CAN Enhanced (Permanent?) Fwd Presence in Latvia

[MilEME09]

Considering a few UORs are not currently funded? We have a long way to go

 

[CBH99]

Just thinking through the numbers...

efP Latvia from what I can tell currently has around 1,000 troops deployed. I'm not sure if that includes the fairly recently added 15-tank armoured squadron or not. A doctrinal 19-tank armoured squadron is 123 personnel so I'm guessing that would mean somewhere between 107 and 123 personnel there.

The flyover Light Battalion would add 593 personnel (Generation Strength. Establishment is 833) plus however many in the Brigade HQ.

So, 1,000 (eFP Latvia) + 123 (Tank Sqn) + 593 (Light Battalion) = 1716 which would leave around 484 for the Brigade HQ and any other additional forces we add to the deployment. If you calculate the Light Battalion as its full Establishment strength of 833 then you're only looking at 244 personnel left for the Brigade HQ and additional elements.

That's all good math. But I don't think it's factoring in the RCAF deployment of 4 Griffons (flight crew + ground crew) nor the additional armoured squadron

Those 2 additional capabilities will bring us closer to the 2,200 number that's been touted.

 

[Fabius]

I’m fairly certain the light Bn is not included in the 2200.
In the 2200 you do need to include the aviation Det, MPs, Medical along with the elements outside of and above Bde such as the NSE and TFL along with the small number of pers associated with MND-N.

You’re likely looking at close to 200 just in those smaller elements by my guess.

 

[AvroArrow92]

So in Latvia for the brigade Canada is contributing about half of the EFP (one tank squadron, one lav company, one artillery battery, one engineer squadron; plus logistical assets). Separately were also deploying an addition tank squadron, a flight of tac helos, and brigade support and logistical assets?

Is the second tank squadron a new addition, have they announced it? We also have a light infantry battalion ready to fly-over as needed or as scheduled. It would seem will have a lot mechanized battalions at home not contributed to this brigade. Which is interesting considering how vital it seems any and all amour protection is in the war in Ukraine.

 

[PrairieFella]

So in Latvia for the brigade Canada is contributing about half of the EFP (one tank squadron, one lav company, one artillery battery, one engineer squadron; plus logistical assets). Separately were also deploying an addition tank squadron, a flight of tac helos, and brigade support and logistical assets?

Is the second tank squadron a new addition, have they announced it? We also have a light infantry battalion ready to fly-over as needed or as scheduled. It would seem will have a lot mechanized battalions at home not contributed to this brigade. Which is interesting considering how vital it seems any and all amour protection is in the war in Ukraine.

Pretty sure it's only one Armour Sqn, no chance in hell we have enough runners in the RCAC to forward deploy a second Sqn while being able to keep up the training cycle. The other RCAC contribution seems to be the bde C/S 6 Sqn which seems to be a mix of RegF and ARes inf and armd. At least that was the layout some buddies participated in.

 

[markppcli]

Pretty sure it's only one Armour Sqn, no chance in hell we have enough runners in the RCAC to forward deploy a second Sqn while being able to keep up the training cycle. The other RCAC contribution seems to be the bde C/S 6 Sqn which seems to be a mix of RegF and ARes inf and armd. At least that was the layout some buddies participated in.

Yeah it’s a blend of armoured recce, recce platoon, and snipers

 

[PrairieFella]

Yeah it’s a blend of armoured recce, recce platoon, and snipers

Gen Kill as fuck

 

[markppcli]

Gen Kill as fuck

Well I think they mostly have doors

 

[daftandbarmy]

Gen Kill as fuck

 

[markppcli]

great interview and nice to hear the plan for the Brigade going forward.

 

[FJAG]

great interview and nice to hear the plan for the Brigade going forward.

It's an interesting interview spoiled only by the amateurish interview. Considering that these PA folks are paid professionals, why is the standard of their work at the high school audio blog level. This could have been so much more than the giggle fest that it became at times.

I'll reiterate my view that the commander and several selected staff of the brigade (like the COS and someone at G2 at a minimum) ought to be multi-year postings.

 

[PrairieFella]

It's an interesting interview spoiled only by the amateurish interview. Considering that these PA folks are paid professionals, why is the standard of their work at the high school audio blog level. This could have been so much more than the giggle fest that it became at times.

I'll reiterate my view that the commander and several selected staff of the brigade (like the COS and someone at G2 at a minimum) ought to be multi-year postings.

It's a podcast, not an interview. It's meant to make them more relatable to common audiences who listen to these type of long form conversations (well, not too long form). It's a common cre-comm tactic now as people pay more attention to an organic conversation, than they would to a corporate briefing. If it was all business they would lose a lot of the audience.

These are the communications modalities we desperately need to exploit in the 21st century, especially in recruiting. The old ways just don't work with youth anymore.

 

[markppcli]

It's an interesting interview spoiled only by the amateurish interview. Considering that these PA folks are paid professionals, why is the standard of their work at the high school audio blog level. This could have been so much more than the giggle fest that it became at times.

I'll reiterate my view that the commander and several selected staff of the brigade (like the COS and someone at G2 at a minimum) ought to be multi-year postings.

I’m pretty sure the host is a class B infantry reserve officer

 

[Castus]

I’m pretty sure the host is a class B infantry reserve officer

Yes. Former JNCO at 2 PPCLI and then SNCO at the GGFG. He works at Army HQ and does the Army Podcast as a secondary thing, out of the goodness of his own heart.

 

[Ludoc]

And we should be endlessly thankful. It is some of the best public affairs messaging the Army puts out. Plus, we are not great at internal communication of our strategic aims. This is the only way a lot of Pte/Cpl types get to hear what "the plan" for the CAF in Europe is.

 

[daftandbarmy]

And we should be endlessly thankful. It is some of the best public affairs messaging the Army puts out. Plus, we are not great at internal communication of our strategic aims. This is the only way a lot of Pte/Cpl types get to hear what "the plan" for the CAF in Europe is.

Is there some kind of objective measure of that success that we should be aware of?

 

[Ludoc]

Nothing objective, just my opinion. I know some will feel different.

And I am not trying to throw shade at any PAOs. I know those guys/gals care a lot about what they do and are trying their best to work with the constraints placed on them.

 

[MacNav63]

Nothing objective, just my opinion. I know some will feel different.

And I am not trying to throw shade at any PAOs. I know those guys/gals care a lot about what they do and are trying their best to work with the constraints placed on them.

Having spent a career in communications/public affairs, both in government and the private sector, I can only imagine what it must be like.

 

[markppcli]

And we should be endlessly thankful. It is some of the best public affairs messaging the Army puts out. Plus, we are not great at internal communication of our strategic aims. This is the only way a lot of Pte/Cpl types get to hear what "the plan" for the CAF in Europe is.

100 percent. The pod cast is literally the only accessible information for guys in the ground as to what’s happening with Latvia.

 

[Cloud Cover]

These are the communications modalities we desperately need to exploit in the 21st century, especially in recruiting. The old ways just don't work with youth anymore.

When the medium becomes the message, the content loses meaning.
Q What are you watching?
A I’m watching channel 6
Q Ok, but what? The news or I love Lucy?
A Who cares? It’s channel 6.