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Hello All
If you read my profile, you will note that I am an Infantry Officer, and that I am currently at the Infantry School. I am putting creating this topic as a helpful note for you people who wish to be Infantry Officers.
Bottom Line Up Front: The infantry is one of the toughest trades you could join. To be an infantry officer is probably one of the toughest things you could train to do. I say this from experience, having been an Infantryman before I became an Infantry Officer. Because of this, if you are not in top physical shape, if you are not adverse to being out of communication with your family for extended periods of time, including no Facebook, no Army.ca, no iThings, then joining as an Infantry Officer is not for you. Don't waste my time and apply to be an Infantry Officer.
I cannot say this enough: if you are not in top physical shape, do not join as an Infantry Officer in spite of what a recruiter may tell you. We will NOT get you into shape: you must arrive ready to conduct the training, no matter if you are a regular officer candidate or a reserve officer candidate. To illustrate, I will outline the training system here at the Infantry School.
First, you will have to complete a course called BMOQ-L. This is a ten-week army-level course, and one of the prerequisites is to be fit in accordance with CF standards. This means you will have to complete what is called the Expres Test on day one. (Please note that "Expres" is spelled correctly). If you fail this, you will go to what is called a PRB, where the commandant of the school will determine your future. Most likely, he will offer you coaching on the technique of the test, as well as to illuminate to you his philosophy on physical fitness training. At this point, I would like to emphasise one example of a candidate who failed the Expres Test on day one. He was coached, and then passed his retest two days later, gaining an exemption level (read: excellent) level. He failed because of his technique, not because he wasn't fit. So, during this ten-week course, which has a mix of garrison and field training, you will be challenged, but nothing like that expected of an infantry officer. As well, you will be required to complete what we call the BFT or LFCPFS.
Once this course is done, you will have to complete the next course, which is called IODP 1.1. This is a dismounted infantry platoon commander's course. It is 14 weeks long, and one prerequisite is to be fit in accordance with army standards. This means that you will have to complete the LFCPFS during the first two weeks of the course (normally on day two or three). If you fail this test, you will proceed to a PRB and most likely offered a retest. But I must warn you: this test is an ARMY level physical fitness test, which applies to all army trades. Naturally, as an infantry officer, we will expect you to excel at this test.
The course itself is in what I would term as three parts. The first is a weapons stage, in which you learn the employment of the platoon weapons. The next is what I would call the field phase, in which you learn offensive and defensive operations, patrolling and then full spectrum operations. Finally, there is what I would call the Field Firing phase, in which you learn the ins and outs of setting up and running field ranges.
The field phase is intense. If you think that you cannot bear to carry upwards of 60 pounds in all weather, day and night, for hours at a time, and then complete complex mental tasks with little sleep or food, then again, do not waste my time: don't join. You will be in survival mode in the field phase, and incapable of demonstrating the ability to lead others in battle.
The attrition rate for this course, for all reasons, is roughly 50%. Not all fail, but some hurt themselves (which is unavoidable in some cases) but most failures I have seen are due to mental fatigue.
If you are a reservist, completing IODP 1.1 will mean that you are done, and you can then go on to your reserve Regiment as a fully qualified infantry officer. If you are a regular force candidate, then you have one more course to complete: IODP 1.2.
This course is actually three courses: Turret Operator, LAV APC Crew Commander, and then IODP 1.2 Mechanised Infantry Platoon Commander. This course is to the mental what the IODP 1.1 is to the physical. No longer will you have to worry about your platoon moving at the pace of a walking man, but now you will be going in excess of 50 KMH, cross country, and have to consider assets external to the platoon (tanks, artillery, engineers, etc). Fitness is vital in this course as well, but considering that IODP 1.1 weeds out the weak, those who make it this far have the requisite level of fitness. Still, the past two courses have seen abnormally high failure rates. Some just can't make the mental leap to having to consider several square kilometres at once, as they move about the battlespace. You need to be an agile thinker to be successful.
So, in conclusion, if you have issues at home (spouse, significant other, family or otherwise), don't waste my time. If you are not in top physical shape, don't waste my time. If you cannot stand to be incommunicado for extended periods of time, don't waste my time. If you have no issues, are in top shape, and can think on your feet and are agressive, a go-getter and are willing to accept and share risk of injury or death, then don't hesitate: join the infantry. I cannot stress enough that this isn't a job: it's a vocation, a calling. If you aren't willing to sacrifice personal comfort for this vocation, then again, I cannot say it enough: don't waste my time. Our Infantrymen deserve only the best, and if you can't be the best for them, then this vocation isn't for you.
