RHQ Sep 16 SITREP

30 Sep 16
Distr List
RHQ THE RCR SITREP SEPTEMBER 2016
RHQ EVENTS PAST MONTH
8 Sep, DCO Committee meeting, Petawawa.
13 Sep, RM attended The RCR Association Strategic Review Committee, Petawawa.
14-16 Sep, RM conducted a routine visit to Wolseley Barracks, attended Museum BoA meeting, met
with The RCR Trust’s lawyer on behalf of The RCR Association Strategic Review Committee, met
with COS 31 CBG, met with NPP staff London Det and attended the 4 RCR change of RSM parade,
London, ON; met with the Div G4, Toronto.
21 Sep, Regt Adjt attended The RCR Association Board Meeting, Petawawa.
RHQ EVENTS NEXT FOUR WEEKS
22-23 Oct, RHQ team will execute the Regimental Retirement Dinner, Kingston, ON.
COLONEL-OF-THE-REGIMENT (COTR) SCHEDULE
22 Oct. Regimental Retirement Dinner, Kingston.
29 Nov. IODP 1.2 Regimental Badging, Gagetown.
5-9 Dec. ROIC and Regimental Senate, Kingston, dates TBC.
RETIREMENT/DWD EVENTS
Serial
Rank, Initials
& Surname
1. Capt J.P.
McNulty
2. LCol R.N.
Washburn
3. WO J.P.
Lamothe
Date &
Time of
event
6 Oct,
1200 hrs
6 Oct,
1400 hrs
6 Oct,
1500-1800
hrs
Location OPI with contact info Senior RCR
representative
attending (if
known)
Cartier Square Capt André Cantin at
COTR
Drill Hall
Saint Andrew’s
Barracks
Officers’ Mess
Oromocto
Legion
Andre.Cantin2@forces.gc.ca
RSVP/anecdotes to Maj Bob
Pearson, at
robert.pearson@forces.gc.ca by
29 September
RSVP/anecdotes to MWO Rick
Yuskiw at
Richard.Yuskiw@forces.gc.ca or
by fax to 506-422-1458
4. MWO B. Miles 7 Oct Private function MWO W.K. Hunter at
Wade.Hunter@forces.gc.ca
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
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REGIMENTAL EVENTS
22 Oct 16, 1800 for 1830 hrs, Regimental Retirement Dinner, RMC Senior Staff Mess, Kingston,
ON.
5-9 Dec 16, Regimental Officers’ Indoctrination Course, Kingston, ON, Dates TBC.
Tentative 8 Dec 16 TBC, Regimental Senate, Kingston, ON.
RHQ PRIORITY OF WORK
1. Regimental Website
The work of the Regimental Website Committee proceeds. On 15 Sep a representative of The RCR
Association signed the contract with the selected contractor, PixelEra. Work on the website design and
layout has commenced with the input of committee members. Col Sandy McQuarrie (ret’d), LCol
Lockhart, Regimental Secretary, and Cam Carbert of The RCR Trust met with the PixelEra team in
Ottawa on 27 Sep. Additional meetings with the design team will be held throughout the autumn.
Contract signing was delayed by one week from the initial plan and this may affect the final delivery date,
however, at this time the project continues to aim for mid-December completion of the new regimental
website.
2. National Regimental Retirement Dinner
The Regimental Adjutant issued the formal invitation to the regiment by e-mail on 22 Sep. RHQ is in
contact with the retirees and planning continues. See invitation, re-attached here for information.
Regimental
Retirement Dinner Invitation
3. 2015 Pro Patria
The draft proof arrived at RHQ on 22 Sep. It was conveyed to Ottawa for review on 23 Sep by the
Regimental Secretary and returned to the graphic designer with corrections on 28 Sep.
4. Staff Estimate – The RCR Pipes & Drums
At its meeting on 30 Jun, the Regimental Senate confirmed REC direction to RHQ to draft Commander’s
Planning Guidance for a staff estimate to be conducted regarding COAs for the future employment of The
RCR Pipes & Drums. CPG was signed by Chair REC on 26 Sep and distributed on 27 Sep, re-attached
here for information.
