# Does my civilian job work with Reserve Service?



## Fowler88 (4 Aug 2015)

I know reservists work one night a week one weekend a month usually, does that mean you need a job that is 9-5 Monday through Friday? Ive heard of firefighters and police in the reserves, they usually have a rough schedule with alot of night shifts.


----------



## medicineman (5 Aug 2015)

I work in a hospital ER - my rotations give me 2 weekends and 2 parade nights a week.  My other (military) bosses aren't complaining all that much, as I give what and when I can.


----------



## mariomike (5 Aug 2015)

Fowler88 said:
			
		

> I know reservists work one night a week one weekend a month usually, does that mean you need a job that is 9-5 Monday through Friday?



No. But, be prepared for scheduling conflicts. Especially during Basic and Trade training. Your full-time obligations are something you should discuss with the Reserve Recruiter.

Check these discussions regarding shift-work and the Reserves,

Shift Work and Reserve Training.
http://army.ca/forums/threads/84673.0

Balancing Regular Night Shifts with Class A reservist training  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/94698.0

Targeting CivPol for recruiting in the PRes  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/101249.0/nowap.html

Civilian Police Officers Joining Reserves  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/87995.0

Reservists in the civilian police??  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/65667.0/nowap.html

Balancing CBSA and Reserves  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/95637.0

RCMP mbrs in the Militia  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/110.0

RCMP member a reservist  
http://army.ca/forums/threads/13286.0/nowap.html

etc,


----------



## anabelen (5 Aug 2015)

Sir medicineman, I can also afford two weekends and two Parade nights a week. But I cannot afford the 'continuous two or three weeks' distant training to another military base because I am much needed in the company. They cannot afford losing me for 1 working day since I am responsible for looking for lost files. But I have found a way to circumvent it. I plan to enroll in a secondary school course like 'foreign languages' offered by the Catholic school board. Secondary school curriculum offers reserves training. Another of my problem is that no reserves training in secondary school is offered here in Greater Toronto Area. All are offered in far away cities of Ontario. Can you please help me with my problem, sir medicineman. Can you please offer me advice. It has been my fervent wish to be in the reserves. Not only do I like marching drills that would mould me into a disciplined soldier. I also like to put on that uniform. Maybe offering them in a secondary school near GTA would be a good step.


----------



## brihard (5 Aug 2015)

anabelen said:
			
		

> Sir medicineman, I can also afford two weekends and two Parade nights a week. But I cannot afford the 'continuous two or three weeks' distant training to another military base because I am much needed in the company. They cannot afford losing me for 1 working day since I am responsible for looking for lost files. But I have found a way to circumvent it. I plan to enroll in a secondary school course like 'foreign languages' offered by the Catholic school board. Secondary school curriculum offers reserves training. Another of my problem is that no reserves training in secondary school is offered here in Greater Toronto Area. All are offered in far away cities of Ontario. Can you please help me with my problem, sir medicineman. Can you please offer me advice. It has been my fervent wish to be in the reserves. Not only do I like marching drills that would mould me into a disciplined soldier. I also like to put on that uniform. Maybe offering them in a secondary school near GTA would be a good step.



If you join the reserves, expect to be gone for two full months the first summer you're in. You need to do that to do basic training and get qualified in your military occupation. If you can't make that commitment, don't waste the military's time.

With that said, you're talking about secondary school. Are you still a high school student? If so I'd be surprised if your current job pays nearly as well as a summer of basic training would. Also, an increasing number of employers now offer military leave. What is it that you do for work?


----------



## PMedMoe (5 Aug 2015)

Brihard said:
			
		

> What is it that you do for work?



Alas, it seems we will never find out....  

Maybe Sir medicineman knows...    ;D


----------



## medicineman (5 Aug 2015)

Um, WTF just happened there??!!


----------



## George Wallace (5 Aug 2015)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Um, WTF just happened there??!!



This fellow made a reappearance: fullflavor


----------



## Fowler88 (5 Aug 2015)

I will be available for everything during the summer months  (all parades and weekends april-october) in the winter i drill on a rig so I won't be able to put much time in. My brother in-law served two tours in Afghanistan, and got my interest sparked in joining the reserves. Thanks for the responses!


