# Training



## dr.no (18 Jul 2004)

Hello. I have recently passed all of my tests and should be hearing from the PLF soon (the med forms take 1 month). I was wondering if anyone could help me out by giving pointers for what to expect during the basic training, as I will hopefully be heading for Aldershot soon.


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## Scott (18 Jul 2004)

If you go to Aldershot in the summer expect it to be bloody HOT!!!!

As far as what the rigors are of QL2 now I am not sure, there are plenty here that are more qualified than me to comment. Expect to be pushed, that's always a safe bet. Here's a good thought: Start working hard on your conditioning, get to running and doing push ups, sit ups, chin ups, etc. The better shape you show up in the better time you will have on the course. A guy who shows up in not so good shape has to work that much harder to keep up, thus, he is more tired and has a harder time keeping awake in class, etc. The guy who shows up in shape will still be pushed and will still go to bed pretty tired but he will have it much easier than the fellow who is not in as good of shape. You also will not be as prone to the small nagging injuries that you may sustain throughout training. The fitness standards are there for a reason, it's damn hard on your body, prepare for it.

Do they do all PRes training at Aldershot now? I went to Gagetown for my 2's and Aldershot for my 3's. Spent TWO summers in Tent city while they were building the new barracks. God I miss those tents, so easy to keep clean, so hard to find yours after a night at JR's. Further to that, sand is a real sh&^^y thing to wake up with a mouth full of when you already have a hangover.

GOOD LUCK

Cheers!


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## dr.no (18 Jul 2004)

Thanks for the tips! I actually don't know where I'm going to be training, but they said gagetown and aldershot.


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## jmackenzie_15 (18 Jul 2004)

im starting DP1 in aldershot on wednesday, im home for the weekend before it starts. Its pretty damn hot and theres some really strange insects ive never seen in my life before lol. Baby wipes are the arch nemesis of cam paint, they bring it off like nothing, bring lots of those.Plus, they keep you at least semi clean in the field sometimes when you try to keep yourself from being a scuzzbgag.One of my pet peeves is not being able to be clean, i wash my hair with a canteen on some nights when i have time =p.Bring your own bug spray too, the stuff they give you sucks.The bugs are all immune i think.Trust me, you want it.One of my section commanders got bit by 'something' in his sleeping bag and his leg swelled right up, another guys face did when 'something' bit him. good luck =p


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## Scott (18 Jul 2004)

If you want something killer to remove cam paint try Oxy Pads, they sting a bit, but work, just never use one after you've tried shaving the cam off or you will feel pain like nothing you've ever experienced before.


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## dr.no (18 Jul 2004)

Um... at the risk of sounding a bit stupid, what are PRes, DP1 and QL2?


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## Scott (18 Jul 2004)

PRes is the Primary Reserves, the PLF are a part of the Primary Reserves.

QL2 is Basic Training (Qualification Level Two, correct me if I am wrong)

QL3 is your MOC (Military Occupation, in your case 031, Infantry) and it goes on from there

The only thing I can think of for DP is Demo Platoon, jmackenzie will have to enlighten us on that

Good Luck and have fun

Cheers


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## Korus (18 Jul 2004)

What will really screw you up, though, is that the term QL2 is not used anymore...

The old QL2 course is now the BMQ and SQ courses..
QL3 is now DP1 in some trades..

You'll quickly learn that the army has many abreviations, and every so often they like to change them to mess people up.


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## Scott (18 Jul 2004)

I screwed former members up when I first joined by calling it QL2/3/4/5A, etc. They had all been through TQ1, 2 and so on.

BMQ? Basic Military Qualification?? 

SQ? Soldier Qualification?

What are the additions/changes to the program? Curious to see how they train now.

Cheers and thanks


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## ZipperHead (18 Jul 2004)

DP stands for Developmental Period. It replaces QL, TQ, OSQ, and whatever other alphabet soup acronyms they have used in the past. It is used both for NCM and Officer "career progression" courses.

Most people still use TQ3 to describe their MOC trg or Battle School, as everybody is still familiar with what it means.

Al


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## jswift872 (18 Jul 2004)

all i know is i am doing bmq for the plf right now on the weekends in the armouries, we go to aldershot for like 2 weekends at the end, for the firing range...the rest of the time we get to see the many freaky people out at 6 in the morning during pt on the Halifax commons.


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## patt (18 Jul 2004)

just a quick question when do u do ur SQ?


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## jswift872 (18 Jul 2004)

after bmq.


(sq is the fun one i hear)


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## portcullisguy (18 Jul 2004)

I didn't think SQ was all that fun.  It was just less boring than BMQ.  DP1 - Infantry was fun.  It was a bit more nitty gritty on the dismounted ops stuff, and included firing the mortar and M203.  I read somewhere on this board that they ahve now moved the hand grenades and Carl G into the DP1 course, and it's no longer in SQ.  I have no idea, but if true, it would make SQ even LESS fun and DP1 even MORE fun.

Range days are pretty good on course.

Just don't volunteer for the butt party on the M203 range.    j/k

Before I did SQ/DP1, I was told that learning and performing the section attack would be one of the hardest things I'd do in my military career, and perhaps the most rewarding.  I was told it was the meat & potatoes of an infantryman's job.

