Regular Officer Training Plan (ROTP)-RMC 2000 - 2018 [Merged]

[George Wallace]

With some looking you would find:

SDB - Supplementary Death Benefits (sort of like a Military Life Insurance.)

EI - Employment Insurance (Yes! You still have to pay, even if you can't claim)

Pension and CPP - Your Military Pension Pension and Canada Pension Plan (Yes! You have to pay both)

SISIP-LTD - is the minimum recommended of the only Civilian Insurance guaranteed to pay a military member in times of conflict.

Income Tax - Well we all know about that.

Single Qtrs and Rations - (No!  Unlike what you may have heard, you do have to pay for room and board.......same goes for those stories of not paying Taxes.)

In Ontario, you will also have to pay into the Provincial Health System (a Tax) even though you are covered by the Military. 

You most likely will also get dinged with Mess Dues.

 

[Inch]

You most likely will also get dinged with Mess Dues.

Substitute "most likely" with "will".

As per CFAO 27-1 para 10, "Every member shall belong to a mess appropriate to the member's rank".

If you're not paying mess dues somewhere, you better look into why you're not. It is a must regardless of whether or not you're at CiviU.

 

[Kid_X]

Ok, but I'm still on LWOP, I haven't even done my In-Clearance yet...

 

[Inch]

Ok, but I'm still on LWOP, I haven't even done my In-Clearance yet...

Yes, and you're not paying into your Military Pension, or SISIP yet are you?

 

[Kid_X]

I'm not paying anything yet, I'm not even getting paid yet.  Does anyone know of a mess in Ottawa, and if there are more than one, towards the east end?

 

[Michael OLeary]

I'm not paying anything yet, I'm not even getting paid yet.  Does anyone know of a mess in Ottawa, and if there are more than one, towards the east end?

The Ottawa Army Officers' Mess
http://www.geocities.com/armyottawaofficers@rogers.com/English.htm

 

[George Wallace]

There is a Legion down by the 416 and Trim.

Messes are mostly downtown.  There are messes in behind Cartier Drill Hall.  There are messes out on Wakley Rd at the Armoury there.  There is the Army Officer's mess.

Then you have Legions all over town.

 

[joshi]

So if one was an OCDT, first year at RMC, what is the final amount that one gets in their bank account after all the normal deductions? Is it in the 600 region as stated in the earlier post? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[kincanucks]

So if one was an OCDT, first year at RMC, what is the final amount that one gets in their bank account after all the normal deductions? Is it in the 600 region as stated in the earlier post? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks.

Yes you will be looking at clearing around 300 every two weeks or 600 every month.

 

[Kid_X]

There is a Legion down by the 416 and Trim.

Messes are mostly downtown.  There are messes in behind Cartier Drill Hall.  There are messes out on Wakley Rd at the Armoury there.  There is the Army Officer's mess.

Then you have Legions all over town.

Awesome, thank you.  I just finished my In-Clearance with my ULO, my mess will be the RCAF Officer's Mess down at 180 Gloucester. 

I was given that little blue paper that I have to go to certain locations with and get "cleared in".  How long does it usually take per location? 

I was also told by my ULO that because I'm an OCDT in Ottawa, I don't have to pay mess dues.  Not until I become a second lieutenant do I start paying towards that. 

But I also learned that even though I am on LWOP, I still have to make pension contributions.  Therefore, as of my COS date, I will be paying double towards my pension for the amount of days I was on LWOP... (83..., with 72 left  ). 

Also, I am on leave without pay, my COS date isn't until August 25th, I'm attending Civie U next year and I just got out of highschool... do I need a leave pass to go visit my dad down in Sudbury? (I'm in Ottawa, 6 hours distance.)

 

[F/Sgt. Reid]

Well, I realize I'm jumping onto this post a little late in the swing of things, however I have a small request.
I've been excepted to RMC (with prep year) and leave early August.  To this point i haven't received any joining instructions or travel orders and I'm curious as to whether or not anyone else has.  If you have and don't mind posting the important information I'd appreciate it.(ie. required kit)
In the mean time I'm enjoying the remaining weeks of my free life and hoping theres nothing out of the ordinary I'm going to need to find the day before i need to leave :-\

Cheers
Josh

 

[SupersonicMax]

Junior,
You are about to enter the worst and the best 5 years of your life.  Good luck.  As the Dcdt told me once... "RMC is a nice place to be from, but definetely not a nice place to be"

Max

 

[we_can_do_it!]

