Meaford

[multihobbist]

ArmyRick, with no disrespect
I am telling the facts and my friends know they are facts because they were there at the time. If you really wish to pinpoint who I am, you will not have any trouble because I an almost tell who you are and I can almost garuntee that I was trained by you at one point.

 

[ArmyRick]

No you weren't trained by me and you have no clue who I am. I still call BS on your story and the other stories you spew out. You always seemed to be there when something right of control happens.

Recceguy, 7 years in Meaford as permanent staff, trust me, night and day difference between teaching ARC/RST courses and national courses year round.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Recceguy, 7 years in Meaford as permanent staff, trust me, night and day difference between teaching ARC/RST courses and national courses year round.

I've been in and out of that camp since the late 60's when all you needed was a key from Borden. I was there when it, supposedly, opened as a Reserve Training Camp.  I've been there teaching courses, doing exercises and been Staff for three months during winter Gun Camps dealing with a crazed RCR WO that liked to jog to Owen Sound and back practicing for marathons instead of working. I know that place like the back of my hand and it hasn't been worth going there for the last 18 years. The difference is that you are permanent staff and see the camp through rose coloured glasses because you ARE NOT treated as an interloper.

I spent more time getting fucked over by the kitchen, accommodations and BMO than is worth the training for my guys. It's why we don't go there anymore, and no one here is missing it.

Like I said perceptions differ dependant on whether your permanent or visiting.

I'm glad you enjoy the place, but please don't try defend it to those of us that can see our life force sucked out as we enter the gate.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I spent more time getting ****ed over by the kitchen, accommodations and BMO than is worth the training for my guys. It's why we don't go there anymore, and no one here is missing it.

During my time as staff in Meaford, when we did hear of such events, unfortunately they were seldom reported officially to the CO so that he could act upon them, or were reported so long after the fact that little could be done to correct the contractor. Yes, problems exist, sometimes they were errant application of the contract where interpretation wasn't what the CF intended, and other times it was the work of individual idiots (which every organization seems to have), but the feedback direct from chain-of-command to chain-of-command often seemed to be the point of failure to make sure the right people were aware of problems in a timely manner with the right emphasis.

During my time there, the spectrum of units ran from those that capitalized on training opportunities in Meaford and used everything they could get their hands on, to those that avoided it like the plaque and just shared horror stores while never or seldom training there.

To offer one personal example - I walked into the kitchen one day to overhear a unit officer explaining to officers and Sr NCOs of his unit how the Range Control Officer had refused his training proposal. Once he finished talking I asked him aside and introduced myself - as the Range Control Officer. There are two sides to every issue, if not more, and for that unit, skating out of something and blaming the camp staff was the selected course of action.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I'm not saying that all the blame goes to Meaford, but no one can convince me it is the penultimate training facility for Reserves in Ontario and everything that goes wrong is the fault of the visiting unit. Yes, there are two side to every story and I have been on the winning side enough, and have enough experience, to be jaded by stories of a military paradise staffed with people that will bend over backwards to make your every whim come true and that all the Confirmation Of Combat Knowledge is the soley the fault of Increment Staff.

Given the options available here, our pers don't miss out on training by not going there.