Anxiety before BMQ

[anton]

As of now, I have completed the application process and now waiting for the call. I'm practicing my pushups and swimming in the meantime. However, I can't help but feel extremely anxious and even dreaded of BMQ. All I can think of are scenes from Full Metal Jacket and Jarhead...although I know those examples are far from how the CF trains their recruits today. I had a good read of the "Chill Out" thread and other big ones and noticed that alot of people have fond memories of BMQ, but i have no doubt that this may be a really good time of my life or my biggest nightmare.

So yeah...I'm not exactly sure if this is the correct attitude prior to BMQ, but at least I'm not over-confident, cocky or anything like that.

- Anton.

 

[Yrys]

this may be a really good time of my life or my biggest nightmare.

As a civy, I can only presume...

And I presume that will depend on your spirit toward that experience,
eg the colour of the glass you choose to wear...

GL

 

[Wookilar]

Anton,

Basic sucks. That's pretty much it in a nutshell.

It doesn't all suck, but sometimes it will seem like it. You have to be able to "turn it on" and "turn it off" when required. You will be tired, and sore, and have shack hack, and hot feet, cold showers, heart burn from wolfing down your food, etc. You get the picture, you've read the posts.

You will also come out of it having accomplished something that many can not even fathom, let alone complete.

Keep your head up, in through the nose, out though the mouth. Get those knees up! (you'll understand) and try to relax a little. Nervousness before going (and for the first little while there) is perfectly normal.

Was for me. Good luck. Like my sig block says.... don't let them grind you down.....

Wook

 

[Mayhem911]

I know the feeling Anton, I leave on The 30th of Oct. for BMQ .As it gets closer day by day I find myself wondering....... what the hell am I doing, lol giving up life as I know it. I can eat when I want to eat, nobody ever yells at me, go out whenever I want. I already have(had) a good job so its not for the money that's for sure. Then I think about my girlfriend and my family/friends I'm leaving behind. I convince myself that I must be crazy to give all that up.......... then I turn on the news or pick up a paper and get a very serious reminder as to how messed up a lot of the world is today(its just pure insanity from my point of view) people from MY country dying while trying to stop a problem before it ends up right here on our streets. I get these unbelievable feelling in the pit of my stomach, it just keeps telling me that I have to do something now or I may regret it for the rest of my life. At 28 I'm no spring chicken and realise that my window of opportunity is closing and then I start to feel pretty dam good about the decision I've made to join the CF.

Anyway sorry about that rant it wasn't suppose to come out like that. I guess dealing with a bit of anxiety myself. Good luck, and I'm sure your call will be coming shortly, they seem to have really sped up the process.

 

[Synthos]

It can be a bitch to go through, boring, frustrating, aching etc... (It's not all bad though) But once you're done you can look back and laugh and say "Hey, I really did that"

Keep an open mind and a shut mouth Get to know your mates. Don't dwell on the negative or the past, just plan and do well for the future.

As for the scenes from Jarhead/FMJ... You will probably get yelled at specifically. Just remember that the instructors job is to -teach- you, not make you feel worthless. They yell so that it stays in your mind. Just buck up and do it right the next time.

 

[sigpig]

If you know some people who are in, pick the one you feel is the biggest 'loser.' Then say to yourself, "If that guy (girl) can do it, so can I!!"

Don't forget, everyone who is and whoever was in uniform has gone through the same thing. Don't take things personally. Let comments go in one ear and out the other, filtering out what stupid thing not to do again and letting rest go out without bothering you.

Don't think of getting through the whole course, break it down into days, then weeks, then it's over. Be a good team mate, help others when you can, and accept help when offered. You will find that (almost) everyone is good at something and weak at something else.

 

[Mayhem911]

"Keep an open mind and a Shut mouth" .....I like that...lol Its probably the most honest advise I've heard yet. Thanks for the positive outlook Synthos.

 

[tlg]

I was told to "be like water off a duck's back", that and clean EVERYTHING. Which I take literally as EVERYTHING up to and including the ceiling if you can reach it.

