# Training more than one weekend a month - confused.



## ThatsLife (8 Oct 2005)

Alright, so I was denied the right [from my girlfriend] to join the regular forces. I joined the reserves and i'm waiting to get sworn in; asking the recruiter awhile back if we were allowed to show up more than one weekend a month and he said, and I quote, " Absolutely! It's completely up to you how often you want to show up." 

During my interview, my interviewer asked if I had any questions and I asked if it was possible to participate in training more than one weekend a month and he said "usually units train one weekend a month, but every unit is different so you'll have to talk to them". So I thought to myself "maybe the Royal Westminster Regiment is one of those units since I asked the recruiter about this". 

How often do you participate in training a month? (directed towards reservists)

If I can't be in the regular army, I want to make the best of the reserves.


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## darmil (8 Oct 2005)

well you should be have training every Wednesday and at least 2 Saturdays a month.Its like that in the LER.


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## Springroll (8 Oct 2005)

Well first off, NEVER let a g/f dictate to you what you should do for a career, especially if it has been something you have wanted to do for a long time.

Second, res units typically only "require" you to train one weekend a month, but there are almost always extra duties that you can do or maybe even be able to do your BMQ over the weekends rather than being gone all summer. Your best bet is to call up the unit you are joining and ask them.

Good luck!!


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## paracowboy (8 Oct 2005)

Springroll said:
			
		

> Well first off, NEVER let a g/f dictate to you what you should do for a career, especially if it has been something you have wanted to do for a long time.


don't be so hasty. If he doesn't have the spine to do what he feels is right, especially because of pressure from a tart, I don't want him backing me up in a firefight or a riot.


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## qor556 (8 Oct 2005)

I bet this g/f isn't even going to be an issue for you in the future man, then you will regret not joining the regs, if that is what you really want to do. Stop being such a puppet  

Plus in the reserves after (and actually during your courses too) you come in during parade nights which are one day a week, for example every Thursday. These are the days you prepare for weekend exercises, get refreshed on weapons/equipment/training and do PT (but it seems to vary unit to unit).

There are usually a lot of extra duties that you can do throughout the month, just let yourself be known to the CQ so they can call you if they need any help (cleaning weapons or something).


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## Springroll (8 Oct 2005)

paracowboy said:
			
		

> don't be so hasty. If he doesn't have the spine to do what he feels is right, especially because of pressure from a tart, I don't want him backing me up in a firefight or a riot.



Good point!


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## Gouki (9 Oct 2005)

ThatsLife said:
			
		

> Alright, so I was denied the right [from my girlfriend] to join the regular forces



If you let your girlfriend dictate the path of your career I feel very sorry for you. 

You do realize that you will probably have to participate in a few Exercises, some may last a few weeks. You going to tell them you can't go cause your girlfriend has a tight grip on that collar? Have fun with that.

If you want to join the Reg force and you know, actually do something, grow a pair already and join it. Don't wait till you're in the Reserves to go reg force cause component transfers take a stupidly long amount of time (trust me) with lots of paperwork. It's not worth it.


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## meni0n (9 Oct 2005)

Grow some balls.


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## Springroll (9 Oct 2005)

meni0n said:
			
		

> Grow some balls.



I concur


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## aesop081 (9 Oct 2005)

You are only 17.....you just might have 17 more girlfreinds in your future....do you realy want to sacrifice your dream for this one ?

If she cares, she will stick around.......if she doesnt, f*** her, someone else will come along !


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## Sig_Des (9 Oct 2005)

ThatsLife, I'm not going to tell you to grow a pair, or anything...that happens on it's own, and hopefully you don't do everything because somebody tells you...I will tell you this.

I did the same thing...I originally applied reg force. GF at the time wanted to stay in the region to finish school, and then we would do a CT to the Regs. So if figured, ok, I'll go Res, and do a CT later.

LARGE MISTAKE

get back from Res BMQ, lo and behold, 2 months later, no more GF. now I'm stuck here, in the perpetual CT cycle, and I wasted over a year...what do I have to show for it? an empty apartment..

IF you WANT to go Regs, talk it over with the GF, but you have to decide what's more important...I don't want to seem like I'm knocking the Res, but if its not what you really want to do, save yourself the trouble and go regs. Don't let the girl dictate your life, unless you plan on making the life with her


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## Old Ranger (9 Oct 2005)

meni0n said:
			
		

> Grow some balls.



