# SIG OP AFTER MOC



## CEhopeful (4 Apr 2006)

Hello,
I am going to basic on May 8Th, and I was just curious, even though it is a good year away, where do SIG Ops GO after their MOC training, and do they get attached to a Unit, or are they in their own group(after MOC, and going on deployment). CHEERS!!!!!


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## Radop (16 Apr 2006)

Normally, you will go to the Regiment in Kingston or a Signals Squadron in one of the Bdes.  That being said, some people are getting posted from the school to units such as RCR, PPCLI, Arty, etc.  Just don't count on it but don't rule it out either.


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## Mojo Magnum (18 Jul 2006)

No such luck for my crew just coming out of Kingston, we're all looking at HQ and Sigs.    No RCR for us, at least, not yet anyway.


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## canadianblue (18 Jul 2006)

You forgot Winnipeg Mojo Magnum 

They originally told us that a few of us might be going to the RCR, however the vast majority went to HQ and Sigs Petawawa.


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## Mojo Magnum (18 Jul 2006)

Seen!

and hey, when I said no Tequila, I meant it.

look at the mess they made me make


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## canadianblue (23 Jul 2006)

I learned a pretty harsh lesson about Tequila while I was in Barrie, I'll tell you later...


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## Zombie (3 Sep 2006)

What are the differences between the options for Sig Op postings once done the QL3?


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## canadianblue (3 Sep 2006)

Well, for where I'm going, it'll probably be working behind a computer in a message center for the next three years. It all depends on where you go, you can work in long range comm's, setting up a CP, Rovers, IS, Coy Signaller, etc. QL3's are just to give you a BASIC knowledge of the Sigs trade, the options available to you in this trade after your QL3's is huge. But once again Sigs isn't everyones cup of tea. 

Usually they'll give you posting preferences during your QL3's and you pick your top three choices. So its usually between Edmonton, Petawawa, maybe Kingston, and some static postings. The options that we got were Edmonton, Petawawa, Borden, and Winnipeg.


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## canadianblue (4 Sep 2006)

Well for postings its varied. The majority of postings will usually be between Edmonton and Petawawa, and their might be a few with Kingston, and maybe one or two static postings. For our course, we had Edmonton, Petawawa, Winnipeg, and Borden, for posting preferences. Originally they told us our options were Edmonton, Suffield, Shilo, Winnipeg, Borden, and Petawawa until they limited them.


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## Radop (8 Sep 2006)

You can probably guess were you will be going by watching the TV and asking who is next out the door for the big sandbox.  If it is Edmonton's turn, you will go to Edmonton, Pet's turn, Petawawa, etc.  You will most likely go were the military needs you not were you want to go.  Get the Bde stuff done early in your career.


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## Canadian Sig (9 Sep 2006)

Mojo Magnum said:
			
		

> No such luck for my crew just coming out of Kingston, we're all looking at HQ and Sigs.    No RCR for us, at least, not yet anyway.



It's a good thing too, there are lots of senior guys who have been un-able to get out of 2 Sigs for a long time and they get mighty pissed off when the "kids" get posted straight to the Bns.......not that I'm one of those senior guys or anything ( None of your freaking senior jokes either Radop!!!) Actually, Radop, I'm finally out of the troops ( for awhile anyways ) I am temporarily sig'ing for 99.


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## luck881 (10 Sep 2006)

Jeez, they'll give that job to anyone now....
I guess you've escaped Monster Tp!


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## Bull_STR (10 Oct 2006)

I completed my 3s and was posted right to my choice of posting. ie; Base, and Unit.  I was even given the postion that I asked for in IS and am being told that I will be on my 5s as soon as 6 months from now.  Everything moves fast but it all depends on you.


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## Canadian Sig (11 Oct 2006)

Bull_STR said:
			
		

> I completed my 3s and was posted right to my choice of posting. ie; Base, and Unit.  I was even given the postion that I asked for in IS and am being told that I will be on my 5s as soon as 6 months from now.  Everything moves fast but it all depends on you.



There are still Cpls with 4 or 5 years in trade waiting for 5's so take some things with a grain of salt.


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## chrisf (11 Oct 2006)

Canadian Sig said:
			
		

> There are still Cpls with 4 or 5 years in trade waiting for 5's so take some things with a grain of salt.



Really? Are there still many signallers backed up in the PAT platoons as well awaiting their QL3?

Just a thought (And I know this could probably even be split into a seperate subject here) but the past summer, F-SQN in CFSCE modified the reserve QL5 package to make it identical to the regular QL5 package (Which actually required shortening it, and removing the light NCCIS portion, which is still taught in conjunction with the QL5 package, just on paper they're two courses instead of one).

While most of the courses were still taught by F-SQN, there was one reserve QL-5 course run through B-SQN (They were transferred back to F-SQN once the course was over so they could take their Light NCCIS course). I know my own QL5 course was part of a join exercise between (If I remember right) A-SQN and F-SQN (Ex Merc Storm if I remember right, we commanded the dets, the officer candidates conducted the recces and sited us, was definitly a positive learning experience for all involved).

