Advice for women on BMQ and other courses [MERGED]

[starseed]

Well.  For one, you've gotten yourself into a "Girls" topic.    ;D

I am being 100% truthful when I say that I knew you would say that.

I clearly have a bright future in Intelligence.

 

[armyvern]

I clearly have a bright future in Intelligence.

Yeah, you're right.

Clearly - women have no requirement to shave. I recommend the women of the world here-to-forth burn our razors. Thanks for the suggestion boys - do enjoy!!  >

 

[Yrys]

I don't shave...

Except under the pits  >

 

[armyvern]

I don't shave...

Except under the pits  >

Well stop it right now!! Boycott this evil activity!

 

[Loachman]

We had a fellow of different ethnicity in my old Reserve unit who used to burn his armpit hair off with a Bic. Odd, and a better ventilated venue would have been appreciated by everybody else.

So, ladies, all that you need is a propane torch and you can dispense with razors, wax, and creams.

Don't forget to open the window first, and have a bucket of water and a phone handy.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Folks, as much as this is veeeeery entertaining...............................





                                                    ff topic:

 

[armyvern]

Yes dear.  8)

 

[IntelGirl]

I'd like to share my two cents on the topic for females working out or training before BMQ.

I don't have a lot of money, nor places to go to where I can train, however if you have children, next time you go to the park, look at all the free equipment around you! Monkey bars are perfect for chin ups, some play sites also have chin up bars. If you have an infant, do pushups while blowing raspberries on their belly...or something.

If you're just starting out your training, do your pushups on the slide. I run around the structure while my girl is playing, and sometimes go into the field while she plays with a ball and run up and down the hills.

Just a thought

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I have to ask...don't you get lots of looks from the other people/mom's there who aren't looking like they are play-acting Linda Hamilton in The Terminator?

http://dietrichthrall.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/linda-hamilton.jpg

 

[IntelGirl]

Hahaha. Well, I don't know, sometimes we're there so early no one is ever awake...however, I have gotten looks. My brain just tells me:

"Look at them, all wishing they had your physique and ripped body...yeah."
"Wish you could do raspberry pushups eh?" (I've said this one a couple times.)

I hope once I am done BMQ I look like Linda Hamilton in The Terminator...only blonde. Then when I go to the park I can really get some googly eyes.  :threat:

 

[Celticgirl]

I have to ask...don't you get lots of looks from the other people/mom's there who aren't looking like they are play-acting Linda Hamilton in The Terminator?

http://dietrichthrall.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/linda-hamilton.jpg

LOL! Well, like IntelGirl, I used to do the monkey bars at my daughter's playground for practice. I still struggled with the ones on the confidence course, though. (It was January, I blame the gloves!) And yeah, I'm sure some of the other parents wondered what the heck I was doing using the kids' play equipment, but oh well!

IntelGirl, check out a thread called GIRLS IN THE GYM in the physical training section. We have a great discussion happening over there with lots of good info.

So, back to the topic of 'what to bring'. I have been thinking about what I will do differently this time around. Some of my thoughts:
- The hairnets at the Canex in SJ are crappy, flimsy ones...I saw ladies with thicker, sturdier hair nets at SJ, so I plan to hunt those down before I leave and take a pile of 'em. On a similar topic, the hairbands I bought at the Canex were not a "colour found in nature" so bring some from home that blend in perfectly with your hair colour. Bring extra.
- The only shampoos that were available in the Canex when I was there were Pert and Head & Shoulders, both of which made my hair like straw. Bad enough that I have to manage long thick hair into a bun in 60 seconds or less, but when it also has a straw-like texture, the fun is multiplied.  This time, I'll make sure I have good shampoo with me, at least enough to last me 5 weeks until I can go shopping outside the Mega.
- Keep feminine products in your small personal lock-up...this will require taking things out of boxes and putting them in ziploc bags or sandwich bags in order to maximize space. Take more than what you need for 5 wks, not just for you but for platoon mates if they come knocking.
- Bring medical tape and scissors for labelling and pipe cleaners for your rifle (white ones if possible), and take Ziploc bags of all sizes, but especially the large ones.
- Bandaids, Tylenol (remember to get approval from pharmacy in the first week or two), ibuprofen, vitamins, A535 (or similar) for sore muscles, polysporin, etc. Even if you are not injured - hopefully not - you'll be sore and achy and have blisters at the very least. Take care of blisters...a podmate's blister got very infected and she ended up recoursing and eventually releasing because of it.
- Five weeks' worth of phone cards and an Internet stick for after indoc if you have a laptop
- Loonies and quarters for the vending machines. You might say no now, but trust me, you'll be saying yes later. The computers in the green break area also take toonies, loonies, and quarters.
- No fancy underwear. You may be surprised to know that underwear (bras included) are part of your layout, albeit in a drawer under your bed, but they will check it now and then. No frilly or sexy stuff, ladies. We were issued long underwear for winter, but otherwise, were not issued undergarments (briefs), had to wear our own from home and had to display them (3 panties, 3 bras).

That's all that comes to mind at the moment, but I'm sure I'll be back.  lol

 

[Eye In The Sky]

LOL! Well, like IntelGirl, I used to do the monkey bars at my daughter's playground for practice. I still struggled with the ones on the confidence course, though. (It was January, I blame the gloves!) And yeah, I'm sure some of the other parents wondered what the heck I was doing using the kids' play equipment, but oh well!

So the next question is where are the pictures of this pre-CFLRS trg at?