----------



## LightFighter (5 Aug 2015)

Reserve units stand down late May/early June except for the full time(mon-fri) staff. In September the unit will stand back up for the training year. 

August has a division level exercise for the Reserves, it is 1-2 weeks long. There are no weekend exercises during the summer. As well, no parade nights outside of maybe some admin nights. 
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=tp&crtr.page=3&nid=1014669&crtr.tp1D=1&_ga=1.112899204.1451375029.1401209581


----------



## Fowler88 (5 Aug 2015)

Lightfighter does this mean there is no work in the summer? What is "stand down" and "stand up" mean? Thanks


----------



## LightFighter (5 Aug 2015)

Some courses are run in the summer - doesn't mean you will be able to do a course every summer though. 

As well there are taskings you can apply to, such as be a storesman, instuctor, driver, demo troop, etc at a training base. Rank and qualifications will determine what you can apply to. 


Stand up is when the unit returns to weekly parade nights plus weekend exercises. Stand down is when regular parading ends, no more parade nights or weekend exercises. 

The unit training year is generally from Sept to end May or early June. After that, if you aren't on course or a tasking you aren't doing anything with the military for the summer. As noted earlier, a large exercise usually takes place in August, that may be the only military thing you do in the summer - assuming you are available for that time frame.


----------



## Fowler88 (5 Aug 2015)

So if my winter is a sometimes random work schedule does that hinder my chances at getting in and staying with the unit? Is there oilfield guys on the reserves? It doesn't say anywhere that you need to have a certain job schedule.


----------



## LightFighter (5 Aug 2015)

Fowler88 said:
			
		

> It doesn't say anywhere that you need to have a certain job schedule.



You don't need 100% attendance, but you can't be a ghost who rarely shows up either. At the very least you need to show up enough that you aren't put on NES(which can lead to you being released). 

Especially in your first year or two, you're going to need to be available so you can get your basic training and trade course completed. 

Also, Reserves run their weekend BMQ during the fall/winter and winter/spring. Full time BMQ in the summer may or may not be available.


----------



## mariomike (5 Aug 2015)

Fowler88 said:
			
		

> Is there oilfield guys on the reserves?



I don't know if he joined, but the Original Poster in this discussion asked about the possiblity,

"Hey my name is Bruce, I am 22 years old and currently working on the oil patch..."
https://army.ca/forums/threads/102386/post-1072976.html#msg1072976



			
				Fowler88 said:
			
		

> Ive heard of firefighters and police in the reserves, they usually have a rough schedule with alot of night shifts.



From what I have read, oil field schedules are much different than emergency services. 

I don't know if it applies to your situation, but this is what I read, "Rig employees refer to their work period as a 'hitch.' A common hitch is 20 days on, followed by 10 days off. Typically, two crews will be on and each crew will spend one week working 7am-7pm and the following week 7pm-7am. Or, crews may do a full two weeks of 7am-7pm and then, upon returning after their 10 days off, will work the next two weeks 7pm-7am (the third rig crew being on their 10 days off). Some rigs may operate four crews; these crews typically work eight hours shifts."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oilfield_terminology



			
				Fowler88 said:
			
		

> I will be available for everything during the summer months  (all parades and weekends april-october) in the winter i drill on a rig so I won't be able to put much time in.



Discuss that with a Reserve Recruiter, and see what they say. Good Luck!


----------



## Fowler88 (6 Aug 2015)

Much appreciated, I don't usually have a set schedule and if I do it's usually 14 days on 7 days off. I may even stay doing construction but even then I can be out of town for a couple weeks at a time and not 100% know what I will be doing a week in advance. I will call my recruiter tomorrow and ask him about what I can do. I would like to stay in the reserves long term and do all the volunteering, possibly serve a tour etc.. I don't want to be the guy tat gets a dishonorable discharge, I'm not a quitter I like a challenge.


----------



## mariomike (6 Aug 2015)

Fowler88 said:
			
		

> I don't want to be the guy tat gets a dishonorable discharge, I'm not a quitter I like a challenge.



