Getting jacked off duty

[PTE Gruending]

I really wish that when I got finished my basic training, and went to my home unit (Reserve-Infantry) I would have recieved a brief on deportment in the Armouries. I am really confused as to when to salute/not salute, and how "disciplined" I should be - obviously thinks are much slacker than on course.

One time I went in to see the QM to grab some kit, unpaid, off-duty, and in civvies. There was a Sargeant there that jacked me up a little bit for not stating her rank when I addressed her. Plus she must have spent some time in the Orderly Room because she started hassling me about refusing to go on an earlier BMQ (I had employment issues), and getting my training done earlier.

And today, I went in, again; offduty, unpaid, and in civvies. I had to check whether or not I was confirmed for a course in August, so I went to the Orderly room. They sent me to see the CSM to find out for sure, and a SGT in the orderly room told me to come to attention outside of the CSMs office. I was a little confused, is this regular practice? I felt like a complete turd coming to half assed attention, me with a backwards baseball cap, shorts, and sandals.

How is it that this stuff can happen? Particularily when I am at the armouries on my own time, checking things out/getting kit, because of the Army‘s mistakes, and I get hassled?

Thanks!

 

[Korus]

Have you done your 3‘s yet?
I‘ve noticed that before you earn your chevron, you get lots of cock.

 

[meni0n]

Hey,
Can you guys explain in more detail what I can expect since I‘ll be going on basic this summer for reserves. What kind of treatement is waiting at the regiment for the next 8 months?

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I really wish that when I got finished my basic training, and went to my home unit (Reserve-Infantry) I would have recieved a brief on deportment in the Armouries. I am really confused as to when to salute/not salute, and how "disciplined" I should be - obviously thinks are much slacker than on course.

Err, a brief would do you little good. What you‘re doing is called "OJT" - On the Job Training. We all went through it.

One time I went in to see the QM to grab some kit, unpaid, off-duty, and in civvies. There was a Sargeant there that jacked me up a little bit for not stating her rank when I addressed her.

You honestly needed a briefing on proper manners? Always address your superiors properly, nothing hard about that.

In time, you‘ll reach a level of comfort in dealing with your superiors. Won‘t happen in your first year. Always address everyone by their rank and you can‘t go wrong. I‘ve been in 15 years and I still address my sergeants as "Sergeant", even the ones I am on a first name basis with outside the armouries.

Manners.

Plus she must have spent some time in the Orderly Room because she started hassling me about refusing to go on an earlier BMQ (I had employment issues), and getting my training done earlier.

Ok, maybe she‘s just a bitch.

Seriously, this is all expected for a new person. Don‘t take it personally, through adversity comes growth.

And today, I went in, again; offduty, unpaid, and in civvies. I had to check whether or not I was confirmed for a course in August, so I went to the Orderly room. They sent me to see the CSM to find out for sure, and a SGT in the orderly room told me to come to attention outside of the CSMs office. I was a little confused, is this regular practice?

YES

I felt like a complete turd coming to half assed attention, me with a backwards baseball cap, shorts, and sandals.

Baseball caps have bills for a reason; they keep the sun out of your eyes. Why were you wearing a hat indoors, anyway?

If you admit to dressing like a complete turd, why would you blame anyone for treating you like one?

How is it that this stuff can happen? Particularily when I am at the armouries on my own time, checking things out/getting kit, because of the Army‘s mistakes, and I get hassled?

Best advise here - Suck it up. Soldier on. It‘s part of the game. Play the game well in return;

show respect to those that have earned it

demand respect by your attitude, your bearing, and yes, even your dress when in civvies

Anything else?

 

[PTE Gruending]

Well, from my experience, its really really slack at your home unit, but of course - every regiment is different. I actually have a pretty good rapport with some of the younger officers, and you‘ll be buddy buddy with PTEs and CPLs. Of course, it is still the Army, and you still get jacked from time to time. But its a lot more lenient, no running here and there, not much cock. Going on course is meant to condition you, mentally, for the horrors of war (of course there are sadomistic instructors out there who actually get their rocks off on dishing out ****).

 

[Pikache]

What Dorosh said.

Expect to get a lot of cock if you don‘t have your BIQ or whatever equivalent. Yeah, sometimes you get cock for no reason but most of the time, it‘s there to teach you a lesson in military life.

I always address anyone above corporal by their rank, even if I‘m buddies with them, when on duty/at armoury. Off duty, well, anything goes, within limits and depends on how well you know the guy. (Don‘t call your CO by his first name, lol)

If you are unsure or have a question, ask someone who knows. If you‘re not sure when to salute, how to address someone, ask.

You‘ll find that some things in military you must take initiative to find out for yourself.

 

[PTE Gruending]

You honestly needed a briefing on proper manners? Always address your superiors properly, nothing hard about that.

