What not to do - No excuse BMQ tips [Merged]
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Celticgirl said:
I agree with Celticgirl on this one. Getting a good nights sleep sounds like a good idea and you are better prepared for the events of the next day.
As for the morning prep - I noticed that lightly ironing the sheets and pillowcase looked really nice and didn't take that long. I'm curious for an instructors perspective on this. Is ironing the sheets and pillowcase something an instructor would consider cheating or being thorough ?
Thoughts on this?
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veale said:
I won't. Don't want any of the instructors make me give it a funeral ;D
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I can't believe that soap and soap dishes are being discussed after 3 years.
I took BMQ & SQ at Chilliwack, in the summer of 2007, brought 2 dishes and 2 bars of soap. In fact, I brought about 6 dishes and gave them away to those who needed them [I'm normally not so generous, but my mom and dad were involved in a multilevel marketing organization, so we had a lot of junk just kicking around]. Our washrooms had liquid soap and the liquid soap dispensers installed at the sinks. I only used my bar soap for showering. A roommate used body wash, and laid that out for inspection, and got no flack at all. I would try to not handle my soap very much when I used it in the showers, and I would never put it under running water. To let my soap dry, I would put it in the dish in an incorrect manner that allowed it to sit at an angle, and thus allow air circulation. Every now and then, after it had dried, I would switch it with the soap used for inspection. So, the inspection dish stayed as the inspection dish, and the shower dish stayed as the shower dish. Other than that, I only had 1 extra razor blade, so that I wouldn't have to waste time cleaning a razor blade. The way that I managed to get everything in place so easily was because we were required to have a towel at the bottom of the drawer, and the objects would leave an impression. If I lifted everything off of the towel, then you'd be able to see what went where.
Our course instructors never inspected the insides of our ruck sacks, so you could store stuff there, if you want to take a chance.
There were other things that I did, and never got caught for it, but I don't want to say, just in case there is at least 1 course instructor that doesn't know. Also, my course-mates got caught for the same thing. So, maybe those instructors were a bit more thorough.
During our course, we had a lot of people cheat during morning PT, which kind of bugged me, because I would be consistently the last few people to finish any given exercise. The only thing that I could do fast was sprint. I think that a lot of the instructors knew that I was trying because I never got jacked up for being weak or slow, even though I was often the 3rd slowest guy. So, don't worry, but you should still work out.
For those of you who don't know what to expect, that's fine. I suspect that you aren't supposed to know. I think that they want to train you and immerse you in the culture of being uninformed. Also, if you could be prepared, then why bother sending you to course?
That being said, I want to underscore what somebody said about instructors wanting to help you. It's true. There will be exceptions on each course, and some locations may be completely different, but for the most part, the instructors are brilliant and patient. The easiest physical test was the grenade test, and I failed it twice. I passed the C9 machine gun test really well, the first time, but still managed to fail the grenade test. I never once got jacked up for it. I never got teased for it. People understand that life isn't always easy, and that we're all different. For the grenade test, I had about 4 instructors help me, plus my IC. So, obviously, they're out to help us. In the C6 test, the instructor saw my hand shaking, so he just began to shoot the breeze with me. I thanked him afterwards, and mentioned that it helped me, and then he said something like, "I know, because your hand stopped shaking.".
Regarding the asking of questions, you really have to ask. I made the mistake of assuming that everything would be spelled out later on, but I never realized how bad I was doing, until about 3/4 of the way through the course. All instructors have experience. Some instructors don't have teaching skills. Therefore, you really have to make an effort to get the information that you need. My 2IC actually taught out of the PAM, and read from it. I wasn't able to learn from him very well. Even today, I still struggle with my drills.
That being said, I barely passed both courses, and honestly expected to be sent home. In fact, I pretty much quit. I just did whatever I was told, while expecting to be sent home after a short period of time. So, obviously, you'll have to take it from me with a bigger grain of salt than usual.
I took BMQ & SQ at Chilliwack, in the summer of 2007, brought 2 dishes and 2 bars of soap. In fact, I brought about 6 dishes and gave them away to those who needed them [I'm normally not so generous, but my mom and dad were involved in a multilevel marketing organization, so we had a lot of junk just kicking around]. Our washrooms had liquid soap and the liquid soap dispensers installed at the sinks. I only used my bar soap for showering. A roommate used body wash, and laid that out for inspection, and got no flack at all. I would try to not handle my soap very much when I used it in the showers, and I would never put it under running water. To let my soap dry, I would put it in the dish in an incorrect manner that allowed it to sit at an angle, and thus allow air circulation. Every now and then, after it had dried, I would switch it with the soap used for inspection. So, the inspection dish stayed as the inspection dish, and the shower dish stayed as the shower dish. Other than that, I only had 1 extra razor blade, so that I wouldn't have to waste time cleaning a razor blade. The way that I managed to get everything in place so easily was because we were required to have a towel at the bottom of the drawer, and the objects would leave an impression. If I lifted everything off of the towel, then you'd be able to see what went where.
