Military Career- RMC or ROTP

[Red-Water.06]

Hello, again I found from last time posting here, it was very helpful. Unfortunately for me, I have to come back to army.ca forum and throw another question.  I set my career into military, Infantry because my grand father fought in Korean War as a Lieutenant Colonel and I wanted to be like him. Yet, I'm 16 years old, my application process is almost done awaiting for CFRC to make phone calls to my reference. (This of course means I am elligable for Canadian Forces at least over half way unless one of my references decided to screw me over)
I am currently planning on joining the reserves, if possible make a tour to Afghanistan by 2009 then at least try my best to get into the RMC.
If because of political reasons I do not get an opportunity to make a tour to Afghanistan, I will do my best to get into the RMC.
Now, the problem here is I have no clue what the heck I'm supposed to do to go to RMC.
yet, I have 16 credits in highschool attending 1st semaster of grade 11, mark average 82, and improving at quite fast pace. I believe if there isn't much more issues I will be staying with a P Res unit for over one year until I graduate. This year I am taking Math, English, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Gym/Health, Understanding Canadian Law, Construction Tech.
I heard from some unreliable sources that I need to speak very well french to go to RMC.
The infornation I ask for is could someone please from reliable source, at least give me a contact info for me to find these information out or directly reply to this topic what information you could help me with.
If I can't make it into RMC I am yet planning for ROTP at a University, again at least trying my best will be my effort. I tried to find information I need from my school careers counsilor, she suggested me to ask from other source, I checked on the official website for RMC and it also wasn't too resourceful.
Thanks for your time and also for your help in future.

 

[Lumber]

First, whether you go to RMC or to a civilian university, the program you will be under is known as ROTP - Regular Officer Training Program. You can alternatively enter under the RETP program - Reserve Entry Training Plan - at either RMC or a civilian university.

You do not need to be able to speak any french to be accepted to attend RMC, however, having the ability, any ability, to speak french or any other language will add to the competitiveness of your application.

As for you're grade, 82 sounds pretty good. Many people are admitted here with averages in the 70s. Just remember that grades aren't everything. They look at what type of leadership positions you've held, part time jobs, volunteer work, being on a sports team, being in the reserves, basically anything that can translate into an indicator of your being a competent leader and soldier.

Hope that helps. Other than what I've provided, contact your CFRC for more info.

 

[Red-Water.06]

Thank you for your advice, I am going to contact nearest CFRC, I've been also wondering, how is it in RMC? like inspection wise and daily routine. Thanks again in advance for your support.

 

[Red-Water.06]

Oh I also need another help, I just heard from a friend of mine that RMC 07-08 requires grade 10 French, is this true or no and could anyone suggest what to do since I did not take grade 10 or 11 french. Though I am able to speak minimal amount of french which allows me to communicate no more than 2 to 3 sentence conversation.

 

[benny88]

      With regards to your plan to go to Civvy-U if you don't get RMC, think twice. Civvy-U positions can be very competitive, and often you must show that the program at that particular university is relevant to your career in the CF and isn't offered at RMC.
    I know some people who are at RMC despite their best efforts to go to Civvy-U, and others at Civvy-U who wanted nothing more than to go to RMC, so be aware your choices may get thrown topsy-turvy.
    Regarding French, I don't believe that is true. People who can't pass the second language test take classes at RMC in their second language, and often are paired with a roommate fluent in another language.
    You can get a package of RMC literature info through your high school guidance counsellor, usually. Good luck!

 

[Lumber]

Many of those that you know at Civvy-U who wanted nothing more than to go to RMC would quickly find themselves in the group of "people who are RMC despite their bet efforts to go to Civvy-U".

And I've never heard of them actually pairing up an Anglo and a Franco for the sake of them becoming proficient in the others language. Basically, before the semester, the squadron's FYOP staff gets a list of the cadets they're getting, the Mil Wing (probably the Squad Com or/and the Ado) tell them what rooms are allotted for the 1st year, and then it's all alphabetical from there. If a Franco and an Anglo happen to get paired up, and both need to work on their second language, well lucky them.

 

[Meridian]

And I've never heard of them actually pairing up an Anglo and a Franco for the sake of them becoming proficient in the others language.

They did a few years ago, though it may have changed now.

 

[Red-Water.06]

Hi again and thanks for your help and answers.

Benny, thank you for suggesting me to speak to my guidence counsellor. I've already done that long ago and all I got from her is and advise to seek another source (I chose army.ca) for help. I also spoke about RMC at CFRC Missi and a recruiter gave me two sheets. One on RMC; trades vs subjects and pay. The other page on ROTP and again trade vs subjects and pay.

The language issue, I asked a recruiter at CFRC Missi, like NCdt Lumber suggested, French will only increase my competitiveness but not mendatory. I also heard from another post [but forgot to ask the recruiter] that you require French for Reg force for ranks above Major. This gives me another 'why not' reason for taking French next year.

If you haven't read my other posts, my plan for a tour to Afghanistan is completly screwed. Therefore my max priority right now is either RMC or a Civi University with ROTP. [My strong thoughts of "have to go to" RMC is eliminated because recently I caught my interest to electronics more than military.]