In time, you‘ll reach a level of comfort in dealing with your superiors. Won‘t happen in your first year. Always address everyone by their rank and you can‘t go wrong. I‘ve been in 15 years and I still address my sergeants as "Sergeant", even the ones I am on a first name basis with outside the armouries.

Manners.

Its not necessarily manners, its just how to conduct myself when I am not in uniform. You arent subject to the "code" when you arent wearing the republican guards.

Baseball caps have bills for a reason; they keep the sun out of your eyes. Why were you wearing a hat indoors, anyway?

If you admit to dressing like a complete turd, why would you blame anyone for treating you like one?

Well the great thing about living in a free nation is the ability to wear whatever you want, however you want - I choose to exercise this right and freedom.

Besides, tons of people wear ball caps in the Armouries when they pop in to take care of paperwork, get kit, hang out, etc. MCPLS wear them when we do PT on the parade square!


Michael, do not take this reply as an insult, after lurking here forever, I highly respect you. However, the whole point of my post was to point out some annoying concerns I had.

 

[Korus]

republican guards

I see CFL_Lui is rubbing off on you..

They are not ****ing republican guard uniforms, they are Canadian Forces uniforms. I‘m proud to put on a CF uniform, not a rep guard uniform. I respect the CF uniform, not the rep guard uniform.

Sorry, Just a little pet peeve of mine..

 

[Zoomie]

You arent subject to the "code" when you arent wearing the republican guards.

That is where you are wrong. Reservists are subject to the Code of Service Discipline ANY time that they set foot on DND property. The Sgt was quite right for jacking you up... Act as you would if you were wearing Combats et al.

In fact, you must present yourself that is IAW code too. You MUST be clean shaven, if you are male, you must NOT have any earrings etc etc.

Just because you are not collecting the Queen‘s shilling does not necessarily mean that you are "off duty".

If you think this is harsh, just imagine the life of a Regular Force member. They are subject to the Code 24/7, 52 weeks/year. They have no respite from the system.

In civilian dress you are also expected to show courtesy to Officers‘ through an eyes right/left. The Officer, if he/she is switched on enough, should reply with a Salute. The opposite is true. An Officer in civis is also to be saluted by NCMs in Uniform. He/she would respond with checking their arms.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

No offence taken, Gruending.

Some more friendly advice:

Forget about the "code" as some type of rules you need to follow.

Think about the "code" as just that - a code by which you live.

If you want to be treated like a soldier, then don‘t just act like one - BE one. Show respect, even if you don‘t think you HAVE to. Do it because it‘s part of who you are - a soldier. Even if you‘re not technically "on duty" why believe that you cease to be a soldier?

And yes, you have the right to dress like a slob. Employers also have the right to form first impressions of you at job interviews, and that goes for all the NCOs in your unit too, who form very real and lasting impressions of you based on how you look when "not on duty."

I‘ve worked in our company orderly room for two years now, and believe me when I tell you that the CSM will very likely be judging you based on what you look like in civvies or what kind of deportment you have, when you think no one is looking.

You won‘t often go wrong if you start doing the right things not because you think they "look" right, but because they "are" right.

Right?

Oh, and unlike the Regular Force ( ) Reservists are expected to know the difference between street clothes and PT kit. Same thing goes for baseball caps. Wearing them for PT is one thing; wearing them (backwards) to report to your CSM is another.

 

[combat_medic]

Pte Gruending: since you‘re quite new to the military I‘ll give you a little hint that has served me well over the last 4 years +/-

...you will never EVER get jacked up for being too formal!

If someone doesn‘t want you to call them by their rank, they will let you know. Until such a time, don‘t assume otherwise. Since you‘re new, you haven‘t earned the right to slacken off the rules. When you‘re allowed, you‘ll know it. Until that time, don‘t slack off.

BTW, in case no one here has mentioned it, the Republican Guard usually wears British Camo (DPM), it‘s the regular Iraqi army that wears the solid olive green.

 

[PTE Gruending]

I have to say that I am extremely disheartened to hear some of these things. I know this is an extreme example, but; am I expected to be clean shaven, suit/tie when I am "doing more than expected" - ie: taking care of Army business on my own time, b/c of their screwups, as opposed to wasting TRG time on parade nights?

Frankly I have no time for those who judge people based on their appearance. Yes, you can draw conclusions, and make whatever assumptions you want, but in the end you may be incorrect in some of your assertions. Track me down during the week sometime; I am dressed ultra casual (as I said before, backwards cap, shorts, tshirt, etc), usually a week unshaven, make whatever judgements you may - I am an intelligent, well-read, switched-on, cultured, and an in shape guy. Frankly, if my superiors are more concerned with my ‘look‘ on civvie street, as opposed to observing my performance during TRG, then perhaps they need to make a priority-check.

