# Here at BMQ Sept 18/2010 Week 8!



## RedMan (18 Sep 2010)

Well now that the Omega Mess (Bistro), has the Internet and the free Wi-Fi working...and now that I have some free time, I can tell you guys what things are like here in St. Jean!  First... the PT program is different than in the past. It's VERY circuit and team based, and we have (suprisingly) not done more than a 3.2k run.... though we will be working our way up to 8km (I can run up to 14km so far). You will have 5am morning PT and later morning or afternoon PT on many days. When we started the obstacle course for the first time, we started in full FFO (full fighting order, tac vest,helmet,rifle,gas mask) instead of working up to that like in the past. Enjoy push-up, plank, and squat position, as you will be doing it very often outside of PT! Needless to say...its VERY important to be in good shape before you get here.

 You march EVERYWHERE! You have LITTLE time to relax for the first 5-6 weeks. If you have stuff that needs to be done...DO IT! Don't put it off as you will fall behind very quickly. I didn't get my kit until 1 week after everyone else, (I failed my CF express the 1st time because my sweaty hand slipped during the pushup test, but i re-tested 4 days later and passed) and this set me back from getting all my kit tagged (sewing) which takes forever!

Once I got caught up things got easier. We had our platoon commnder's inspection, (which you don't want to fail) and I got a suprising 19/20. He said my "boots were excellent and my bed was perfect". So now I'm the boot and bed guy! Guess those Army Cadet days from 15 years ago payed off. I helped some others who got a re-test and helped them to pass. If you need help... ASK your fellow troops... but do your part and help others!

The C7 rifles are lighter and easier to use than the old fnc1a1 that's for sure. If you are thinking of bringing swiffers, mr clean magic erasers,etc... don't bother as they will be taken away from you! But do bring a GOOD iron, don't buy the crap ones they have here... also make sure your bring essentials (shampoo, razer, deodorant,etc) as you won't goto the Canex right away and will need to have something to use!

Your electronics will be taken away after about 1 week, but you'll get them back after 6 weeks (for after 6pm and weekend use). Some people do use internet sticks and they work fine here in the green sector. The internet kiosks in the green break area (GBA) cost $2/min and are iffy. 

After 5-6 weeks you get your weekends back (hopefully) and will be able to go to the Omega Mess (Bistro) and use the CPu's there. It also has 3 home theatre rooms, arcade games, pool, dancce floor, bar, PS3, XBOX360, Wii, TVs,etc... It's nice and a good hangout for those who can't go anywhere on their time off.

Just listen, be quite, don't move (when at attention,etc),and do your best and don't give up! The best thing I did was keep my mouth shut... others didn't and they became targets very quickly. We wen't from 72 people, and are noe down to 53. Some of those VR'd, some got injured, others went to warrrior platoon. Don't get too discouraged if you see alot of people in wheelchairs or crutches...LOL!

Good luck to all...you get 4-5 hours of sleep each day,a dn it demands all you have, but you can do it if you don't give up!


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## owa (18 Sep 2010)

Nice little write up.  Thanks for this.


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## acooper (18 Sep 2010)

Nicely written  As the wife of a RegF member who did PRes BMQ many years ago, what is warrior platoon?


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## Brother Blue Steel (18 Sep 2010)

i can say this guy is correct on everything! just be in shape and dont fuck around.  im just going into week seven (r14), we just hit the 50 person mark, started at 69.


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## RedMan (18 Sep 2010)

Warrior Platoon is basically those who did not pass their cf express test. They are pretty laid back compared to the rest at BMQ but they do a lot of PT.


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## Lavitz (18 Sep 2010)

Don't say "you will" this and "you will" that because most of that stuff all depends on your staff. For example, my electronics were taken away the first day I was there, and we got them back for weekends only, not for any weekdays after 6pm.

I'd say you were quite lucky to redo the Express test like that, as I didn't get another chance (even though I believed I could do it with a retry) and got sent to WFT for 6 weeks.

I can't tell if you're laughing at the unfit/injured people or not, but if I were you I wouldn't laugh because it could easily happen to you, and staying in that place for longer than you need to SUCKS. I know some people who were there for over a year.


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## RedMan (18 Sep 2010)

Your right about the "you will" etc... because  some instructors do things differently. For example, we didn't get our first 2 weekends (after the 5-6 weeks) off whereas most platoons did. That's when we did our first (and only so far) "change parade".

I wasn't making fun of WFT at all! I have some friends in there and give them great credit for sticking it out instead of just giving up. I meant they were laid back...as in they don't have many restrictions like the rest of the platoons do. (They get all their weekends off, and are treated quite nicely)


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## Lavitz (19 Sep 2010)

Ok. I never said you were, just said I wasn't sure if you were or not. Thanks for clearing that up.

Having been on WFT myself, we only had our weekends off if we weren't on a phase of 1 or 2. WFT1 & WFT2 are the same, but with different instructors and a different schedule so you don't have a couple hundred people all working out at once. WFT3 are the people waiting to be put on a phase (because they failed the Express test) or waiting for a platoon (because they passed it). WFT3 gets all their weekends, no inspections, but sometimes have harder PT to keep them in shape. 

As for getting treated better, I dunno about that. From what I had seen/heard, they aren't treated the greatest by most people there. 

Have things changed there?


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## wrathchild11 (19 Sep 2010)

my sons starting week 4...no electronics..no weekends off yet...

They let them go online today to take care of banking etc... and perhaps "sneek" onto facebook....not saying he did.. :


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## Lavitz (19 Sep 2010)

wrathchild11 said:
			
		

> my sons starting week 4...no electronics..no weekends off yet...



Yep. This Friday he'll be finished "indoctrination week" and will then have electronics and weekends out as long as they don't screw up too badly. They really gotta do something wrong to lose their weekend because it means their staff has to be there too, and most of them don't wanna be there any more than the recruits do.


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## RedMan (2 Oct 2010)

Well, I just came back from the famous 13km ruck march.   What it means is you march with 50-60 pounds of gear on your back for about 2 hours 20 min, and at the end of the march you have to drag another person using the fireman's drag, then you have to do a trench dig which means you have 6 min to empty a big bin of gravel into another bin. My feet are sore, but I made it just fine... no blisters!

Unfortunately it rained the ENTIRE time, which made the gear heavier and the loose gravel roads a pain... and the bins with gravel were also filled with water! So now that we are back we have to dry all our gear out which is a pain! 'tis the Arny life!!!


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## RedMan (16 Oct 2010)

At Farnham for a week. Nothing like being woken up to the sound of a grenade, and then having to get out of your self-made tent with all your gear and rifle with no light to see with, and then get to your position in the Bivouac, and then hear a gas alarm, put on your gas mask and then shoot at any "hostiles. Fun stuff, but we had freezing rain starting Thursday night. Friday was miserable! We go back Monday!


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