Topic: How long does it take? (Reserves)

[Joel85]

Here‘s the scoop. I went for all my pre-enrolment evaluations on May 6th of this year. I passed the physical test, (26 sit-ups, 26 push-ups, 100 lbs hand grip, no problems with the step test). I passed the aptitude, and the recruiter told my I was an above average applicant. My medical went okay, I had to get a doctor‘s note to explain my asthma (very mild) and a note about a concussion i received a few years ago.

Now, I don‘t want to sound like a whiner, but should it really take this long? I applied to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, which is always looking for people. Should I give up hope?

Any answers, or thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[rickeytan]

I just filled out an application and want to know how long it will take (assuming everything goes well) to get into the reserves and start the basic training. I want to challenge myself both physically and mentally, as well as aquire some new skills.

[bender]

If it goes well your looking at a couple months. And don‘t get your hopes up on being challenge physicaly and mentally in the reserves. It‘s pretty slack and there‘s no standards. Better than working in a burger joint though!

[portcullisguy]

Originally posted by bender:
[qb]If it goes well your looking at a couple months. And don‘t get your hopes up on being challenge physicaly and mentally in the reserves. It‘s pretty slack and there‘s no standards. Better than working in a burger joint though![/qb]

Oh thank god for that, Bender!  And here I let the medical sgt. and the WO who interviewed me get me all worked up... telling me things like I might have to do lots of running around carrying heavy rucksacks and weapons, marching cross country, doing PT, getting up early, going to bed late, eating crap food, sitting outdoors having to stay alert for long periods of time, listening to 19 yr old corporals yell at me...  I thought it‘d be like the army, but you‘re saying now it‘s just a cakewalk... whew...

[Garett]

I became an officer because it was a way to get good training in the reserves.  Now they‘ve even changed that.

[~RoKo~]

How long will it take? I dropped off my papers in October, and still waiting... (actually, I needed to get some extra medical info, so that‘s why it‘s been taking soo bloody long)

As for the physical challenge.. well.. Don‘t know about that yet, but regardless I‘m in the gym or running or swimming every day (or any conbination thereof). When the snow/ice melts, I‘m going to start biking to class.. (30-45 min bike ride at a good clip, including huge hill).

I wish I had time to do more, though... And all my hardcore-civie buddies laugh at me for getting to campus at 7:45 in the morning to go for a jog before class at 9... oh well. Their loss.

[bender]

Portcullisguy- Yeah that‘s pretty much what i‘m saying about the Res! On my QL3 we hardly ever did PT and when we did the rule on the base was that we couldn‘t run,so we‘d end up going for a walk and doing a few push/sit/pull ups!  As for your 13Km ruck march that was scraped too! As for having to stay up on a "stand to" for long periods of time, that was also a joke. You‘d just be chatting with your buddy and having a smoke. I even think that we were supposed to get at least 6 hours of sleep every night while we were in the feild from 12 to 6. We didn‘t get those 6 hours but you‘ll only be out in the feild a few nights anyway. If ya can‘t handle a couple nights with minimal sleep find another job. As for training back at your unit they can push you more then when we were on QL3 but it‘ll only be a friday night,saturday, and sunday you‘ll be saying to yourself "I wonder what i‘ll have for supper tonight?" I‘m not saying it‘s the fault of our officers or higher ups, they‘re pretty limited in what they can do because of the limited resources they have to work with.

 The only time i‘ve really had to push myself is when I went away and trained with the british regs for cambrai patrol. As a side note, I‘m only speaking for the reserves, i‘ve heard better things about our reg force guys.

 I‘m just venting don‘t mind me...        

[Enfield]

The thing that challenged mne the most in the Militia was doing Ceremonial Guard with the PLF in Halifax a couple summers ago (after I did the MG course with our newest pointy-head Garett). It was a new idea, first time it‘d been run, and was given to a sergeant to organize and run. He had a couple Mcpl/Cpl‘s to help him and it was staffed by soldiers who wanted summer work or were between courses. Great summer.
However, since it was run by a sergeant, no officers around, no standards to meet, nothing, it was... revealing.
I think the easiest PT we did was 10km runs. For anyone who knows Halifax we did circuit training on the Commons, and relays up and down Citadel Hill. Damn, it was F**king hard! Pt was 1-1.5 hours every morning, and then the day began - drill, standing at attention for an hour 3 times a day, TCCS familiarization, playing on the FATS range, or polishing kit. Then downtown afterwards. Great summer, really challenging - and all because there was no standard, no officers, no oversight, and no interference.