These are some of the things I wish the recruiter would have told me before I signed up (whether it would have made a difference - I don‘t know). But items like this, and the fact you can go to prison for making a mistake on the ranges, are suprising and frightening.

Thanks to all who have replied.

 

[combat_medic]

Pte Gruending: at your level, your superiors will always care about your appearance. Looking scruffy an unkempt may not be a reflection of your intelligence, but it is a reflection of your professionalism. In addition, not calling someone by rank (something you had already been taught) is also a reflection of your professionalism, in uniform or not.

If your RSM or CO ran into you on the street, and he was dressed shabbily, called you "buddy" or by your first name, you would also consider that a breach of professionalism. According to the code of service discipline, if you run into an officer and the both of you are in civvies, you‘re still supposed to come to attention, and address them as "Sir" or "Ma‘am". It‘s about respect. Those people have earned their rank and position, and you are required to respect that. If your CO is in civvies, he‘s still your CO, has still earned his rank, and still deserves your respect.

Once you have a little time in, a little more rank on your sleeve, and a little more knowledge about the ins and outs of protocol and courtesy, you will figure out how it all works.

Also, if I were wearing grubby $hit clothes, I wouldn‘t be going to my Armoury or any other place of employment. It‘s unprofessional... don‘t be surprised if others think this way as well and treat you unprofessionally.

 

[Recce41]

First off you don‘t show up in S^&* clothing. If you showed up that that I would have riped you a new one. You are on duty 24/7. Even in the Res!.
So if you don‘t like it GET OUT! If you would have shown up like that at a Reg unit, you name would have been on the duty list for about a month. You lil piece os crap get a grip.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Gruending - no offence intended again, but these aren‘t things your recruiter should need to mention. It‘s basic common knowledge, and at the risk of sounding like my dad - or yours - as you start to gain experience not just in the reserve world, but in the "real" world, this will start to make more sense to you if it honestly hasn‘t already.

Go with the flow and in ten years, when you‘re a Master Corporal jacking up someone for talking to you with his hands in his pockets you‘ll look back and laugh.

 

[WINDWOLF]

Remember that where ever you are,that you
represent the Military & should conduct
yourself accordling.You don,t have to
be in shirt/tie,but do dress in decent
cloths.

There is no such thing as your own time,
you may be called out on short notice
so be prepared.But then again,i was reg so
we always played the game to the max.

You will learn in time.

Have fun.

 

[PTE Gruending]

You lil piece os crap get a grip.

Thanks Recce41 - what a shining example of professionalism. Perhaps I will refer you to this post; Conduct Guideline

 

[Pikache]

^Do you talk to your sergeants like that?

This is rather informal board, but there is still minimum protocol to be observed.
Perhaps you may want to rethink about Conduct Guidelines also.

 

[PTE Gruending]

Thanks again to all who have replied. Its just annoying that you have to learn these little protocol things things the hard way, ie; make an error - get jacked, vs. being told about it beforehand.

FYI; I never did get **** for what I was wearing - which was just normal summer clothing (its +30 here!!) . I just felt unprofesional doing drill in civvies.

 

[Fader]

Don‘t worry about things too much Gruending, that‘s an important thing. In the reserves, it seems common trend to give guys less than a year off basic alot of cock. In my 2.5 years, I was amazed to see how that was the case. All my first year, I tried living up to everyone elses expectations, and all I got for it was the same crap alot of folks here are giving you. When I came back from my three‘s the emphasis shifted from me to the guys who just came off basic.

I think it was one of the medics who said you can never be punished for being too formal, and he is correct about that. You‘re unit is probably differant from mine but once you‘ve been around for a while, you‘ll get the swing of things. I‘m on a first name basis with almost all the Privates and a few of the Master Corporals just because I know them well enough to know they don‘t mind, but with Sergeants and up, It‘s almost always by rank (then again, in most cases, they do mind).

As for what you wear and do on your own time, that‘s exactly your prerogative, not anyone elses. At your home unit, you sign a sheet of paper that says on the top "Authorized training hours: ____ to ____" every day you show up to work, and while you‘re still subject to the code of service discipline while you are on DND property, noone can stop you from doing anything that doesn‘t violate the CSD when you‘re on your own time.

Just remember that you do eventually work with the people you interact with on or off duty, and the impression they form of you off duty sometimes is reminscant in the way they treat you when you are on duty. So if they‘re sticklers for formality, just play along with it, come to attention, address them by rank, and conduct yourself like an out of uniform soldier.

I also think it‘s funny someone jacked you up for wearing shorts, a t-shirt and a ballcap. I went into my unit the other day wearing a pair of straight leg jeans and a collared shirt shirt and my SSM told me "What are you doing in jeans, man? This is shorts and t-shirt weather."