The Reserve Thread- A Merged Collection of Q & A's

[DnA]

I‘ll tell you about my experiance with this

I was sworn into the CF on Febuary 5th, 2003(wednesday), then the next day(thursday, parade night) I went to the unit, got put into PAT Plt, PAT Plt, they get us ready for BMQ, half of the Plt is taking the weekend BMQ course, but I joined up to late for that, so I‘m taking it in the summer. I parade every week with my unit, an I‘v done a few things on weekends an non-parade nights.

I was going to be kitted out the first or 2nd night I was their but our QM is closed untill they were done stock taking(which their supposed to be finally finished next week), so about 2-3 weeks after I was in, my plt commander arranged for me an 3 other new people to goto ASU Chilliwack, were we were issued just the basics(combats, underwear, socks, helmet,helmet cover, jacket(with no liner since my size wasnt in), duffle bag, rain gear(pants+jacket), 2 pairs of combat boots, an 1 pair of overshoes, uppetle sleeves(if thats their name), beret an corn flake(look at my avatar to see what a cornflake is)

the rest of my gear(webbing, ruckshack, sleeping bag,etc) will be issued somtime this month, hopefully


incase your wondering, DEU‘s arent issed till your done your basic training, so I‘v been told

 

[Korus]

AFAIK, DEU‘s aren‘t ‘supposed‘ to be issued until after QL3, but some units get them for their people after BMQ.

Ditto with kit issue for me. I got kitted up a week and a half after I was sworn in, and 3 days before I was loaded onto BMQ. On the first couple of days of BMQ, we resolved missing kit issues.. (I was so happy to get a sleeping bag)

 

[Veteran`s son]

I submitted my CF Reserves application a few days ago and have a question.

When should I receive a call regarding the date and time for the testing and the interview now that my application has been submitted?

How long have the rest of you had to wait to find out when you take the tests and interview?

Any information would be appreciated!

 

[Veteran`s son]

Roland

I thought that there were only two parts to the CF Medical examination?

 

[Cpt. Kap]

I waited for about 10 months from the time I submitted all of the documents to the time I got the call. My call was fun, I was working I my office (I‘m a 36 year old civil servant) when my phone rang at 11:45am on a Friday. The Captain on the other end presented me with 3 options I could:

• Appear at the local armoury at 6 pm that evening to take transport to the training area
• Get up at 4am and drive myself to the training area the next morning
• Delay BMQ through to the summer.

I decided to carry on with the drive out the base myself the next morning. I was the only recruit without kit, without service number and without a clue. I got my kit that week so only did one weekend without a uniform. Thank god for my fireteam partner. She and the rest of the course pulled my *** out of the fire and showed me alot of what I missed. Thanks to them I ended up doing well on the course.

A message for those about to start BMQ Get to know your Fireteam Partner. You will be very, very close to these people through your course and I‘m told this is a relationship which very often is maintained afterward. Even if this person is a complete ****pump you will still need to rely on them.

 

[Bert]

HHhhhhmmmmmm. You fireteam partner was a "she" and you have to get to know them very well? Was she... attractive.... Heehehehehehehehe (joking).

 

[Dire]

I think I personally rather have a female partner then a male one..


Here is why.

Alot of males have egos and are very competitive (including myself) which might lead into some healthy compeition with your partner which would less likly to happen with a female partner.

A female partner would tell you when you got a threading hanging off your cuff or that your bed has a lump and the floor isnt cleaned well enough

hehe

 

[Jarnhamar]

This will probably be an unpopular comment. Maybe even bad leadership.

If your fireteam partner is a $hit pump and wants to quit on day 3, encourage them to do so.
Don‘t drag their a$$ through basic training. Don‘t lie to them and tell them it will get better. Don‘t bring down the moral and effectiveness of the whole course because of one screw up.
Some people will say help them out, try and sort them out. Great do that. But when it fails don‘t lie to yourself and pretend they will evolve on their own

I‘m not intending to bash females here, i find they have to work twice as hard as males to get recognition. BUT if you think males are competitive wait until your working with a female who feels (maybe rightly so) that they need to really stand out to get noticed.
Put on your helmet i have a little war story
QL3 (or sq whatever). I was filling in a soldiers trench for them after the FTX because they were too tired and hungery to do anything besides kick dirt around and cry. After most of it was done they must have figured they looked pretty weak and all around bad so they informed the section commander that i would not let them touch the shovel because of the soldiers gender and they didnt think it was fair and i was creating a poisonus work enviroment. It‘s amazing how some soldiers can‘t remember which way their trench is facing or a password like bacon but they can rhyme of cfao‘s on harassment. Welcome to the army.
Heh maybe i should be more positive, i appologise. We DID get ice cream for one of the meals and we took some cool hollywood pictures.

