Hi all, I‘m new to this forum. I was wondering if such a forum existed, and did a quick Google search and here I am.
Anyway, I agree whole-heartedly with Wes (our former Canuck, now Aussie member): Mr Dorosch would be bettered served not to talk down to people if they expect them to look up to him in his views.
I remember as a young soldier "beaking off: to a medic MCpl that I was working for (I was newly posted into the RCD, and being employed as an ambulance driver in the UMS) that he "didn‘t deserve" to wear RCD slip-on on his combats. This fine MCpl reminded me that he had spent more time in the Regiment than I had spent in the Army up that point. At the time his argument didn‘t make much sense (and probably still doesn‘t
), but I suppose the point can be this: No, he didn‘t do the 13 weeks of Armour Battle School and PCF training to get to be a RCD trooper, but his service with the Regiment made him a "member" of the Regiment.
I have always found (from my biased view) that the Armour Corps and Engineers treat their tradesman and support trades as more equal partners than the Infantry treat theirs (I did 2 tours to Bosnia with 2PPCLI, so I have a little experience with this matter). I‘m not sure how the Artillery treat theirs, so I won‘t comment. I suppose in the Armour Corps we realize that we are quite dependant on our tradesman (particulary Veh Techs and FCS and Wpns Techs) to "keep the tracks rolling". Sure, we don‘t exactly shower them in hugs and kisses, and grumble about them from time to time, but we wouldn‘t/couldn‘t cross the LD at H-hr without them.
I know some Veh Techs (particularly the Leopard mechs) that have spent more time with a black hat on than I have. They (for the most part) seem to be proud to have been a part of the Hussars, Dragoons, Strats or the Deuxiemes. We involve them in all our functions, and allow them to take time off to participate in their branch/trade functions when permissible.
I have been a member of 3 Regiments: the Dragoons, the Hussars, and presently the Strathconas. The only one I had to "earn" my way into was the Dragoons (but that‘s debatable: I trained at the Armour School, and wore the RCAC fist until I finished TQ3, and then happened to put up the Springbok because the Dragoons needed a dumptruck load of soldiers to go to Cyprus, so 3 course-loads of TQ3‘s went to Petawawa for Op Snowgoose). I have rebadged twice: once because I had to (C Sqn RCD converting to A Sqn VIII CH after the close of Lahr) and the second time because I wanted to: I wanted to go out to The Army of the West to get some tours and be closer to my family.
Getting back to "what it means to be a member of a regiment" (or whatever this thread started out as): it doesn‘t really matter what hat-badge you wear. To me, it‘s sort of like adopting a child. Once you have taken them into your family, it doesn‘t matter that they don‘t neccesarily look like you, or have the same background, they are still part of your family. I‘m sure most adopted people will agree (my wife was adopted).
All that said, I think the Regimental system is still relevant and important, but I suspect it is going to vanish in the near future. We are all part of the same team, and should be content with that and be willing to move onto what will make the team better. I suspect we will move onto something that other NATO countries have adopted, and that‘s having the different arms mixed into the same unit, and training and working that way. It would make more sense down the road, rather than doing what we have in the past (yelling down from the tank to the infantryman on the ground "You want me to do what?!?!?!?" because neither had worked with the other before). We can still have our separate training systems and even keep the old Regiments going ("Who will be in charge???" is always asked when this comes up: who cares??? We always form battle groups under the command of the infantry or armour for missions overseas, and now I hear the engineers will lead the new Op Athena mission). Some people don‘t want things like this to work, because they want it to be like it always was. Sound familiar??
The only comment that I will make directly to Cpl Dorosh: I assume you are basing your views from a Reserve point of view? Meaning, since you have been a member of the Calgary Highlanders for so long, you are in fact a Calgary Highlander by default. I support that argument, only because, in theory, you could pick or choose (within the scope of units available in Calgary) which unit you wanted to be a part of. It‘s the same thing for cadets. I was a proud PPCLI Army cadet, but didn‘t really have any other choice: it was that, or Navy or Air cadets (which weren‘t really choices
). I wanted to join the reserves, but it was a 45 min drive to the nearest unit and I didn‘t have a car. So I joined the Reg Force. Let me ask you this: If you are a proud Calgary Highlander, would you move with the unit if they relocated to Sydney, Nova Scotia? Or would you change to another unit in Calgary? I don‘t want to question your loyalty, but there it is. I don‘t if that was the "bent" of your initial post, but it‘s something to chew on.
Take care,
Allan Luomala
Anyway, seeing as how this is my first post to this forum, I‘ll leave it at this, and see where it goes. Looks like an interesting place to visit, with some good experience floating around.
) but we wear the same capbadge that some guy in vicotria wears... we share our building with RMR... they keep mocking us saying that we don‘t have unit pride.. that may be... okay so, if i move, i won‘t be as sad to leave behind my friends at 712, but at least i know that i‘ll still be a sig..
;D ;D