You don't sound dishonourable or a quitter. Quite the opposite. It's simply a question of availability. Your full-time career comes first. Incidentally, have you considered applying for the Regular Force?


----------



## Fowler88 (6 Aug 2015)

I applied for regular force in 2008, I went to the recruiting office in red deer, turned out it was reserves (the unit I want to get in right now) I filled out some papers and she saw I wanted to join reg force so basically told me i had to go to edmonton. Went to edmonton, had everything ready to find out i was two high school credits away from being able to join, all my high school credits had been deleted. It was $900 to get the three credits I needed, so I pursued other things.


----------



## mariomike (6 Aug 2015)

Fowler88 said:
			
		

> I applied for regular force in 2008, I went to the recruiting office in red deer, turned out it was reserves (the unit I want to get in right now) I filled out some papers and she saw I wanted to join reg force so basically told me i had to go to edmonton. Went to edmonton, had everything ready to find out i was two high school credits away from being able to join, all my high school credits had been deleted. It was $900 to get the three credits I needed, so I pursued other things.



I hope you have better luck in Red Deer.


----------



## Carbon-14 (6 Aug 2015)

Fowler88 said:
			
		

> I applied for regular force in 2008, I went to the recruiting office in red deer, turned out it was reserves (the unit I want to get in right now) I filled out some papers and she saw I wanted to join reg force so basically told me i had to go to edmonton. Went to edmonton, had everything ready to find out i was two high school credits away from being able to join, all my high school credits had been deleted. It was $900 to get the three credits I needed, so I pursued other things.



Fowler88, if you're joining the Artillery in Red Deer, the full time Recruiter there is from the Field Battery and he can definitely discuss with you whether your schedule will work or not.  If you're joining Signals, let me know and I can get you in touch with someone from the Signal Squadron there.


----------



## Govang (21 Aug 2015)

I live in Calgary, however I fly to Fort McMurray for work as a Pipefitter. Seven days on followed by seven days off. (Flying in and out on Thursdays)

Would this week on week off schedule be acceptable?


----------



## Loachman (21 Aug 2015)

Welcome to Army.ca.

From the "READ FIRST" post in the "Ask a CAF Recruiter" forum, to which you originally posted this:



			
				Captain Mark said:
			
		

> Welcome to the “Ask a CAF Recruiter” section. The members tagged as “CAF Recruiter” are official Canadian Armed Forces recruiters. They will identify themselves with their rank, first name and the Forces.ca avatar. In order to best answer questions, there are some rules that need to be adhered to.
> 
> This section is for persons who have questions about joining the Canadian Armed Forces, occupations, different enrolment programs, and prerequisites. Much of the information can be found at Forces.ca, or the Recruiting FAQ and wiki section of this site. _*Before you ask a question, you should be searching the forum or the Forces.ca website for these answers.*_
> 
> ...



Please take the time to explore this Site and read older threads, and try out the nifty-neato Search Function. You'll most likely find answers to questions that have not even occurred to you yet.

In the meantime, I have moved this post into a more appropriate thread which should help you.


----------



## LightFighter (21 Aug 2015)

Govang said:
			
		

> I live in Calgary, however I fly to Fort McMurray for work as a Pipefitter. Seven days on followed by seven days off. (Flying in and out on Thursdays)
> 
> Would this week on week off schedule be acceptable?



Once you're fully trained(DP1), I don't see it being a problem. 

How ever, it may become a issue if your weekend at work is also scheduled as a BMQ weekend. As well, will you be able to take 1-2 months off in the summer for BMQ-Land(if required) and DP1. Another thing to consider is once you are DP1 qualified there will be other courses required for career progression that may require you taking time off from work. 

Units will also generally have one training weekend a month. Hopefully your schedule and the units will line up occasionally allowing you to attend at least a couple exercises a year. 


Contact the unit(s) you are interested in joining and their recruiter will be able to go into more detail about this with you.


----------



## Govang (22 Aug 2015)

Thank you, I'll be calling them

(I did search however I couldn't find anything. Thanks for linking it to this post though, Informative)


----------

