Army Life, Here We Come!

[rennick]

I've only posted a couple times on this board, but I wanted to express thanks for all the information provided here. It has helped immensely with our somewhat short but no less crazy journey.

My husband is joining as a DEO Social Worker, has his swearing in ceremony on Tuesday, and starts BMOQ on May 9th.  I'm a little anxious for how the training time will go by for us (meaning me and my 2 kids), but I'm confident this is the right choice for him.

(By the way, if anyone has some secret tricks to help one become fluent in French in, say, 6 weeks, please share! The shorter his second language training is, the sooner we'll be reunited as a family  :nod: )

 

[PPCLI Guy]

(By the way, if anyone has some secret tricks to help one become fluent in French in, say, 6 weeks, please share! The shorter his second language training is, the sooner we'll be reunited as a family  :nod: )

The best trick (a fling with someone French) is probably not appropriate to your circumstances..... ;D

 

[GAP]

The best trick (a fling with someone French) is probably not appropriate to your circumstances..... ;D

but 6 weeks would about do it....I learned that, in french, I a dam ned pig, among other things, really, really interesting things..... ;D

 

[ringknocker82]

Wow, congratulations, it's nice to see a wife being so supportive of such a major decision. Koodos to you. The French thing; well, your best bet is to buy a bescherelle, which will be key in learning how to conjugate verbs and read books in French. If you know someone who is fluent in French, practice on them. I seriously doubt you'll learn the language in six weeks (however, you never know), but you could certainly make great headway. The easiest way is to get a tutor. If you would like some tips or someone to practice on, feel free to PM me

 

[rennick]

He's never been anything but supportive of me while I was floundering around in a career that, though it paid well, I grew to loathe, so I could do nothing but the same for him. (It has absolutely nothing to do with what BMOQ might do to his physique, or what he'll look like in a uniform. )

I've actually started thinking about joining up, once he's completed his OJT (I'm ~9 years younger than him, so I'd end up having a fair bit longer career than him), but we'll see -- that could be 2 years+ from now which would put me over 40. I have a degree, but it's useless as far as CF is concerned, so I'd probably end up going NCM.

The more French he knows before he leaves, the better chance he has of getting through SLT sooner than the 7 months they say it could be. We have a Bescherelle (kids were in French immersion school for 6/7 years), and I'm going to pick up a few books. We're going to do some silly games like only talking French from 5-6pm each day, etc.

 

[ringknocker82]

You have a great attitude, very open-minded. What is your degree and what element is the hubby in (air, land or sea)?  Your kids could probably help him out a lot. I'm an ex 6/7 French immersion teacher and I found some amazing games/exercises on-line. SLT is great, and if he goes in with a good base, the tests shouldnt be a problem. Good luck with everything and enjoy your hot, uniformed hubby. Sounds like you two have a very strong relationship.

 

[rennick]

What is your degree and what element is the hubby in (air, land or sea)?  Sounds like you two have a very strong relationship.

I've got a BSc in Liberal Studies with Areas of Focus in Admin/Management Studies and Computer Info Systems. It's a US degree, so I'm not completely sure what it would evaluate to on this side of the border. When I got it, it was simply to serve as a check-box filler.

He selected land. He and the boys (Army Cadets) should make a handsome trio all in uniform.

Sounds like you two have a very strong relationship.

I like to think so. We've been married 16 years next month, and we've had harder situations to work through, so I think we'll be okay.

 

[ringknocker82]

I'm pretty sure you could apply for logistics Officer. However, there is nothing wrong with being an NCM. Just make sure you apply for land if you want a better chance of being posted together. I'm in a similar position as you. Hubby is leaving for BMQ in a few weeks and I'm waiting on getting back into the forces as an officer. Honestly, it takes a strong relationship to survive military life and it would appear that you guys have it in spades. Again, good luck.

 

[Pusser]

In your case, I would suggest that you look into joining the Reserve.  In this way, you can serve (sometimes full time), but you can still follow your husband wherever he gets posted.  Reservists have more options and can generally only be moved voluntarily.  Married Service Couples (i.e. both in the Regular Force) are always at risk of being posted apart and although many marriages survive the separation, there are many that don't.

PS:  as a Log Officer, I can tell you that your degree sounds like it could be good for a commission in the Logistics Branch  (we're actually not that picky - mine's in History).