And how many years did it take you??


17yr old being dictated to by the girlfriend, 
don't worry, she'll dump you when you least expect it,
but you'll have the Army as comfort and family.
All part of growing up.

Ben


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## armyvern (9 Oct 2005)

aesop081 said:
			
		

> You are only 17.....you just might have 17 more girlfreinds in your future....do you realy want to sacrifice your dream for this one ?
> 
> If she cares, she will stick around.......if she doesnt, f*** her, someone else will come along !



My thoughts exactly...I too was "in love" at 17 and about 5 times after that!! I married the man who could handle me being in the military and away from home all the time. By far, I made the right choice!!

If your girlfriend can't support you in your choice of careers now...I guarantee she won't support you when you want to go have a beer with the boys after a night of training in the Reserves either!! The phone will be ringing behind the bar...It'll be her..."Is so and so there yada yada yada." It's just a matter of time.


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## Old Ranger (9 Oct 2005)

armyvern said:
			
		

> The phone will be ringing behind the bar...It'll be her..."Is so and so there yada yada yada." It's just a matter of time.



We must have been at the same Bar!


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## Sig_Des (9 Oct 2005)

2332Piper said:
			
		

> aesop081 the relationship counsellor, I love it.
> 
> Can you call some friends of mine, they get depressed everytime they remember I want to go overseas one day.



It's not so much relationship counselling, it's jolting someone to Buck the F*** up!


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## aesop081 (9 Oct 2005)

2332Piper said:
			
		

> aesop081 the relationship counsellor, I love it.
> 
> Can you call some friends of mine, they get depressed everytime they remember I want to go overseas one day.



Dude, if i could find a girl who can put up with my outlook on life, put up with me being gone all the time, put up with my days "off" never realy being "off" and the never-ending string of postings.....


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## armyvern (9 Oct 2005)

aesop081 said:
			
		

> Dude, if i could find a girl who can put up with my outlook on life, put up with me being gone all the time, put up with my days "off" never realy being "off" and the never-ending string of postings.....



There's no life like it is there? I LOVE it!!


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## Sig_Des (9 Oct 2005)

aesop081 said:
			
		

> Dude, if i could find a girl who can put up with my outlook on life, put up with me being gone all the time, put up with my days "off" never realy being "off" and the never-ending string of postings.....



And how....almost have to chain her and never let her out of your sight


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## aesop081 (9 Oct 2005)

armyvern said:
			
		

> There's no life like it is there? I LOVE it!!



There is nothing i would rather do


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## meni0n (9 Oct 2005)

Old Ranger said:
			
		

> And how many years did it take you??
> 
> 
> 17yr old being dictated to by the girlfriend,
> ...



To tell you the truth I've never let a girl influence any of my decision making, but circumstances did. But I guess he's only 17, he still has alot to learn.


And to Sig_Des, hang in there. It took me 8 months to CT. You staying in trade?


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## ThatsLife (9 Oct 2005)

Well, after reading all of your posts and doing some serious thinking; you guys make really valid points that I took into consideration.

After I told my girlfriend Canada was going overseas to Afghanistan in 2007 and I might want to go if there's still room, she started crying in the car and giving me this huge guilt trip. But you know what, you guys are right, I shouldn't have to sacrifice something i've wanted to do since I was a wee lad.

so...now the question. I've passed all of the tests and i'm just waiting for my medical to come back...how do I change my choice from Reserves to Regular? Do I just phone the recruiting office and ask?


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## Sig_Des (9 Oct 2005)

meni0n said:
			
		

> And to Sig_Des, hang in there. It took me 8 months to CT. You staying in trade?



Probably...but I'd rather get attached to a Brigade then go to JSR...RCD eh, I know a few of your guys..

Incoming PM


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## Springroll (9 Oct 2005)

ThatsLife said:
			
		

> so...now the question. I've passed all of the tests and i'm just waiting for my medical to come back...how do I change my choice from Reserves to Regular? Do I just phone the recruiting office and ask?



I went into the office and told them I was changing from reg to res. They asked why and I told them that the trade I really wanted, i couldn't get into without a few years reg force experience, unless I went res, then i could join right off the street. They changed it right there and told me that I could always go reg later on.