CPG The RCR Pipes
& Drums Estimate
5. CONPLAN FORTH BRIDGE
No change from August SITREP: “New direction was received from CA HQ on 26 Jul. The CA order,
dated 11 Apr 16, amends some details from the previous CJOC direction including the dress (now Full
Dress 1B vice Service Dress) and gives additional details for the organization of the Canadian memorial
service. RHQ will amend the regiment’s CONPLAN and hold in readiness”.
6. Implementation of CAO 33-19
Summary. The 4 Div hold order on public purchases of regimental 1B uniforms will remain in place until
further notice. There is no change to the situation briefed at the REC on 28 Jun.
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On 16 Sep the RM met with the 4 Div G4 to discuss the issues surrounding No.1B Full Dress
procurement and maintenance as directed in CAO 33-19. It is clear that there are a number of issues
which must be resolved at the CA and CAF levels before the CAO can be fully implemented. Among
them:
Maintenance. CAO 33-19 follow-up direction issued by CA HQ on 20 Jul 16 implies, but does not
explicitly state, that public money may be spent on the maintenance of “existing No.1B uniforms”
[therefore NPF-acquired in the case of all regiments less those uniforms purchased with public funds
for the R22eR, RMC and Ceremonial Guard]. The Div G4 has requested that CA HQ explicitly
confirm this direction as it contradicts many decades of policy wherein public money may generally
not be spent on the upkeep of NPP. This issue is the reason that 1 RCR was not able to maintain, i.e.
dry-clean, the 1B uniforms which it had drawn from RHQ/Full Dress Stores for its change of
command this past June. To resolve this impasse RHQ subsequently sought Regimental Financial
Committee authority to spend a non-forecasted in-year amount of $6k from the Regimental Fund
(NPF) to dry-clean the uniforms. An electronic committee vote in late August authorized this
expenditure and RHQ is executing.
Procurement. Div staff assesses that it makes very little sense from a logistical, financial or practical
perspective for individual units or Garrison Supply Sections to separately contract for the public
acquisition of 1B uniforms and regimental accoutrements. Indeed such a procedure essentially
amounts to contract splitting on a national scale and moreover will virtually guarantee the lack of a
common standard among the various regiments authorized to wear 1B. CAO 33-19 predicts that such
items will eventually transition to central management, however, there is a strong argument that such
action should begin first, rather than permitting many separate local purchases. This argument
applies equally to the acquisition of other items, such as regimental buttons. Only for the smallest,
most unique and low-cost items authorized by CAO 33-19, such as regimental flags & pennants, does
it make sense to procure locally.
Infantry-of-the-Line vs. RCR P&D No.1B Uniforms. Scope exists for the acquisition of No.1B
uniforms for bands to be treated differently, in part because CAO 33-19 establishes a “scale of issue”
for Volunteer Pipes & Drums Bands, but also because band uniforms and equipment are inherently
small-scale, unique and often legitimately sole-sourced. 2 CMBG G4 called for unit returns by 11
Oct stating general regimental requirements for 1B, however, in the specific case of the regiment’s
infantry 1B uniforms it is not anticipated that Div HQ will authorize public money for infantry 1B
purchases in fy 17/18 as the regiment already has 400 sets of (NPF acquired) 1B uniforms with which
to execute CONPLAN BRIDGE or Op DISTINCTION tasks – the rationale for immediate public
purchase offered by CAO 33-19 and its follow-up amplification. There is a stronger case to be made
for the public acquisition of P&D 1B in fy 17/18, however, until further staff action can resolve the
issues noted above, Comd 4 Div issued further direction on 26 Sep that 4 Div HQ will not approve
public purchases of 1B uniforms in fy 17/18.
7. Regimental Council
Regimental Senate. Due to changes in schedules the proposed date for the next Regimental Senate
(8 Dec) is being re-examined. Consider this date tentative for the time being; more to follow.
REC. Dates in mid-November are being considered for an REC meeting, including tele-conference
or VTC. More to follow.
8. DCO Committee
The DCO Committee met at RHQ on 8 Sep. Minutes to follow.