Our course instructors never inspected the insides of our ruck sacks, so you could store stuff there, if you want to take a chance.
There were other things that I did, and never got caught for it, but I don't want to say, just in case there is at least 1 course instructor that doesn't know.
Also, my course-mates got caught for the same thing. So, maybe those instructors were a bit more thorough.During our course, we had a lot of people cheat during morning PT, which kind of bugged me, because I would be consistently the last few people to finish any given exercise. The only thing that I could do fast was sprint. I think that a lot of the instructors knew that I was trying because I never got jacked up for being weak or slow, even though I was often the 3rd slowest guy. So, don't worry, but you should still work out.
For those of you who don't know what to expect, that's fine. I suspect that you aren't supposed to know. I think that they want to train you and immerse you in the culture of being uninformed. Also, if you could be prepared, then why bother sending you to course?
That being said, I want to underscore what somebody said about instructors wanting to help you. It's true. There will be exceptions on each course, and some locations may be completely different, but for the most part, the instructors are brilliant and patient. The easiest physical test was the grenade test, and I failed it twice. I passed the C9 machine gun test really well, the first time, but still managed to fail the grenade test. I never once got jacked up for it. I never got teased for it. People understand that life isn't always easy, and that we're all different. For the grenade test, I had about 4 instructors help me, plus my IC. So, obviously, they're out to help us. In the C6 test, the instructor saw my hand shaking, so he just began to shoot the breeze with me. I thanked him afterwards, and mentioned that it helped me, and then he said something like, "I know, because your hand stopped shaking.".
Regarding the asking of questions, you really have to ask. I made the mistake of assuming that everything would be spelled out later on, but I never realized how bad I was doing, until about 3/4 of the way through the course. All instructors have experience. Some instructors don't have teaching skills. Therefore, you really have to make an effort to get the information that you need. My 2IC actually taught out of the PAM, and read from it. I wasn't able to learn from him very well. Even today, I still struggle with my drills.
That being said, I barely passed both courses, and honestly expected to be sent home. In fact, I pretty much quit. I just did whatever I was told, while expecting to be sent home after a short period of time. So, obviously, you'll have to take it from me with a bigger grain of salt than usual.
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I was told on course that they couldn't swear at us, even though the same instructor swore at us when we made mistakes. The thing is that he also swore when he wasn't mad. In fact, he was the nicest guy on the course, and never got mad. Every time I messed up, I felt bad because I think that I disappointed him. That's how nice he was. I think that people need to understand that most people aren't very articulate, and thus, have a difficult time expressing thoughts with precise words. Most of the swear words are really just filler words, if you think about it. I would feel bad if that instructor got charged or fined or kicked out of the military because of some swear-word rule.spenco said:
As much as I disagree with swearing in any parts of our lives, I have admit that it is so common that it would really mess us all up, if we had to stop swearing right away.
Imagine a good instructor who is looking out for you. He could tell you to pick up your belongings and be ready at such and such a time, or he could tell you to pick up your shit and be ready at such and such a time. I honestly think that a lot of people would struggle to find a decent replacement for the swear words, because it's such a strong habit for them.
I hope that I'm not misusing this thread. I know that this is supposed to be a thread on tips for BMQ.
Here is a tip I use at home for keeping my razors (mach 3 turbo) longer, sharper, and cleaner. I let it sit in a jar of rubbing alcohol (1/4 filled), it has a lid so it doesnt evaporate and the fumes dont knock me out. The first time I used it, I was amazed at how well it cleaned the blade, just swishing it around, you could see crud float off almost instantly. I know that rubbing alcohol is probably not the best thing to keep around during BMQ, but a small squirt bottle (like those nose spray bottles) with some rubbing alcohol would make it easier. Maybe keep the bottle in a ziplock bag, or small tupperware container. Plus it dries rapidly
Dont burn down the building!
Dont burn down the building!
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probably worth putting it here.
get sun screen that comes in a spray bottle, not that squishy stuff. sucks when all that white goo blows up all over your vest pouch.
get soap dish for cam paint. the canex yellow ones fit all 3 colours perfectly, will keep assploding campaint from happening.
i'm not even going to mention what happens when sun screen, and all 3 tubes assplode at ones :blotto: :rofl:
get sun screen that comes in a spray bottle, not that squishy stuff. sucks when all that white goo blows up all over your vest pouch.
get soap dish for cam paint. the canex yellow ones fit all 3 colours perfectly, will keep assploding campaint from happening.
i'm not even going to mention what happens when sun screen, and all 3 tubes assplode at ones :blotto: :rofl:
Eye In The Sky
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adaminc said:Here is a tip I use at home for keeping my razors (mach 3 turbo) longer, sharper, and cleaner. I let it sit in a jar of rubbing alcohol (1/4 filled), it has a lid so it doesnt evaporate and the fumes dont knock me out. The first time I used it, I was amazed at how well it cleaned the blade, just swishing it around, you could see crud float off almost instantly. I know that rubbing alcohol is probably not the best thing to keep around during BMQ, but a small squirt bottle (like those nose spray bottles) with some rubbing alcohol would make it easier. Maybe keep the bottle in a ziplock bag, or small tupperware container. Plus it dries rapidly
Dont burn down the building!
