Domestic roles for reserves

This looks very sensible (as opposed to the Conservative's silly promise during the 2005/6 election campaign to create "as many as 14 territorial defence battalions stationed in cities across the country"):

MILITARY REVAMPS DOMESTIC DEFENCE
Reserve soldiers training for terror attacks, disasters on home soil

The Canadian military has embarked on a wide-ranging plan to turn its reserve soldiers into focused units trained and equipped to respond to a nightmarish array of domestic threats, including terrorist "dirty bomb" attacks, biological agent containment, Arctic catastrophes and natural disasters.

The creation of seven units within each region of the country -- including unusual all-terrain vehicle (ATV) squadrons and perimeter security teams to cordon areas of potential devastation -- prepares reserve soldiers for operations on the "domestic front" while freeing regular force soldiers to concentrate on foreign battlefields.

"There is a recognition, certainly within the military and we have heard the government say, that domestic security is the number one priority. A number of these conclusions come from the post-9/11 world we live in," said Brigadier-General Jean Collin, commander of the army in Ontario, during an exclusive interview with the National Post.

"The reality is an army needs to train, an army needs to equip itself and an army needs to be ready."

The remodelling of the reserves will see the development of specialist units in four of the military's regional divisions -- Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario and the West. The units will include perimeter security teams prepared to cordon off an area if there was an atomic detonation, nuclear accident or similar source of wide contamination and "Arctic response" groups that are trained and equipped to live and operate in the far north.

The changes highlight both a renewed focus on domestic security and the increased role of reservists.

They are part-time volunteer soldiers augmenting the ranks of full-time soldiers, who are referred to as the "regular" forces. The place of reserves in the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan was shown yesterday when one of three soldiers killed by a roadside bomb was a reservist from Ontario [Warrant Officer Dennis Brown--his wife speaks out in support of the mission--Update: a post, with video, by Raphael Alexander on Mishelle Brown]...

NEW RESERVE UNITS

A sweeping plan to remodel the military reserves will create seven new units in four regions across Canada to deal with domestic threats, from terrorists to natural disasters. The change sees part-time, volunteer soldiers training for dark scenarios already envisioned in apocalyptic Hollywood movies:

ATV SQUAD

Estimated size Four squads of 20 vehicles

Nightmare scenario

Desperately need to get across rubble of destroyed buildings or heavily wooded ravine

Movie it suggests Daylight starring Sylvester Stallone

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL,

RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR DEFENCE

ARCTIC RESPONSE

New unit Arctic Response Company

Estimated size 600 to 800 personnel

Nightmare scenario Airliner crashes in the High Arctic

Movie it suggests Alive starring Ethan Hawke

PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS

Estimated size Unknown

Nightmare scenario

Why don't these people realize we're here to help??

Movie it suggests Operation Dumbo Drop starring Danny Glover

CIVIL MILITARY CO-OPERATION TEAMS

Estimated size Four teams of two to five

Nightmare scenario Soldiers and civilians need to work closely together to defeat enemy

Movie it suggests

Independence Day starring Will Smith Estimated size Various

Nightmare scenario Cordon off wide area after calamitous contamination strikes

Movie it suggests Outbreak starring Dustin Hoffman

ENGINEERS TEAM

New unit Engineers Team

Estimated size Unknown

Nightmare scenario Must rebuild crucial bridge lickety-split

Movie it suggests Bridge On The River Kwai starring Sir Alec Guinness

POTABLE WATER SUPPLY TEAM

Estimated size Enough personnel to run 22 clean water machines

Nightmare scenario

Our water is poison!

Movie it suggests

Batman Begins starring Christian Bale