Would someone please explain about "swipes" and counsellings at CFLRS in Saint-Jean?
1 - Do recruits, at BMQ, get so many swipes before a counsel? When you get counselled your exacta card (CFLRS I.D card) is swiped through the computer when you read the report on whatever it is your are being counselled for. There is also a 'note to file' for which your card is also swiped through the computer. Although not an official counselling notes to file are negative and are used as backround/extra info if you get enough counsellings to have a progress review board 'PRB'
2 - If so, do these parameters change depending on which week these recruits are currently in? You are allowed a certain number of counsellings before a PRB occurs and this does change depending on what phase of the course you are in. I believe for the indoc period you are allowed 8 and then your 'count' is reset to '0' after the indoc phase is over and you again have 8 counsellings before a PRB sits to make a determination on if you are fit to stay on the course/in the CF
Are recruits counselled without having swipes? Again, a 'swipe' is either a counselling, a note-to-file, or rarely, a 'noteworthy' (a good swipe). Sometimes your section commander or other course staff may take you aside and tell you to get your shit together before more serious action is taken (i.e. a swipe), but in my experience that is rare)
3 - Is there a possibility of recruits being discharged completely from BMQ for counsellings? YES! If a PRB is called to review a person's file there is every possibility that a determination could be made to recourse the individual, or in some cases release the person from the CF. Other possible outcomes from a PRB include staying on the course, sometimes with extra duties or other form of training or punishment. Additional counsellings after a PRB usually result in being taken off the course immediately
4 - Are counsellings classified as major or minor or are they all considered serious? Technically all are serious as they are recorded on your file and even if they are for simple things they add up and lead to a PRB. Generally counsellings in the first part of the course are not as serious because at the end of indoc your 'count' is reset to zero, and counsellings in the first few weeks can be for random small infractions, but the goal would be to not have to worry about it at all and have zero 'notes to file' and 'counsellings' the whole way through.
All of this is usually explained via a PowerPoint lecture by the staff (from a department called 'Standards') when the platoon first arrives. Good luck!
shoulder flag because St-Jean sent us to our new units without those and guess what, the QM here (Kingston, can't talk for other bases) has ran out of shoulder flags and we got told that getting our nametag (the cadpat one) could take up to 6 months.
, and I didn't drink one cup of coffee until I got back to my civillian job.
