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pbi said:HL: Thanks for your response. I agree with you that you should post your findings to the extent that you can; I think the sharing of knowledge would be useful.
A comment on the belief that we will not achieve "bonding" amongst the members of a weekend-run course. I agree fully that the ideal is to take the course to an isolated training establishment and run it 24/7 until it' s done (OK-throw in some sleep...). Unfortunately, in our case the centralized training system that delivers this type of training experience has failed to meet our needs in any of our MOCs. Neither do we really have the luxury of waiting until next summer to run it continuously. However, if we do not maintain at least some flow of DP1 qual trg, two things will happen: in hte short term the backlog of SQ-qual soldiers will inevitably deplete through attrition caused by waiting. In the longer term(and more importantly from our Bde Comd's point of view), we will further strangle the trickle of soldiers into the NCO ranks. This shortage of NCOs has been an obstacle to our Bde in a number of areas, and we have to keep fighting to defeat it. We face demographic problems in 38 CBG that the "Fat Dumb and Happy" CBGs do not. (Let's see if that gets a rise out of anybody...)
Therefore, we are willing to accept that the platoon that graduates will lack the high level of cohesion that "depot" recruits would have. However, we take into account three other factors. First, the graduates will probably disperse to different units (HL-correct me here...)so the value of course-level cohesion is reduced. Second, if these soldiers stay with their units, there will most definitely be a bonding: when I was a Militia soldier, my drinking buddies were all guys in my unit: it was my social ife for the most part. Finally, in terms of cohesion for operations, we state (although we don't always practice...) that we will train Res soldiers for a min of 90 days before deploying them on ops. That is considerably longer than any Res BIQ and is intended to build cohesion for ops. Now, in our Bde we just launched a complete D&S platoon for Op ATHENA on about 30 days, but we were able to draw on a reservoir of Res soldiers with op experience. There have been some difficulties, but that platoon is now doing well. Again, the 30 days is probably longer than what their BIQ might be. It isn't the ideal, but then neither is our situation. Cheers.
PBI,
Sir, thanks for the feedback. I'll post updates from time to time here, although I can send any CBG specific points your way via PM if you wish
In terms of graduates being dispersed, all the candidates are from the two infantry units in the Amouries, and the troops from the two units almost always train together in the field, so no loss there. There is discussion of flying in five potential candidates from the LSSR every course weekend, but we will see how that goes, if at all. I agree with PBI that the cohesion largely begins in the unit, and to a large extent in the Reserves focuses around social relationships (ie drinking buddies, etc). To a large extent we need to focus on the desired end state of more trained troops and adapting & overcoming the current "through put" problems of the WATC-style approach to courses. I also agree with the NCO shortage point as well. In our unit we have four Inf Sgts and one Inf MCpl (and he's on Athena in the D&S Pl), and the shortage is reaching a critical mass. Luckily we are starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel: we have two or three Cpls about to get their leaf, and a good, sizable crop of junior Cpls with leadership potential. We just need to hang in there for another year or two and things will improve. Now, the Junior O shortage is another issue....
I concur on the D&S Pl point sir. Some of my boys are part of that Op. Glad to hear that they are well.
Out.