# reserve basic training ?



## shootergurl (14 Jan 2005)

I was reading about someone starting their reserve BMQ a couple of days after being sworn in (I'm assuming BMQ means basic?).  How does reserve basic training work?  If you start in the reserves I'm assuming that you need some kind of training so that you can paricipate with your unit.

Any info you can give me would be great.


----------



## Gilligan (14 Jan 2005)

There are many threads with information about BMQ, but technically yes, you do require your BMQ (Basic Military Qualification) course to parade with your unit, however many reserve units do allow pre-BMQ privates to train on certain days with the unit, nothing requiring security clearance or anything, but just basic things.  But, once you're sworn in, in general you don't really do anything with your unit until you've finished your BMQ, which for me was 8 weeks in Dundurn, SK.  Most do their BMQ over the summer, others do what is called a weekend BMQ, which is done on the weekends for approx. 14 consecutive weekends.
   Hope that answers your question.


----------



## Wop May (19 Oct 2005)

Hi there ...

I've got 2 questions i was hoping to get some insight into.

Question#1: Does *BMQ* include long term exposure to chemical weapons?   I have a friend who was in the *US Marine reserves* and told me this was the case.   If so, must reservists inhale large amounts of these toxic gases sans their masks?   



			
				Gilligan said:
			
		

> ... once you're sworn in, in general you don't really do anything with your unit until you've finished your BMQ, which for me was *8 weeks in Dundurn, SK*.   Most do their BMQ over the summer, others do what is called a weekend BMQ, which is done on the weekends for *approx. 14 consecutive weekends*.



Question#2: How might one manage full-time University enrollment & BMQ?   Together aren't these just a little too demanding?   Frankly, i'm concerned my grades may very well be compromised. 

Any clarity here would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## 23007 (19 Oct 2005)

NO, BMQ does expose you to chemical weapons. You do gas hut training where you are exposed to tear gas without a mask but thats about it. The US is a different country than Canada. Do they do the same training as soldiers in the former USSR. NO, and we don't do training like the US Marines. I highly doubt that they even do get exposed to chemical weapons without masks as that is highly dangerous. Don't belive everything you hear...

When I was in high school I completed my BMQ during the winter and spring. I then switched and joined ROTP. I'm sure you can do university and BMQ together...it probably wouldn't be any different than going to RMC.


----------



## ExistancE (19 Oct 2005)

Wop May:

I am currently doing 6 classes at University and attending weekend BMQ. Be prepared to fit in about 15-20 extra hours of productivity into your week to make up for the 46 odd hours you spend at the armouries over the weekend.


----------



## Old Ranger (19 Oct 2005)

Again Depends on your Unit.

I was Sworn in on a Wed night, kitted out Thurs night, Range weekend Fri-Sun.

That was in Oct(87), didn't start Basic until the Spring.

I was able to take part/parade in the mean time.

I was an Air Cadet prior, so that gave me some advantage.

The Reserves are geared around the schedules of Students and regular Work weeks.

It can be Done; and you learn some great time management skills.


----------



## D-n-A (19 Oct 2005)

Wop May said:
			
		

> Question#1: Does *BMQ* include long term exposure to chemical weapons?   I have a friend who was in the *US Marine reserves* and told me this was the case.



I think you miss understood your friend or he/she is lieing to you.

In basic, you get exposed to CS Gas(tear gas), walk into the bunker, get a good taste of it, than don your masks, etc. Thats the only time they get exposed to a chemical gas.

This is what I've been told by people who have served in the US Military.


----------



## Wop May (21 Oct 2005)

Thanks for the replies everybody.   

To be clear, my buddy told me they were made to exercise, doing push-ups, jumping-jacks etc. while crammed inside a bunker filled with (presumably) tear gas.   It is a chemical weapon isn't it?

Gagging, wretching & coughing, with tears streaming down their faces, their bodies ended up releasing a considerable amount of fluids, fleghm (sic) & the like.   The way he described it was *quite disturbing*. 



			
				23007 said:
			
		

> NO, BMQ does expose you to chemical weapons. You do gas hut training where you are *exposed to tear gas without a mask* _but thats about it._



Is it true then we too are forced to inhale large amounts of tear gas?   The promo video i downloaded recently showed recruits going into the bunker *WITH their masks on*.   Part of NBC / CBN / BCN training ?   

Nothing to do with building up an "immunity" e.g., he told me the reason why they weren't allowed to simply put their masks on was so that they could "*know what it was like*" to suck it into their lungs sans their masks   

If this were the case, i'd definitely want to be clear on the health implications.


----------



## Old Ranger (21 Oct 2005)

Wop May said:
			
		

> If this were the case, I'd definitely want to be clear on the health implications.



It's not good practice to poison your own soldiers, the effects are only temporary.

The physical activity before the gas hut is to build up the sweat to have a better learning experience.  The Gas Hut with mask is to show you if you put it on correctly; and to give you hands on experience of when you definitely need to put it on and how to decontaminate afterwards.

It's in Basic training, because you need to know to basically survive!