Hmmm.  I should go over to the MFRC playground for PT..wonder how well the SCWO would take my explaination of "why I was doing PT in the playground" 

 

[the_girlfirend]

CelticGirl,

I saw a girl at my unit with a very thick hair net... I asked her and she said she bought it at the pharmacy and she said it is a hair net sold for permanents or for holding any kind of rolls that you can put into your hair... I haven't checked yet but I certainly will soon...

thanks for the info

 

[Celticgirl]

CelticGirl,

I saw a girl at my unit with a very thick hair net... I asked her and she said she bought it at the pharmacy and she said it is a hair net sold for permanents or for holding any kind of rolls that you can put into your hair... I haven't checked yet but I certainly will soon...

thanks for the info

Ah, ok, cool. I think I will ask at the local pharmacies and see what they have. Thanks back atcha.

 

[Myriade]

As a female in the CF, you're going to stand out on the various courses that you complete.
During the first few courses, BMQ, SQ, you're going to be dealing with the more immature of CF attitudes.

If you're not as strong as the male candidates, you'll be treated as a bag before any other male bag.
If you can physically outperform male candidates, you will threaten their manhood and be treated like shit.
If you're good at what you do, you friends will stay your friends, and the rest will see you as a threat.
Any rumor of fraternization will follow you you're entire career, so I recommend civilian guys.
If you don't fuck around, you'll be called asexual or a transvestite.
As a female, just watch your back.

I volunteered to be C9 gunner on my SQ. Only a PRes SQ in Meaford, but still a huge accomplishment for me. When about to collapse, the only thing that kept me going was the shit-talking from the other candidates. The guys of my OWN section did everything to try and make me quit... trips, rifle hits from the back, not passing on information during patrols. I even had to deal with occasional violence, kicked in the helmet, rifle butt in the back of my head, almost got punched. To this day I don't understand that behavior. On subsequent courses (QL3, Drvs Wl) I noticed that when I do perform above what they expect you to perform, the insecure male candidates, take out their insecurities on me.

I'm posting this because women joining the CF NEED to know what to expect. It's high school all over again. You pose a threat to their ego (physically, intellectually, in skills), they WILL try to bring you down.

This is just my experience. I'd like to hear more positive experiences. Yet after all that, I'm joining the Regular Force and hoping the maturity level is different. What will I be doing differently? Laying low that's for sure. Keep to myself and not let the testosterone get to me.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

You go Reg with that attitude and chip on your shoulder, I doubt you'll be there long. You had the harassment lectures, we don't give them because it's too early to send you to coffee break.

 

[Myriade]

I didn't intend my post to be harassing in any way.

If I hadn't learned or seen value in the experience, I wouldn't be joining the RegF. That specifically, (thankfully) was in complete contrast to my BMQ, where a team there definately was.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I volunteered to be C9 gunner on my SQ. Only a PRes SQ in Meaford, but still a huge accomplishment for me. When about to collapse, the only thing that kept me going was the crap-talking from the other candidates. The guys of my OWN section did everything to try and make me quit... trips, rifle hits from the back, not passing on information during patrols. I even had to deal with occasional violence, kicked in the helmet, rifle butt in the back of my head, almost got punched. To this day I don't understand that behavior. On subsequent courses (QL3, Drvs Wl) I noticed that when I do perform above what they expect you to perform, the insecure male candidates, take out their insecurities on me.

So naturally you brought this harassment to the attention of the chain of command, right?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

As a female in the CF, you're going to stand out on the various courses that you complete.

Disagree.  I've taught on more courses than you are likely going to take in the CF.  The people who stand out are the ones who perform, the ones who don't, and the ones who can't. 

During the first few courses, BMQ, SQ, you're going to be dealing with the more immature of CF attitudes.

Care to elobarate or back that up somehow??

If you're not as strong as the male candidates, you'll be treated as a bag before any other male bag.

Good grief.

If you can physically outperform male candidates, you will threaten their manhood and be treated like shit.

My DCO can outrun me,  but I'd kill her in the weight room.  I don't see us as a threat to each other.  You're well out of your lane IMO.

As a female, just watch your back.

Ok, GI Jane.

I volunteered to be C9 gunner on my SQ. Only a PRes SQ in Meaford, but still a huge accomplishment for me. When about to collapse, the only thing that kept me going was the shit-talking from the other candidates. The guys of my OWN section did everything to try and make me quit... trips, rifle hits from the back, not passing on information during patrols. I even had to deal with occasional violence, kicked in the helmet, rifle butt in the back of my head, almost got punched. To this day I don't understand that behavior. On subsequent courses (QL3, Drvs Wl) I noticed that when I do perform above what they expect you to perform, the insecure male candidates, take out their insecurities on me.

MAYBE other candidates don't like you because you think so highly of yourself...and your seemingly above standard-ness...

I'm posting this because women joining the CF NEED to know what to expect. It's high school all over again. You pose a threat to their ego (physically, intellectually, in skills), they WILL try to bring you down.

Again...good grief.

I am sure, with your attitude and outlook, you are just a PLEASURE to be on course with.  I've seen, and sorted out, your kind before...male AND female.

 

[Myriade]

I'm not looking to anger anyone. I'm not claiming to be a reference for the CF or even civilian side, especially not in terms of standards. (Definitely not above standard!)

In terms of personal experience, there is no right or wrong lane. All input is valuable input to me.

Glad to hear about your DCO. And your alarmed reaction to that post is good news. It simply means the behavior isn't mainsteam.