Roundtable on Proposed Civilian Reserve Corps

[Xenophon]

I for one think this a great idea. Just because the details are difficult to work does not mean the concept should be scrapped. It should be worked until a viable model can be proposed.

[TheCurmudgeon]

I have had civilians on my TDA before but not in an MTOE unit. Lets suppose we actually wanted to imbed a team like this into a DIV or BDE level CMOC. Make them an actual part of the MTOE so that we (the Army) could pay and equip them. They could either be "loaners" from thier parent department or they could be civilians we hire specifically for the task. My question is, is there a way to do that within the current regulations?

[selil]

If I sign up do I get a gun!!!!! <- Marines everywhere will get the reference

[Ron Humphrey]

If I sign up do I get a gun!!!!! <- Marines everywhere will get the reference

But I think I get it too

[Ken White]

If I sign up do I get a gun!!!!! <- Marines everywhere will get the reference

For fun...

[MountainRunner]

CRC isn't mil, it's civ. In all, there are three levels to this concept, CRC actually being the lowest tier. Some details:

First is the ARC: Active Response Corps. Small, QRF (<48hrs), 100% of force (today: 10 people, target: 250)deployable up to 1yr, of USG civil servants that includes engineers, rule of law-types (lawyers, police, judges, etc), economists, public admin, health, ports, city planners, agronomists, etc. Heavily integrated with military, but civilian. Constant training when not deployed.

Second is the SRC: Standby Reserve Corps. Larger, ~2000, only 10-25% deployable, train a few weeks out of the year. Civil servants, FSOs, etc.

Third is the CRC: Civil Response Corps. ~500 'prototype' in near future, to be much larger. Civil service and private individiuals. Modeled after military reserve system but without the legal protections (i.e. no guarantee of a job to return to). 25% deployable at any one time, up to 1yr deployment, 4yr "enlistment", Presidential decision req'd for deployment. Trained as civilian teams to work alongside the military.

[selil]

So MountainRunner the ARC and SRC are current government employees I get that and it makes since. Hoever, the CRC are deployable for upt to a year on demand (at any time), have no legal protections (or soldier sailor act), are being deployed likely to hostile combat zones, and they would sign up for this why?

[MountainRunner]

Yes, there's the rub. I wish I posted on this last week, perhaps tonight if I get the chance. Why indeed. That's the question I asked after getting my answer if the CRC members would be covered by the same laws as NG etc. CRC will be the "peace corps with clout". The idea is to tap the "adventurous spirits" that want "to change the world for the better."

BTW- DoD is prepping for their version if the CRC falls through.

Aside: AFRICOM is looked as the big opp for S/CRS, and by extension CRC. The money has finally been allocated, now they need auth to spend it. SOUTHCOM is interested in a greater CRS presence. BTW, the entire (overt) American presence in Darfur is CRS.

[TheCurmudgeon]

: ...
BTW- DoD is prepping for their version if the CRC falls through.

Aside: AFRICOM is looked as the big opp for S/CRS, and by extension CRC. The money has finally been allocated, now they need auth to spend it. SOUTHCOM is interested in a greater CRS presence. BTW, the entire (overt) American presence in Darfur is CRS.

I guess I am a cynic. The only way I see this working is if DoD runs it. Even better if these teams are available to the military during planning and while units train. Best scenario in my mind is that that at least some of them are organic to certain units.

[Penta]

There is, IMHO, no way in hell such a setup as is posited here (especially the setup posited by MountainRunner) could work -without- a USERRA equivalent.

Nobody in their right -mind- would consider joining up for such a thing -unless- they had a guarantee (with teeth) that they would be able to return to what they were doing before being called up.

This is particularly acute for any position requring specialized training - why the hell would you bother?

If you don't focus on experience, just warm bodies with training, in my mind you edge in the Peace Corps's niche. So why have the Peace Corps? (And, real-world: Why the hell would a peace corps type sign up for something that sends them into hellholes? Or did none of the staffers who wrote that part up notice that PCVs are among the first people we pull out of a country?)

And this only extends the problems of C2...Who controls these folks? What legal system are they under? Local (which may not exist)? UCMJ (Somehow, I do not see that flying if they don't get at least similar conditions as active military personnel, just a hunch)? Something entirely different?

Edit: Oh, yeah. How do they fall under the Geneva Conventions?