The structure of command has been changed. At the time we set up what we called the “total force“ concept, there were two elements. The Militia was led by the Militia and fell under the command of the army. In the beginning, these two elements were supposed to complement each other and work jointly.
Today, you know how the system operates within the Armed Forces. The commander is a member of the Regular Force and the militiamen are placed under his authority. He is the boss, and he decides and does what he wants. There is less and less of a contribution by the Reserve and by the Militia with regard to the decisions to be made.
There is a whole ripple effect on recruitment, training and strength level. Everything is interrelated and the system is suffering from this because it is more and more focussed on the needs and the way to manage the regular force. You cannot manage a citizen-soldier system using the system applied by the Regular Force with regard to training, course duration and programming of courses during the year. You must know your clientele and know how to accommodate it. We are doing the reverse. For example, we are telling our clientele that the courses will be given on such and such a date. The reservist tries to free himself up in order to be able to attend. Then, the course is cancelled for all sorts of reasons. Holidays have been planned based on a given date, but the course does not go ahead. It is delayed for a year or two, etc. There is a whole ripple effect.