Also keep in mind the Pres normal attrition rate. 2 or 3 years is it? Of those that go overseas, how many are actually going to stay in the CF upon their return? How many stay on and how many CT?
Through the reserves higher attrition rate, they already have a smaller pool to begin with.
[/quote]
IMO this is the key to the issue. If a reservist deploys and has no job to return to, because he's a student or whatever, then he is less likely to stay in the reserves, or the army, and deploy on future tours or stay to add value to his unit. More often than not (like I did) they will disappear after a few years and join the regs, or move to find work/ educational opportunities elsewhere - hence the attrition rate. What we need is a comprehensive nation-wide initiative to get a reservist TWO JOBS. One in the reserves, and one in the local community that will help him/her establish themselves and keep contributing locally. This has to go beyond the usual 'grip and grin' type events as run by the CFLC, which don't really do much for finding Pte Snooks a job at the Post Office, or whatever.
Implementing a professional job finding program (job coaches, head hunters etc) for military personnel in local communities would go a long way to stabilizing reserve units, as well as providing regs leaving their full time jobs find a place in a local community where they can settle down and continue to contribute towards the reserves. there are hundreds of civilian organizations, little and large, who provide these services across the country, and it wouldn't take much to develop local contracts betwen units and these contractors.
We need to make it easier for reservists to stay and work, and soldier, locally.