# 3rd week basic training...



## R3tic (3 Mar 2004)

this friday will be my 3rd week. Its been xtremly boring so far, we‘re always indoors doing lectures and drills. When will we do the fun things like weapons briefing, etc????

Honestly i‘m not feeling very motavated to go again.


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## combat_medic (3 Mar 2004)

If you can‘t do proper drill with your feet, then you‘re hardly dependable enough to be handed a weapon. If you‘re bored and unmotivated, then you need to re-evaluate the reasons you joined in the first place. If you thought the military would be a million thrills a minute, then you were mistaken. 

You need to find the motivation within yourself to go back. If it‘s not your thing, then there‘s no shame in quitting. If you decide to persevere and stick with it, then you‘re going to have to learn how to deal with the tedium inherant to a lot of the parts of the military.

Not to mention that the moment you get issued your weapon on basic training, your life becomes immediately more complicated and difficult; it‘s hardly something to look forward to.


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## stukirkpatrick (3 Mar 2004)

As they say, good things come to those who wait...

Or....don‘t bite off more than you can chew.

Once rifle drill starts, you will miss these simpler days.    
And be glad that you are indoors for it, some drill instruction takes place on hot ashphalt in the mid-summer Prairies.  *twitch*   :blotto: 

Just try to hang in there, and the hardship will eventually pay off, considerably.


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## Korus (3 Mar 2004)

> And be glad that you are indoors for it, some drill instruction takes place on hot ashphalt in the mid-summer Prairies. *twitch*


The berret tan-line builds character.

Paul, BMQ is a lot of basic military knowledge and boring lectures, with some time on the C7. SQ is where you will really get into weaponry, etc. 

The Militia, you‘ll find, is often what you make of it. BMQ is one of my best memories, not because I enjoyed sitting through Sharp training or other lectures, but because of the people I went through it with. Stick through it, keep a positive attitude, and you‘ll get to the fun stuff.


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## Sh0rtbUs (3 Mar 2004)

I was doing detail and field stripping with the C7 before our first week....I geuss each unit has their own way of doing things. I will agree with you though, drill blows. But you cant have the high points without taking the low..


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## Righty (3 Mar 2004)

Ahhhh....sharp training....

6 hours of my life i‘ll never see again

and on the subject of when do i get my rifle...it‘s not as great as it seems. going from prone to standing postion over and over in fighting order and then staying in prone on hard cement floors for 15 minuets strait is.... not so great.


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## fleeingjam (3 Mar 2004)

If you dont mind can u please tell me if this is Reg or Reserve? and if it is are u doing the year round one where its like weekends or 3rd week straight of training, I ask because pretty soon I may have to do it too. Your help would be greatly appreciated.


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## stukirkpatrick (3 Mar 2004)

Paul‘s profile says reservist, and since he refers to going ‘back‘ to training, I will use my powers of deduction to assume that it is weekend BMQ - plus, if he hasn‘t touched a C7 by the third week of BMQ, theres a problem - the course is only less than 4 training weeks.


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## 1feral1 (4 Mar 2004)

I love giving drill, at 0600 or after midnight! It makes no difference to me.

Cheers,

Wes


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## Marauder (4 Mar 2004)

> Honestly i‘m not feeling very motavated to go again.


Then quit.


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## Infanteer (4 Mar 2004)

> Honestly i‘m not feeling very motavated to go again.


No kidding, if you have to come to shed tears on the internet for motivation, we probably don‘t need you.


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## Jarnhamar (4 Mar 2004)

If someones having a bit of a bad day sometimes i think they need a litte reassurence. If someone talks about quitting all day and night and through out the whole course i say let them quit. i hate seeing cases of guys and girls wanting to quit all summer/course and their instructors keep getting them to change their mind and stick around only to have them graduate go back to their unit and be a defeatist. This sucks that sucks army sucks. One of the guys in my company wanted to go home the second week of pre-training. Was dead set against going to bosnia. "Why should i wake up for my CP  shift? its my section commanders job to wake me up" Is something he‘s said more than once. He‘s still here.  

If someone doesnt like the army than send them home so everyones happy.


