# getting started late



## cathtaylor (24 Feb 2004)

Hi I‘m a 45 year old woman whom is now in the process of joining the army. Iknow it‘s kinda late in life and most of you are younger I was just wondering if there are any other persons in the same boat. I‘ve done all of the paper work now next week I‘ll be doing the apptitude test then the medical and interview. I would appreciate any feedback. You can feel free to e-mail me at my address or just post. I thank you in advance.
Catherine


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## Freight_Train (24 Feb 2004)

Catherine
I am 38 and am joining the reserve infantry.  I submitted my application several weeks ago and am waiting to have my tests scheduled.  I have found this site very informative and am usually able to get most of the answers to my many questions using the search option.  I am looking forward to BMQ and all the young folks that will surely outnumber an old codger like myself.  Best of luck to you.
Greg


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## Infanteer (24 Feb 2004)

Apparently, Canada has begun recruiting for Volksturm units.


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## gate_guard (24 Feb 2004)

lmao, better than the hitlerjugend militia we have right now.


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## Freight_Train (24 Feb 2004)

> Originally posted by Infanteer:
> [qb] Apparently, Canada has begun recruiting for Volksturm units. [/qb]


Thats a good one!


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## Enzo (24 Feb 2004)

If you don‘t mind my asking, what trade are you joining Cath?


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## cathtaylor (24 Feb 2004)

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Greg,best of luck to you as well. 
They did offer me a post with Volksturm, I‘m seriously considering it with the Alzeimers and all and they told me that they could offer me quarters in a nursing home, it‘s a great offer, lmao!  Actually, contrary to popular opinion, some of us are in great physiological and psychological shape (taking the cane into consideration, of course) you never know who‘s gonna be watching your back.
Enzo, non-commissioned, mat tech, vehicle tech, that sort of thing.


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## Pte. Bloggins (24 Feb 2004)

Don‘t worry, on my basic there were several individuals in their 40s and even early 50s. 
Good luck!


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## cathtaylor (24 Feb 2004)

Thanks Bloggins, to be honest with you, basic doesn‘t worry me at all. I‘m very disciplined now (for a civie, I guess)and in excellent physical shape. Joining at this age is a positive for me. I‘ve lived a lot of years in my years and you can look at this a thousand ways to Sunday. Maybe I‘ll be the one going out into field someday while they let a young man go home to be with his wife and newborn baby.  What do you make of the media‘s recent gossip on military cutbacks?


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## rolandstrong (24 Feb 2004)

A fellow officer of mine just left the reserves at 53 with a CD. He joined us when he was 40. His maturity brought a great deal to our infantry unit. He was an expert marksman, and moutaineer. A 40 he was more fit than most of our younger recruits. If he is any indicator of what mature individuals bring to a unit, I want to be there.


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## ab136 (25 Feb 2004)

Hi Cath, Just turned 39 and waiting for my MOC to reopen(been waiting for 2 years now). Nice to hear from another old relic like myself. I liked your dig about "knowing who‘s watching your back"..nice touch


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## 1feral1 (25 Feb 2004)

Good on ya Cath!

You are lucky, as here in Australia its strictly 17-35 to enlist.

Hope you enjoy yourself, and keep us posted on how its going.

Cheers
from a rainy Sydney,

Wes


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## CDNBlackhawk (25 Feb 2004)

good luck cathy, i am sure you will do fine, last time i was in basic their was probably 5 or 6 men and women who were over 35
 and they all did good


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## cathtaylor (25 Feb 2004)

Thanks Wes!
Yes, I am lucky. These past few months I‘ve been asking myself why the frig I hadn‘t done this sooner.  Everything happens for a reason I suppose.
I‘ll certainly post my goings-on.
Regards
from an icy Ottawa,
Cath


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## 1feral1 (25 Feb 2004)

At 44 myself, my knees my back are telling me something. Just did a BFA on Tuesday in the pouring rain (and I mean pouring) (Basic Fitness  Assessment), for the 41-45 age group thats 30 situps, 20 pushups, and a 2.4km run in 13 min 30 sec). So, its now Thursday morning, and I am still stiff as a board! At 182cm and 100kg, I am no deer, but always squeak in well in time.

Its been in the mid 20s lately, and not bad. we did a BFA the week previous too, and it was 41C by 1400hrs! So a cool summers day might not be fun for the beach, but for PT is the best. 

Cheers,

Wes


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## cathtaylor (25 Feb 2004)

Thank you Blackhawk, for the vote of confidence. I find myself fixated on the recruitment now. I‘m quite surprised at how quickly I was able to do the psychological "shift" from my comfy civie job to something that may actually make a difference in the lives of many people, including myself and my family, of course.  With all of the posts I‘ve been reading concerning the wait time for BMQ, i‘ve used up so much epinephrine on the anxiety!


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## cathtaylor (25 Feb 2004)

Well at 66Kg and 170cm, I guess I win the deer contest *grin*.  I wonder if the CF has a similar BFA.  I know the physical requirements to enter BMQ are quite low.  I jog about 5 - 10 km every day or so, and the situps are quite easy for me, but I lose if we‘re comparing shoulders, of course, I‘m not so sure about the pushups. Of all of the years being athletic, I‘ve never really added pushups in the routine. Guess I will now!  About the 2.4Km run, are we supposed to run fast, jog, or what?  On a regular jog, I do that distance in about 12 minutes so is it better to run and do it faster or do they care about that?


