All About RESO (merged)

[humint]

I should be starting training in January and am going in (hopefully) as an arty officer. From what I hear, it‘s every second weekend in Jan/Feb and then either 4 or 10 weeks or thereabouts for the summer course.

I‘m looking to get an idea of physical work, course work (what is taught and when), and if there is anything I can do to prepare for it. What sort of material would be offered? How long does it normally take? What is the difference between the winter training and what happens in the summer?

Does this help? If not, let me know and I‘ll email you or you can email me at humint@canada.com.

 

[toms3]

1st - a Weekend BMQ takes about 11 weekends, so you should end up with 22 days (not includeing friday nights). What I find strange is that they told you every other weekend in Jan and Feb, unless there is some special deal for officers that would not give enough time. You might want to check up on that point.

2nd Physical fitness training will depend on how the course is run. That said, I would strongly suggest you train yourself to be able to run 5 Km when you show up. Do your push up, sit up and chin ups (as you already know). Due to it being ran on weekends, the course won‘t make you fit, but will give you a reason to stay fit on your own time. Also, if your not marching from class to class...you will be running. Go on hikes with a weighted back pack (work up to 25Kg). However, be very careful not to hurt yourself. Get a check up...follow a program....there a lot of websites out there that can provide good fitness programs...do your homework. Try http://www.bodyresults.com/index.asp

3rd - Course content will include, drill (marching), service rifle (C7), Rank sturcture, hygine, Dress regulations, general military knowledge, Nuclear/Biological and Chemical warfare. Just to name a few. As you can see other then Rank Structure....there is not much you can prepair for.

You should be receiveing what‘s called "Joining Insturctions". They contain most of the info you will need regarding what to bring, wear, and basic preperation like writing an autobiography. If you have not received one a few weeks prior to your course, call you unit and ask for it. Its important!

Summer and winter courses have big differences. You can get more accomplished on a summer course and your fitness will improve because it is continuous...not broken up on weekends like winter courses. However, in the end (at the BMQ level), you will know pretty much the same as your summer conterpart. The Teaching objectives are the same. The trick on a weekend course is to keep your head in the books studying and practicing what you have learned...try and stay in the military frame of mind as best you can between weekends. Practice drill for example, work on your uniform and boots. You have to arrive every Friday night switched on, you don‘t have the time to switch from a civi to military frame of mind...must be there already.

All I can say is read up on what ever general military info can find, Read stuff on CF rank structure and work on your fitness. If your really lucky, maybe you will get a few briefings from your unit on how to wear the uniform and some basic drill lessons to help you do well....no harm in asking.

If you need more, email me at atoms15@hotmail.com

 

[humint]

What do you mean about the possibility of not giving enough time?

Is the course normally only one weekend a month or is it more? They said to me that I would be at training basically every second weekend, may be even more. I‘m taking that this is not normal, is it?

The problem is that I‘m getting a lot of conflicting stories. The forces recruiting office in K-W basically said one weekend a month and once a week whereas the local militia boys were saying the rec. centre is out to lunch and that it is much, much more. I‘ll confer with the unit recruiting officer at the 11th field to get more info.

What‘s you take on all of this? May be I should just go armoured?

 

[Brad Sallows]

Some information has been laid out on the Land Force Reserve Restructure Board, but you‘d have to search back through a number of threads to find it.

RESO and MITCP no longer exist. There is now only one path for officers. BMQ is the same for all ranks (20 days), but I suspect that given the opportunity most schools will run separate serials for NCMs and OCdts. OCdts then take a 6-day leadership block (which may be run at units; in fact, I think it was designed to be run by units) called BOTP (Basic Officer Training Phase).

While the NCMs take SQ (20 days), officers take CAP - Common Army Phase - 26 days. After that comes the first branch-specific training, and so on.

If I have understood correctly, the Reg F and Res F follow the same progression, but the Reg F courses are the full-meal deal - essential, supplementary, and residual material - while Res F courses consist only of the essential. In most if not all cases the correct acronyms for reserve courses have a "(R)" suffix - BMQ(R), SQ(R), BOTP(R), CAP(R), etc.

With RESO gone no Res F officer will receive Reg F equivalent phase training, nor is there anything in place for three summers of employment. Student officers are in the same boat as student NCMs - dependent on the schools and the unit ops/trg staff to line up as near to a full summer as possible, if that is important.

If things seemed a little confused over the past summer, they might indeed have been so as we adjust into the new training pattern.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Regarding Class A schedules: most units parade continuously from Sep through to late Apr - early Jun, with a break over Christmas. Typically there is one regular evening parade per week, and at least one weekend activity per month. A weekend activity might be just a single training day (eg. Sat) or a full weekend (Fri evening through to Sun evening). A busy unit might work 8 single days and 7-8 full weekends from Sep through May. So, one evening per week plus one weekend per month is an approximation, perhaps on the low side.

All that is just "business as usual". Formal individual training courses (eg. BMQ) add to the schedule, but except for people who have a lot of time on their hands, most weekend course attendees will concentrate on the course to the exclusion of the "usual" unit activities until training is completed. The pattern for weekend courses probably varies by region - here in BC it‘s typically 2 weekends on, 1 off.

