responses  before, "if you don't like it get out", what unfortunately happens is that good soldiers, trying to protect their families and being loyal to the Regiment, chose their families. Is this right or wrong...that is for each individual and their families to decide. We each must make our own decisions.

As the operational tempo has increased and the need of Engineers has increased there hasn't been any significant increase in the number of Sappers on the ground in a Regiment. When you couple that with speciality course such as, heavy equipment, water purification or explosive ordnance disposal, the even smaller core number of those specialist means more operations for them.

The another dynamic is when our soldiers redeploy they are usually due for some sort of trades training or leadership training that takes them from home again.

I will not try to speak for other Arms but I know this to be true to the Engineers. I am saying Engineers for it is happening in all of the Regiments.The fact that it is happening outside 1 CER does not negate the problem. You can interupt this as "whining" but I have seen what frequent deployments has done to my family and many others.

The only solution I can think of is increasing the size of the Regiments to have a larger core to draw from. We owe it to our soldiers and their families to have the very best family support services available to them.

So perhaps rather then some of the respondants here  being quick off the mark and being so judgmental, perhaps a deeper more analytical look at the issues might make for some better comments in this forum.  :salute:

Chimo a very good post.
Even though I'm Militia and my relationship with 3Fd Sqn/1 CER has been since 1976 when I first donned our cap badge.
The above primary poster's complaint's started as far back as 94/95.
Our Corps has tried to keep our men but it's when they come back too garrison,with in a month they are back in the field.
My tour with 1 CER on our return and after our leave I came home the boy's went back into the field supporting the other Unit's on their Field  Ex.'s with in a month!

Yes we can say "Such is the life of the Sapper" but not when it start's too effect the lives of those we love most.
 
Let me sit squarely on the fence:

I think it is a well written article. It accurately describes what it is like for a unit under the almost constant demands of operational deployments.

You can substitute 1 CER for almost any other unit:
2 CER, same boat as 1 CER
RCD, as George mentioned, constantly sending 1/4 of its unit overseas
2 Fd Amb, has had troops constantly rotating overseas for DART and Afghanistan since Dec 04

and you would have the same good article, just based upon a different unit....

Great job by the author,

author, remember it is a larger team then just your unit.
 
Will agree with Chimo on many points... was bristling a little bit about how terrible it was in 1CER VS "those other Engineer units".

The CF didn't do the Sapper any favor when they scrapped the Assault Pioneer platoons.

If the Infantry units still had em, it's possible we wouldn't have to deploy a full Sqn on each deployment and we could stretch resources a little more....

But there I go wishing again.... and there aren't any shooting stars either :( the more's the pity
 
All,

Well, this post has got the emotions going, which is good.  Now lets have some productive dialogue. 2023, I expected more from you with the experience you have.

I have read and re-read the original post and would have to agree with Chimo that you need to take it in the context that it is written.  I will assume that Umpa is probably a Cpl.  Perhaps a Sgt.  At at any rate, I am thinking he has probably spent most, if not all of his career in 1 CER.  So, of course he doesn't understand what is happening in the other Areas.  I think the message here is that the op tempo is too high for the Army in general.

Now, it is my understanding that Army Transformation will address some of these concerns.  Engineer Transformation, which is a subset of the Army one, has also indented for more Sqns.  In fact, the plan is to increase the number of Composite Engr Sqns to 12 thereby, matching the number of manoevre units in the Army.  Here's the main problem.  The recruits are just not flying in the doors of the Recruiting Centres as was hoped.  Sure, recruiting is up.  But it is just maintaining the status quo with attrition being what it is.  So, in effect, the three additional Engr Sqns are really hollow organisations of no more than 20-30 troops.  Then you factor in the LOBs (TCATs, PCATs, Parental Leave, Career Courses, etc.) iit takes two Sqns to form one for operations.  For what's its worth, I acknowledge the same is happening in the Infantry and Armoured Corps.

Further, it is my opinion that the Army's Managed Readiness Plan (MRP) is flawed.  In theory, it looks good on paper that we can maintain two lines of operations (one in Afghanistan and one ready to go somewhere else).  However, if you look at the current situation it has taken virtually a whole Bde to mount TF 1-06 (1 CMBG) and another Bde to mount TF 2-06 (5e GBMC).  2 CMBG is just coming home and have already started mounting TF 3-06 for Aug 06.  Where's the down time?  What Bde Gp is RED?  Sure looks to me that everyone is GREEN (ie. in the op window).  Where's the time for career courses?  I know for a fact that both the Engrs and the Inf are having real problems filling their Tp/Pl WO (old QL 6B) courses.  Nobody wants to go.

So, it's easy to say 'suck it up buttercup' and soldier on.  But we will get soldiers (Sgts and WOs too) leaving for civilian life.  Is that the answer?  Have all our experienced soldiers walk out the door?  I would argue that most would love to stay.  It's a good life.  Most would love to deploy every 4-5 yrs.  Take the 5 month career course every odd year.  Heck, even go to Wainwright for 3 months a year, if it meant 2-3 yrs of relatively quiet "garrison life".  Also, as the original post stated, keep the money flowing into family support.  I personally think the money we are spending now on family support is only a drop in the bucket.  We can do more.

OK S6, what's your answer you ask?  Here's my 2 cents.  I think the Government can only commit one line of operations and should forget about the second line for now.  Secondly, we need to get those 5000 troops in the door.  I don't mean 5000 new guys.  I mean keep what we have and add 5000 more troops.  Once that is done, then perhaps we can look at going to SUDAN or HAITI or some other place the Gov't wants Canadian influence.

S6 Out.  :warstory:
 
All good points Sapper6 and thanks for the support. I often hear alot of noise about recruitment but little is stated about a solid plan to aid retention or for that matter family support.

I once heard that it takes about 1 million dollars in training and support to get a soldier to the 10 year mark in their career. What do we do with that million dollar investment...let it walk out the door. I believe we need a new strategy to keep that investment in the Army. I think it needs to me tied into family support as well. For example the US Army has announced a program that they allow their soldiers low interest loans so they can afford their first house. I think that is something we could use and copy. Also, I think we could keep some by offering reenlistment bonuses. Again a tie into a family might be place that family in a better financial situation or a down payment for a house. Perhaps lump sum bonuses for deploying personnel. This would target the actual people that are the busiest and deserving.

As far as family support, the present MFRC program is into its second decade with virtually no real change from its original concept. I think if we offer more to the families, keeping the family unit as secure and supported as possible it will translate in to greater retention. Along with less family break up, single parent family and domestic violence. No I do not have any stats to back up my statement just using the grey matter divided by years of experience factor. :salute:
 
I was given that million dollar spiel at the recruiting centre waaaay back when.  I jokingly said "Well, if you put a million dollars up front into my bank account, I'll sign a 25 year, no outs, slave contract right now."  Stunned silence from the Captain, followed by a "we're gonna have to keep an eye on you" sort of sideways look.  My first, but definitely not last, brush with the humour patrol..... ;D
 
Hello all,
I was not trying to say that all of the burden falls on 1 CER.That is just how some of you have read it.I was told to write the article specific to our regiment.That is what was done.I appreciate the critisim although irrelivent.To those of you that liked it.Thank you.To the rest of you.If you dont like the subject matter.Write your own *&^*^^))en article.
 
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