Or...have 2 razors...one for use and one for inspection? I am sure your idea works but...I am not sure how much time I would waste on this when the old tried-and-true way of 'having 2' is SO damn easy. >
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Eye In The Sky said:Or...have 2 razors...one for use and one for inspection? I am sure your idea works but...I am not sure how much time I would waste on this when the old tried-and-true way of 'having 2' is SO damn easy. >
Exactly! Best tip for recruits: "work smarter, not harder." If theres an easier way of doing things that doesn't break the rules, its not "cheating," its ingenuity. The CF is built on ingenuity and resourcefulness (in addition to those situtations where hard work is the only solution).
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Springroll said:
What happens if it's past dinner and your hungry? I am 145 lbs and have a very fast metabolism, so I don't eat a lot but I eat several times a day... suck it up, or can I just wonder and get food?
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88rustang07 said:
Good question cause I had it myself... I'm a HUGE eater... and the harder I work, the hungrier I get. In my civilian life now, I eat about two of every meal!!
A
aesop081
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88rustang07 said:
Get used to going without.....for the first few weeks anyways.
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Are you allowed to keep like a power bar in your pocket? Ha ha ha or will I have to tape them to my leg?
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88rustang07 said:Are you allowed to keep like a power bar in your pocket? Ha ha ha or will I have to tape them to my leg?
what if you hide it in the ol' "balloon knot"?
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88rustang07 said:Are you allowed to keep like a power bar in your pocket? Ha ha ha or will I have to tape them to my leg?
I'm definitely going to go with no on that one. If you want to try by all means but definitely let us know how you make out.
Just Kidding- Reaction score
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fire_guy686 said:I'm definitely going to go with no on that one. If you want to try by all means but definitely let us know how you make out.
I would have thought that as long as the powerbar was properly kit-marked, there would be no issue
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eugenetswong said:
Yeah, I was told that the instructors couldn't swear at us too. That was in Cornwallis in 1990. The Master Corporal was reading off and explaining some of the regulations in place regarding the conduct of candidates and instructors. In fact the exact words were "Oh yeah, and we can't f*****g swear at you, either." "Okay," I thought, "here's one of those rules that's going to be more theoretical, than practical."
The best advice I got was on the plane going to Nova Scotia. "Check your brain at the gate, and pick it up on the way out." Don't bother trying to figure out why they are making you do stuff, just do it. Do what you're told, when you're told, and you'll be okay. At various points in the course, they will make your life miserable - it will seem like you will not be able to do anything right. That's part of the course.
They want to see how you deal with stress. If you can't handle someone swearing and yelling obscenities at you, you're really going to fall apart when people are shooting at you. That's the point. Can you just filter out the bad stuff, hear the instructions that you are given within all that racket of yelling and profanity, and still do your best at the task at hand? If so, then you may have potential as a soldier.
It may not be Politically Correct, or polite, or even within Labour Relation guidelines, but then again, neither is being shot at. That is the grim, hard, reality that they are trying to prepare you for. Can you imagine trying to take the Taleban to Labour Relations?
In a wavering, high pitched voice: "You shot at me, and that made me feel very bad. I cried so much I couldn't work for the rest of the day. It really hurt my feelings. I had to take six months off of stress leave. I'm still in counselling for it."
In heavily accented English: "Well, you know, it was nothing personal. It is just my destiny to fulfil Allah's will and kill you, you infidel pig. I'll try to do it again, whenever possible, and with God's help I will succeed. But I expect it to be natural for you to feel badly about this, since once I succeed in killing you, you will be condemned to the fires of hell forever, which is what infidel scum like you deserve."
In a wavering, high pitched voice: "Bwaaaah, aaaah, aaaah..."
Is it just me, or does it seem like the real world needs people a little tougher than that?
This does not mean I condone any real abuse under any circumstances. However, if one is inclined to make a fuss everytime they hear a rough word, maybe they're more cut out for the monastery rather than the military.
And for the record, I am a retired soldier, posting from a monastery. No kidding.
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xena said:
I agree that the world needs tougher people. I think that they need to be exposed to more adversity. They need to know what it means to suffer without any long term consequences. I was on the train this week. A woman was complaining about the seats in Comfort class, aboard Via's Canadian. I think that she really has no idea of what it means to be uncomfortable. She was an inconsiderate overweight woman who chatted almost all night long. If she knew what real adversity meant, then she would have been content with her situation.
That being said, I don't think that the military needs to swear to toughen up the soldiers. They just need to focus on giving adversity, or exposing us to adversity. To avoid swearing, they need to find other replacements, and to become more articulate. Paying attention to the rhythm of the sentence would help also.