Well, I still think it was a pretty tough, although I'm quite sure there are worse ways the army can beast you around.  But, yes, I take a certain amount of pride in the knowledge that I can do them and make them look convincing.

Last month, in Florida, training with the US National Guard, we took some of their guys through our section attacks, and they showed us how they do theirs.  I think ours is tougher, and I think they agreed.  The dash-he-sees-me-down, even over short distances, does a number on the knees and other joints, especially in 90-degree heat.  I don't think they were going to change their tactics on our account, but I think they held us in high respect.  Not one of us went down to a heat injury during the 2-week ex, and plenty of their lads did.

Enjoy the experience and learn all you can, you will be rewarded.


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## Scott (18 Jul 2004)

Pepper potting always kicked my a**, anyone who has trained in Aldershot will have "fond" memories of the scrubby vegetation that hurts like a b*&^%rd when you go to fall with the C9 or C6. We had one troop in my section who had pepper potting down to a science. If you watched him you'd see the C9 arc up almost over his head like he threw it as he started his bound and as the gun came back down he was starting to go to ground, knees, hip, elbows. 

I recall another time we were doing a section attack in the old Camp Debert training area when one of my counterparts tried to leap a small brook during his bound, he somehow became entangled in his weapon's sling and made a fairly hard impact with the ground. That was the only time I have ever seen an officer completely useless due to gales of laughter. 

Cheers


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## jswift872 (18 Jul 2004)

what exactly is pepper potting, if you don't mind me asking..


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## Infanteer (18 Jul 2004)

Ah young Padewan, not quite the Private you advertise yourself as yet, are you....

"Pepper Potting" is a slang term for fire-and-movement, the most basic individual Infantry tactic for advancing under fire.  It is essentially how we "close with and destroy the enemy."


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## jswift872 (18 Jul 2004)

ahh thanks man, and i will hopefully be a private as of august 15. if all goes good, but until then i think i will change my avatar, lol


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## D-n-A (18 Jul 2004)

I think DP1 can refer to more then just QL3

my BMQ course title was

P Res NCM DP-1 Basic Military Qualification (Land)


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## Korus (19 Jul 2004)

My worst pepper-potting experience was when my webbing shifted on me, and my mag pouch, complete with 2 loaded mags, lined up with my nether-regions, then I hit the ground..


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## Scott (19 Jul 2004)

Sorry, Roko, I am laughing. I always wondered why some of the guys shifted their webbing so that the nag pouches were riding right high on their chests. I wondered that is until I almost had the same experience as you.


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## dr.no (19 Jul 2004)

Pte. McKibbon - What where your BMQs and SQs like and what type of stuff do you do at the armories? I am asking this as I will probably be doing the same things as you, seeing as how I live in Nova Scotia and am in walking disance of the armories.


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## D-n-A (19 Jul 2004)

dr no, if you do a search, you can find al the info on BMQ and SQ that you need

These two courses, used to be one course called QL2, now it is broken into BMQ and SQ.
BMQ: Basic Military Qualification, here you learn how to be a soldier(or sailer or airman). Your learn Drill, Dress and Deportmant, law, ethics, C7, NBC, etc
on my BMQ they also put in a bit of CQB and some other infantry stuff.

SQ: Soldier Qualification, is a Army only course, it teaches you the basics of infantry fighting, you will learn C9, C6, Grenades, SRAAW(M) Carl Gustuv, SRAAW(L) M72 LAW. Defensive, Offensive Ops and Recce.


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## jswift872 (19 Jul 2004)

well actually I'm currently doing my bmq, so i cant really answer what sq is like.


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## dr.no (20 Jul 2004)

Pte. McKibbon - Are the BMQs more of a pure agony thing, or will I be able to look back on it and have some good memories?


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## jswift872 (20 Jul 2004)

the one thing i really like about bmq is the bond you make with the other soon to be soldiers, if you fall behind, they help you out. It's a really strong bond while your there. It's not "pure" agony, just a little bit of agony, but it is a really good test your your spirit and mind..


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## dr.no (20 Jul 2004)

*sigh* ok, thanks.


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## dr.no (20 Jul 2004)

(that was a sigh of relief, by the way)


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## Korus (20 Jul 2004)

You'll develop "Army Amnesia" anyways, meaning you'll forget the bad and remember the good.

To support previous statements, my fondest memories of Basic where the people..  Great people...


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## Scott (20 Jul 2004)

I am in 100% agreement with Roko, and even the bad memories will be big laughs for you one day. Don't worry, it's a game that we have all played at one point or another, all the guys who will be training you went through so you can do it as well.


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## Sappo (20 Jul 2004)

mmhm, i'm sure as cheesy and retarded as it sounds.... there is alot of moments like you see in movies.

real bonding, comraderie, and just great times.


thats one of the reasons i can't wait to do my bmq, just to meet everyone and really pull it as a team effort you know.


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## dr.no (21 Jul 2004)

ya right, cheesy movie moments. Great. Whenever those happen, I'm always the guy that happens to fall, or doesn't get the joke.


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