As far as I'm thinking of either going to RMC or univ with ROTP I'm doing my best to  maintain or increase my grades. I was wondering if RMC cares about only applicable subjects or average in total. In the good side, I have 90 psy ed, 80 math and 80 physics then I have 70 Construction tech. While I am not sure of being able to do anything with the reserves, my plan for teh summer is getting involved in community.

At this point I would like to ask RMC students to answer the following.
I've read many topics and posts regarding to RMC but most are views from outside teh college. Could RMC students please help me with these questions?
-Pay (not in quantity but are you okay with your pay? Do you lack financial condition or enough?)
-Break (how often do you get to go home, and when do you get "kicked" to home?)
-Inspection (For bunks, quarters etc.)
-Equipment (I heard from some students at civy univ taking ROTP complaining that they lack equipments. [One person didn't stop talking about his boots and the holes on them])
-Training (How often and when do you do training?)
-People (How often and when do you get to interact with your peer and make friends?)

I again thank you all for having interest into helping me making decision. I thank for the answers, and support. I also thank you for your further help/answers in advance.

I can see that I have less than only one year to make a decision and one short answer would help me a lot making a good decision.

I must add that I spent 40 minutes writing a professional looking post then I lost it all by pressing preview then back button.  (It's all gone byt what can i do? :crybaby: I'm in between exams and I'm doing this for two hours?) I apologize that most of my posts have incorrect spelling and grammar because this is not the first time.

 

[SupersonicMax]

-Pay (not in quantity but are you okay with your pay? Do you lack financial condition or enough?)

You're paid around 1400$ gross every month.  That leaves you with 300$ every 2 weeks in your pockets (that means you paid for you Quarters and Rations and this 600$ is all for your fun)

-Break (how often do you get to go home, and when do you get "kicked" to home?)

When I was there, we had 8 days a months where we could leave the peninsula in 1st year, 12 in 2nd year and unlimited in 3-4 year.  Most (not all) week ends are free (so you can go home if you wish).  You get 2 weeks at Christmas and 1 week during spring break.

-Inspection (For bunks, quarters etc.)

During the 1st month of 1st year, every day, often several times a day.  After that, 1-2 times a week for the rest of the 1st year.  After that, probably once a week.  (when I was there that was the case).  It depends on your squadron.

-Equipment (I heard from some students at civy univ taking ROTP complaining that they lack equipments. [One person didn't stop talking about his boots and the holes on them])

You have what you need to go to school and do everything you do.  Holes in his boots?  Come one... Go to supply, they will replace them...

-Training (How often and when do you do training?)

I would say the Kingston Gym is probably the best gym I've seen in the CFs.  Go there whenever you can.  It's free.  You have 2 intramurals night a week plus 2 hours of gym class a week.  You also have morning PT.  When I was there, average once a week, but I heard they do it more often now...

If you're talking about trade training, you do it during the summers, not during the school year.

-People (How often and when do you get to interact with your peer and make friends?)

24/7.  That's one thing that differentiate RMC from CivU.  During 1st year, you have a roommate for the whole year.  2nd year, you might have one.  Usually, 3rd and 4th year don't have one.  But we all live in the same square kilometer.  So we are always together.

Max

 

[Lumber]

-Pay (not in quantity but are you okay with your pay? Do you lack financial condition or enough?)

OCdt Pay is around 16k-17k a year, unless you were in the reserves before you enrolled at RMC. For me, after paying $500 a month rations and $160 a month quarters, I have about $270-$290 left over in pocket money. I don't know why it changes, but there you go. After I pay for my car stereo, my cellphone bill, a respectful payment on my credit card, I'm left with about 90$ every two weeks! :S It all depends on what you want to do with your money. One of my friends, for example, was in the artiller reserves for about 9 months before coming to RMC. Yes, JUST 9 months. BUT, because you can't go down a pay grade, he gets paid at the same rate as a private trained. Which means his "270-290" pocket change is actually around $900. Even if you only finish a couple weekends of a weekend BMQ, you're still technically a private and will be paid as such. Take my advice, join the reserves before hand, it will pay HUGE.

-Break (how often do you get to go home, and when do you get "kicked" to home?)

I found SupersonixMax's post rather amusing in this regard. "8 days a month", "12 days a month"... There no one actually checking to see who leaves the campus, when, for how long, where they're going. We have both a "sign out" book and a "disposition board" with everyone names, and sections where we can list ourselves as "In town", "On leave", "On parade", "MIR" (hospital), "SIQ" (sick in quarters), "Duty Away", etc... The thing is, the last time I checked the sign-out book was...well I think it was in first year. Just about everyone goes out on weekends. So, with 80 people in the squadron, on a given friday or saturday you'd expect to see 80 entries in the sign-out book for people signing out to go into town. The last time I check, a single page of the book (each page fits about 50 entries), contained all the 'sign-outs' for a two month period, or somethine like that. I've only been here a year and a half, but not once have I ever been told that I only get 8 days a month to go into town, or 12 days now that I'm in second year. In fact, if it wasn't for me being naturally curious and having browsed through the CadWins, I probably wouldn't have know what the hell SupersonixMax was talkng about. I'm certain many of the 3rd and 4th year cadets who are in charge of enforcing these ancient rules have never heard of them either. There's new CadWins (or that short for "Cadet Wing Instructions"), coming outsoon, and I'm almost certain those former rules with have been done away with. People go into town everynight to shop, go to the pub for a pint, visit their GFs or BFs, or just to get off campus for a while, and they do so definitely more than 8 times year (using first years as an example).