No harm in giving them a call and asking...and BTW, WTG!!! Take charge of YOUR life.


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## Sig_Des (9 Oct 2005)

ThatsLife said:
			
		

> So...now the question. I've passed all of the tests and i'm just waiting for my medical to come back...how do I change my choice from Reserves to Regular? Do I just phone the recruiting office and ask?



Good for you...Yup, just call them and tell them you want to go Regs, if they ask why, be honest


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## Lost_Warrior (9 Oct 2005)

To answer your training question, it all depends on the unit.  You would have to speak to a recruiter of the unit you want to join.  My regiment last year was very active in training.  We usually went in 4 tuesday nights a month and an exercise every other weekend.

This year though, not so much.   Budget cuts?  Who knows....


EDIT:  Just noticed your decision to go regs.  Good choice.  No matter what branch of the armed forces you join (res or regs) you will have a blast.  Have fun!


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## DEVES (9 Oct 2005)

That was some good advise you gave the guy,

Dude your only 17. I remember a few years back when I was going to join and I had everything done to go Reg and then The girlfriend was like no you will be gone all the time( you know the deal Boys). So being stupid I decided to not join. 

Don t make decisions based on the G/F. Sometimes you just have to put your foot down and do what you want. You don't know if shes the one do ya?   You never know if it will be the right or the wrong decision but you know you only live once.

Anyways good Luck in your Endeavours and Tell your G/F to suck it up or giver the punt.

Now I have an awsome G/F that has a whole family current CF members and she has no problem . Im going reserves but after collage im for sure going regs.

Take care.

Also I have talked to the Commander of the CFRC here in edmonton and he told me that there is sometimes the odd courses open that you can get if you want and if your unit wants to send you on it. In the reserves of course.


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## kimmie (9 Oct 2005)

Right on.  Coming from the other side of it. You for sure can't let girls tell you what to do. 

EEPPPSSS....I was the girl calling the bar with "so and so is there...ya ya ya". I had been really badly burned and was insecure. I certainly didn't mean for it to be that way.  :-\

Looking back on 4+ years I have changed A LOT. Whole outlook got revised. "Hubby" has a wild outlook not a lot of people can take(I've learned to pretend he is saying something else  ), he has been gone for at least 1/2 those years(15 months at once) with countless taskings, courses, trips, blah, blah, blah and I have learned to live alone at home with what family I have around, basically to "suck it up". It never ends, so why bother stressing about it.  : 

It's hard and everyone on every side sacrifices. If the girl(whoever and wherever she may be) really loves you and puts you first, you'll know she's the one. Til then, have a great time, live it up and all the best on the new career choice.  ;D

I'll shut up now....I'm just the "girl"  :-X


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## Old Ranger (9 Oct 2005)

kimmie said:
			
		

> I had been really badly burned and was insecure.



You learned from your mistakes, and was taking due diligance.

Once Trust has been established; then the checking on, changes tone.


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## armyvern (9 Oct 2005)

kimmie said:
			
		

> Right on.  Coming from the other side of it. You for sure can't let girls tell you what to do.
> 
> EEPPPSSS....I was the girl calling the bar with "so and so is there...ya ya ya". I had been really badly burned and was insecure. I certainly didn't mean for it to be that way.   :-\
> 
> I'll shut up now....I'm just the "girl"   :-X



Hey Kimmie, I'll wager that you were still a young lady at the point in time when this occured...
I'm a girl too so my post was not meant to insult, just to advise that he is not yet old enough or experienced to make his choices based on his girlfriend. Things change. I have witnessed many of my younger troops marrying young, some getting left while on tour (gals & guys), and giving up half their pension after being married for a year or two because at 19 or 20 they honestly believed that they had found the perfect partner.

You are only young once...enjoy it and live life to the fullest!! When the right person does come along, he'll know it. The right person will support him in his decisions and will make him feel confident in the choices he makes, much like you are now experiencing with your hubby. Good on you.


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## Sig_Des (9 Oct 2005)

We could get Dr. Phil as a guest poster:

"Now you troops with too much chub around the waist, Ya"ll need to put the cheeseburgers down...This is how my third wife dealt with it"


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## Fishbone Jones (10 Oct 2005)

Let's keep it on track please. The topic is about Reserve training time.


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