[bender]

Sounds it was a good summer. It looks like there‘s hope for this summer. There are alot of oppenings for courses usually not availible to res guys. I think this is a resullt of so many soliders overseas.

[Disturbance]

Portcullisguy

carrying heavy rucksacks -maybe not far but you will
 and weapons - uh hello of course
 marching cross country- yup did a bunch of that too
 doing PT - yup did a bit of that too
 getting up early, going to bed late - I was working pretty much constantly from 630 to 1030 everyday
 eating crap food - sometimes but most of the time its good
 sitting outdoors having to stay alert for long periods of time - wait till your defensive ex
 listening to 19 yr old corporals yell at me - MAster Corporals
... I thought it‘d be like the army, but you‘re saying now it‘s just a cakewalk... whew... -WHAT THE ****  whew. You should want it to be hard!!

[ryemaybee]

Hey guys I know I‘m in the infantry forum but being new to the site I thought I‘d look around a bit.
Courses...seem to me to be entirely dependant on the willingness of the course staff to provide troops with decent training, particularly in PT. It‘s a bit of a fine line, as some guys just try to show off and run candidates into the ground without making any improvements to their PT ability. Or their motivation towards it. Others do no PT at all or play alot of "sports" and fail to condition their soldiers for the field.
As for wanting it to be hard as "Disturbance" suggested I have to agree, if you aren‘t pushing your mental, and physical limits you aren‘t doing it right. The nature of the reserve, with no contract signed, no job protection etc, means that it is difficult to enforce any sort of PT standard on the troops as they have the legit excuse of lack of workup. That said it is the duty of every soldier to maintain a high level of fitness so they can function in the field, reservist or no. The army could really help the issue by disseminating a national PT standard and program for reg and reserve units.
As for "19yr old Corporals yelling at you" ask yourself how long a soldier has been soldiering first, and don‘t even bother worrying about how old your staff is. They are instructors because they have the required training and skill. Do what they say when they say it and you are less likely to be yelled at as well.
Sorry for the lengthy post guys.

[Love793]

The hold up is in Borden, your med file is probably at RMO for review.  Be patient.

[CanadianTire]

Wait times for Borden vary considerably.  My first medical took two months.  When I went to appeal it in the summer, I was told it had been submitted at the end of May, I should expect an answer at the end of July.  It was nearly the end of October before I got a response.  Although if your medical was submitted around the same time as mine and you still haven't heard back, you may want to call your recruiter.  A friend of mine was all set to enroll in the reserves as an officer and then they went and lost ALL his paperwork, pretty much forcing him to start from nothing.

[ShaBoing]

from what i have been told they have 2 doctors looking over all the files for CF applicants (for a lack of better word, haha) which is why there usually is a wait for medical acception/rejection. and believe me you want them to accept you the first time. my medical papers had an error, somehow my mild shellfish allergy was misunderstood as a general seafood allergy so i was rejected, then i had to get documents from the doc's office and write a memo and play the waiting game all over again, haha. not fun. but it works out in the end so "hurry up and wait".... and wait.... wand wait, haha, good luck with it soldier in waiting

[Love793]

from what i have been told they have 2 doctors looking over all the files for CF applicants (for a lack of better word, haha) which is why there usually is a wait for medical acception/rejection. and believe me you want them to accept you the first time. my medical papers had an error, somehow my mild shellfish allergy was misunderstood as a general seafood allergy so i was rejected, then i had to get documents from the doc's office and write a memo and play the waiting game all over again, haha. not fun. but it works out in the end so "hurry up and wait".... and wait.... wand wait, haha, good luck with it soldier in waiting

You hit it right on the nose.  2 Phys Assistants, processing upwards of 10000 med files.  As for the next question (and obvious solution) "Why don't hire more people to process these files?"  Hey I just work here.

[Meridian]

2 PAs.. so its not even an MD who is signing off on this? Wow.

Out of curiosity. what kind of medical training is required to be a PA? (Just curious).

[Love793]

I'm not even sure what a PA actually does, are they Nurses? Are they Interns?   They are working for a Maj though so there is a MO somewhere around them.

[buckwild]

So right now I am waiting to hear something back, I am currently trying to get into the reserves and cutting it tight to make it into the winter training. It's got me a little stressed out, I am trying to book my P.T testing but everyone is on holidays and I need to have it before the first week of January  !!!!! I just hope everyone works out as planed!

Any advice from anyone?

[Dave87c]

Where are you located? Here in Brampton the P.T tests are taking place all around the holiday times.. Had mine last week or so, Couple of buddies of mine have it Dec 27th, I myself am waiting for my med on Jan 17th before the program starts in the first week of feb.

[buckwild]

Kingston, Ont