# Infantry or Sig. Op



## Sask._trooper (19 Dec 2005)

For a while now I have thought about joining the Forces after I graduate this year. I had decided to join the infantry but recently Signal Operators has been brought to my attention. It sounds like it has some of the aspects I wanted in the infantry such as weapon usage and field operations, but with more of a technical side. My question is if I were to become a signal operator would I get a lot of chances to go into the field with a weapon, or would I be confined to a cp and a desk? Would I get to pick a certain area as a signal operator, such as a field radio operator. Also I would like to know the specific duties of a signal operator. Any help would be much appreciated.


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## kincanucks (19 Dec 2005)

215 Sig Op  --  http://army.ca/forums/threads/13075.0.html
215 Sig Op  --  http://army.ca/forums/threads/17590.0.html
215 Sig Op  --  http://army.ca/forums/threads/4278.0.html
215 Sig Op  --  http://army.ca/forums/threads/463.0.html


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## Scoobie Newbie (19 Dec 2005)

if you want to go oversea's then sig op is the way to go.   wpns is not a big thing for them


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## AoD71 (19 Dec 2005)

If you like aspects of the Infantry, but want to be more on the technical side, I think being a Combat Engineer is something to consider.


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## Hoover (19 Dec 2005)

Weapons!!! Believe me, you don't really want one. Just another thing to babysit, march around with and clean. I swear the thing gets dirtier when you don't even fire it!!


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## Canadian Sig (27 Dec 2005)

Hoover said:
			
		

> Weapons!!! Believe me, you don't really want one. Just another thing to babysit, march around with and clean. I swear the thing gets dirtier when you don't even fire it!!



Your gonna hate life at a brigade.


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## Radop (28 Dec 2005)

Hoover said:
			
		

> Weapons!!! Believe me, you don't really want one. Just another thing to babysit, march around with and clean. I swear the thing gets dirtier when you don't even fire it!!



That's because it does with sweating and dust and finger print oils, etc.  

I have never seen an AA gun (plus that is going the way of the dodo bird anyway) but have fired most smaller caliber wpns.  If you go to the artillary, you probably will get to fire the guns.

We have dets with all branches in the land environment.  If you want more info for the trade, e-mail me and I will find someone near you that you can talk to.  Saskatchewan has two comms units, one in Saskatoon, and the other in Regina.


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## muffin (4 Jan 2006)

Sask._trooper said:
			
		

> For a while now I have thought about joining the Forces after I graduate this year. I had decided to join the infantry but recently Signal Operators has been brought to my attention. It sounds like it has some of the aspects I wanted in the infantry such as weapon usage and field operations, but with more of a technical side. My question is if I were to become a signal operator would I get a lot of chances to go into the field with a weapon, or would I be confined to a cp and a desk? Would I get to pick a certain area as a signal operator, such as a field radio operator. Also I would like to know the specific duties of a signal operator. Any help would be much appreciated.



SigOps (when I was in - RadOps) are responsible for COMMS (communications) using Rad Trucks and Combat Net Radio etc. They set up and transmit all the message traffic etc. It can be very fast paced. As others have said the weapons are definatly not the main focus for the Sig Op. You would not however, be confined to a desk 
You would be assigned to a Rad Det for the field and would have garrison duties when not deployed or training. 

There are Comms pretty well from coast to coast, and this will be even more true with transformation. 

There are other Signals realted trades that are more technical if that is what you are looking for - my hubby is an LCIS Tech (Land Communications Informations Sytems Technician) and he works on anything from radios, EW eqt, Satelites, Computers, networks, and just about anything electrionic. When he is deployed he carried his C7 rifle and a side arm because they travel so much from Det to Det when ever he has to fix things. In the winter he is hele-dropped in mountains and everything else *sigh* - he loves it lol 
With the new MOSART directin - you could be a Sig Op and take any other trade course as a "specialization" and then work in that trade if it was required (I think this is how it works - someone will correct me if I am wrong I am sure   )

In short - an Infanteer and a Sig Op are quite different trades ... have you tried the career matcher on the recruiting website to see some of your other options???

http://www.recruiting.forces.ca/engraph/home/index_e.aspx?bhcp=1

If you tell a recruiter what is is you want to do - he/she would be able to suggest a trade that best meets what you are looking for.

Good luck!

Maggie
(Former Rad Op, Int Op)


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## Radop (4 Jan 2006)

That is not the way they are going with Mosart as far as I have been told but who knows what they are doing now.  There is a forum on Mosart, you can read it for more info.


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## CEhopeful (17 Jan 2006)

Can you be a v4 and be a sig op in the field?


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## D-n-A (17 Jan 2006)

CEhopeful said:
			
		

> Can you be a v4 and be a sig op in the field?



Yes, you can be a V4 an get accepted into Sig Op.


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## 3rd Herd (17 Jan 2006)

Infantry or Sig OP?
Why split hairs. Join the infantry, do well in basic and battleschool,show abit of intelligence and you will be loaded onto to an TQ4 sigs crse. Upsides, your the first to know what is going on, next if your career minded face time with those that write your pers evaluation helps. Downsides, your humping a larger load than the rifle squad grunts, life expectation in a combat zone is less(about 30 sec's when I was in, after all those aerials make a pretty good target identifier).And if your real lucky you could be posted to the cbt. support company and be issued your own rad van and life time supply of Pepsi.


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## D-n-A (17 Jan 2006)

Or you can go Sig Op, an get posted to Signals Plt, Cbt Sup in a Infantry BN.

I think a Sig Op can also work as a Company Signaller when they are more experianced, etc.


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## Bull_STR (22 Jan 2006)

Sig Op my young man.  See the world without getting the poop knocked out of you from carrying the weight that a mule must carry.  And you even get to learn how to use a C7.


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## 2 Cdo (23 Jan 2006)

Yeh, the Sig Ops on Op Appollo never had to carry any weight! :


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## Canadian Sig (24 Jan 2006)

Bull_STR said:
			
		

> Sig Op my young man.  See the world without getting the poop knocked out of you from carrying the weight that a mule must carry.  And you even get to learn how to use a C7.



Once you get out of the school and actualy do the job at a Bde then and only then should you be commenting on what we carry. Speak from experiance not conjecture and suposition.


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## willy (25 Jan 2006)

Sig Ops:

Often in the field, but typically located near the senior leadership, so we don't neccessarily experience field hardships to the same degree as the combat arms do.  We typically spend the night under whatever hard roof is available (everyone sleeps under a hard roof if they can, but sig ops can do so more frequently than some others).  If none is available, we'll be under canvas of some sort, or sleeping in a vehicle if no one's looking.  Sleeping in a hootch, trench, or on bare ground is rare for this trade.  Defense and security tasks (which involve sentry shifts, the odd vehicle checkpoint, roving security patrols, and quick reaction force duties) are common.  Dismounted recce training is not uncommon, depending upon unit, although not nearly to the infantry standard.  Meaningful training for offensive operations is rare at best, and employment at the really "sharp end" as a platoon or company signaller is very rare (few positions available). 

I'll leave it to some one qualified to describe the infantry trade, but if you want to succeed as a Sig Op, then to my mind you'd best like/have an aptitude for dealing with electronics, the field, and paperwork/administration (in that order).

Something to consider if you're 6'7":

The roof in a rad van is about 5'8" from the floor....


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## Sig_Des (25 Jan 2006)

> The roof in a rad van is about 5'8" from the floor....



And the LCT is even worse...


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