----------



## patt (21 Oct 2005)

2332Piper said:
			
		

> Its called a non-lethal agent for a reason, its not lethal. It makes you cough a bit and cry a little. You are not forced to inhale tear gas, you'll get a little bit on your face but if you do your drills correctly, you will inhale no gas (thats the point). Its not disturbing when you get tear gassed, you cry and your nose runs, those who ate too much at lunch might throw up (if they have a weak stomach and gag reflex).
> 
> Then again, you are not forced to do anything. If you are scared of getting tear gassed when you could potentially be exposed to real lethal agents during a real attack at some point in your career...well, we are a voluntary organisation. No one forced anyone to sign up.
> 
> Anyone remember that kid who made the big hoopla a few months ago about hearing protection etc when he was joining the artillery? I'm getting flashbacks.



good points! a friend of mine who worked in borden at the NBCD school told me if ur not used to the tear gas you'll get some affects the first few times but after a while nothing really happens to you.. ya that dude was halirus i wonder what happend to him?


----------



## Wop May (23 Oct 2005)

Alrighty then ...

Thanks once again for your help everyone.   I feel i now have a better idea as to what is expected of us & the procedure during this part of BMQ.   

It seems reasonable enough that we'd be given a chance to react & put our masks on once we were aware of there being any chemical toxins in our environment.   :skull:   The *US marine reserves* definitely seem to have a little different & more all-around absurd experience. 

Their drill Sgts sounded excessively sadistic as well.   Possibly one too many doses of over the top steroids.


----------



## Conquistador (25 Oct 2005)

> In the US there are stories of recruits being made to stand in the gas hut while tear gas is being pumped in before they are allowed to put on the mask. Some are true, most are not.



They're not stories, they're facts. Check out the documentary "Anybodies' Son Will Do", I watched it in school recently. The recruits have to run around the hut without their masks on while the gas is being pumped in, once they start puking, they're allowed to put their masks on. Some recruits even try to run out the door, but they have people on the outside holding it closed. They looked in pretty bad shape once they got out of there.


----------



## 23007 (25 Oct 2005)

Yes and its only TEAR GAS. I did the EXACT same thing in the reserves 6 years ago. We went into the hut without our masks on and started to do PT to get sweaty cause the gas reacts with moisture on the skin. Its NOT going to kill you its only CS gas. I don`t understand how people think this is hardcore or bad for you...its not like its mustard gas or anything


----------



## shaboing (26 Oct 2005)

around april i went through the gas huts for the first time in kingston, and all you do is go in first time with gas mask already on, to make sure you are wearing it properly/make sure there are no defects with the mask itself. then the second time you go in without your mask on and you walk into the second room, there are people guiding you along the way cause your eyes are shut unless your stupid, lol, and in the second room you do your drills and put on the mask. all it does is burn cause the gas reacts with moisture. nobody onmy course puked.


----------



## NavComm (26 Oct 2005)

Conquistador said:
			
		

> They're not stories, they're facts. Check out the documentary "Anybodies' Son Will Do", I watched it in school recently. The recruits have to run around the hut without their masks on while the gas is being pumped in, once they start puking, they're allowed to put their masks on. Some recruits even try to run out the door, but they have people on the outside holding it closed. They looked in pretty bad shape once they got out of there.



Well if you saw it on a documentary it must be true. :


----------



## Wop May (27 Oct 2005)

Conquistador said:
			
		

> They're not stories, they're facts. Check out the documentary "*Anybodies' Son Will Do*", I watched it in school recently. The recruits have to run around the hut without their masks on while the gas is being pumped in, once they start puking, they're allowed to put their masks on. Some recruits even try to run out the door, but they have people on the outside holding it closed. They looked in pretty bad shape once they got out of there.



Thanks for stepping up to the plate here Con.   Over the years i've had *two US soldier friends* tell me their experience & it's pretty much as you relate it here.   

What would the logic be in exposing soldiers to toxic agents without even the chance to put their mask on?   Toughen them up just a little more? 

I'm assuming this is one example of where Canadian BMQ differs from that of our American "cousins" ... thank God for that        

Needlessly poisoning your own troops or exposing them to unnecessary risks just doesn't look good.   

I'll also try to keep an eye out for that documentary.   Do you know whether we can possibly stream it online?  *Operation Dreamland: 2005* looks pretty good as well.  I've read a few a few reviews & seen a couple clips.  

It gives us a more honest ( i.e. unfiltered ) look at a group of soldiers' testimonies & experience from the frontlines in Iraq.


----------



## 23007 (27 Oct 2005)

2332Piper said:
			
		

> Really? Strange, you do the drill with your mask on so that a) you get nice and sweaty so the tear gas will hurt a bit and b) (this is the important one) to get you used to the idea of physical effort in the suit...especially since it is hard to breath when wearing the mask (at least when your running). I've done the hut a whopping two times, and at neither time did we unncessarily take off our masks (again, whats the point...your training to use that gear in a real NBC environment and unless you need to decontaminate yourself you don't often remove the mask in a 'hot' environment.



I did the hut twice as well. The first time (reserves) we walked in without the masks on and the second time (reg force), we walked in with our masks on. I don`t know if they changed the training between the two times i`ve done it or maybe the Newfies like to train their reservists to be more hardcore :warstory:


----------



## George Wallace (27 Oct 2005)

Everytime you go to the Gas Hut, you will find that it will be run differently by the Instructors.

Usually, if time permits you will likely go in more than once.  The First time will be going in fully masked and kitted, so that you can check that your equipment is functioning properly.  The Second time you will probably go in unmasked, so that you can "experience" what it is "really like" and then perform your masking drills.  If the time is there, you will also have to unmask and perform decontamination drills, and perhaps drinking drills.  

Every time you go to the Gas Hut in your military career, you will find different people running it.  You will also find that there will be more or less emphasis placed on the activities that you must perform inside, depending on the time allotted and the training situation at the time.


----------

