Divining the right role, capabilities, structure, and Regimental System for Canada's Army Reserves

[Flavus101]

Without a Category, I am just a self loading meatsack on the aircraft;  for an aircraft to be mission capable, we have requirements for crewmembers with both specific qualifications and current Categories.

A category is much like what I know a "competency" to be. Like a qual it says you can do something, however it has an expiry time.

Now this is just trying to extrapolate the category concept a bit further. The variety of PWT's that must be shot in order to stay "current" or the number of jumps one must have to stay "current" would be similar to the activities you must complete to keep your "category".

When we go out to do a Coy live fire event you must be qualified up to Pl live fire (there may be a method of getting a waiver so long as you already have Sect Live, I would have to look it up though as I am not certain) prior to participating otherwise you won't be getting any ammo. I equate that to being a self-loading meatsack (land based vehicles only  ;D) for the Land based trades.

I see what you are saying though, if you don't maintain your category you are much more limited as to what you can do to fulfill your job than the standard infantry dude who hasn't maintained currency on all his competencies.

Which makes me wonder if the GBA+ is a qual or a competency, never really looked into it 

 

[daftandbarmy]

A category is much like what I know a "competency" to be. Like a qual it says you can do something, however it has an expiry time.

Now this is just trying to extrapolate the category concept a bit further. The variety of PWT's that must be shot in order to stay "current" or the number of jumps one must have to stay "current" would be similar to the activities you must complete to keep your "category".

When we go out to do a Coy live fire event you must be qualified up to Pl live fire (there may be a method of getting a waiver so long as you already have Sect Live, I would have to look it up though as I am not certain) prior to participating otherwise you won't be getting any ammo. I equate that to being a self-loading meatsack (land based vehicles only  ;D) for the Land based trades.

I see what you are saying though, if you don't maintain your category you are much more limited as to what you can do to fulfill your job than the standard infantry dude who hasn't maintained currency on all his competencies.

Which makes me wonder if the GBA+ is a qual or a competency, never really looked into it 

Let's not try to compare the requirements to keep infantry current with aircrew.

As an Infantry guy, I could walk out the door right now and do a pretty good job of leading a live dismounted platoon, or company, attack... years after leading my last one. Annually, with no preparation, I can pass the PWT and the BFT, just like a lot of other people.

Aircrew skills, I would assume, are far more technical and perishable that many of those skills we bayonet pushers require, unless you're talking about more technical stuff, like the use of advanced weapon systems or vehicles/ equipment/radios... even then....

 

[Flavus101]

Let's not try to compare the requirements to keep infantry current with aircrew.

As an Infantry guy, I could walk out the door right now and do a pretty good job of leading a live dismounted platoon, or company, attack... years after leading my last one. Annually, with no preparation, I can pass the PWT and the BFT, just like a lot of other people.

Aircrew skills, I would assume, are far more technical and perishable that many of those skills we bayonet pushers require, unless you're talking about more technical stuff, like the use of advanced weapon systems or vehicles/ equipment/radios... even then....

We all aren't as talented. 

What I am getting at is it depends what is involved in the attack. Is the attack your standard walk along until you find that specific hill with the depression or forest on the flank and then simply do your flanking attack.

Or does it involve part of the force arriving by assault boat and another part arriving by air, seizing a building and then reinforcing and defending that building while waiting to conduct a link up with follow on forces?

Anyways, I've said my part. I think we've reached the point where we agree that each trade has it's own unique skill sets and that the government doesn't get as upset when we break our rifle vs when the plane has a mishap  . In all seriousness, I completely understand that when things are moving at supersonic speeds shit can get messed up a lot more quickly then when Bloggins trips over his feet and eats his rifle.

 

[Blackadder1916]

We all aren't as talented. 

What I am getting at is it depends what is involved in the attack. Is the attack your standard walk along until you find that specific hill with the depression or forest on the flank and then simply do your flanking attack.

Or does it involve part of the force arriving by assault boat and another part arriving by air, seizing a building and then reinforcing and defending that building while waiting to conduct a link up with follow on forces?

Unless things have changed in the over 30 years since I wore an infantry cap badge, all the elements (the basic skills anyway) of your scenario should be in the portfolio of any infantryman or infantry officer.  Sounds like a interesting fighting patrol task, but it's not rocket surgery.  While many may be rusty in some of the skills, that's what rehearsal is for.

 

[Kirkhill]

Unless things have changed in the over 30 years since I wore an infantry cap badge, all the elements (the basic skills anyway) of your scenario should be in the portfolio of any infantryman or infantry officer.  Sounds like a interesting fighting patrol task, but it's not rocket surgery.  While many may be rusty in some of the skills, that's what rehearsal is for.

I seem to recall that, in the old (and probably returning), conscript army in Sweden, after initial training (about 6 months to a year) the conscripts were released to civilian careers and called up once every 5 years or so for a 2 week refresher.  And that included tankers and gunners.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I seem to recall that, in the old (and probably returning), conscript army in Sweden, after initial training (about 6 months to a year) the conscripts were released to civilian careers and called up once every 5 years or so for a 2 week refresher.  And that included tankers and gunners.