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## Jungle (4 Mar 2004)

> Originally posted by Kirkpatrick:
> [qb] Paul‘s profile says reservist, and since he refers to going ‘back‘ to training, I will use my powers of deduction to assume that it is weekend BMQ - plus, if he hasn‘t touched a C7 by the third week of BMQ, theres a problem - the course is only less than 4 training weeks. [/qb]


4 weekends ??? That‘s 8 days... They have kids qualified BMQ after 8 days !?!?!? This is ludicrous...
If you can‘t take an 8-day course spread over 4 weekends, GO HOME !!!


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## stukirkpatrick (4 Mar 2004)

> 4 weekends ??? That‘s 8 days... They have kids qualified BMQ after 8 days !?!?!? This is ludicrous...
> If you can‘t take an 8-day course spread over 4 weekends, GO HOME !!!


Whoh, its not THAT bad     , I don‘t know how many equivalent weekends there are, but I meant 4 weeks of BMQ if taken all at once, as in the summer.


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## Gibson (4 Mar 2004)

It‘s 20 days, if it was 4 weekends I would have been finished it awhile ago.

I was handling weapons by the 2nd weekend.  However that was because we had to go to Petawawa early in the course to get qualified so I guess that made us a bit different.


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## Jungle (4 Mar 2004)

OK, thanks for clarifying this...


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## CL84 (4 Mar 2004)

I did a BMQ, it was in high school co-op though. Not hard at all! There were alot of people who were complaining all the time about how hard drill was and stuff, when really, it‘s not hard if you just listen and do it. Drill is boring? I think drill is pretty cool when it‘s done right, if you are unmotivated and bored, and doing a weekend bmq then I think you got problems. If you don‘t like it, quit, you can always get a civy job at McDonalds or something, no drill there and flipping burgers is so much cooler than learning drill and learning about weapons.


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## GhostRecce (4 Mar 2004)

just stick with it. basic is not the most exciting course but it will get better as time goes on. then after basic all the "fun" stuff starts


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## L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan (4 Mar 2004)

Hey Paul,  I can get the instructor to step it up a notch if you want.  Make it more interesting.  Just give me some suggestions and I‘ll inform them.  They are all good friends of mine.  Especially MCpl Marczewski...


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## Infanteer (4 Mar 2004)

> It‘s 20 days, if it was 4 weekends I would have been finished it awhile ago.


...and you wonder why there is such a divide between the reg force and the reserves now.

Hi, I spent 10 weeks in St Jean.

Hi, I spent 20 days in my armoury, spread out over 6 months, going home every night.

Getting rid of RESO Phase was a big step back for the Militia.


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## Pikache (4 Mar 2004)

Ellison you crazy. That‘s just... mean. LOL

I got a weapon first day of my BMQ. Boy, was I in so much crap (along with most of the course) when fire drill happened that night and I forgot my rifle...


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## L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan (4 Mar 2004)

I‘m a mean guy...


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## Pte. Bloggins (4 Mar 2004)

> Originally posted by Infanteer:
> ...and you wonder why there is such a divide between the reg force and the reserves now.
> 
> Hi, I spent 10 weeks in St Jean.
> ...


I agree, weekend basic is considerably easier...i have a buddy doing it right now any they‘re complaining about being tired...after TWO DAYS! gimmie a break...summer basic ain‘t the same as reg force but at least it‘s still a step above the weekend thing.


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## Pikache (4 Mar 2004)

Weekend is harder than Coop.


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## Infanteer (4 Mar 2004)

What we need is a 30 week course akin to the Royal Marines...that would ensure we get a good supply of snake-eaters.


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## Pte. Bloggins (4 Mar 2004)

*said in a Homer Simpson-ish tone*

mmm....snakes


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## L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan (4 Mar 2004)

I never got an answer though...cause, you know...I can talk to them if you want.  Lt McKnight, WO Ruiter and I go way back.  I can request they step up the training a notch or 10.


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## Korus (4 Mar 2004)

I think he‘s been scared off already..


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## Pikache (4 Mar 2004)

Ellison, PT with gas mask on sounds good, eh?


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## Thompson_JM (5 Mar 2004)

Hey Fusilier, Im gonna have to respectfully disagree with your belief that Co-op is easier. 

I think it is just as challengin as the Weekend course. at least mine was. if not harder. 

