Ex Valiant Guardian @ Wainright

[Loachman]

Okay, I'll play devil's advocate here.

The guys going west will use the resources provided by WATC (vehs, radios, etc)

Area courses will still be in full swing, using the resources (vehs, radios, etc) provided by individual units. In many cases, the Units total resource of that commodity.

What are the soldiers, not on course, left back in Area going to use for equipment to conduct their very, very good CAC.

Perhaps it's time to take a page from Western Area. We here in LFCA are severely short in both the Jr & Snr NCO establishment. How about sending the 1200 chosen  to WATC, and for the rest, local run rank qualification courses. Maybe, perhaps, it's time to spend some money, resources and time filling our gaps, rather than spending 10 days in Pet. This looks like maybe a pretty opportune time.

I will freely admit to not fully understanding some issues that do not pertain specifically to my area of involvement, plus these conferences split into working groups of which I can only participate in one - but I do listen and try to soak up as much as I can.

I did not take notes on the radio shortage issue, for example. This has plagued prior SG/VG iterations, and it is still going to be a problem despite CMTC's holdings. The inability to use some, many, or all of the ones used for ARC courses is a factor, if I remember correctly.

Leadership at the PTA level is recognized to be a problem, as a significant number of those in demand are involved in ARC training. Yes, I suppose that leadership courses could be run instead of an ex, but the ex gives leaders the opportunity to lead and, from my ex-militia days, a very rare one in a meaningful tactical setting. There are not the resources, both personnel or equipment, to do both.

The "very, very good" concentration is going to be the one in Wainwright. What happens back here, if anything, is still one of the huge questions. Only basic brainstorming-like discussions were conducted in that regard, as there simply wasn't time or sufficient information to do anything more meaningful at the time. A good deal of the IPC was devoted to pretty much to determining what the recce/fact-finding party needed to do this week. As such, I'm not willing to discuss those matters.

I do not expect to hear any more until the new year, as the recce/fact-finding party will need to report back and their findings digested first.

In the meantime, the same questions being asked here, and way, way more, were asked at the IPC.

 

[Northern Touch]

Well, attendence will drastically drop without ARC, and I can only imagine how many people won't be going because now they have to take 2 weeks off of work instead of the usual 1.

 

[Bomber]

Sounds like it could work, I just don't know how well.  Within my unit, my detachment is made up of myself (Class B) my 2ic (full time day job) and my det of 8 guys (7 are students and 1 with a full time job).  A 2 week exercise in Wainwright may work for me cause I am on the armies time anyway, but that is about it.  All the det members will be off with ARC, possibly working civvy jobs, or getting ready for the coming school year (res, books, classes).  This is mirrored through the rest of the unit, and possibly through the rest of the regiments in the Militia.  We have been asked to provide numbers tonight.  Hopefully there will be a re-scope if the numbers are to low, and the entire end of summer concentration won't be called off simply because only 300 people could find the time/availability/motivation to go to Wainwright for so long.

 

[brihard]

If I'm not mistaken, this seems very much like an exercise with a stronger focus on the junior leadership. We're generally the students with free time in the summer, who are already qualified and are tasked to ARC out of availability, not necessity.

I'll be very interested to see how this pans out. I'm already planning my discussion with our OPS WO with regards to planning my summer employment... I don't intend to allow myself to miss CAC for the third consecutive summer because they jerked me around with courses and taskings.

As much as you regs see little training value in CMTC, for those of use used to 4 or 5 weekends a training year in the field this should be a pretty good experience.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Leadership at the PTA level is recognized to be a problem, as a significant number of those in demand are involved in ARC training. Yes, I suppose that leadership courses could be run instead of an ex, but the ex gives leaders the opportunity to lead and, from my ex-militia days, a very rare one in a meaningful tactical setting. There are not the resources, both personnel or equipment, to do both.

If they don't start running courses that can be attended, by next year you won't have any leaders to experience the opportunity to lead. Few that are entering the promotion gate can afford two weeks of CAC and another 4 weeks to get qualified to the next rank level. Their jobs won't allow for it. All we're doing by ignoring it, is digging ourselves deeper into a hole, until the ladder will not reach the top.

Imagine having enough instructors, GD's, training areas, equipment and support to sort everyone out in one summer? I still think we should forget the Ex for one year and get caught up. Let's put our resources where we get long term, viable gain instead of a 10 day feel good reach around.

 

[George Wallace]

Actually there is a point to be made there.  If you need your Junior Leaders as Instructors and already have a shortage, where will you get Junior Leaders to go to Wainwright?  Most will be tied up instructing courses.

 

[Spanky]

Going to Wainwright and CMTC would certainly provide a good opportunity for some decent training.  The shortage of junior leaders, however, could have a serious negative effect on the training.  I know that in our unit's situation we are pushing our MCpls to take the four weeks off of work and attend career courses.  We are in desperate need for these pers to progress.  They will not be able to take the two weeks off to go to CAC as well.
We also count on the people coming off the summer courses to fill vacancies left by those more senior troops who cannot attend.  With ARC going so late, that will be a problem for us.  If other units are in our situation, a cap of 1200 may be optimistic.

 

[Pikache]

Actually there is a point to be made there.  If you need your Junior Leaders as Instructors and already have a shortage, where will you get Junior Leaders to go to Wainwright?  Most will be tied up instructing courses.

And cpls will be leading sections... again.

Most of them try hard, but lack of experience hurts... and it hurts learning of the soldiers under their command.