If you read my profile, you will note that I am an Infantry Officer, and that I am currently at the Infantry School. I am putting creating this topic as a helpful note for you people who wish to be Infantry Officers.
Bottom Line Up Front: The infantry is one of the toughest trades you could join. To be an infantry officer is probably one of the toughest things you could train to do. I say this from experience, having been an Infantryman before I became an Infantry Officer. Because of this, if you are not in top physical shape, if you are not adverse to being out of communication with your family for extended periods of time, including no Facebook, no Army.ca, no iThings, then joining as an Infantry Officer is not for you. Don't waste my time and apply to be an Infantry Officer.
I cannot say this enough: if you are not in top physical shape, do not join as an Infantry Officer in spite of what a recruiter may tell you. We will NOT get you into shape: you must arrive ready to conduct the training, no matter if you are a regular officer candidate or a reserve officer candidate. To illustrate, I will outline the training system here at the Infantry School.
First, you will have to complete a course called BMOQ-L. This is a ten-week army-level course, and one of the prerequisites is to be fit in accordance with CF standards. This means you will have to complete what is called the Expres Test on day one. (Please note that "Expres" is spelled correctly). If you fail this, you will go to what is called a PRB, where the commandant of the school will determine your future. Most likely, he will offer you coaching on the technique of the test, as well as to illuminate to you his philosophy on physical fitness training. At this point, I would like to emphasise one example of a candidate who failed the Expres Test on day one. He was coached, and then passed his retest two days later, gaining an exemption level (read: excellent) level. He failed because of his technique, not because he wasn't fit. So, during this ten-week course, which has a mix of garrison and field training, you will be challenged, but nothing like that expected of an infantry officer. As well, you will be required to complete what we call the BFT or LFCPFS.
Once this course is done, you will have to complete the next course, which is called IODP 1.1. This is a dismounted infantry platoon commander's course. It is 14 weeks long, and one prerequisite is to be fit in accordance with army standards. This means that you will have to complete the LFCPFS during the first two weeks of the course (normally on day two or three). If you fail this test, you will proceed to a PRB and most likely offered a retest. But I must warn you: this test is an ARMY level physical fitness test, which applies to all army trades. Naturally, as an infantry officer, we will expect you to excel at this test.
The course itself is in what I would term as three parts. The first is a weapons stage, in which you learn the employment of the platoon weapons. The next is what I would call the field phase, in which you learn offensive and defensive operations, patrolling and then full spectrum operations. Finally, there is what I would call the Field Firing phase, in which you learn the ins and outs of setting up and running field ranges.
The field phase is intense. If you think that you cannot bear to carry upwards of 60 pounds in all weather, day and night, for hours at a time, and then complete complex mental tasks with little sleep or food, then again, do not waste my time: don't join. You will be in survival mode in the field phase, and incapable of demonstrating the ability to lead others in battle.
The attrition rate for this course, for all reasons, is roughly 50%. Not all fail, but some hurt themselves (which is unavoidable in some cases) but most failures I have seen are due to mental fatigue.
If you are a reservist, completing IODP 1.1 will mean that you are done, and you can then go on to your reserve Regiment as a fully qualified infantry officer. If you are a regular force candidate, then you have one more course to complete: IODP 1.2.
This course is actually three courses: Turret Operator, LAV APC Crew Commander, and then IODP 1.2 Mechanised Infantry Platoon Commander. This course is to the mental what the IODP 1.1 is to the physical. No longer will you have to worry about your platoon moving at the pace of a walking man, but now you will be going in excess of 50 KMH, cross country, and have to consider assets external to the platoon (tanks, artillery, engineers, etc). Fitness is vital in this course as well, but considering that IODP 1.1 weeds out the weak, those who make it this far have the requisite level of fitness. Still, the past two courses have seen abnormally high failure rates. Some just can't make the mental leap to having to consider several square kilometres at once, as they move about the battlespace. You need to be an agile thinker to be successful.
So, in conclusion, if you have issues at home (spouse, significant other, family or otherwise), don't waste my time. If you are not in top physical shape, don't waste my time. If you cannot stand to be incommunicado for extended periods of time, don't waste my time. If you have no issues, are in top shape, and can think on your feet and are agressive, a go-getter and are willing to accept and share risk of injury or death, then don't hesitate: join the infantry. I cannot stress enough that this isn't a job: it's a vocation, a calling. If you aren't willing to sacrifice personal comfort for this vocation, then again, I cannot say it enough: don't waste my time. Our Infantrymen deserve only the best, and if you can't be the best for them, then this vocation isn't for you.