Anyway, rambling aside, my thought is why not leave F-SQN stood up (I don't know if they stand down completely or partially but either way) over the winter and run through a few QL3 and QL5 courses mixed reg and res students, taught by reservists? I know there's always a few reservists looking to do their courses over the winter (And the promise of "we'll try and load you on a reg force course" seldom comes true, though apparently as of last spring, CFSCE is reserving two spots on each course for reservists) and I'm certain they could find enough staff to teach and support a few courses.

The signals reserve is far more in-line with it's reg force counterparts then the rest of the army reserve, and courtesy of the number of available tours, as well as such things as merc surge being used to back-fill CFJSR, there's more then enough experience floating around in the sigs reserve to justify being able to teach such courses...

Just a thought.


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## willy (11 Oct 2006)

Just a Sig Op said:
			
		

> Just a thought (And I know this could probably even be split into a seperate subject here) but the past summer, F-SQN in CFSCE modified the reserve QL5 package to make it identical to the regular QL5 package (Which actually required shortening it, and removing the light NCCIS portion, which is still taught in conjunction with the QL5 package, just on paper they're two courses instead of one).



Maybe this is just a point of language, but nothing was modified.  The Reg Force TP was adopted for reserve use.  No modification at all.



			
				Just a Sig Op said:
			
		

> While most of the courses were still taught by F-SQN, there was one reserve QL-5 course run through B-SQN (They were transferred back to F-SQN once the course was over so they could take their Light NCCIS course). I know my own QL5 course was part of a join exercise between (If I remember right) A-SQN and F-SQN (Ex Merc Storm if I remember right, we commanded the dets, the officer candidates conducted the recces and sited us, was definitly a positive learning experience for all involved).



I'm pretty sure that isn't correct.  None of those courses fell under B Sqn.  The combined exercises are run by the School- not any individual Sqn.



			
				Just a Sig Op said:
			
		

> Anyway, rambling aside, my thought is why not leave F-SQN stood up (I don't know if they stand down completely or partially but either way) over the winter and run through a few QL3 and QL5 courses mixed reg and res students, taught by reservists? I know there's always a few reservists looking to do their courses over the winter (And the promise of "we'll try and load you on a reg force course" seldom comes true, though apparently as of last spring, CFSCE is reserving two spots on each course for reservists) and I'm certain they could find enough staff to teach and support a few courses.



The only reason F Sqn exists is because of the fact that reserve training peaks big time in the summer, and falls away to almost nothing during the rest of the year.  The huge number of students in-house at peak causes a huge burden of administrative and logistical work that can't be managed by a single Sqn.  If it weren't for that big peak however then we wouldn't need F Sqn at all- B Sqn could just do all the trg by itself, as used to be the case before 2000.  In other words, we have a Reserve Trg Squadron in order to provide a surge capacity when required: F Sqn goes to minimum manning in the winter precisely because there is no further need of it until the next surge comes along.

There is nowhere near enough demand for reserve courses in the winter to justify the money and manpower it would cost to keep F Sqn manned all year round, and the two spots per B Sqn course you talk about can and do get filled- usually when they go vacant it's because of a lack of applicants.  Even if we could find the staff to run the Sqn through the winter it wouldn't make sense to do so- B Sqn is already there doing this job, and running F Sqn "just because" would be redundant.  Besides, there are other positions open for those who want jobs, and those positions usually have a higher manning priority anyway i.e. tours, callouts with operational units, etc.  As for ramping up B Sqn to run more courses- that's an entirely different matter, and one on which I'm not qualified to speak, except to say that some reservists are already on contract there as instructors.  If they wanted more, they might be able to find them, but augmenting B Sqn with reservists would still be far less manpower intensive than keeping F Sqn through the winter.

Sorry to dump on you- it's not that the idea is bad, it's just that itsn't really feasible.


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## Sig_Des (11 Oct 2006)

willy said:
			
		

> I'm pretty sure that isn't correct.  None of those courses fell under B Sqn.  The combined exercises are run by the School- not any individual Sqn.



Talking to friends who were on 0603, I'm pretty sure they did fall under B Sqn for the QL5 portion. Reg F staff, stayed in B7 as opposed to the rest of F sqn in B-37. After the QL5 portion, Res staff taught their NCCIS light portion, and they were moved to B-37 with the remainder of F Sqn.

JaSO, F Sqn, while the admin staff does stay longer, is stood down. IE, the trailers on the parade square are all removed, equipment and vehicles are all returned to unit, as are the staff.


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## Canadian Sig (11 Oct 2006)

Just a Sig Op said:
			
		

> ..... though apparently as of last spring, CFSCE is reserving two spots on each course for reservists



I just finished my 5's this summer and my wife just finished hers last month and neither of us had a single reservist on either of our courses.


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## willy (11 Oct 2006)

Sig_Des said:
			
		

> Talking to friends who were on 0603, I'm pretty sure they did fall under B Sqn for the QL5 portion. Reg F staff, stayed in B7 as opposed to the rest of F sqn in B-37. After the QL5 portion, Res staff taught their NCCIS light portion, and they were moved to B-37 with the remainder of F Sqn.
> 
> JaSO, F Sqn, while the admin staff does stay longer, is stood down. IE, the trailers on the parade square are all removed, equipment and vehicles are all returned to unit, as are the staff.



