Recce questions

[armyrules]

Hey guys I have a few questions about recce plt I've read the infantry FAQ's and people said that it is a good idea to be in a company that is jump qualified. How do you know if the company or regiment is jump qualified eg. I want to join PPCLI no preference on batallion. Also a lot of people are saying that recce plt is the pathfinders is that correct thanks for help folks   cheers

 

[Mikhala]

If you want to be in the PPCLI and you want to be a jumper, then the 3rd is the only place to be in the west.  C Coy is the jump coy in the 3rd Bn.  As for Recce PL, to get there you have to spend some time in one of the rifle companies.  Get your recce course and if your not a pump you might get picked up into Recce.  Recce PL just got some maroon berets back so if your a jumper, all the more better.  You do not have to be a Pathfinder to get into Recce PL, in fact they are few and far in between.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Recce platton is not the same as pathfinders.  The pathfinders course is totally seperate from the recce course although it would be a good idea to have the recce course before attempting the pathfinder course (not sure if recce is a pre req for pathfinders or not).

 

[Royal76]

Armyrules,
Like the above post mention, recce and pathfinders are seperate entities.  In fact, there are no longer pathfinder platoons in the Canadian Army.  In a light infantry battalion, the recce pl will perform pathfinder tasks (marking/securing LZ/DZs, etc) and you will normally find a few pathfinder qualified troops in the platoon- but there are not all that many out there anymore.  The Pathfinder course still exists though (11 weeks I believe).  Unfortunately, we graduate on average about 5-10 pathfinders a year (this past year was only 6!) and not all of them are necessarily infantry.  The course is open to engineers and arty as well.  For an infantryman, the basic recce course and basic para are prerequisites to get on the course and in my bn we typically will only send a soldier if he has his PLQ/JLC.  If you want to get in a recce platoon you will probably have to do about 2-3 years in a rifle company before you get the chance to go to recce.  They normally take more experienced soldiers in the platoon.  being that recce is the last of the support platoons left in an infantry battalion, it's a good place to be.  There's also the sniper "platoon" (which is actually 2 sections) but to be a sniper, you need basic recce and need to be a marksman (I think).  So the key is to get on a basic recce course and it will open your options.  Hope that helps.

 

[armyrules]

Thanks for the info Royal76 thaqt helped if anyone else has anything else to add feel free to post thanks

 

[GO!!!]

Everybody here is pretty much on the money.

Pathfinders are a part of Recce Platoon - not the other way around.

Just like the Para course, just finishing your Recce crse will not get you into the Recce Platoon. Only about 10% of guys get to go there, and not always the top 10% either. It's more of a "who you know" thing.

All of the Battallions have Recce platoons of excellent quality, just with slightly different areas of specialty. A recce patrolman from the first or second Bn can function just as well in the third and vice versa.

Recce is a pre - requisite to go on a sniper course - but once again, only a few snipers will be employed as such, and it is more of a who than what you know game.

Your best asset to go places in the Army is a positive attitude. No - one wants to employ or work with an arrogant complainer.

 

[patrick666]

Is Recce open only to Infantry? Or can other Combat Arms participate in the training?

Cheers

 

[armyrules]

 

Everybody here is pretty much on the money.

Pathfinders are a part of Recce Platoon - not the other way around.

Just like the Para course, just finishing your Recce crse will not get you into the Recce Platoon. Only about 10% of guys get to go there, and not always the top 10% either. It's more of a "who you know" thing.

All of the Battallions have Recce platoons of excellent quality, just with slightly different areas of specialty. A recce patrolman from the first or second Bn can function just as well in the third and vice versa.

Recce is a pre - requisite to go on a sniper course - but once again, only a few snipers will be employed as such, and it is more of a who than what you know game.

Your best asset to go places in the Army is a positive attitude. No - one wants to employ or work with an arrogant complainer.

    Thanks a lot GO!!! that info really helped is the failure rate for recce high? I bet that you have to be in rifle platoon for awhile before you can be qualified?

Is Recce open only to Infantry? Or can other Combat Arms participate in the training?

Cheers

    Hey at I think that Recce is for all Combat Arms I think... don't quote me on that one

 

[Kat Stevens]

Is Recce open only to Infantry? Or can other Combat Arms participate in the training?

Cheers

Different arms have different recce requirements. Engineer recce usually involves more technical info requirements than Armd/Inf recce  have either the time or inclination for.  Once upon a time, Sappers used to be able get the Recce Patrolman Course, but I think that no longer happens...

CHIMO,  Kat

 

[patrick666]

Damn.. I'm looking for courses that are eligable for Engineers so I can further my military experience. Is there any other courses aside from MG/Para that Sappers can participate in? Most of them are open for all combat arms, correct?

Cheers

 

[Kat Stevens]

Don't worry, you'll get plenty of sneak-n-peek stuff as a Sapper, if that's what you're into.  We spend as much time doing grunt-sh*t as we do blowing crap up... more, in fact...

CHIMO,  Kat

 

[patrick666]

Good to know. Thanks, Kat.

Cheers

 

[Royal76]

Different arms have different recce requirements. Engineer recce usually involves more technical info requirements than Armd/Inf recce   have either the time or inclination for.   Once upon a time, Sappers used to be able get the Recce Patrolman Course, but I think that no longer happens...

We put 2 sappers on our basic recce course about 2 years ago.  One of them went on to do Pathfinder shortly thereafter.  More cross-training like this would be a benefit to the all the combat arms.  Back when we had pioneers, our pioneer pl did alot of work with the engineers.

 

[paracowboy]

back in (I think) '97 we had a particularly hard-charging Sig Op dude, who went on our Recce course and successfully completed it, even after losing the sole of his jungle boot on a Nav Ex, and finishing it barefoot. But, these are the exceptions. Most of the time, only Infantrymen go on Infantry Recce courses.

 

[GO!!!]

In response to the above Q's...

The failiure rate is low - 10% maybe?

It is the number of guys with the Recce crse who are actually employed in that role that is also low - I would guess that 1/4 of the junior ranks in my Bn are recce qualified - but there are only 21 recce positions in the Platoon.

Other trades can and do take the course - sigs, sappers and medics are all that I have seen - oh - and one gunner. There was even - (shudder) - a reservist on a course last year. For the record - he passed - top third.

my own petard...

 

[patrick666]

Now say an Sapper completes a Recce course, he would stay in his own troop right? What happens after the course regarding training?

Are they tasked for different operations or exercises?

Cheers

 

[paracowboy]

Patrick, you might be better served asking these questions of Echo in their own forum. I'm sure there's all manner of Engineers with the answers, and you'd be getting it form the horse's mouth, instead of a bunch of Infantry guys goin' "Well I think.."

 

[armyrules]

How can a reservist be on a REG Force course?

 

[Royal76]

How can a reservist be on a REG Force course?

It happens from time to time. A few reservists have done the pathfinder course.  They're even putting reserves on the advanced recce course.  Not quite sure how that is justified in a "train to need" army........

 

[armyrules]

It happens from time to time. A few reservists have done the pathfinder course.   They're even putting reserves on the advanced recce course.   Not quite sure how that is justified in a "train to need" army........

yeah really but oh well  I guess thats the way they do things.
Have you done a recce course?