Reserves Desperate For More Officers-Article

[bossi]

(hmmm ...)

Wednesday, January 2, 2002
Reserves desperate for more officers

By STEPHANIE RUBEC, OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA -- The Canadian army's top soldier is struggling with a severe shortage of leaders in the reserve forces.

Lt.-Gen. Mike Jeffery says he's desperately short of reserve officers, so he wants to speed up their training even if it means sacrificing quality for quantity.

"In some respects we are going to see those officers in their early years with less training and less capabilities," Jeffery told a Senate committee.

"But my hope and my expectation is we'll have a lot more of them."

In the short term, Jeffery said the reserves' leadership shortfall has forced him to put regular forces officers at the head of reserve units.

On paper, the army reserve is 18,500 strong, but in reality their ranks have dwindled to 14,700 active soldiers as of October.

The current officer training program requires part-time soldiers to commit to a structured four-year university program, which has often proven impossible for reservists who usually hold down full-time civilian jobs.

FLEXIBILITY

Jeffery's more flexible officer training program would give soldiers more discretion in deciding when to take the prescribed university courses.

Jeffery said it will also have graduates continue their leadership training while in the field, eventually bringing their skill level up to those in the regular forces.

"To do otherwise will result in an army reserve with inadequate leaders," he said.

Jeffery said that the ongoing Reserve Entry Scheme for Officers program has only pumped out about one new officer per reserve unit every year.

"I'm not regenerating the reserve force, " he said.

 

[Soldier of Fortune]

I think I should have stoped reading this article right where it said "Canada‘s top soldier." However I kept reding and almost had a heart attack where it said quantity for quality . You wouldn‘t need more officers if you had excellent, well trained ones. I couldn‘t read on...

 

[RCA]

Even if every reserve officer was well trained etc, there is still a massive shortfall, and with recruiting not even keeping up with attrition, it doesn‘t take a rocket scientist to figure out the drastic solutions need to be taken.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Not sure where this is heading, but as a Troop Warrant, I‘m not at all pleased with the prospects. Right now it‘s hard enough to develop the young soldiers and the green Tp Officer at the same time. This new plan is going to turn us into babysitters to the detriment of trg time and someones going to lose out. Oh well, soldier on I guess. Might have to change the orbat and place one of my crusty Sgt‘s as the Troopy‘s observer! I think ANG might like the job?

 

[towhey]

You just have to wonder how much effort has been put into recruiting officers.

For example, as a fully qualified infantry officer with 14 years regular force experience, who is supposedly transfered to the supplementary reserve on my release -- I have never once been contacted to see if I want to join the primary reserve.

I know there are dozens of qualified infantry officers who leave the regs every year. Is there any effort being made to contact these folks to see if they‘re interested?

I‘d bet a number would be. Little or no cost to train -- and you‘d be able to bring experienced leaders into some desperate units.

Just wondering....

 

[John Nayduk]

Recceguy, does this mean Konard is going somewhere? I thought he was watching you

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Naww, just looking ahead. If they‘re recruiting a gazillion new know nothings to fill the officer‘s mess coffer‘s, Konrad should be Field Marshall soon.

 

[Spanky]

At least he would listen to the Snr NCOs. Pretty scary when he is the only one the SQN can count on. They need to look at getting more SNR NCOs to babysit these new young officers.

 

[Bill Green]

Very disappointing to hear the whining from the armour Senior NCO cadre. The officer cadre in the Reserves needs replenisment. The General is correct-we need to find new ways to accomplish officer training. I might add we likewise need new ways to train our Jnr NCO‘s and Senior Nco‘s because getting one position on the training block per year per unit will not build our forces.

Personally I like the idea of the officers doing a basic with the recruits and then going on to leadership courses that are combinations of unit and away courses-it makes a lot of sense both in economy of training and catering to full-time employed individuals. The flip side of this was training was only offered to those usually in education or unemployed which left many excellent people unable to take 6 to 12 week courses.

The backbone of the recce and armour troop is the relationship between the Troop Leader and Troop WO/SGT. One major task of the Tp WO is to bring to the mission the experience and expertise to assist in makeing a great Tp Leader. It doesn‘t happen overnight but think back to those that brought you along and I‘m sure it didn‘t happen in one or two training cycles either.

Further my Senior Nco‘s prefer to have a 2/Lt leading opposed to putting the TP WO in as Tp Leader. It allows both to do their own role within the troop. Hopefully under the new SQ system the 2/LT will be able to get the courses s/he needs to become fully trained and a lot of those POs and EO‘s will be done by Senior NCO‘s who care enough about their units to professionally focus their energies and discussions to get on with job.

 

[rceme_rat]

Towhey‘s point on recruiting/retention is well made. There are many people out there who would need only a short refresher to get back in the swing.

Over twelve years reg force EME for me - no attempts to contact me regarding a recall, despite the branch being one of the most significantly short-staffed. Applies to all of the EME trades, as well. I wonder if calls are being made to those soldiers. Not quite sure where you would find a civilian weapons tech who would fit into the military culture from day one, let alone officers and sr ncos who must promote that culture.