-Inspection (For bunks, quarters etc.)

Furing FYOP (first year orientation period) aka "Hell Month" aka "Initiation", inspection every morning. After that it depends on your squadron. At the college there is the "Wing", which is the whole college of cadets,  which is divied into 13 "Squadrons". Each squadron will have a different idea of how to run itself, have different standards. One squadron may think its necessary to have an inspection once a week, another every other week. The 4th have a lot of leeway now into how they want to run their squadrons, and in fact the wing as whole. So it depends on the squadron, but really, inspections are not very often.

-Equipment (I heard from some students at civy univ taking ROTP complaining that they lack equipments. [One person didn't stop talking about his boots and the holes on them])
-Training (How often and when do you do training?)

No complaints about equipment, I'm Navy and I have just about every piece of army kit I could need (for when we do army related training, like those damn wednesday morning Ruck Marches  )
Wednesday morning are assigned to military training. Most of the time that means 3 hours of classes on CF structure, how aboriginal programs function, how to write PDR, the history behind the Victoria Cross, etc... When the weather is better we'll have drill. As for trade specific training, as SuperMAx said, that only takes place in the summer between your years. IAP the summer before you attend RMC, BOTP and SLT after that, and then after 2nd year you'll do CAP or NETPO or PFT or whatever your trade does.

-People (How often and when do you get to interact with your peer and make friends?)

Before parade, during parade (after the RSM has walked by is out of earshot), after parade, at breakfast, during class, during your spares, at lunch, after school, during intramural sports, at night when your suppose to be doing homework but instead are jamming away at Guitar Hero Face-Off on Expert at 2am but can't beat Institutionalized because that song is freaking REDICULOUS!...and then having a CFL come down and tell you guys to shut up because its 2am....

 

[SupersonicMax]

I found SupersonixMax's post rather amusing in this regard. "8 days a month", "12 days a month"... There no one actually checking to see who leaves the campus, when, for how long, where they're going. We have both a "sign out" book and a "disposition board" with everyone names, and sections where we can list ourselves as "In town", "On leave", "On parade", "MIR" (hospital), "SIQ" (sick in quarters), "Duty Away", etc... The thing is, the last time I checked the sign-out book was...well I think it was in first year. Just about everyone goes out on weekends. So, with 80 people in the squadron, on a given friday or saturday you'd expect to see 80 entries in the sign-out book for people signing out to go into town. The last time I check, a single page of the book (each page fits about 50 entries), contained all the 'sign-outs' for a two month period, or somethine like that. I've only been here a year and a half, but not once have I ever been told that I only get 8 days a month to go into town, or 12 days now that I'm in second year. In fact, if it wasn't for me being naturally curious and having browsed through the CadWins, I probably wouldn't have know what the hell SupersonixMax was talkng about. I'm certain many of the 3rd and 4th year cadets who are in charge of enforcing these ancient rules have never heard of them either. There's new CadWins (or that short for "Cadet Wing Instructions"), coming outsoon, and I'm almost certain those former rules with have been done away with. People go into town everynight to shop, go to the pub for a pint, visit their GFs or BFs, or just to get off campus for a while, and they do so definitely more than 8 times year (using first years as an example).

My Squadron enforced it in 1st and 2nd year.  I guess times have changed!  Not necessarely for the worst!

Max

 

[Lumber]

My Squadron enforced it in 1st and 2nd year.  I guess times have changed!  Not necessarely for the worst!

Max

Curious: How did they do this? How did they check to see that those leaving were acutally signing out?

 

[SupersonicMax]

Curious: How did they do this? How did they check to see that those leaving were acutally signing out?

We had to ask one of our flight's COMSEC or our CFL if we could go outisde the peninsula and then sign the book, and he would initial the book as well.  If you got caught going out without signing out, you'd get in BIG trouble....

Max

 

[lou-reed]

Greenrubberduckie,

I have just been reading your questions.  Some good advice and answers from those who have answered. 

I have a question for you:  Is your mother tongue English?  I have been reading your posts and I have noticed that English grammar does not appear to be your strong point. I do not know if this is your normal writing style or if you are not taking the time to preview your posts before submitting them. 

As a retired Captain I can say that possessing exemplary writing skills will carry you a long way.  Poor writing will probably detract from your ROTP application.  In my experiences I have been able to win many battles with a properly scribed memorandum or report.

If you are having problems with English grammar do yourself a favour and take the necessary steps to make improvements.  It will help your ROTP application and in life in general.

Just my thoughts, Good luck.