After BMQ-Questions from a Wife.

[Sysam]

I have been lerking the army.ca page for awhile now, and let me tell you this website has been a great source of information for both my husband and myself.

I have browsed the pages for quite sometime on what will happen after my husband completes BMQ- From what I understand he will complete BMQ and then go to BMQ-L (SQ??)?

He is going for a Vehicle Tech- Any ideas on where his BMQ-L will be?

I am looking into going back to school for nursing and Georgian College  offers a great program- But I would rather not pack myself and our son and move to a new city if my husband isn't going to eventually be joining us in Borden..

Excuse my lack of knowledge.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

 

[MikeL]

I have browsed the pages for quite sometime on what will happen after my husband completes BMQ- From what I understand he will complete BMQ and then go to BMQ-L (SQ??)?

Yes,  the next course in sequence would be BMQ-Land.

He is going for a Vehicle Tech- Any ideas on where his BMQ-L will be?

Gagetown, New Brunswick
Meaford, Ontario
Wainwright, Alberta
Shilo, Manitoba

If he is francophone he could go to Quebec(not sure which base runs it there)

I am looking into going back to school for nursing and Georgian College  offers a great program- But I would rather not pack myself and our son and move to a new city if my husband isn't going to eventually be joining us in Borden..

Your husband will goto Borden after BMQ and be in PRETC,  he will get attached out to another base for BMQ-Land though.  But his driver wheel course(if required before QL3) and his QL3 course will be run in Borden.  After his QL3 he could be posted any where in Canada that has positions for a Pte Veh Tech.

 

[jeffb]

Your husband is at a point in his career where a bunch of things can happen. He may be unsuccessful on either BMQ-L or his DP1 course resulting in either a new trade (and the associated new courses), a recourse (resulting in more time in training) or release from the Canadian Forces. If he is successful, he may be posted anywhere from Halifax to Victoria to Yellowknife. You will have no way of knowing where it will be until he is much further along in his training.

That being said, have you explored the option of starting a program at Georgian (great school by the way, I graduated from the Aviation Management Program there about 10 years ago) and then transferring to another institution later?

 

[Sysam]

Thank you both for your response.

"Your husband will goto Borden after BMQ and be in PRETC,  he will get attached out to another base for BMQ-Land though.  But his driver wheel course(if required before QL3) and his QL3 course will be run in Borden.  After his QL3 he could be posted any where in Canada that has positions for a Pte Veh Tech."

-During PRETC he will be in Borden, after PRETC is it always that they get attached to another base or do some stay?- BMQ-L only runs for a couple weeks? (Please correct me if I'm wrong ), and then he will come back to Borden?

-The course for Georgian is only 2.5 years- I am assuming it will take at least that to complete all training- so that if he does get posted somewhere, *fingers crossed* I will have completed my program able to find a decent job.

Your husband is at a point in his career where a bunch of things can happen. He may be unsuccessful on either BMQ-L or his DP1 course resulting in either a new trade (and the associated new courses), a recourse (resulting in more time in training) or release from the Canadian Forces. If he is successful, he may be posted anywhere from Halifax to Victoria to Yellowknife. You will have no way of knowing where it will be until he is much further along in his training.

I am an avid planner and getting stressed about what our future will look like, and more importantly if I should uproot our son and myself on our expense, and just cross my fingers that he will join us at some point.

I suppose I better ease up a bit and start getting used to not knowing LOL!

"That being said, have you explored the option of starting a program at Georgian (great school by the way, I graduated from the Aviation Management Program there about 10 years ago) and then transferring to another institution later?"

Great to hear some feedback I have actually thought about this, the local college here said that some colleges won't accept transfer course (although, I am almost certain that they just wanted me to enroll there- pressuring me into just taking their course NOW)


Thanks again for answering all my questions!

 

[Tollis]

After BMQ a lot of the new guys have been going straight to SQ which is now BMQ (Land).  If he doesn't he will be shipped out to do it at some point on PAT.  It is 4 weeks long and can be held at any of the bases listed above. 

When he arrives in Borden he will be on PAT (Persons Awaiting Training).  We moved from PRETC awhile ago but regardless its still in Borden.  He will wait on PAT until his DP1 Vehicle Tech course.  During his waiting time he will complete Driver wheel, SQ (Soldier Qualification) now called BMQ (Land), CET (Common EME training), and CETT(Common EME technical training).  All of which, except SQ are held in Borden.

His course will be 8 months long and once that's completed he will be on Air Brakes, and Driver wheel for the big trucks for roughly 1-2 months.  Once he completes all of that he will be posted to an OJT (On Job Training) center.  He WILL be posted to either Edmonton Alberta, Shilo Manitoba, Petawawa Ontario, Valcartier Quebec, Or Gagetown New Brunswick.

I have been here since Dec 2nd, 2011 and will be leaving sometime in April 2013 to give you an idea of time frame .

If your stuck in Georgian after he is done and posted the best place for him to ask for is Petawawa, Ontario its about 4.5hrs away, I've been driving it every weekend since I arrived here.

Edited just to clear up some terms.  Thanks Skeletor.

 

[Sysam]

One last question- If I was to move to Borden, would he be able to stay with me while he's still in training or will we have to wait until he has completed his training before living together again?


Thank you all for you help

 

[TPJR]

My experience could be different as it is 18 years ago when I was a wife of a Vehicle Tech. When my husband completed his QL3 myself and my daughter were moved out to Borden with him from BC. We lived in PMQ's and he lived with us. He kept a room for inspections only.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

He WILL be posted to either Edmonton Alberta, Shilo Manitoba, Petawawa Ontario, Valcartier Quebec, Or Gagetown New Brunswick.

Can you elaborate on why you are 100% positive those are the postings after Initial Occupation trg?  I have no iron in the fire here, just given the amount of time that will pass between your post and his posting message, I am curious to see if it isn't more suitable to say most likely be posted to vice will.

Alot of things can happen between now and then, pers releasing, new Career Mgr, the list goes on of things that can affects posting locations. 

A little bit of info explaining will help follow-on readers as well.  Cheers.

 

[Tollis]

I'm at the school now. 
After your QL3 (DP1) you must be posted to an OJT centre.  Those are the OJT centres. We can't even pick anything but those bases on our posting preferences.  After you complete QL4 and come back to Borden for your QL5(DP2) You can be posted anywhere.  Until then OJT centre only.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Thanks for that additional info, will potentially answer the "but why?" questions further on down the road for others.

Don't forget to be nice to the Chief Clerk at the school, she'll rip ya a new one if you don't!  haha. (seriously, she would).