Swimming - is this still done at BMQ?? Everything I'm seeing is outdated, and there is no indication of swimwear on the current kit/ clothing lists.
As of a few months ago the pool/pool area at CFLRS was still under renovation. As far as I’m aware it still is, so it’s currently closed. Prior to the repairs, yes, pool PT (frequency depends on platoon staff) and the swim test were conducted. There was no mention of swimwear on my kit list either, it was provided.
FORCE test/ other PT reqs - As far as I can tell, the FORCE test is scaled to gender and age (although I'm not sure whether or not to be thankful for that!), but my question is, if I pass at the lower end of my scale, does that bring numbers down for my whole platoon?
I’m not sure what you mean by “scaled to gender and age.” It’s not. Each member, whether male or female, is required to meet the same minimum standards during the FORCE. Additionally, there are incentive levels, but you’ll learn more about that later.
Do the FORCE. Do your absolute best. Be as prepared ahead of time as you think you possibly can be. (If you fail to meet standard on your FORCE, you’ll be removed from the platoon you were loaded on and sent to a training platoon for a minimum of 30 days in order to get in better shape. Ideally, you’ll want to avoid this route at all costs.)
I know that weekends while on Basic are off limits the first few weeks, and at the whim of staff after that, is it the same way at occupational training? I would like to know if I can expect to see my family at all, or if they'll all forget what I look like before I am finally done!
Your trade’s training, especially if going supply—which is a fairly short duration anyhow—or HRA is much more relaxed. You might be required to stay on base, but it won’t be often, if at all. Again, only speaking for those trades.
I know military needs come first, but I'm crossing my fingers that Gagetown is looking when I'm through it all - I'd love to be close to home. Is this even a small possibility?
It’s a possibility, yes. I can’t tell you exactly how much of a possibility though. Someone else might be able to offer better insight.
Last but not least, I will take ANY advice for an older woman looking to get into a career full of energetic, testosterone-fueled young people!
When I started at CFLRS I was 37. Quite honestly, my age wasn’t a big deal to the rest of my platoon. It was an advantage in many instances, actually. No, I couldn’t out-perform *some* of the 18-22 younguns on the PT end, but *some* I could. I wasn’t the best at PT, but I wasn’t the worst either. You’ll probably be surprised at the number of older recruits (meaning those 30-35+) you’ll run into. It’s been my experience that you’ll be respected at any age, as long as you’re a team player, are always givin’er, can be depended on and pull your weight.
Advice? Ignore/stay out of the drama, but use your wisdom to help your peers if they come to you—and a few probably will, simply because you’re older. There’ll be aspects of course you’re lousy on and need practice and there’ll be aspects you excel at. Focus on your strengths, ask for help with what you need to—it’ll all come together in time. Have fun. (At our age we have to lol.) While on course I really had a lot of fun at times. There were a few things I could’ve done without, obviously, but overall I enjoyed it.