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## Freight_Train (25 Feb 2004)

You can find  more info here:
 http://army.ca/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/18/3 
You don‘t actually do the run, you do an "equivalent" step test.


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## cathtaylor (25 Feb 2004)

Greg;
Anything you can tell me about the aptitude testing would be greatly appreciated.
Cath


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## Freight_Train (25 Feb 2004)

I haven‘t done it yet.  I would suggest you do a search of the recruting section of this site.  There has been a lot of info posted recently.  Also the CF recruiting site has a piece about preparing for your tests.  You can find it here:
 http://www.recruiting.forces.gc.ca/html/careers/getting_ready/prep_apti_test.html


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## Pte. Bloggins (25 Feb 2004)

> Originally posted by Wesley H. Allen, CD:
> [qb]  Just did a BFA on Tuesday in the pouring rain [/qb]


lol at first glance all I think of is BFA...hmm...that yellow thing that goes on the end of your rifle (ie. Blank Firing Attachment)


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## cathtaylor (25 Feb 2004)

Thanks a bunch Freight.  Yeah, I‘ve searched just about everything. These aptitude tests though, hmm, I dunno. I wonder how accurate they really are. One wrong move may influence the opportunity to learn the trade that you have your heart set on. Unless you‘re mentally challenged, one shouldn‘t have a problem learning a new trade. So I‘ve searched all that I can, looked around the book store, you know, that sort of thing, and came up with a whole lot of things to practice. If you do enough of them, they become as repetitive as a crossword puzzle.  So do as many practice tests as you can, I suppose, and ace every section.


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## cathtaylor (25 Feb 2004)

Bloggins, you‘re a card.


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## Barb (25 Feb 2004)

Hi Cath,
I am 35 and trying to get in.  I have applied for RMS clerk but seems like I have been waiting forever.  Wrote my CFAT last May, had interview and medical end November and completed my PT in January.  I have been told that everything came back okay and I just waiting for an offer of employment.  Feel like I‘ve been waiting forever.  I was nervous applying at 35 but have received alot of positive feedback on people joining later in life.  Good luck with everything.
Barb


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## portcullisguy (25 Feb 2004)

On my basic and infantry courses, I had a handful of "experienced" folks... which made me feel better because at 28 I thought I‘d be one of the oldest.

One lad was in his early 40s, a big stocky fella who owns a farm literally bordering LFCATC Meaford (he‘s with the G&SF).  He had no prior military experience, and stuck through SQ (although he bailed for the infantry course, something about the cows needed to be milked -- I dunno how they waited 3 weeks    )

Another, from my unit, is in his late 30s.  He was in 12 years ago, and was about to be made up to MCpl when he decided he‘s had enough and quit.  Then he came back, picked the same regiment, same trade, and even with the extra years and smaller, smoke-filled lung capacity, he trucks along just fine.

Whats amazing is guys who were half their age, 17 to 19, were falling out all over the place on short morning runs, and there were these two, keeping up with the runs, the section attacks, everything.  Made me feel bad, because I don‘t think my performance last summer was particularly worthy of any medals, although I did my best to put the effort in to it (I admit I seriously slack off on the physical side of things and end up paying for it later).

No worries at all.  You may have to work a bit harder at the physical side of things, but pain is only temporary, pride is forever.  With age comes experience and the right attitude to get the job done with a minimum of fuss.


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## KeV (25 Feb 2004)

If you‘re in a good enough physical shape and you‘ve got the motivation, well go for it!

It‘s better having a 45 year-old that‘s motivated than a 20 year-old that‘s not.

Good luck.


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## 1feral1 (25 Feb 2004)

About the other traditional type of BFA‘s. Our‘s are red. For the rifle they screw on. for the Minimi, and MAG 58, they have a BFB (Blank firing Barrel) with a BFN (Blank Firing Nut) attached. Minimi Also has a red plastic carrying handle.

If ya wanna see pics of Aussie weapons, I posted some (and more) under weapons in the photo area.


Hey Cath,

As for your run times, thats great! Here male and females her have different times and different PUs and SUs too.

What your DS/PTI will be looking for is motivation, willingness to help others, overall fitness improvement over time, high morale, and a good healthy ‘never surrender‘ attitude.

On my first Australian CFA (Combat Fitness Assessment in Feb 1995(a 15km foxtrot walk run w/ pack, patrol order, and personal wpn [mine at the time was a 13kg M60 7.62mm GPMG]in 2.5hrs) which started at about 0500 due to the hot Feb summer days. We were Company strength, and it was on the hilliest place ever (Singleton Military Area, Hunter valley region of New South Wales). Many Heartbreak Ridges! 

Anyways, cutting a long story short, with my new black GPs, I had blisters bad, and yet completed the march mid stream with the others. The medic at the end of it watched in shock as I sat down, and I rung out my OD socks with blood! He said "Why did you not stop and give in". I just glared back, and he said "you Canadians are mad".

I was new to the Army here, and on my first posting to a unit, so although I was sore, there was no way I was going to embarrass myself, and my former service in the CF. My image would take a lot longer to heal than my feet!

At the time I should have worn my CF black C/B boots as the Australians were going from black to tan at the time. I still have thoe black GPs and I have NOT worn them since.

Cheers and beers,

Wes


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