Military History | How To Make War | Wars Around the World Rules of Use How to Behave on an Internet Forum
Australia Discussion Board
   Return to Topic Page
Subject: Weekend warriors facing front line in Afghanistan
Volkodav    1/23/2010 2:46:34 AM
EXCLUSIVE: Sean Parnell, FOI editor From: The Australian January 23, 2010 12:00AM DEFENCE chiefs are considering a secret plan to send more reservists to the front line, as battle fatigue takes its toll on Australian troops, particularly those on repeat, extended deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. In what may be the first large-scale use of part-time soldiers since the Vietnam War, Australia's army, navy and airforce strategists have highlighted areas in which reserves can relieve existing personnel or deliver their own targeted support. While last year's defence white paper foreshadowed a greater use of reserves, it is understood recruiting shortfalls and the continued challenge of maintaining such a high level of activity overseas has put the issue firmly on the agenda. The Weekend Australian has discovered that a detailed plan was delivered to Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston and department secretary Ian Watt last month and is under careful consideration, given the potential political and community fallout from any poorly delivered reforms. The Reserve Reform Stream Implementation Plan follows personnel and capability reviews across all three services and an ongoing conditions of service review set to change the circumstances in which reservists are engaged and the expectations placed upon them. The services have warned Defence chiefs that some specialist troops on repeated, extended deployments are being put under more stress and their relationships under greater strain as the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan continue. Of the 3884 Defence personnel to have had a disability claim accepted as a result of their service in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq, one in four had a mental illness. Studies of US troops in Iraq, detailed in the latest edition of The Lancet medical journal, reveal more American troops are being evacuated with mental illness, a trend the researchers partly attribute to the impact of repeat deployments and the additional burden carried by reserve troops. Defence briefing notes for Dr Watt, obtained under freedom of information laws, declare: "Part-time personnel are critical to current operations, both domestically and offshore, and this is likely to increase as further core and niche capability is developed in the part-time force." Reserves have already been put to use overseas, leading efforts in the Solomon Islands and bolstering some aspects of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, a lack of across-the-board training and battle-readiness has limited their availability for frontline warfare. The reserves plan was intended to make use of the "cost-effective capability" of part-time troops. The army has advised Dr Watt its reserves "will become more focused in achieving deployable (regionally and domestic) capability and, with greater integration with the regular component, achieve efficiencies for reinvestment elsewhere". "The army reserve continues to provide considerable support to army's work, with army relying increasingly on its part-time forces to sustain the high operational tempo," it said. "This has resulted in a greater operational focus for the army reserve. "Under the (US's) Total Force concept, it is proposed that the primary force structure determinant for the army reserve would be the provision of forces to meet specified force generation and force rotation requirements that cannot be met by the regular component of army. "Accordingly, the army reserve will supplement and complement the full-time force." The army reserve, as at May last year, had 16,943 active members and 12,438 inactive members. The army itself had 27,392 but has been aiming for 30,000 and, like all services, has also been looking at making better use of its servicemen and women to increase its operational capacity. Defence Minister John Faulkner was not available for comment last night, but Labor has promised to reinvigorate the reserves. A spokesman for Senator Faulkner emphasised that any such changes would be carefully considered.
 
Quote    Reply

Show Only Poster Name and Title     Newest to Oldest
Barracuda       1/25/2010 1:00:03 AM
I would be very suprised if they deployed GRES soldiers ... not for the level of training, which could be raised to meet the standard. But for the political will of our masters
 
Quote    Reply

Raven22       1/25/2010 2:26:31 AM
There are already lots and lots of reserve soldiers being deployed to Afghan, but generally only as individuals within a larger regular organisation. The time when a wholly reserve unit gets sent is still a long time away - even the most highly trained of reserve units, 1 CDO REGT, deploys with most of the key positions filled by regular personnel.
 
Quote    Reply

gf0012-aust       1/25/2010 2:36:41 AM
I'd seriously quesion this.  The use of more reservists has not been about tactical issues, its been about using more reservists so as to release others for tactical work.
 
there's a churn issue thats raising its head, but not wrt to sending an entire element off to do a kinetic job 
 
Quote    Reply

Volkodav       1/25/2010 4:12:20 AM
Could be interesting but I can't see GRES being much use in the mentoring function.  Boots on the ground VAP and assisting civilian authorities I can see as they would be better at it then the local boys, then again aren't we meant to be Afghanising the war?
 
Quote    Reply

gf0012-aust       1/25/2010 4:35:20 AM
 Boots on the ground VAP and assisting civilian authorities I can see as they would be better at it then the local boys, then again aren't we meant to be Afghanising the war?

except they're already using civilian contractors with the AATT (admitedly they tend to be ex veggies etc)...  so not much room for reservists there..
 
Quote    Reply

Volkodav       1/25/2010 7:59:00 AM
VAP is something the GRES (the LH especially so) used to be very good at in my day, don't know if they still are though.  From my (possibly miss informed) memory the idea used to be the GRES would carry out VAP, etc. including check points, OP's, limited patrolling etc. while the regs hunted and killed the threat.
 
Quote    Reply

Griffin       1/26/2010 10:34:11 PM
Some readers may be interested to know that Canada's Army Reservists have been extensively used overseas in Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia, etc.  Those going to Afghanistan are strictly voluntary applicants who undergoe a course to bring them up to regular force qualifications and then attached to a particular rotation (ROTO).  There they have performed admirably.  The significant number of reserve KIA attests to their willingness to risk their lives alongside their regular counterparts.
 
 
Quote    Reply



 Latest
 News
 
 Most
 Read
 
 Most
 Commented
 Hot
 Topics