 

[Pikache]

On the other hand, if the BIQ course finish in 2 weeks and one of your mates wants to quit, do tell him to stick it out for two lousy weeks. He/she‘s done this for two and half months. Might as well finish it and hopefully he/she will stick around afterwards.

 

[Christopher]

I was told that I could take basic training here at the local reserve regiment every weekend during the fall. Has anybody else done this? What exactly does this entail? Do I stay and sleep there for the weekends? How long does this go for?

 

[Pikache]

I‘m assuming you‘re talking about BMQ

Has anybody else done this?
-Yes

What exactly does this entail?
-What do you mean?

Do I stay and sleep there for the weekends?
-You show up friday night and leave sunday afternoon. You sleep at wherever your training is done.

How long does this go for?
-Around 3-4 months, depending on schedule. The course is 20 full day training long.
You usually go around every two weekends.

The weekend course probably starts Feb-March. However, go talk to the local reserve unit you want to join to get the definite word.

 

[MuayThaiFighter]

What are the best paid jobs in reserves if you only have a G.E.D?

 

[riggah052]

You‘re thinking of joining eh? Unless you get in as a technician, you are on the same pay scale as any other NCM in the reserves. As you progress in time and rank, your pay will increase.

Piece of advice, don‘t go for just the money, make sure that the trade you‘re joining is one that you will enjoy. It‘s no good to join for the money if you hate what you‘re doing. Look around, and good luck.

 

[MuayThaiFighter]

I am not interested in a CF job for just the money,however if I am going to do a job I not only have to like it but it would be nice to have one that pays fairly good.

I‘m considering doing Infantry in reserves and then perhaps switching to regular force after sometime.

 

[McInnes]

Most people that i have talked to always suggest to join a reserve comm unit, or infantry unit. This gives you a taste of life in the army, in either a technical aspect or the basic "grunt/battle" aspect.

 

[Marek]

Hi I was wondering if joining the reserves at the end of grade 10 would work for me? The whole training would be put to credit for graduation and serving in the infantry is what I have always wanted. After training I would finish grade 11 and finish high school. After high school I would join the regular force. I‘m am physically and mentally ready. Just wondering what your comments would be and if I would run into any problems.

 

[holywars33]

I think that you should at least finish high school first. You are still youn and your opinions about the CF might change in a couple years. In the mean time, I would join the reserves to get a taste of what you may expect when you graduate and still want to join the regs.

 

[gate_guard]

I‘m am physically and mentally ready.

I‘d like to know your qualifications to deem yourself physically and mentally ready since you haven‘t joined yet. While I hate generalizing, I‘ve yet to see a "mentally ready" 16 year old. Are you ready to train how to kill? I can understand that you‘re probably all gung ho and can‘t wait to hold a rifle, but the last thing the CF needs is kids in uniform (which they already have plenty of in the militia). Enjoy your youth, it doesn‘t last forever.

 

[Ruthless4Life]

I agree with the "older guys."

Education comes first. I‘m 16 right now, have been in Army Cadets in the past, and very interested in the Reserves, but I realized Gr. 11/12 are the important years and should be really focused on. One has nothing to lose of he‘s got a post-secondary education then joining the CF, than be straight out of Gr. 10 in the Reserves and may be losing some focus in school.

But that‘s just my opinion.

 

[WINDWOLF]

Trust me on this Marek,
Get your educaton first,then think about joining.

I joined @ 17 ( father signed off)& royaly
screwed myself later in life. Try going back
to school at 35.

Get your gr 12, gradurate,party your a$$ off &
then join if you still want to.
Helps @ promotion time to be a grad too.

Regards. ( i am currently one of the old guys.42)