Hey Josh!
I'm also going to prep year in august..if you want more information e-mail me!

 

[we_can_do_it!]

I forgot something...if you speak french that will be appreciated

 

[MJB]

Josh,
Your best bet would be to contact your recruiting center as they should have by now received your posting message and joining instructions from St. Jean sur-Richelieu at the Campus Ft. St-Jean where you will be attending prep year... Don't think that RMC is going to be like prep year because it will not... (And after a few months at prep year that will be a good thing ;D.)
Good Luck With It.

 

[F/Sgt. Reid]

Thanks, and yes I speak French
Haha, already done, but thanks Poker Player.  By the way, are you saying the Prep year is easier, tougher or just different?

 

[F/Sgt. Reid]

Okay, for anybody else who might be interested, Joining Instructions for Prep Year (Richelieux Squadron) are now online

Nice to be able to look them over now rather than wait for the recruiting center to get to it!
http://www.det.st-jean.rmc.ca/richelieu/engraph/join/join_e.asp

 

[F/Sgt. Reid]

...And a round of applause goes out to Canada Post for their wonderfull job on delivering the package of information from the recruiting center.. :  So they sent it two months ago, not realizing I should be expecting anything, I didn't know it was missing..  Until today!  But now it's alll good and I actually know what's going on

St Jean Baby!!!

 

[KiIlerPotato]

I have read all 26 pages of this post, and not one has answered some of the key ideas of this post. I have applied for RMC last year in ROTP program, first offer I had was for civi U and I declined, second offer that they gave me was for an Armoured officer in RMC, which I am wondering if I should have accepted (yes I declined, thinking that if I were in armour I would just get shipped off the day I graduate).

The main question, or subject of interest that I would like to know about is the social life.
-How often do you get to go to town?
-When can I expect holidays?
-Are there room inspections everyday?
-Is the workload hard?
-Can we bring computers?
-Are we allowed visitors?
-Is it anything like basic but on a daily schedual?

And my other question was: How easy is it to change trade once you've been accepted into RMC? Because I had applied for Pilot, I sucsessfully completed all my testing, but for some reason was not offered that trade. So If I had gone into RMC as an armoured Officer, would it have been easy to request a trade change?

I am re-applying for RMC this year in hopes of acheiving my goal for becoming a PLT, and hopefully I can get some feedback to clear my confusion before re-applying.

 

[a78jumper]

I am not sure I would want to count you amongst a long list of ex Cadets with distinguished service with your comment, "yes I declined, thinking that if I were in armour I would just get shipped off the day I graduate".Like it or lump it, this country is at war right now.......would it bother you to be "shipped off" as a pilot? "Take a look at the College motto, and the second word is "DUTY".

To answer your questions, albeit from one who graduated some time ago

1. You get into town very little in the first few months, and by the time you are in fourth year, as much as you want classes and military duties permitting;
2. All stats, plus a Xmas break, plus about four weeks before or after you commence your summer classification training.
3. Room inspections everyday in the beginning as a first year cadet, and declining to you giving the inspections by your third or fourth, the catch being your room has to be better than those of the cadets you are inspecting.
4. The workload is heavy at times, but I made it through.
5. Can't answer this one for sure, but I am sure the place is as computer friendly as any university.
6. Yes, at appropriate times. Limited as a first year.
7. It is a military university-I found some things similar to my BOTC I, but the place is another world at other times.

Suggest you speak to a present cadet to expand upon these views. Or visit the College.

In my personal experience, it was very very difficult to change classifications while at RMC. I never had any affinity for the Navy or MARS yet that was where I ended up by default. I was convinced by my naval squadron commander to at least give it a try. Phase 2 was enough to convince me I was not going to be the next Horatio Hornblower, and thus followed two years of falsehoods, manipulation and half truths, the end result being I graduated as a MARS officer, on paper at least. It was Nov following grad before I finally got reclassed while on Phase 4 sweepers-several of my peers failed on purpose to get out of the Navy but that is not my style thanks. I was posted to 3 PPCLI and started a career as an Army Log Supply officer which was much more in keeping with my interests and capabilities. So be very careful about accepting an offer in a classification you really are not too keen on. I can not comment on how easy it is to reclass out of Armoured today, 25 years ago it was, in fact the failure rate was about 33% in those days.