Reserve Force - DPR - 2012-13

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Reserve Force

The Reserve Force is composed of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members who enrolled for service other than continuous full-time military service. The Reserve Force has four sub-components: the Primary Reserve, the Supplementary Reserve, the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS), and the Canadian Rangers.

Primary Reserve

The Primary Reserve structure includes the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) Reserve, the Canadian Army (CA) Reserve, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Reserve, and the MILPERSCOM Primary Reserve List (PRL) which includes the Health Services Reserve and the Legal PRL. In international operations, the role of the Primary Reserve is to augment, sustain and support deployed forces. With respect to domestic operations, the Primary Reserve provides the personnel for coastal, air, and arctic operations and the Territorial Battalion Groups. There are, on average, 7,300 Primary Reserve members employed full-time in performing staff duties and training in various headquarters, schools and units across the country while approximately 700 Reservists supported international and domestic operations.

A robust and well trained part-time Primary Reserve will remain key to the ability of the CAF to meet the security and defence needs of the future. Work force requirements are being reviewed across the defence team to determine the force structure needed to meet our operational and institutional commitments. As part of this review, there will be a re-balancing of the Primary Reserve towards a part-time force and established full-time Primary Reserve positions will be aligned to the priorities of: reserve force generation, support to CAF operations, reserve professional development, and support to the CAF institution.

Plans for Enhanced and Ongoing Support to Domestic and International Operations

Reserve contributions to operations and connections with Canadians are critical to the nation and to the environments and communities in which they serve and we must ensure that we attract, develop, support and retain a ready, capable, motivated and relevant Primary Reserve force as both a strategic and operational resource for Canada and the CAF well into the future. The Reserves provide continued support to deployed operations and have demonstrated leadership by making important contributions when called upon for contingency operations at home. Reserve units are located in Canadian communities across Canada, and as residents of those communities, Primary Reserve members work with local first responders when called up in the event of an emergency. Their involvement contributes to reducing the effect of the crisis and assisting in a return to normalcy.

Naval Reserve

The mission of the Naval Reserve is: “To generate combat-effective, multi-purpose maritime forces to meet Canada’s defence objective. To achieve this, the Naval Reserve will train and prepare part-time sailors to augment the Regular Force in the execution of assigned security and defence tasks at home and abroad. Equally, the Naval Reserve will strengthen public awareness of the Royal Canadian Navy across Canada by promoting a proud, community-based, professional sea-going service”.

Naval Reserve Divisions are located in 24 communities throughout Canada. These units are under the Command and Control of Naval Reserve Headquarters in Quebec City, who answers to RCN Headquarters in Ottawa. The Naval Reserve has an approved establishment (places) for 5431 Naval Reservists, which is currently limited to 3500 paid strength in compliance with Economic Action Plan 2012 and annual Vice Chief Defence Staff paid strength allocations to the Reserve. The Naval Reserve has initiated an active recruiting plan to address recent losses in strength, and strives to find efficiencies in new training approaches that will provide well trained sailors in sufficient number to meet the demands of the CAF and RCN into the future.

Army Reserve

Canada's Army Reserve is organized into 114 plus 9 independent sub units, located in 115 cities and communities across the country. The role of the Army Reserve is to provide the framework to mobilize, augment and sustain the Canadian Armed Forces and serve as a link between the military and civilian communities as guided by the key Connect with Canadians initiative.

After a period of very high operational tempo, the Army Reserve is focusing its efforts on reconstitution and expanding to meet its funded strength target of 19,417 part-time soldiers. It continues to provide augmentation to the Regular Force for domestic and international operations and to backfill Regular Force personnel shortfalls within the Canadian Army and the CAF at all levels of responsibility. These demands will be balanced against the needs of the Army Reserve for its own leadership and management of personnel.

Domestically, the Army Reserve continues to develop and refine the force employment concepts of Territorial Battalion Groups (TBGs), Domestic Response Companies (DRC) and Arctic Response Company Groups (ARCG). These nascent capabilities represent the force employment framework through which the Army Reserve will leverage existing unit structures and capacities and eventually take the Canadian Army lead in domestic operations, with support from the Regular Force as required.

Internationally, the role of the Army Reserve has expanded to provide 20 per cent of required Canadian Army personnel to expeditionary operations through individual and formed capability augmentation.

Air Reserve

The Air Reserve is employed in total force establishments, working side-by-side with members of the Regular Force and Departmental employees. The Air Reserve has continued to be an integral part of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) support to domestic and international operations and the achievement of RCAF tasks in support of the Canada First Defence Strategy (CFDS). Years of experience have shown this RCAF integrated Force Generation / Force Employment model to be operationally and fiscally effective and efficient.