We had a 5 day range Ex. the weekenders had a weekend.

We had a 10 day FTX, the weekenders had a Weekend.

Our drill, GSK, and Weapons handling was significantly better then the weekenders, even the half day Co-op students. 

granted i did my QL-2 in 99 and it was run by the RHLI and some Argyles. (good guys those argyles) (ok and some good RHLI‘s too.) so Its probabbly a little different now. But all i know is that our intsructors knew we got to go home at the end of the night. and they more then made up for it. we did alot of PT and Drill when we were there. 
Im not gonna say it was the hardest in the world. since its always harder for someone else. but i can honestly say that from My personal opinion, the QL-2 I was on, was a very challenging and demanding course. and it varey Rarely (if ever) felt easy. 

but back to the point of this thread. If you really dont like the army then yes. quit. stick it out for another weekend persay, and then if its still as awful as you say it is. then quit. 
trust me, you will be doing yourself, your coursemates, and the CF in general a favour if you truly dont want to be there.


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## CL84 (5 Mar 2004)

When I was in my high school militia co-op we were at the armoury throughout the weekday ...it was pretty simple, 830am parade square inspection and then after that 2 lecture periods, 2 drill periods. Lunch for an hour, then 1-3pm we were with a high school teacher, still in the armoury, 1.5 hours math or english...and then til 3 we had PT. We went away one weekend a month to meaford, but we got to tag along with the weekenders. That‘s how it worked for me in my bmq. *shudders* Ruiter...


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## CL84 (5 Mar 2004)

We had 2 people in charge, MBDR Mans, and Sgt. Donachie. Donachie is the man.


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## L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan (5 Mar 2004)

Yeah Johnny rules.  And what‘s wrong with Dan Ruiter?  He‘s just a little Dutch, it‘s all good, it‘s all good.


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## Righty (5 Mar 2004)

> Originally posted by RoyalHighlandFusilier:
> [qb] Weekend is harder than Coop.     [/qb]


WHAT?

Im on the Co-op program as we speak...(just heading out the door to saty at the ranges for the weekend) and i would have to dissagree. The one weekend we spent with the weekend guys we couldnt stand them... Their uniform‘s were all wrinkled, no flashers, and so on. i would think the weekend people would have more time to work on their uniform...


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## CL84 (5 Mar 2004)

I don‘t know for sure if weekend is harder than coop...But I‘d have to say coop is harder just because you were there more, and with good ol‘ Johnny Donachie, he makes your life pretty rough seeing as you all get to go home and rest after. When we went away to the ranges in Meaford, we were with the weekenders, they all seemed pretty clueless to me actually to what was going on, I remember a girl from the weekend thing, she was like, 27 or something, she was yelling at us coop guys cuz we should be helping them or something, which we were, we just werent doing everything for them. Sigh...I think coop is harder, but even the coop was still nothing, so complaining about either a weekend course or a coop is stupid. I‘m goin to St. Jean in May..10 weeks in St. Jean is Satan, as militia coop is to barney the dinosaur. Not complaining, I can‘t wait.   :warstory:


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## portcullisguy (5 Mar 2004)

nevermind


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## btk_joker (5 Mar 2004)

Well, I read another post here about inspecting the Gerber multi-tool and figured...nah. But oh was I mistaken, when on course on my last inspection, the Sgt. asks to see my Gerber! He goes on  about the finger-prints and scratches all over it..ugh. Oh well, maybe everything else was perfect     .


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## Pikache (6 Mar 2004)

Well, for my weekend BMQ, there was only 14 of us or something and 4 instructors plus crse WO and crse officer.

So there was plenty of eyes on all of us and little room to make mistakes.


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## Thompson_JM (6 Mar 2004)

yeah we had a fairly good ratio of instructors.

for PERSEC reasons I wont name names, and some of them have since released from the forces

but we had an RHLI Lt. 
then a RHLI Sgt as our PL Wo

1 sec. had our sec com, comming and going. we had a sgt. then no one, then another sgt, then no one. Finally they made the 1 sec 2ic a RHLI MCpl, now SGT. our sec com, and brought a Cpl, from the Ash of C in.