9. Staff Duties check of Regimental Strategy
Staff duties/formatting check was completed on 21 Sep and the document was uploaded to the RHQ
ACIMS site in the Working Documents library. End of reporting for this item.
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10. Full Dress Stores
Full Dress Stores has been issued a warning order to support No.1B kitting-out of a 50-soldier guard for
an event on 26 Nov 16.
11. Regimental Archivist
Priority of work:
Afghanistan Battle Honours. On 20 Sep DHH requested additional information from the regiment
concerning The RCR Battle Honours Submission and specifically the recommendation a campaign
honour to be styled KANDAHAR. On 28 Sep the Regt Archivist was tasked with compiling a
summary list of all engagements and actions involving RCR elements in Kandahar Province.
Biography. The Regt Archivist is completing work on the biography of a former regimental
member.
Photo Gallery Update. Obtaining Pre-Korea, WWII and post 1990’s CO’s photos to update RHQ’s
rogues’ gallery.
Research Paper – Proposed Afghanistan Commemorative Dates. The Regt Archivist submitted his
research paper on 6 Sep and it was considered by the DCO Committee at its 8 Sep meeting.
Recommendations for an Afghanistan Regimental Commemoration Day will go forward to the next
meeting of the REC this autumn.
Vol 3 History Committee. After five and half years in the making, the contract between The RCR
Trust and the selected author, Major John R. Grodzinski, PhD was signed on 29 Sep in a short
ceremony at the Fort Frontenac Officers’ Mess. The author, who is a respected RMC professor, will
now commence research and work on the regiment’s Volume 3 History, with the Regimental
Archivist, as Secretary to the Vol 3 History Committee, acting as John Grodzinski’s Point of Contact
with RHQ and the regiment generally.
Regimental History Volume 3, Contract Signing, Fort Frontenac Officers’ Mess, 29 Sep 2016. Left to Right:
Col Tom Tarrant (ret’d) Chair The RCR Trust, Maj John Grodzinski, BGen Jim Simms (ret’d) Chair Vol 3
History Committee.
12. Regimental Competitions
RHQ has recalled all of the regimental competition trophies for refurbishment, updating as required and
photographing for inclusion in the 2017 edition of Regimental Standing Orders. The trophies will be held
at RHQ pending the 2017 regimental competitions to be held in March 17. As in March 2016, the 2017
competitions will again include the Boyle, Rawley and Holmes’ competitions. Also returning to the lineup
in 2017 is the Spry Competition which was last competed and won by 2 RCR in 2009. 1 RCR is
tracking its supporting task for the Boyle and Holmes’ competitions; 3 RCR is tracking its range task for
the execution of the Spry Competition.
13. The RCR Gate, Halifax
RHQ received a SITREP on 8 Sep from the regimental ERE officer following this issue in Halifax; recopied
below from his separate e-mail exchange. Note background context – when this subject was first
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eported to RHQ it was indicated that RPOU(A) had contacted DHH regarding funding for the restoration
of the gate. A regimental officer posted to DHH noted this in a past RHQ SITREP, queried it within
DHH and it transpires that DHH is not involved after all, as the quoted text below clarifies:
E-mail 8 Sep: “No work has been done on it: I physically checked yesterday. There is still an active
Work Request in with RPOU(A) to have the gate rehabilitated. I queried for an update again with the
Det Comd last week, his plans staff last week and his coordination officer on Tues. There will be an
RPCC on 29 Sep where we will bring it up…RP Ops has not involved DHH to my knowledge. The
“heritage people” that they deal with is the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office (FHBRO -
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/progs/beefp-fhbro/index.aspx). The Gate is not a listed or designated site but
as it is historic, RP Ops indicated to me that they would contact FHBRO. The Gate will not be impacted
by the upcoming teardown of A-block or the movement of the Almon Access Gate according to the
Project Manager. No timeline on when those projects will start.”
14. Presentation of copy of HRH bust to Rideau Hall
RHQ is monitoring the means for information regarding a commemorative event to be held in the future.
