Quote:
Originally posted by dekeguy
RACooper,
Thanks for your comments. I applaud your thoughts about going back on the Active Reserve List. I agree that it would be an excellent opportunity to provide some breathing space for a Regular who could use a little stability time between deployments. Things are stretched pretty thin and the value of trained reserves is being proven beyond doubt. My UK cousins are telling me that the Army is the smallest it has been in over 100 years and the committments keep expanding. How are the Canadian Forces doing with regard to strength on the rolls and recruitment? How about yourself? What Regiment or Corps? Any stories to relate?
As regards spelling differences, in my case, with lots of UK connections and an MA (Oxon) I find it confusing to remember the spelling differences. I have cousins in the Royal Armoured Corps (one in the B&Rs and one in the QRL) and my basic branch is Armor, although as a Cav type I generally bend the rules a bit and use the archaic designation of Cavalry. I need to keep a low profile until graduation in June of '05, but after that I would not mind going back on active status. The dilema which I face is whether to request JAG or stay CAV.
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Well lets see.... any Regular deployments I was attached to the RCR (Royal Canadian Rifles) but my old reserve regiments are the GGFG (Governor General Foot Guards - Infantry - 4 years), which are the guys that do the Changing of the Guard here in Canada (like Buckingham Palace)...... and of course were my heart lies: The GGHG or the Governor General Horse Guards, which i originally joined back in 92'...... no real stories that i care to relate from my active service overseas; but I do have fond memories of a lot of fun trips down south to be the enemy force for the Marines or Rangers, or to play the best video game in the world at Fort Knox......
... as for active strength.... not that great; it's pretty much the same situation as the UK, since around 90' there has been a significant decrease in force size and funding, with no serious equipment upgrades other than radios (no more Veitnam era crap), scopes for all assualt rifles and light MGs (C7 & C9... think M16A3 or M249), battlevests & helmets, and comabt uniforms... basically geared towards slightly enhancing the capabilities of the trooper out peacekeeping. I'm not sure but I think the current strength of the Forces is roughly hovering around 70000.