# Gotta start every job from the bottom. What is the bottom?



## Wilamanjaro (8 Mar 2012)

Post your experiences or knowledge of what it's like starting a new position in the military.

ie. I understand that for the first year or so of Hull Tech you are pretty much only dealing with the plumbing and "crappy" stuff.

Other trades I have applied for are Combat Engineer and Vehicle Technician but post any and all trades...

Tell us all what it is we will be doing for the first year or so of our carer!


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## Towards_the_gap (8 Mar 2012)

As a combat engineer your first year will simply consist of training, training and more training. If the stars align and the gods are appeased, you will make it to your unit within that first year only to either go on more courses or sit on rear party as you really aren't qualified to do anything.


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## ModlrMike (8 Mar 2012)

For new Hull Techs the bottom is just slightly above the keel. If you're bad, slightly under it.


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## my72jeep (8 Mar 2012)

ModlrMike said:
			
		

> For new Hull Techs the bottom is just slightly above the keel. If you're bad, slightly under it.


Would that be inspecting it from bow to stern or port to starboard?


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## Wookilar (8 Mar 2012)

As a Veh Tech, like Engineer, you will be in training for the most part. Apprentice training (we call it Developmental Period 1: DP1) is about 4months +. It changes every once and awhile but that's pretty close. Tack that on to Basic and Soldier Qualification that will be a year or more.

Once you get to your unit, you will go through your QL4 (qualification level 4. Might have a new name this year) on-job training. It should be a combination of classes and practical work, in some units it's just a book with certain types of work that are checked off by your supervisor (done brakes: check; done a tranny: check; etc). By the book, that takes about 18 months and then you are considered ready for DP2 (journeyman level) and go back to Borden for more training.

What happens to you as a Craftsman (or Crafty; a Pte in the EME Branch) will depend greatly on the type of unit you are in.

If you are in a Svc Bn, you will go to the field, will work on a variety of vehicles and equipment (literally from chainsaws to Leopards), do Recovery (tow trucks) and sweep/squeegee floors.

If you end up on a base somewhere, you will probably rotate through whatever sections they have (bases vary greatly) and do a not so organized OJT package. But you will generally stay at home and not work such crappy hours or ever know what the wilds of Wainwright look like  ;D.

Wook


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## Wilamanjaro (9 Mar 2012)

Awesome! Thanks guys! But let's keep this going, I didn't want to just here about my trade choices. Let's hear as many different trades as we can for all the people out there. 

What was the crap work you had to go through when you started?


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## SentryMAn (9 Mar 2012)

"Sitting around surfing the internet waiting to be sent on courses."

I've heard this a fair amount from guys in.


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## Spooks (9 Mar 2012)

As an INFANTRY SOLDIER

Count on at least half of your first year in training. This is assuming your courses have instructors at the time needed.
You will get to the unit.
Life should get a little easier as you can have a 'life' now. Go to the mall on the weekend, go drinking, etc.
If you make it into a rifle company at your unit, prepare for 1 or 2 courses, PT very often, bugouts and general tasks that will remind you that even though you made it through battle school, you are NOT King Sh*t.
You may want the cool courses like Recce, para, etc but you are at the bottom of the food chain. You will likely get Driver Wheel, Basic Comms, IPSW, and other basic foundation courses.
Being the FNG (in hopefully a group of FNGs) you will frequently be tasked for boring lame duties or tasks.
   -Go fold MOD tentage
   -Help RQ stack pallets
   -"Pte Bloggins! Go be range sentry"
You are going to be at the bottom of the pole until you can show you can take it and rise above or your first BE runs out.


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## 211RadOp (9 Mar 2012)

And don't forget lots of driver taskings.

As in "Pte Bloggins, drive that broom repeatedly up and down the hanger floor!"


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## mmmjon (9 Mar 2012)

Towards_the_gap said:
			
		

> As a combat engineer your first year will simply consist of training, training and more training. If the stars align and the gods are appeased, you will make it to your unit within that first year only to either go on more courses or sit on rear party as you really aren't qualified to do anything.



Any chance you can answer some of these questions?  ;D

http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/104915.0.html


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## armyvern (10 Mar 2012)

Stacked said:
			
		

> Yesterday 7 new PAT's were tasked to sweep a portion of sidewalk and told to make it last for "as long as possible, as there's nothing else to do".  So brutal.   :facepalm:



About 23 years ago ... I was doing same; I got paid for it & lived. Not so brutal.  



(I was actually roaming around Borden with a big stick with a nail in the end picking up trash along with my fellow PATs).


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## medicineman (10 Mar 2012)

ArmyVern said:
			
		

> About 23 years ago ... I was doing same; I got paid for it & lived. Not so brutal.
> 
> 
> 
> (I was actually roaming around Borden with a big stick with a nail in the end picking up trash along with my fellow PATs).



I was redoing all the flowerbeds outside the old CFMSS - we had to pound in railroad ties, then hand bomb sand into a pickup truck then into the new beds...kept us busy.  

MM


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## Blackadder1916 (10 Mar 2012)

> Gotta start every job from the bottom. What is the bottom?



The bottom, eh?  Well it wasn't at the start of my career, but I did demonstrate it to a TQ3 Ph 2 student at NDMC back in the old days when NDMC was a real hospital.  The patient - a general officer; the procedure - digital disimpaction.  The patient said he was grateful for the relief, but then again, there was proof he was full of crap.


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## armyvern (10 Mar 2012)

Blackadder1916 said:
			
		

> The bottom, eh?  Well it wasn't at the start of my career, but I did demonstrate it to a TQ3 Ph 2 student at NDMC back in the old days when NDMC was a real hospital.  The patient - a general officer; the procedure - digital disimpaction.  The patient said he was grateful for the relief, but then again, there was proof he was full of crap.



I'd rather pick up garbage or sweep the sidewalks; yours is priceless and a true |bottom| story.


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## dimsum (11 Mar 2012)

ArmyVern said:
			
		

> I'd rather pick up garbage or sweep the sidewalks; yours is priceless and a true |bottom| story.



There should have been warning signs before that story!  So much for dinner.   :-X


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