Full implementation of Government of Canada budget reduction measures, coupled with other policy changes including the Annuitant policy, relocation and other benefits, have had an impact on the size and structure of the Air Reserve and will continue to provide challenges going forward. In fiscal year (FY) 2012-13 the Air Reserve strength decreased by over 10 percent to 2017 personnel; however, the Air Reserve generated the equivalent of 1100 person years of support to the CAF. The drawdown on Reserve full-time employment and increased emphasis on part-time contribution will continue into FY 2013-14.

A cost-effective Reserve structure, fully integrated into the RCAF establishment, provides a valuable contribution to routine activities in addition to providing a surge capability for times of increased operational tempo. This model provides a flexible and responsive capacity to meet ever changing demands for CAF domestic and deployed operations.

CF Health Services Reserve

The Health Services Reserve, with a parade strength of 1572 (HRMS; average RPSR parade strength of 1059), is organized into two functional groups: Primary Reserve units, known as Reserve Field Ambulances, and 1 Canadian Field Hospital Detachment Ottawa (1 Canadian Field Hospital Detachment (1 Cdn Fd Hosp Det) Ottawa, formerly known as the CF Health Services Primary Reserve List (PRL). Core tasks assigned to the Field Ambulances include force generating trained personnel to support, augment and sustain CF Health Services Group's domestic and expeditionary commitments, to provide health services support to their affiliated Canadian Brigade Groups (CBGs), to conduct community outreach activities and provide HSS advice. The members of the 1 Cdn Fd Hosp Det Ottawa include specialists clinicians and serve to augment Health Services organizations on international operations and in military clinics within Canada.

Priorities for the Health Services Reserve in FY 2012 -13 included:

• Reserve Field Force Review. Review of Reserve Field Ambulance capabilities, including establishments and equipment to ensure an appropriate field structure to meet current and future tasking requirements, is ongoing with the intent to harmonize with the Regular Force review to ensure interoperability and compatibility for training. Rationalization of Res Fd Ambs with the supported CBGs is also ongoing;
• Develop a Health Services Reserve career management program. Development of a comprehensive program of career management and merit boards to ensure viable succession for Health Services Reserve units is ongoing. This program will also be tied to career progression and training plans to allow members to gain the professional development opportunities and experience needed for employment in a variety of positions throughout their career;
• Enhancing the clinical capability of the Field Ambulances and 1 Cdn Fd Hosp Det Ottawa through targeted recruiting and a harmonized recruiting and training plan. This allows the Health Services Reserves to continue augmenting and sustaining the CF Health Services Group in meeting its tasking and operational commitments to the CFDS and relevant six core missions, while providing a robust health services support capability to their affiliated Canadian Brigade Groups. The Health Services Reserve will continue to participate in the Health Services Annual Military Occupation Review (AMOR) to ensure synchronization with the overall recruiting strategy of Health Services Group;
• Field Ambulance Medical Link Teams. Health services support and follow-up care continues to be provided to Reserve members who have returned from an international deployment or who have been injured while training in Canada. This initiative has transitioned its function to the Reserve Field Ambulances to ensure the capability to support Class A Reserve members continues;
• Post Afghanistan Operational Readiness training opportunities. There continues to be opportunities to develop collective training that will increase the domestic operational response capabilities of the Reserve Field Ambulances as well as train to meet CFDS imperatives;
• Primary Reserve Operational Readiness care. Development of an on line PHA and Recruit Medical process is underway, with the intent of accessing the civilian healthcare community to conduct the PHAs and Recruit Medicals.

Legal Reserve

In FY 2012-13, the Office of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) achieved a primary reserve list (PRL) fill rate of 90%, with JAG reserve legal officers occupying 57 of its 63 positions. During the reporting period, reserve JAG officers provided legal support to CAF units as well as to domestic and international operations. Of the 57 occupied positions, 50 JAG PRL legal officers were employed on Class A and short term Class B while 5 Legal Officers were employed on full time class B. The Office of the JAG also had 2 reserve legal officer members on Class C service providing legal support to international operations.

In addition to the 63 legal officer reserve positions, the Office of the JAG also has 2 full time Class B RMS clerks who provide administrative support to the JAG PRL.

Supplementary Reserve

The Supplementary Reserve consisted of approximately 14,000 members as of 1 April, 2013. In order to ensure our database accuracy and to increase the visibility of CAF employment opportunities for Supplementary Reserve members, Defence conducted its annual correspondence campaign. A General Information Letter was sent to all Supplementary Reserve members in November 2012. The letter included key contact information, including the Supplementary Reserve's 1-800 contact number, e-mail address, fax number and mailing address. It also included Retirement Age 60 (RA 60) election information, employment information, links to various CAF employment opportunity websites, and limitations with respect to transfers and attached postings.

