Asthma & the CF (merged thread)

[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.

 

[Korus]

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... :tank: :fifty:

 

[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.

 

[robreadman]

What‘s the procedure on mild, manageable asthma?

 

[311]

Well...I used to have asthma and they made me take a letter to my docter..and make him say that its gone...So I guess even if its managible, it could be a problem.

 

[robreadman]

That‘s Disheartening. What if you can do the fitness tests and exercise all without any medication?

 

[Michael OLeary]

What you can do in the gym, well-rested, lightly attired and unstressed, is a far cry from the potential conditions of exertion when you are tired, hungry, wet and cold, after sucking dust, diesel fumes and pollen for days in the field, with little sleep and under the pressure of assessment, or worse, having to consider the possibly lethal results of poor decision-making. Imagine trying to do it in the continued presence of every trigger for the condition you can imagine being present.

Mike

 

[Jungle]

You can always try to hide it during the recruiting process, but it very well may catch up to you eventually considering the conditions we have to live/work in at times. Also, it is quite possible that you are released from the CF through the back door for lying during the recruitment process. Up to you... but I advise telling the truth and getting proper evaluation of your condition, and accepting the consequences. It is for your own good, and that of people around you should you join.

 

[Illucigen]

Safe bet, call your Doctor. ask your doctor what he thinks. CFRC will give you a form for him to sign anyway, and the form will basically confirm his ideas of the types of stresses your body needs to endure. In essense, you wont need the form, he can live off of his expectations of what the miltiary is to judge your condition. If he says maybe, then go down and ask to speek to med pers.

 

[ggranatstein]

Hi all,

A friend of mine is looking to join up in the reserves - specifically logisitcs, like me. He will have no problem meeting all the requirements but suffers from mild asthma.

It is nothing that causes attacks, but makes it slighltly harder to run if he does not use an inhaler. Will this restrict his entry into the army?

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks for your time!

Gabriel

 

[portcullisguy]

I have seen guys use an inhaler, I have no idea as to their medical status on entry into the CF however.

I would _imagine_ (in other words I don‘t really know) that if the asthma wasn‘t TOO bad, as in it could be controlled, then he‘d be ok. Would probably expect to have to provide a medical certificate.

Best option - ask a recruiter, or medical pers working in a recruiting office.

 

[klumanth]

I had a guy on my three‘s course with asthma. He made it just fine but he did have a tough time with PT, especially runs. Mind you he was also lazy. In short, your friend shouldn‘t have any major problems with joining the army. The recruiting process may be slower however, because there may be more paperwork to fill out.

 

[robreadman]

I‘m Currently in the recruiting process as a reserve officer and I have mild asthma. I told the Medical personnel about it and Then I had to send some document to my doctor and he is taking his sweet time filling those out, it does make the process take longer but it shouldn‘t be too much of a problem. It all depends on what the medical review board thinks that‘s the main thing.