 

[Zertz]

For me, there was a moment that was described in Starship Troopers (the book), where it was like, "What am I doing here?!"- if this happens to you, wait it out a bit and keep going, it'll probably pass.

Like tlg said, "Yes, they will look there."

Get to know the section straight away and always help those guys out, like they'll help you out.

Test out the gas mask, knowing how to manipulate the the straw becomes more important when MOPP4 and in a CS environment, as figuring it out with those gloves isn't as easy as one would imagine.

 

[1feral1]

All I can think of are scenes from Full Metal Jacket and Jarhead...although I know those examples are far from how the CF trains their recruits today.

Remember, these are movies, entertainment for the ignorant masses. Remember, Hollywood. Farfeched.

Anxiety is only natural, you'll be alright. Thousands upon thousands have gor through it before you, so don't loose too much sleep over it.

Good luck!

BTW, Jarhead in my opinion was nothing crap, and any serving or former Marine would do nothing but agree with me.

 

[Pearson]

Anton, glad you read the Chill out thread.
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/34770.0.html <--right here for those who have not.

Basic is just that, basic. You will learn how to start to think military. Walking, talking, following. Personal care, how to iron, sew, and oh yeah, take care of your person and personal kit including weapons. Many will experience living away from home for the first time.
It's no biggie. The tough part is showing up. the rest, eyes open, mouth closed, body double time.

Enjoy it. You will find yourself trying not to laugh one morning on inspection, and then think...this ain't so bad. You will experience teamwork.

When in doubt look inside yourself. Realise, this culture shock will pass.

 

[DirtyDog]

I know the feeling Anton, I leave on The 30th of Oct. for BMQ .As it gets closer day by day I find myself wondering....... what the hell am I doing, lol giving up life as I know it. I can eat when I want to eat, nobody ever yells at me, go out whenever I want. I already have(had) a good job so its not for the money that's for sure. Then I think about my girlfriend and my family/friends I'm leaving behind. I convince myself that I must be crazy to give all that up.......... then I turn on the news or pick up a paper and get a very serious reminder as to how messed up a lot of the world is today(its just pure insanity from my point of view) people from MY country dying while trying to stop a problem before it ends up right here on our streets. I get these unbelievable feelling in the pit of my stomach, it just keeps telling me that I have to do something now or I may regret it for the rest of my life. At 28 I'm no spring chicken and realise that my window of opportunity is closing and then I start to feel pretty dam good about the decision I've made to join the CF.

Anyway sorry about that rant it wasn't suppose to come out like that. I guess dealing with a bit of anxiety myself. Good luck, and I'm sure your call will be coming shortly, they seem to have really sped up the process.

+1 to a "T".

Although I've got you beat.... I'm 29.   .....and not in the best shape of my life which isn't helping my anxiety.

My attitude though is pretty much "Eff that, suck it up." when I feel doubtful.  When I was younger I didn't have these seeds of doubt in my stomach... I just need to remember to stick with a tough spirit and keep a stiff upper lip as I've done just about any other time things got rough.  (ie. quit being a friggin pu$$y!  ;D).

 

[brin11]

Welcome to the most wonderful family a person can have.  You will meet people that you can call upon 20 years down the road when you haven't seen them in that long and they would be on the next plane out to give you a hand.  There's not many places where people experience the comraderie and bond that the military has.  Enjoy it!

 

[Mayhem911]

Thanks for the welcome note Brin11, your at least the 3rd person that I've heard talk about the life time friends people make during basic. It will be interesting, I'm looking forward to finding out for myself. I still a little nervous to see what I'm in for though.

 

[BulletProof]

Thanks for the welcome note Brin11, your at least the 3rd person that I've heard talk about the life time friends people make during basic. It will be interesting, I'm looking forward to finding out for myself. I still a little nervous to see what I'm in for though.

It was the greatest experience of my life.

Not to sound sexist, but if you get into the mixed gender platoon, it's a much easier go of things.  At least that's how it was back in 2000. 

My suggestion would be to not allow yourself to pre-generate expectations.  You need to take things 1 day at a time.  Take pointers from the people here that have gone through it before.

