Reserve Soldiers Kept in Deep Freeze
Mar. 23rd, 2009 01:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ltmurnauFollow on to previous (http://ltmurnau.livejournal.com/200535.html):
Reserve units to form core of new Arctic force
By David Pugliese, Canwest News Service March 23, 2009
The Canadian army has designated four reserve units to form the backbone of a new Arctic force to be created over the next five years.
Eventually the units, with about 480 personnel in total, could conduct exercises up to four times a year in the North. They would also be available to respond to any incident in the Arctic.
At the same time the Canadian Forces is continuing with its expansion of the Canadian Rangers, made up of First Nations and Inuit reservists. That expansion to around 5,000 personnel is expected to be completed by 2012.
The reserve units are 1 Royal New Brunswick Regiment, Voltigeurs de Quebec, Grey and Simcoe Foresters from Ontario and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
The army will start off with small numbers of soldiers but eventually work its way up to having company size units, with about each having around 120 personnel, said Lt. Col. Bernie Ciarroni of the directorate of land force development, responsible for reserve issues.
The work up will give troops a chance to develop the skills they need as well as get additional equipment for Arctic operations, Ciarroni said.
Depending on the situation, regular army units may respond first or combine to join forces with the reserve units in reacting to an incident in the Arctic.
But Ciarroni noted the selected reserve units will constitute the leadership of the Arctic companies. "Our focus is getting them up there so they can understand the environment and survive in it," he said.
Initially, the units will go up North once or twice a year, with other initiatives added over time. The first operation could be scheduled for the fall.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has emphasized that Canada will increase its military presence in the North as part of his government's Canada First defence strategy.
The navy and air force are also looking at ways to increase their presence in the north.
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
***
Wow, a whole battalion (eventually) to police the frozen North. Expanding the Rangers makes a lot more sense, frankly, but if there's no regular force troops available then a company of the Gay and Simple Foresters (as we used to taunt them Back In The Day) will have to do - because you could put the entire Army on sentry-go up there and there'd still be no way to cover all that space.
Reserve units to form core of new Arctic force
By David Pugliese, Canwest News Service March 23, 2009
The Canadian army has designated four reserve units to form the backbone of a new Arctic force to be created over the next five years.
Eventually the units, with about 480 personnel in total, could conduct exercises up to four times a year in the North. They would also be available to respond to any incident in the Arctic.
At the same time the Canadian Forces is continuing with its expansion of the Canadian Rangers, made up of First Nations and Inuit reservists. That expansion to around 5,000 personnel is expected to be completed by 2012.
The reserve units are 1 Royal New Brunswick Regiment, Voltigeurs de Quebec, Grey and Simcoe Foresters from Ontario and the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
The army will start off with small numbers of soldiers but eventually work its way up to having company size units, with about each having around 120 personnel, said Lt. Col. Bernie Ciarroni of the directorate of land force development, responsible for reserve issues.
The work up will give troops a chance to develop the skills they need as well as get additional equipment for Arctic operations, Ciarroni said.
Depending on the situation, regular army units may respond first or combine to join forces with the reserve units in reacting to an incident in the Arctic.
But Ciarroni noted the selected reserve units will constitute the leadership of the Arctic companies. "Our focus is getting them up there so they can understand the environment and survive in it," he said.
Initially, the units will go up North once or twice a year, with other initiatives added over time. The first operation could be scheduled for the fall.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has emphasized that Canada will increase its military presence in the North as part of his government's Canada First defence strategy.
The navy and air force are also looking at ways to increase their presence in the north.
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
***
Wow, a whole battalion (eventually) to police the frozen North. Expanding the Rangers makes a lot more sense, frankly, but if there's no regular force troops available then a company of the Gay and Simple Foresters (as we used to taunt them Back In The Day) will have to do - because you could put the entire Army on sentry-go up there and there'd still be no way to cover all that space.