(I released in 96 - was told the supplist, SRR etc was all being dismantled.)

 

[the patriot]

My suggestion is why not commission more officers from the ranks of NCO‘s. Would this not alleviate the problem? Therefore, you‘re not trading off the experience for the sake of expediency in the training of a new officer.

-the patriot-

 

[rceme_rat]

CFR raises possibilities. The question is whether we would be commissioning folks better off left as MWOs and Chiefs.

Not all CFRs have made great officers, even though they were excellent soldiers. Just as we are trying to avoid recruiting low-quality officers, we don‘t want to CFR soldiers who wouldn‘t normally be CFR‘d. And we don‘t want to rape the ranks -- after we CFR a large number of NCMs, we have to backfill their positions.

In the short term, we could stop short of the CFR route by employing WOs in a traditional, but perhaps ancient, mode -- in lieu of junior officers.

In the long term, we need to recruit officers. I have seen some suggestions that the attrition expected over the next few years will take up to 10 years to correct -- experience, ability, judgment, etc. don‘t come quickly or cheaply.

It is all really tragic when you think that a few years back, career progression came to a grinding halt for many MOCs because we had too many people. We added to the tragedy with an FRP that stripped the military of some of its best people who were at crucial career points.

 

[rceme_rat]

The article is specific to reserves; the problem is not. Hence my prior comments.

The government needs to make military service more attractive if it wants to attract soldiers in an era of technology start-ups and stock options.
Changing demographics have to be addressed - how to recruit and retain people who are more individually-minded and less interested in a long-term commitment?

Money is an important element - are reserve pay levels appropriate compared to reg force? Are reg force levels high enough?

Challenge and self-worth are apparently more important than money. How do we show our appreciation and provide sufficient challenge?

Job security? Mandated non-vacation time off for training? Medical/dental benefits? Interesting training? Opportunities to use the skills? Focus on training, not administration?

How to change training? Self-study, computer-supported theory sessions? More OJT?

Rewards for skills development? Money, but also the idea of rewarding success - you do well, you get the next chance, too.

We should have a reserve force four times or more the reg force size. Getting there is going to be difficult - and expensive!!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

[No message]

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Whatever was above in my empty post is in this one. Still trying to figure out these codes! However, I know how to suck eggs already, so I don‘t have to be told.

Originally posted by Bill Green:
[qb]

Further my Senior Nco‘s prefer to have a 2/Lt leading opposed to putting the TP WO in as Tp Leader. It allows both to do their own role within the troop. Hopefully under the new SQ system the 2/LT will be able to get the courses s/he needs to become fully trained and a lot of those POs and EO‘s will be done by Senior NCO‘s who care enough about their units to professionally focus their energies and discussions to get on with job.[/qb]

Bill,
I‘m sure they do, takes the pressure off them. As far as Tp WO‘s leading, he still does it, only from the rear or in the background. If there‘s a problem he should see it first and control the situation. So, ....Hmm, let‘s see I‘m in the Arty simulator in Brantford next weeknd, Knox first week of Feb, Pet last week of Feb, Knox again first 2 weeks of Mar for Brigade ex. Plus weekend workups for Brigade CRE which is in May. The new modules are coming out and I‘ll have to OJT MCpl‘s for 6A‘s and Sgt‘s for 6B‘s so they can start going on crse in May. Pray tell, when do I have time, with four nights and one wknd a month, to get a new Troopy ready for summer crse. Other than having him keep up and try to explain things as we go along. Having one come from crse with basic knowledge that we can work on and refine is one thing, taking him wet behind the ears and teaching him almost everything is something else. My day only has 24 hrs and I have a Troop to also take care of. And we have as big a shortage of Snr NCO‘s as we do Officers, but I don‘t see any grandiose plan from the sky to address that problem. The best step we‘ve ever made was to combine the Officers courses and put them through at the same time as the equivalent NCO, up to Troop WO/ Troop Officer phase. Also until he‘s had the Tp Offr/ Tp WO portion, he‘s a troop officer with a Ptl Cmdr qual, not a troop leader. We are fortunate we have good, solid Troop Leader officers in the Regt. We all work extremely well with the rest of the troop in true recce fashion. I guess what I‘m trying to say is, if we‘re going to be doing a goodly portion of the G spots training of officers, who trains the OR‘s coming up. You may be nice and flush with trg cadre out there, but this is a blue collar shift work town and although the Jnr and Snr NCO‘s are dedicated and respond as much as possible, they‘re not full time staff and have other responibilities. As I said in my first post on the subject, we‘ll wait and see what comes down the pipe, then get on with it. Don‘t begrudge crusty old NCO‘s their wry sense of humour, we‘ll make things work like we always do. If you have‘nt heard it from your own, it must be awful quiet around there or someone‘s not listening. As for getting the job done, we always get the job done! We‘re still the same Regt and pers that won the Cumberland, the Worthington plus others, so many times. I‘ll stack our guys against anybody! Green officers et al! Mercy Buckets