Canadian Rangers

As members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Reserve, the Canadian Rangers (CR) provide patrols and detachments for employment on national-security and public-safety missions in those sparsely settled northern, coastal and isolated areas of Canada which can not conveniently or economically be covered by other elements or components of the CAF. As committed by the Prime Minister in 2007, the CR expansion to 5000 members in 178 patrols is close to being achieved and is expected to be reached in Q1 FY 2013-14. Furthermore, the Ranger Modernization Project which addresses all aspects of CR uniforms and equipment is well underway with the new uniform already in service and the New Canadian Rangers Rifle is in the initial stages of procurement. These improvements to the CR will ensure they have light equipment of the best quality to allow them to perform their tasks effectively. CR also support the Junior Canadian Ranger (JCR) program, a program sponsored by the CAF for youths 12 to 18 in remote and isolated communities.

Canadian Forces Liaison Council

The Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) exercised its mandate through the execution of the Council's five-program structure to further strengthen the ties between Reservists and their employers and educators. This year, 21 ExecuTreks were held across Canada, with CFLC directly engaging over 430 senior executives and human resource professionals to highlight the values and benefits of employing Reservists. The Outreach program also encompassed 10 other events where CFLC representatives selectively engaged educational and business leaders in order to educate and inform them on the benefits of supporting Reservists. The Biennial Awards program was highly successful, with over 230 nominations for employers and educators. This awards cycle was the first time the Awards Program solicited nominations from CIC/COATS. Extensive media coverage at the provincial level raised the CFLC/DND profile, while highlighting the important role that employers and educators play in supporting force enabling objectives for domestic and international operations.

Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Services

The Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS) is composed of members of the Cadet Instructor Cadre (CIC), COATS General Service Officers and COATS General Service Non-Commissioned Members who have undertaken, by the terms of their enrolment, to perform such military duty and training as may be required of them, but whose primary duty is the supervision, administration and training of cadets 12 to 18 years of age. Their mandate is to ensure the safety and welfare of cadets while developing in them the attributes of leadership and citizenship, promoting physical fitness and stimulating their interest in the sea, land and air activities of the CAF.

Primary Reserve Expenditures

Primary Reserve Full Cost Estimate

The Primary Reserve costs are divided into four categories: direct, indirect, attributed and capital costs. This method of reporting is intended to provide greater clarity on the makeup of the total costs of the Primary Reserve.

Direct expenditures include funds specifically budgeted for the Primary Reserve such as pay, travel and goods and services which are locally procured.

Indirect expenditures reflect the Primary Reserve share of departmental resources, which are controlled centrally. Included are ammunition, equipment operating costs, clothing and the cost of maintaining facilities such as armouries.

Attributed expenditures are departmental overhead costs, which are allocated, for reporting purposes, to all activities including the Primary Reserves. In reality, these costs do not vary directly as a function of activity and would largely be incurred whether the Primary Reserve existed or not.

Capital expenditures are shown for the year in which payments have been made, and do not reflect an amortization of cost over the life of the asset. The capital expenditures can vary significantly from one year to the next, depending on priorities established within the capital equipment plan and the cash flow requirements of individual projects.

Source: Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Corporate Services) Group

* Due to rounding, figures may not add up to totals shown.

Notes:

1. Direct pay and operating amounts do not reflect forecasted/planned spending involving members of the Canadian Rangers, the Cadet Instructors Cadre or the Supplementary Reserve sub-components. They do however include the cost of employing Primary Reservists in positions that would normally be occupied by the Regular Force. Reserve Pay does not include the ONE TIME cost of PIL (severance pay termination), with that included the total reserve pay is $733,242 with an 11% variance. Pay is otherwise short due to change in policy of annuitants, vacancies, and recruiting.
2. The significant variance in the Reserve Operating fund can be attributed to unexpected disaster relief and previously non-funded training operations such as; COUGAR SALVO and KOOTNEY KASTOR.
3. Reduced recruiting has resulted in lower expenditures on clothing.
4. Changes to FULL costing methodology in the CFM has lowered training costs, as well, total training days significantly less forecasted due to reduced recruiting.
5. The decrease in Dedicated Capital actual expenditures is mainly attributable to lower than planned spending for several large capital projects, specifically; HMCS Carleton, HMCS Hunter, and the Seismic retrofit Seaforth armoury were all drastically below forecasted spending.
6. The decrease in Shared Capital actual 2012-13 expenditures is mainly attributable to lower than planned spending on; Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS), LCSS LE, and CMTC +OPFOR facility all spent less than 50% of the amount forecasted

Sources : Vice Chief of the Defence Staff; Chief Military Personnel; Chief of the Land Staff

Notes:

1. Primary Reserve average monthly Paid Strength reporting, planning and allocations are based on monthly reports provided by Assistant Deputy Minister (Finance and Corporate Services) Group / Directorate of Strategic Finance and Costing and Assistant Deputy Minister (Information Management) / Director of Human Resources Information Management.
2. Primary Reserve Total strength figure is a forecasted end-year snapshot. This includes all Primary Reservists whether effective or non-effective.