 

[Pikache]

Well, I can tell you what‘s on the courses on NCM level.

BMQ: Drill. C7. Basic Military law and odd tidbits like how to send a memo, how to deal with media, rank structure, first aide, basic field hygiene and admin and basic navigation, camoflage and concealment.
SQ: C9LMG, C6GPMG, 80mm SRAAW (Carl Gustav), M67 hand grenade. Defensive ops, patrolling.
MOC depends on your trade. For infantry: M203, 60mm mortar on hand role. A crapload of theory on AFV recognition, offensive ops, defensive ops, anti armour team, raid and ambush. Oh, nav.

That‘s what I could remember...

 

[Korus]

Brad;

I‘ve heard that you‘re not allowed to parade with the unit while you‘re on a course, even if it‘s a weekend course..

 

[Brad Sallows]

That‘s the first I‘ve heard of such a policy. Is it perhaps only a unit quirk?

 

[Zoomie]

Some units will use such a policy as a money-saving feature. If you are on course, then there is not much for you to do on a parade night. If you need to catch up on some missed classes, then you would most likely be invited to attend, if not, then they‘ll want you to stay home. The less Class-A pay that each unit has to pay equals more Class-A pay left over for where it counts, like exercises and week-day work.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Not a very good reason. In effect it discriminates in favour of those who elect block summer training. I suppose it depends in part on exactly how the funds are devolved in a particular area.

 

[Korus]

I‘m not too sure about that.. I heard it from recruiters when I was just getting in...

 

[portcullisguy]

I was sworn in to my unit in April, and haven‘t attended a single parade night. And now I am on BMQ. I think it is a cost-saving measure, but I have no idea.

Plus I‘d look silly wearing the green beret and cornflake, and all the rest of them wearing the Balmoral.

 

[adam597]

So if i was to join the reserves as a RESO officer, my training would be held only on weekends? Not the entire summer?

 

[toms3]

Humint

I think the recruiting center was confusing the course with regular parading. The course is 11 weekends. You can have 2 course weekends in a row then go 2 weeks without a course weekend. They try and make it every other weekend but that does not always work. However, plan for at least 11 weekends for the BMQ portion.

Regular parading usually consists of 1 night a week and 1 weekend per month....that where I think the confusion lies.

But...hey..if you want to go armoured...go for it...I highy suggest....Armoured RECCE

 

[Brad Sallows]

Certainly a new recruit has highly visible characteristics, particularly in a highland unit, but all uniforms are uniforms and an order of dress should not be thought silly just because it happens to be in the minority.

adam597,

RESO was a specific career pattern which no longer exists. However, most of the training is still delivered via block courses during the summer.

 

[humint]

Digger,

Thanks very much for the clarification. I think you are absolutely right about the course/parade confusion. Have you ever thought of becoming a recruitment officer? I think you would do a fabulous job.

Not sure about recce. I hear you guys have to crap in bags and carry it out. Rough stuff. It may be better for me to sit way back behind the lines and fire a big gun. Actually, if I was closer to TO, I would look into it.

 

[muskrat89]

Hey now - we don‘t stay THAT far back.... :warstory:

 

[toms3]

Humint

Thanks for the compliment...but ...um...shhhh. I rather teach new recruits. I still enjoy getting dirty and crapping in bags (not at the same time).

 

[combat_medic]

being in a Recce platoon is WAY different than armoured recce. Usually infantry long range reconnaisance involves a very small group (about 4 people, give or take) who go out behind enemy lines to observe the enemy (numbers, equipment, supplies, morale), and their mission may involve a certain task other than simple observation. They‘ll be out in the bush for very long periods of time with no resupply, so they‘ll carry very heavy packs, and hence the ****ting in bags so that they leave no sign that they were there. It‘s an elite skill in the infantry, and something that the SAS and other special forces spend years perfecting.

Armoured recce is more of a fast in, fast out kind of recce. Being that they‘re in vehicles, they‘re able to get to a position quickly, gather the information, and get out quickly. They have monitoring equipment with some of the vehicles so that they can gather more speciafic info. Also, it‘s a lot harder to hide an armoured vehicle in open terrain. It‘s the same general purpose (gathering intel) but just a different way of going about it. All you armoured recce people, feel free to correct me on this one.

 

[toms3]

Sorry Combat Medic...I have got to jump on ya...

Your right about the Infantry end of it...but Armoured Recce...at least the Reserve version is not that much different. Yes...we do the mounted stuff, fast in, fast out, set up OP‘s along with other stuff, but we also do LRRP in 4 man recce teams. We also go behind enemy lines and observe numbers, equipment, supplies, morale. We have gone out in the bush for very long periods of time with no resupply. In fact CAC 2000 we were doing 36 to 48 hr dismounted recce Ptls. Most weekend FTX don‘t provide enough time to conduct mounted and dismounted ops but we do our best. We are not a special Force...no where near and our task ends at observing, if we get in a fire fight it‘s because we messed up.