It's similar in most countries with conscription. But they also have a core of regular full timers to keep the lights on...

 

[Kirkhill]

It's similar in most countries with conscription. But they also have a core of regular full timers to keep the lights on...

And that core of Regulars is critical - for three primary functions

Conducting day to day operations
Maintaining facilities and equipment
Ensuring that the conscripts, on mobilization, form an effective force.

For the Swedes that meant running down the road to the armoury, drawing weapons and taking up defensive positions with Zero NTM.

 

[McG]

Now, if same, a reserve Engineer had requirements to do certain EOD tasks in certain timeframes, or they would lose their EOD qual and not be able to do demo, then we would be comparing apples to apples and the PRes engr type would loose their "EOD category" like the reserve AES Op would if they didn't blow stuff up once every 90 days.

EOD pers do have currency and re-certification requirements.
... but, we don't send PRes on EOD courses.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

EOD pers do have currency and re-certification requirements.
... but, we don't send PRes on EOD courses.

There, I didn't think aircrew and divers were the only folks with currencies, etc to be maintained or the ability to do a task was denied until they were checked out again.

Am I assuming correctly PRes Engineers don't do EOD because the ability to stay current makes it to difficult and ineffective?  I remember hearing about an experiment with the Coyote 25mm gunnery when the PRes blackhat world wanted to get in on the action and it was proven the ability of Pres folks to maintain the turret skillsets would be extremely limited, or extremely costly.  So it was dropped.

 

[dapaterson]

The Army does not take simulation seriously.  Get some decent crew trainers and install them in Res units, then see if skills can be maintained.  Turret skillsets were not maintained because there were no turrets on hand to maintain them.

Simulators are cheap; but the Army is rarely willing to invest in them, since they'd rather have unused vehicles rusting in Wainwright than sims across the country...

 

[Eye In The Sky]

They have benefits but limitations as well.  You can't check someone out on a sim...its usually followed up with the real deal (flying a mission).  Gunnery sims, our OMS (Operational Mission Simulators) etc are all great but, they are sim and not real world.  Example, our OMS doesn't pitch and turn left right left right climb, decent while turning, etc that tosses people around like real ASW (which can be the most challenging part...hard to focus when your lunch is making plans to say hi again).

But yeah, done right they are pretty valuable for training; I recall being down in Fort Knox in a SIMNET, doing recce with Bradleys (they took our TOWs away after we started whacking everyone we saw  >), the heavy metal types were in Abrams, and we were linked to an Apache Bn or flight that was in their sim's somewhere in Germany, according to our MSgt who was babysitting us at the time.

Sims are a great training tool and if gas and bullets become less and less...affordable...its time to spend some (or more) $ on sims.  I know PRes Armd Recce units, or some of them, wanted the Coyote sims brought to their armouries...but that, like many things, never happened and never was really going to.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I have to ask the question, do we have the support in place to look after these proposed simulators ?

What happens when they break down, as computer systems do.  I think of the once great BOSS system and how it was quickly discarded and left to gather dust when break downs started to happen.  Not a simulator, per say, but a computer system meant to save time and money that really wasn't properly supported after installation. 

 

[Eye In The Sky]

No, you just have to hire and pay a whole bunch of specially-trained and experienced (*cough* retired military *cough*) people to man, run and maintain them  ;D

 

[Kirkhill]

No batteries necessary  [

 

[Flavus101]

I don't know if we should be using conscripts as comparing apples to apples here  .

I will concede for the moment, thanks EITS and others for laying out your positions. I have definitely taken it on board and you've changed my outlet on certain subjects.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

https://www.esimgames.com/?page_id=823



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AsqiJf-7kM

 

[dapaterson]

I have to ask the question, do we have the support in place to look after these proposed simulators ?

What happens when they break down, as computer systems do.  I think of the once great BOSS system and how it was quickly discarded and left to gather dust when break downs started to happen.  Not a simulator, per say, but a computer system meant to save time and money that really wasn't properly supported after installation.

You mean, what happens when those in positions of responsibility fail to do their job, and fail to adequately plan support?

We could always try (just for a change of pace) to hold someone accountable...

 

[Kirkhill]

You mean, what happens when those in positions of responsibility fail to do their job, and fail to adequately plan support?

We could always try (just for a change of pace) to hold someone accountable...

What a silly-billy you are!  ;D  Next thing you know you will be with-holding medals on the grounds that people were only doing what they were paid for.

 

[MilEME09]

What a silly-billy you are!  ;D  Next thing you know you will be with-holding medals on the grounds that people were only doing what they were paid for.

Na to save money and time you'll be sent home from tour two days before you qualify for your medal. True story, cost a friend of mine his GCS-Afg.

 

[George Wallace]

Na to save money and paperwork you'll be sent home from tour two days before you qualify for your medal. True story, cost a friend of mine his GCS-Afg.

TFTFY