15. Administration of Regimental Civilian Employees
On 15 Sep the RM had a lengthy meeting with NPF staff London Det to discuss the transition of the
regiment’s NPP employees under the administrative umbrella of CFM&WS, however, subsequently
CFM&WS HQ indicated that the Trenton NPF Detachment was their designated office for handling NPP
staff, whereas NPP London will only deal with PRes NPP staff and accounts. Back to the drawing
board…
16. Regimental Warehouse
New Regimental Buttons. Regimental buttons from the regiment’s new supplier, Polix Industries,
arrived on 21 Sep and are now available for sale. These buttons are significantly more robust, shiny
and smart than those provided by previous suppliers.
New Regimental Sword. The regimental pattern sword authorized by the REC at its 28 Jun meeting
arrived at RHQ on 20 Sep. The first sword has been dedicated as the Colonel-of-the-Regiment’s
sword and will remain on display at RHQ. Personnel wishing to obtain the regimental pattern sword
may contact the Regimental Warehouse for supplier and ordering information.
Warehouse Revenue – August 2016. Regimental Warehouse financials are published one month in
arrears:
Location Sales Profit
Warehouse incl
www.thercr.ca $7,499.28 $1,082.02 1
internet sales
Museum Gift Shop $2,236.28 $841.04
Canex Meaford $48.01 $11.10
Canex Gagetown $1,309.41 $369.88
Canex Petawawa $941.88 $239.61
Canex Kingston $230.35 $66.43
Canex Ottawa $53.96 $15.92
Canex.ca $36.97 $9.85
$12,356.14 $2,635.85
1
Low profit figure reflects the re-sale of soldier benefit items (“VCP”) to The RCR Fund General Account and the re-sale of
regimental items to bn kit shops at cost.
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17. Regimental Museum
Afghanistan Oral History Project. With the assistance of RCR ERE members in Kingston, the
project will conduct video interviews in Kingston 5-7 Oct. Regimental personnel who wish to be
interviewed regarding their experiences in Afghanistan may contact Major C. Nobrega at
Christopher.Nobrega@forces.gc.ca
Service Level Agreement. No change. SLA between The RCR Museum and 4 CDSG is in draft.
Employee Hours. A proposal to increase museum employee hours in the 2017 RCR Fund budget
was forwarded to the Chair of The RCR Trust on 11 July.
Oct Museum
Newsletter
Museum Group Visits
Oct
Museum Event
Invitation
18. RHQ Orderly Room
In September the RHQ Orderly Room processed gifts for 11 Releases/Retirements and six flower orders
for regimental births.
19. The RCR Trust
On behalf of the Colonel of the Regiment and The RCR Trust, on 14 Sep the RM presented the COTR
Commendation to Mr. John Pongrac, The RCR Trust Fund’s Accountant, for his outstanding diligence
and work for The RCR Trust.
COTR Commendation Presentation to Mr. John Pongrac, The RCR Museum, 14 Sep 2016. Left to Right: Mr. John
Pongrac, Accountant for The RCR Trust; Maj B.J. Wright, Regimental Major
REPORTS & RETURNS
RHQ Reports & Returns are updated as required and attached in each monthly RHQ SITREP for the
action/information of all Royal Canadians. The current version of RHQ Reports & Returns is dated 11
July 2016. RHQ Reports & Returns may also be found at RHQ’s ACIMS Sharepoint site on the Orderly
Room tab: http://acims.mil.ca/org/rhq_the_rcr/default.aspx
RHQ Reports &
Returns
OTHER ACTIVITIES/EVENTS
Nil
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REGIMENTAL/RHQ ORGANIZATION
Regimental
Organization
RM ASSESSMENT/COMMENTS
NSTR.
B.J. Wright
Maj
RM
4350
Distr List
Chair REC
Regt Secretary
Info
Regt Senate//COTR/Chair/Members
1 RCR//CO/DCO/OC Duke’s Coy/Adjt/RSM/DSM
2 RCR//CO/DCO/Adjt/RSM/DSM
3 RCR//CO/DCO/Adjt/RSM/DSM
4 RCR//CO/DCO/Adjt/RSM/DSM
ERE//RCR Colonels/RCR COs/Regt Mentors
Chair, The RCR Association
Chair, The RCR Trust
Regimental Museum//Chair, Board of Advisors/Executive Director/Members
Regt Archives
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