ATIS favorite postings??

[dreamtwister302]

I am currently taking POET for ATIS trade and was wondering which postings were preffered for the trade. Currently i would love to go to Shearwater, since i am from the eastern part of the country. Where would be better for family life in the trade? where would i enjoy going to work more? or where to avoid? any of your input would be appreciated!

 

[Eye In The Sky]

If you are interested in the East Coast, I would suggest this:

- stay away from CFB Halifax MARLANT N6 at all costs (seriously.  at no time do you want to be part of this organization [ I refuse to refer to it as a unit ].  I was posted there as ATIS for 2ish years and I can't say a good thing about that unit other than I am (thankfully) out of it now.

- 12 Wing is nice and small but you won't get the same "exposure" as some of the bigger Wings.  They were still using older RADAR on the airfield side, as an example.  However, the WTISS is a great org with great people, albeit smaller than probably all other Wings.

- 14 Wing is always an option down in the Valley.  Fair size WTIS/WLEO org down there, I have a few bud's down there and life is pretty good.

As for the rest of your questions, I really don't know you and what things you are looking for work/family/hobbies/etc wise...and I only did one posting as ATIS

 

[Straybullet]

I know you are looking to the East Coast, but as a new tech, I reccommend you start at a place like Trenton.  8 Wing has every facet of your trade, consider it the mothership for ATIS. By the time you leave you will have a good base and a good idea of what you want to do.  It is not that far from the East Coast, but a great place to live.  There is family life, extra curricular activities for all and close to all kinds of amenities.  Lots of exposure to different sides of the trade. Besides, you might want to save Shearwater for later in your career when you have more influence on where you are sent. From a fellow ATIS tech, that's my spin.  Good luck and welcome to our awesome trade

 

[hank011]

Stick to large bases. Small bases are for retirees and the unsuspecting. You will become disheartened early if you get stuck in a poophole before you have 16 yrs in.

 

[Boo]

Happy November 1st! I'm a new ATIS recruit starting BMQ in January. I appreciate seeing this post and was wondering if anyone would be able to share their most rewarding experience with this trade?

 

[Eye In The Sky]

For me it was the day I got my Occupation Transfer OUT of ATIS.

 

[Boo]

ouch.

*feeling heart breaking....slow....motion...pain...guh*

so compared to prison, would you say a 5?

 

[Occam]

I wouldn't form an opinion from the experiences of one person.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Boo,

I'll echo what Occam said, and amplify it somewhat.

- the (long and boring) circumstances of why I was glad to leave ATIS are not ones that you will experience.  Between when I entered and exited the trade, good changes were made.  Also my circumstances were rather unique, as I OTd into the trade from an army trade.

- the training and career progression for you will be, IMO, ones you will like if you like the work 226 folks do. 

- go in with an open mind.  I was just one cog in a very big machine.  I recognized that *I* wasn't happy in that trade, which is why I left.  Better to have someone in that billet (which could be you) who is motivated and happy being there.  Mostly everyone I met in the trade loved, or atleast liked, it alot.

- regardless of WHO you meet and how unhappy, jaded, etc they are about the trade, form your own opinion.  I'd recommend you wait to do that until after you are OUT of the trg system and working on the 3s OJT package with Journeymen qualified people in the trade. 

 

[dreamtwister302]

so, what are the bigger wings i should start at after QL3 training? i know there is Trenton, I believe Cold Lake, which i dont know much about, but are there any other decent locations for the trade, at least to start off?

 

[navymich]

There's always North Bay!  ;D

I'm not an ATIS, but work with all of them here.  There are many of them that like the job and the area and are quite content to remain year after year.  Others want nothing more then to get their posting over with and move on.

You will typically start on shift in System Maintenance where you maintain and fix gear on the ops floor and are the middleman between ops and radars.  Later, you could move into a day job working on the red or black side of stuff, or being a SME on the major pieces of equipment in ops.

If you work hard and learn, it can be a stepping stone and you move onward and upward after a posting here, and branch out further in the trade.  Or you wither and only go sideways.

Just my  :2c: from what I learn from talking to the techs here.  I could definitely get more detailed information for you if you are interested, but I wanted to at least provide some background for you about the positions here.

 

[Occam]

The large wings (superbases) are Comox, Cold Lake, Trenton, Bagotville and Greenwood.  That's where you're going to find the largest concentrations of ATIS Techs, and exposure to more common equipment.

 

[RDY2SRV12]

Understanding that the needs of the service come first, as it should, as an ATIS applicant can I:

1) Expect to be stationed in Trenton initially, or
2) Have a good chance at being somewhere in Ontario*, or
3) Anywhere is a possibility and nothing can affect that

I am asking as I have a family reason to stay as close to Toronto as possible for my initial employment and I am trying to calm the fears of my spouse. (Happy wife-happy life)

*It is my understanding based on these boards that ATIS can be found at Kingston, Trenton, North Bay, and Borden.

Thank you in advance for your reply.

 

[Occam]

Unless you're enrolling via the subsidized education program - after BMQ, you will go to Kingston for POET and QL3, as described on the recruiting website.  After that, expect a posting to one of the larger bases.  You could go elsewhere, but you should bet on one of the larger bases.

 

[RDY2SRV12]

Thank you.

Clarification;

1) I do not speak French; will this eliminate Bagotville from the list?
2) Is there anything that I can do to increase my chance at being posted to Trenton?

Best Regards.

 

[Occam]

1.  Nope, I know lots of English folks who have gone to Bagotville.  They avoid if possible, and will try to get you language training if it's going to be unavailable.

2.  Probably not.  You'll get an opportunity to express your posting preferences, but Trenton is already one of the bases with the highest numbers of ATIS Techs simply because of the number of units there (8 Wing TIS, 8 ACCS, ATESS), so your odds are already better than average.

 

[RDY2SRV12]

Thank you again.

As a married member, is there a distance from post regulation for living quarters? IE if I were to buy a house near or in Trenton is there a maximum distance that I can be from base?

Best Regards,

 

[aesop081]

Thank you again.

As a married member, is there a distance from post regulation for living quarters? IE if I were to buy a house near or in Trenton is there a maximum distance that I can be from base?

Best Regards,

Yes. All bases have geographic boundaries where you can live.

 

[RDY2SRV12]

Thank you, I thought so.

1) Can I access the information pertaining to potential posts regarding the geographic boundary?

2) If yes, what do I search for; or can you provide a link to said information?

Best,

 

[Occam]

Yes. All bases have geographic boundaries where you can live.

To clarify; yes, there are geographical boundaries - however, you can request to live outside them, but there is no guarantee you'll be approved.  For example, for Trenton, it's a 50 km radius of the base.