PS - Looking down one‘s nose and telling SNR NCO‘s in a backhand way they are not dedicated or proffessional is neither kosher NOR prudent! Especially when one does‘nt know them, personally, on either basis

 

[Fishbone Jones]

A possible solution, although it does‘nt put 2/Lt‘s on the floor or in the mess right away would be to start them as basic soldiers through to and including QL4. When they‘re ready to step into the CC seat, commission them and send them on the CC course with MCpl‘s like we do now. You could feasibly have 2/Lt‘s going on crse within two years. This would take winter, local run 3‘s & 4‘s. Not outside the realm of possibility considering everything else being put forward. At least they‘d have some idea how a troop worked and what everyones resonsibilities are, besides, if they‘re as sharp as they‘re supposed to be, they should pick up lots by osmosis in two years. Just a thought.

 

[John Nayduk]

Bill, I think you mistake humour for whining. As well, I would rather hear the opinions of your senior NCOs from them, not you. I did the troop leader course this summer with one of your guys. From what I recall, you don’t have too many senior NCOs to start with. Any new officer you bring in would do well to learn from his fellow. Your mastercorporals and sergeants could learn from this guy therefore grooming NCOs at the same time.

 

[Spanky]

Bill;
Don‘t confuse whining with good natured bantering. Not knowing you personally, it might indicate a lack of a sense of humour, or a degree of arrogance. As recceguy indicated we do have a good relationship with our junior offrs. They listen to advice and usually take it. They are keen, enthusiastic, and well intentioned.
Our Snr NCO cadre has been doing our jobs for quite awhile and know it well. You will be hard pressed to find a more dedicated group anywhere. There are, however, not enough of us. Yes we get overtasked both at the unit and in our civilian lives. Yes we get a little crusty in terms of our sense of humour.
Just a little leadership tip- If the troops are not complaining or goofing, there is a problem.

 

[RCA]

We are still skirting around the issue and losing focus. We lack reserve officers now and we need to recruit a whole whack within the next couple of years.

Training them is but one issue. All trades have are shortage, so what might work for one trade (ie Armd Recce to QL4) doesn’t work for others. The Artillery for instance. A QL3 is only helpful in gaining a certain degree of knowledge, but those 21 days could be put to better use, and the same as QL4s. Officers need to be taught as officers right off the bat. Further to that, we cannot afford to take 3-4 years to train a Lt. That is a luxury. What we need is an innovative approach. Such as BOT/BOAT staying the same but more intensive, but combine distance trg with MITCP. MITCP has always been maligned because it didn’t give enough skills. However the distance trg could fill in the holes. Then you increase the unit’s trg budget so they can spend more time in the field to hone their skills. The more you do it the better you get, the course should be just the first step.

CFRs are fine but eventually you will end up robbing Peter to pay Paul. Just as we have an officer shortage now, because of the recruiting crunch, you will find a shortage of SNCOs and WO coming down the road. (call it a big empty bubble that is moving down the time line.)

And speaking of big empty bubbles, with the officer shortage being what it is another crisis will loom down the road. As we all know, Militia units have lines of succession to fill command vacancies. (ie sub-unit and CO) because we fill within. Due to the lack of Jr officers now, the line will become full of holes. And don’t expect the Reg F to fill them. It has started already. I know of a Regt that is commanded by a newly promoted Maj who is just taking his MCSC.

As for ex-Reg F, I admit that that resource hasn’t been tapped as well as it should have. There seems to be a disconnect somewhere. I’m betting there is no policy regarding releases and reserves. I think that joining the reserves should be a part of SCAN, and Reg F establishments should work hand in hand with Reserve Bde/Units. Having said that however, a lot of the Reg F that do retire have the time-in and (ie Senior Capt/Maj, WO/MWO) they would help fill the senior slots. But their time is limited. What is required are the young trg Capts and Sgts. However these individuals tend to leave because they become disillusioned or disgruntled with the system. (This is a generalization, and I know there are exceptions to the rule) This type usual want nothing to do with the military, full or part time.

It all leads back to that the Reserves need more new officers now. I don’t know what the solution is, but for those that stick their head in the sand and say quality over quantity, wake up and smell the coffee because eventually we will have neither. I for one don’t mind having under-trg Jr Officers, as long as we get enough field time for them to gain experience (I think this is the crux of the quality issue). Lets do it now while we have experienced SNCOs and WO, rather then later when their shortage hits (and it will)

 

[Recce41]

Well
As a Reg Force Snr NCO, we get 2LT all the time. Most of the time if a Cpl would like to CFR, he is put on a JNCO ( old CLC) so he get sometraining before his Ph 2. I‘ve been a Troop Sgt for 8 yrs and acting troop WO for about 1 of them. Most new Officers are pushed though. In the Armour Corp, you can have a mixed 6A/Ph3. These officers are alot better, in the leadership role. For they learn from a Mcpl how to lead. When they come from Ph3 alone, They‘re dumb dumbs. No real leadership skills. The mixed is a better way. Does it really matter? No, for NCOs are the back bone of the military.
Sgt J. CD, CDS com.