2 sec had 2 MCpls from the RHLI

and 3 Sec had a Sgt from the Ash of C and a MCpl from the RHLI.

4 sec was the half Day Co-op kids and they had a Cpl, as their Sec Com, since there were only 5 of them.

all in all we had 8-10 troops per sec, plus 2ic and Sec Com. so there was always addiquate supervision.

we would have had the Pl officer (Lt.) Pl/crse WO (sgt) 

plus 6 or 7 instructors, and at times (ie feild) we had about 10-15 soldiers who could act as staff, or instructors.

im not gonna say mine was harder then yours since i didnt do your QL-2. I can imagine though with a ratio like you had RHF it would have been quite challenging.


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## Engineer Corporal (7 Mar 2004)

Well as far as the militia goes it really went downhill after the summer of 2001. Basic training courses became joke weekend courses. I tend to agree with infanteer but the reason the courses are so slack is pretty obvious.
 Easier courses means less ppl will be sent home. What I‘m seeing is turning a blind eye to "problem ppl" and just pushing them through to have another name on a roster. It‘s like anything else it‘s just a question of money. Running a basic training course or any military course for that matter is expensive. 
Also the "old ways" of running the troops into the ground but making soldiers and men/women out of them did work. But money prevails in running a course, in the old ways you lose to many. With taking away instructor powers to discipline effectively you take away the very nature of the army. I think it‘s pretty gros, but hey what can you do?


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## L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan (8 Mar 2004)

Hey Thompson, your CO-OP course is LEGENDARY.  Phil Skinner and Mike Johnson told me ALL about it.


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## Danjanou (8 Mar 2004)

Oh I love this, "my Coop was tougher than your weekend, no it wasn‘t."

Guys everyone‘s course (no matter what it is) was tougher than anyone elses, thats an unwritten rule. Seriously though while odds are a F/T course ie summer will be tougher than a weekend course because it runs continually, there can be exceptions. With the right collection of staff and students a weekend can be tough or slack.

Now sit down yung‘uns and let me tell you how tough it was in the old days when I was first issued my Brown Bess Musket and scarlet tunic.  :warstory:


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## Gryphon (8 Mar 2004)

i dunno.. for reservists i think that the summer basic should be the only way to go, and even then, step it up a bit... I know that when i got back from my 3s and saw one or two of the raw recruits who had passed, i knew that they weren‘t throwing enough people out... even in shilo 2002 there were a few people that my instructors would have LOVED to seen thrown out on their @$$es, but because of the due process and the cmdt, they weren‘t thrown out....

at my unit, we had the weekend basic, but those weekenders had to go to shilo, because they weren‘t able to get the course recognized for some reason (don‘t ask me why). One of my friends who did both says that the 2 experiences are totally different and cannot be compared to each other...


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## Thompson_JM (8 Mar 2004)

> Originally posted by L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan:
> [qb] Hey Thompson, your CO-OP course is LEGENDARY.  Phil Skinner and Mike Johnson told me ALL about it. [/qb]


Yeah. It was a pretty special course..

The NIS made sure of that


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## L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan (8 Mar 2004)

How did it feel to be in the news?


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## AlphaCharlie (8 Mar 2004)

i‘m also doing my reseve BMQ in halifax right now...

so far we‘ve done one weekend, and yes, I hurt, but that‘s only because i‘m not used to drill and standing at attention and such. i‘ll get used to it.

And the only time I felt like leaving was when I tried to do drill after eating too many scrambled "eggs".... ugh... doin drill with an upset stomach sucks LOL! oh well. It was fun all in all. We get c7s next weekend so i‘m looking forward to that.

personally I think the coolect peice of kit is the webgear we put together...   

im scared for PT tho. :X


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## Thompson_JM (8 Mar 2004)

> Originally posted by L/MCpl_Argyll_ Kurrgan:
> [qb] How did it feel to be in the news? [/qb]


Odd... Like we were gonna get Jacked up more now because of it... I was never in the news personally, thank god.. it was hard enough being the grey man, when youre the only service REMF on the whole course.  

But I can say as hard as it was, and despite the, less then legal activites which occured it was still a good solid course. 

Im sure phil and mike have already given you the details of what accually happened on the course so there is no need to say it again here.


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