Some Basic Questions About Basic Training

[JDG]

I‘ve heard they usually show a video at the swearing in ceremony explaining life at Basic Training, but I likely won‘t get a call until Feb. or March, so I‘d like to gather some info here first. If anyone could answer these questions, I‘d appreciate it.

- sleeping arrangements... Are there a lot of bunks in one big open room like in "Full Metal Jacket" or are sleeping quarters broken up like in "An Officer and a Gentleman"? (ie: 3 bunks in a room).

- showers... Does everyone shower together like in prison, or are there individual shower stalls?

- toilets... One big room with toilets out in the open, or individual toilet stalls?

- free time... Just how much free time does one get during Basic Training? Do you get an occassional evening off to go partying in town or whatever, or are you expected to remain on base for the entire 10 week period, no exceptions?

- push-ups & chin-ups... How many push-ups and chin-ups do you have to do in the run of a day? I heard they make you do sets of 25 push-ups. How many sets, usually? What happens if you just can‘t pump out that last set? Yelling?

Finally, are any of the answers to the above questions different for Officer candidates? I am planning to enter as a DEO candidate (Navy).

 

[Zoomie]

Lot‘s of questions....

There is a huge difference between Basic training as an NCM and Officer training. So I will only talk about BOTC - as I am a DEO shmuck myself.
sleeping arrangements... u will be housed in a living POD, of which there are 6 separate rooms with bed and desk that open into a communal living area, complete with cable TV, chairs and ur own bathroom area. There will most likely be 5 officers‘ per POD, with the 6th room being locked for storage.

- showers : 2 shower stalls per POD

- toilets : 1 stall per POD

- free time : after your 4th week in course, you may be given ur first weekend off

- push-ups & chin-ups : lots of pushups, u just do them til u can‘t anymore, if u stop, no big deal, just work the hardest u can ... chin-ups are not as popular because u require the bar in order to do them, so u won‘t be doing as many of them, but they still will be prevelant

As for the NCM side of things, some of the conditions are the same, except that they live in a communal area with around 20-30 others. Their living space is separated by semi-walls, so a little less privacy than what I described. Keep in mind, the NCM course lasts only 10 weeks, BOTC is around 13 weeks or more. (depending on what they have decided to do this year re. ELM)

Hope that helps, take care.

 

[Recce41]

Buddy
If your worried about that stuff, pull your name. Theres more to worry about in Basic.

 

[JDG]

Recce,

I‘m not worried at all. I just like knowing about the little, everyday things like this. Basic Training could be held at Alcatraz and it wouldn‘t bother me.

Zoomie,

Thanks for all the info!

 

[Wilson601]

Clever remark JDG :skull:

 

[BestOfTheBest]

You have been watching to many movies man.
lol

 

[Jungle]

BOTC is now called IAP/BOTP and is 14 weeks in duration. The ELM itself was abandonned, but it did have a lot of influence on the content of the new course. The course can be done in 2 parts: IAP (8 weeks) then BOTP (6 weeks). The best way to do it is the 14 week course at once, but it is impossible for some (Those going to civilian universities). The people going to RMC go through a 10 week IAP/BOTP.

 

[Gunner109]

I was a PL 2i/c in St Jean. So as for the basic trg crse. You will sleep on a floor that has 20 other troops. Each cubicle has walls around 4‘ high. the showers and toilets are individual in the barracks. You will do pysical trg almost every day. This is don at a minimum standard. It is used to get you ready to pass the CF sexpress test. You will do the test during the first two weeks of the crse, but this is only to let you and the staff get a grasp of where the crse as a whole stands. You will do the PT test for real on the last week (10). If you fail it you will be re-coursed. Not to worry though. It really is not a hard test.

 

[JOHNNY WAD]

Express test? I`d figure they would of canned that years ago........lol
What about the express test that is done by the CFRC before going to basic? Or is that just a guide to show `em how out of shape you are?
So what happens if ya fail the one given at the CFRC?

 

[Gunner109]

The CF Express test is just that, the Canadian Forces PT Test. They use it in Basic because all elements are represented there. The 13Km BFT is done in the 9th week in Farnham but is not a requirement to pass.

 

[combat_medic]

I‘m not sure if you‘re talking NCM or Officer, Reg Force or Reserve, but here‘s my experience as a Reserve NCM on my basic:

We slept in a MOD tent with about 12 people of mized gender. There was a small cloth divider between the girls‘ side and the guys‘ side, but it took so much time to take down and put up that we almost never bothered with it. The bathrooms were communal, all the girls in tent city (50+) had one, and each platoon had their own guys‘ washroom. The showers were one big room with shower heads.

That being said, you‘re WAY too tired and dirty and stinky to worry about any of that bull$hit at the end of the day. After a day of drill in the freezing rain, a hot shower feels so good you won‘t care who‘s there with you.

But if you‘re that concerned, you may want to reconsider doing it at all... it doesn‘t get much better.

 

[portcullisguy]

Our BMQ is indoors. Despite being very tired and groggy and sometimes stinking and sweaty, we still all run to the showers at every opportunity so as to avoid being jacked up for looking like a bag of crap.

It seems we are expected to look parade-quality presentable at all times while in uniform!

It may have something to do with motivation -- even when dog tired there‘s still work to do, etc.