Having Reg Force Staff is one thing, being in B Sqn is another.  If they were in B Sqn then why did I keep seeing their staff at the F Sqn O Gps?


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## chrisf (11 Oct 2006)

willy said:
			
		

> Maybe this is just a point of language, but nothing was modified.  The Reg Force TP was adopted for reserve use.  No modification at all.



You misread what I wrote, we said the same thing. It was the reserve course that was changed, it's identical to the reg force course now.



> I'm pretty sure that isn't correct.  None of those courses fell under B Sqn.  The combined exercises are run by the School- not any individual Sqn.



There was a reserve QL-5 course which stayed in B-Sqn barracks, drew it's instructors from B-Sqn, and was supported logistically from B-Sqn. If there's a detail I'm missing which means they didn't fall under B-Sqn, then I appologize, but it sounds like falling under B-Sqn to me. They even had those goofy looking hand-bags (Carry-alls maybe?  ) with B-Sqn stamped on the side.



> The only reason F Sqn exists is because of the fact that reserve training peaks big time in the summer, and falls away to almost nothing during the rest of the year.  The huge number of students in-house at peak causes a huge burden of administrative and logistical work that can't be managed by a single Sqn.  If it weren't for that big peak however then we wouldn't need F Sqn at all- B Sqn could just do all the trg by itself, as used to be the case before 2000.  In other words, we have a Reserve Trg Squadron in order to provide a surge capacity when required: F Sqn goes to minimum manning in the winter precisely because there is no further need of it until the next surge comes along.
> 
> There is nowhere near enough demand for reserve courses in the winter to justify the money and manpower it would cost to keep F Sqn manned all year round, and the two spots per B Sqn course you talk about can and do get filled- usually when they go vacant it's because of a lack of applicants.  Even if we could find the staff to run the Sqn through the winter it wouldn't make sense to do so- B Sqn is already there doing this job, and running F Sqn "just because" would be redundant.  Besides, there are other positions open for those who want jobs, and those positions usually have a higher manning priority anyway i.e. tours, callouts with operational units, etc.  As for ramping up B Sqn to run more courses- that's an entirely different matter, and one on which I'm not qualified to speak, except to say that some reservists are already on contract there as instructors.  If they wanted more, they might be able to find them, but augmenting B Sqn with reservists would still be far less manpower intensive than keeping F Sqn through the winter.



It actually struck me that keeping F-Sqn stood up would be rather silly, as they'd loose all their kit and vehicles when it's returned to the units in September anyway... but still, there's solutions here to be gained, even if it's giving instructors attached to F-Sqn the opportunity to extend their contracts and teach at B-Sqn come the fall...


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## chrisf (11 Oct 2006)

Canadian Sig said:
			
		

> I just finished my 5's this summer and my wife just finished hers last month and neither of us had a single reservist on either of our courses.



CFSCE says they're reserving the spots... whether or not there's candidates to fill those spots is another issue.


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## Radop (22 Oct 2006)

CFSCE has started to combine the courses final exercises to facilitate beter and closer to actual working environment.  It does make sence to do that.  As I have been posted to the language school with 3 people who were just working there, the info I have been getting is pretty accurate.  As for who taught them, does it really matter if it was B Sqn or F Sqn.  F Sqn is reservists augmented by Reg Force.  A lot of my friends fill those billets.  As for the course being the same, that is not entirely true unless you are only looking at the TP side of the house.  The Reg Force gets more hands on than the reserves.  I went to Montreal last year to talk to them about the "Light det course"  which is a joke due to it not being a light det in the reg force sense.  The forces have now adopted a new series of names and that role will be called the Hermes Golf.  One inmarsat does not a light det make.


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## officer.phil (22 Oct 2006)

Hmm....how about Reserve Sig Ops? Where do they usually go after? Are they just placed to their local communications reserve unit for weeknights/weekends training?


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## canadianblue (23 Oct 2006)

Yes reserve Sig Ops are posted back to their units. We had a reservist on our 3's and he was posted back to his home unit.


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## chrisf (28 Oct 2006)

Radop said:
			
		

> CFSCE has started to combine the courses final exercises to facilitate beter and closer to actual working environment.  It does make sence to do that.  As I have been posted to the language school with 3 people who were just working there, the info I have been getting is pretty accurate.  As for who taught them, does it really matter if it was B Sqn or F Sqn.  F Sqn is reservists augmented by Reg Force.  A lot of my friends fill those billets.  As for the course being the same, that is not entirely true unless you are only looking at the TP side of the house.  The Reg Force gets more hands on than the reserves.  I went to Montreal last year to talk to them about the "Light det course"  which is a joke due to it not being a light det in the reg force sense.  The forces have now adopted a new series of names and that role will be called the Hermes Golf.  One inmarsat does not a light det make.


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## Radop (10 Nov 2006)

Just a sigop, Did you just like my statement and why did you just quote it???????  

Cnd Sig, Your old, so am I so get over it.  99, save his sole!

Luck, Agreed, lol.


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