CAF return to duty and the Reserve Force

Support to the Primary Reserve Force (P Res)

Ill or injured CAF Members of the Reserve Force are eligible for RTD.

For members of the P Res, the RTD is considered complete when the member is medically determined to be capable of:

Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service (COATS)

COATS members who become ill or are injured, may be eligible for enrollment in the RTD program provided funding is available. Funding is at the discretion of the COATS member’s unit (or possibly higher level of command within VCDS)

Each of five Regional Cadet Support Units (RCSUs) (Pacific, North West Territories, Central, Eastern and Atlantic) have appointed RTD Representatives who liaise directly with their local TC RTD Coordinator for guidance and advice regarding COATS members on RTD

The RTD Coordinators perform the same function as the TC RTD Coordinators with respect to COATS members only. They are responsible to their respective RCSU Chain of Command.

Canadian Rangers

The Canadian Rangers (CR) role is “to provide a military presence in those sparsely settled northern coastal and isolated areas of Canada which cannot conveniently or economically be covered by other elements of the Canadian Armed Forces”.

The content of this Guide should be applied with an appropriate appreciation of the needs and expectations of the CR community. In general terms, the RTD program for CR members for service-related illness/injuries is no different than it is for Regular Force or other Reserve Force members in larger, less remote communities. However, due to the geographic and cultural uniqueness of the CR community, administrative and logistical challenges can be presented that require creative solutions. The CO of the applicable Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (CRPG) should be engaged in any collaborative effort when developing an RTD plan for a CR and throughout the application of the RTD process.

Where feasible, every effort should be made to provide an RTD Plan for ill and injured CR members to begin their reintegration within their local communities. Cultural and linguistic considerations make employment placements in other communities difficult, particularly at the Regional level.

In some instances, due to the remote locations of the CR Patrols, it will not always be feasible to apply the RTD program. Many communities do not have available services (medical/social experts) and the only employment available to the CR is seasonal work. In these instances, there are no alternate trades available within the community. Training CR on RTD to “do a different task or to change the means of their livelihood” is not feasible. As such, and in these situations, application of the RTD program may be limited to assisting the CR in rehabilitation. In those larger communities that can provide a diverse work environment application of the RTD is more feasible.

Supplementary Reserve

The Supplementary Reserve (Supp Res) is a sub-component of the Reserve Force. The purpose of the Supp Res is to augment the Regular Force and other sub-components of the Reserve Force with individual officers and NCMs as required and with their consent (or without their consent if placed on active service by the Governor In Council).

With their consent, Supp Res members may serve on Class "A", "B" or "C" Reserve Service. To be eligible for Class "A", "B" or "C" Reserve Service, Supp Res members are required to meet the minimum operational standards related to universality of service, age medical, dental and physical fitness standards, military occupation specifications, rank and security clearance requirements for the position and the component or sub-component with which they will be serving.

Supp Res members who become ill or are injured, and who are transferring to the P Res, are eligible for enrollment in the RTD Program, at the discretion of their P Res CO.

Reserve Force Compensation (RFC) and RTD

Should a member of the Reserve Force, while on Class “A”, “B” or “C” service, suffer an injury, disease or illness which is attributable to military service, and should this injury, disease or illness continue beyond the period of service during which it occurred, the member is entitled to compensation equivalent to the rate of pay established for the member’s rank for the class of reserve service the member was serving at the time of the injury, disease or illness.

A member of the Reserve Force on Class A, B or C service who has applied for RFC may be enrolled in the RTD Program pending the disposition of their application. If the member’s application for RFC is approved, the member can continue with their RTD plan as recommended by their PHCP and approved by their CO in accordance with CBI 210.72. Reserve Force members who suffer an injury or illness attributable to their military service may also be eligible for compensation under the Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA) for a period of incapacitation. Such compensation may be received from GECA or from RFC, but not both.

For Reserve Force members on Class A service, the member’s P Res unit must agree to fund Class A pay during the period of injury, disease or illness until such time as an application for RFC has been approved. Any Class A pay authorized by the unit for the purpose of RTD will not be considered as employment during the adjudication of the RFC application. However, if the RFC application is not approved, the unit will remain responsible for any past or future Class A pay associated with the member’s RTD plan.

For a member of the Reserve Force in receipt of RFC, refusal to participate in a legitimate RTD plan is deemed as a refusal for treatment, and may therefore result in the termination of the RFC benefit.

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