An open-ended NATO contribution

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http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics...oops-1.3669952

Canada sent its German-based brigade to the Balkans in 1992-3 for UN duties. Well, parts of the brigade went south with specific equipment. Then 4CMBG was collapsed about 1995. Vehicles, bases, stores etc were sold off or shipped back to Canada.

When I heard Canada was going to return a force to Europe, I immediately speculated our best effort would be a reinforced company with a heavy HQ staff. I speculated to an old NCO that this might be a good opportunity for the department to show the Reserves that they matter. My thought was to make this trip-wire deployment a 100% Reserve task. When the first brigade was mobilized for then-West Germany, units that had done well in WW2 were offered the chance to stand up companies and battalions. The Reg F only replaced them after the Korean War took the pressure off those units.

My friend offered a second suggestion. For several years there has been a rotating brigade on a higher readiness state than the other two. The irony is those troops are untouchable when real operations arise, and other forces have to be generated from existing formations. He suggested making the Baltic's deployment the prize for being that high readiness brigade. But that would make too much sense.