A few pointers:
Polishing parade boots - Make sure to brush shine your boots at least 10 times prior to attempting an actual polish.  Do it 3 times a night for about 4 days.  You're not expected to have mirrors glowing at this point yet, so make sure you've got a very solid base prior to actual polishing.  After this point, polish your boots as you would normally about 5-10 times.  This should be completed in about 5 days.  At this point there should be a decent shine to your boots.  The magical secret next will blow your mind... REMEMBER!!!  You must follow these steps EXACTLY prior to using this technique...  By some Zippo lighter fluid from the canex on the main floor.  Use this sparingly on your cloth and mix it with a bit of saliva.  You will be able to count your teeth in your toes after this and receive a slight smirk from your instructors(which might as well be a winning lottery ticket considering how rare this it).
***If you do not follow these instructions with the lighter fluid, when you wear your boots the polish will flake off.  If you have the displeasure of doing a few dress parades, this is not a good thing afterwards***

Ironing Shirts - STARCH!  Starch is your best friend and companion.  Buy 6 cans of it and use it all on your shirts.  This way when your instructors decide to get creative with a morning knot lesson on your work dress, you need simply untie it and hang it up again.  The only downfall of this is when it comes time to wear them in the later parade, it feels like you're taking a power sander to your nipples.  Since by this point though you're actually graduating; it's really ok to cry...

Ranks - Instructors want to be called by their rank.  It is a major sign of disrespect to call a Master Coporal, Master Seaman and vice versa.  The tricky one is the artillery ranks.  Master Bombadier...  Call them Master Corporal and your triceps will be on ice for a week.

Your Weapon - It's a rifle not a gun...  It's an extension of your arm.  You can't remove your arm and leave it on your bunk to take a leak so treat it the same way.  Always locked up or it's on your person.  If you do forget, your fellow soldiers will play a nice game of hide and go seek for the 20 or so parts of your C7 as scattered throughout the barracks.  When you're tired and drained, it will really.. really... piss you off.  Remember it's not their fault.  It's yours and they're trying to help you.  A simple mistake like this can and will get you re-coursed if found by an instructor.

Sewing - Get your mother to teach you how to barrel stitch before you enter.  Otherwise you'll end up with a pin cushion for an index finger after 90 or so labels have been mated to your kit.

These are a few pointers... I could probably write a book, but I don't want to take away from the experience.  All I'm hoping to do is help you do it the first time.  Getting recoursed sucks.  It takes time out of learning your MOC and from rank progression.  I nailed it the first time but know those that were there for 2 and even 3 courses.

There is a secret to Basic Training too that you will learn when it is over.  It's the lesson that you wont see while you're cleaning the shaving cream from the inside of your nozzle canister...  You won't see it when you're marching on blisters with a 50 pound rucksack on your back for 4 km.  This is what you are there to learn.  Remember, when you feel like you want to quit, you have to complete the course to know what lesson is.

 

[Combat Sailor]

I have a couple of things to say to all of you proud enough and brave enough to venture out to this new "life". After the first day of BMQ, you will never be the same, you will have the honour to experience things that your 'civilian' counterparts will never experience, you will have the right to hold your head high, and stick your chest out. You are doing something bigger than just starting a new job, you are defending your country, the people who live here, and the people from other countries across the world. Think about these responsibilities every morning when you wake up on BMQ, and it will remind you why it has to be like this. This duty is not something that just anyone can wake up and decide to do. That being said, go in and do your best, but remember that it is not for everyone...and for those who go on and don't make it, you need to understand that, for those who go on and get to march onto that parade square for graduation...well you will see just exactly how that feels when the time comes. Good luck to all of you, and congrats on taking the first step.

 

[Mayhem911]

Thanks for comments Bullet Proof and Combat Sailor, they are much appreciated. 1 more day.......here we go. Just one more question if anyone is board and feels like responding: approx howlong is SQ? Or better yet how long from the end of basic till when you get posted somewhere. The family has been asking a lot of questions that I can not get a straight answer on. Any help with that would be great.
Thanks