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Mark, I will make the assumption that we are talking about reserve
units and not regular force units.
In Canada, and talking strictly for army reserves, units come in
two sizes:
a. Major units -- Battalion/Regiment
b. Minor units -- Company/Squadron/Battery
Some major units will have several companies in outlying locations
but they are still considered part of the battalion for strength
purposes.
If a major unit strength is reduced to such a number that it is
not viable to maintain its organization, it might be reduced to
a minor unit (hard on the LtCol who is now in a Major's position).
However, if the unit is successful in recruiting back up to a minimum
strength, it can be redesignated a major unit. I know of one unit
in Eastern Ontario that did excactly this.
If a minor unit cannot maintain strength it will be shut down. If
it is an outlying company, the current members will be transferred
to one of the other companies if they so desire. It is very difficult
to get a minor unit re-activated once they have been closed down.
If a town/city has more than one unit and some or all are having
trouble with strength, there has been forced amalgamation of them.
Sometimes into one of the existing units, sometimes into a completely
brand new one.
For the past several years this has not been a problem. Most units
have had strengths well over the minimum, and some have had more
than the maximum (done by borrowing strength from units that cannot
meet maximum).
Hope this is what you were looking for.
Roger
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| Re .3:
Thanks, Roger. The Americans tend to do the same thing (although
it gets a little political some times - probably not too different
elsewhere though).
For example, it used to be there were two National Guard Divisions
in New England - the 43rd Infantry Division (Connecticut and Rhode
Island) and the 26th Yankee Division (the rest of New England). About
25 years ago when the US Army was in one of its periodic reorganization
modes, the 43rd Infantry Division was reduced to Brigade size and
became the 43rd Brigade of the 26th Infantry Division. Needless to say
the higher ranking officers were unhappy campers because of the
reduction in staff positions but that organization remains with
us to this day. In my prior service days, I was in Headquarters
and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion 169th Infantry of the
Connecticut Army National Guard as a commo chief. We wore the 26th
Infantry "YD" patch even though we were part of the 43rd Brigade.
Mark
RMC USNR
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