BMOQ Survival Tips for St Jean

[jacksparrow]

I think it's only fair that I share my experience from this course I finished last month. There were some things I wish I knew before going to St Jean. Anyhoo, here are some tips

- Answer your instructors by saying yes or no "staff" ( if you don't know their rank )
- You are not to use the elevator unless MIR ( sick bay for you newbies ) allows it
- You march everywhere on the ground, even when in civies which will happen after wk4 when you get some priviledges
- You have to work together with your peers to survive ( you will have fire team partner )
- never drop the ball on inspections from day 1, learn to make your bed with hospital corners now, iron clothes and polish shoes
- You can cut corners by having 2 of each toileteries, the 2nd set goes in your "personal locker" ( not part of the inspection )
- Get yourself in shape physically now, otherwise you'll pay the price by ending up on PAT or RFT for months
- Even when you decide to VR ( voluntary release ), you can end up being there in the trailers for months.
- someone that VR'ed after we finished IAP, even though they passed and decided the CF was not for them, is still there now on PAR
- Start working on your map reading ( topography ), first aid ( choking baby and unconscious adult ), and general military knowledge now
- Be ready to walk alot when you go to the field ( Farham and St Bruno for Topo )
- Get used to wearing a Tac Vest that weighs about 30lbs with helmet and rifle in hand ( from wk 7 onwards )
- Don't forget to take your beret off before you pass the pic of the queen when lined up for food
- Once you get your cap badge, you have to salute officers, mainly in the orange sector
- Pray that you end up with Army infantry PPCLI instructors and Capt, it will do you good, trust me  ;D
- lights out at 11pm wk days and 1am wkends
- Try to avoid swipes and councellings, otherwise you will end up in front of the PRB
- Never turn down the role of CPC, happened to me in wk 1 during IAP and it was the wrong move on my part. Come 1st day of BOTP, I was given the chance again, and I grabbed it with both hands. I was 2IC many times though, 4 times in wk1 to 4 different CPCs that kept getting fired.

Am sure other will add to this list

 

[Celticgirl]

4 times in wk1 to 4 different CPCs that kept getting fired.

Why were they fired?

 

[forza_milan]

- You can cut corners by having 2 of each toileteries, the 2nd set goes in your "personal locker" ( not part of the inspection )

Thanks for your tips. They are very much appreciated. However, with this particular point I have quoted above, there is a huge thread in this forum (IIRC the no excuse (bmq tips) thread), about not cutting corners with a personal toiletry kit. :-\ However, your advice here is that it is okay to have a second kit? Isn't that frowned upon? Didn't mean to hijack this thread with discussions about toiletries lol - just that there are a lot of mixed signals regarding this. Just trying to understand Thanks.

 

[benny88]

This is overdone. There are huge threads that give more succinct and accurate information than this.

 

[Marinero2008]

Hey, the guy is just sharing his observations. No need to burn him for that. At least he took time to write something for others from his own experience.

 

[benny88]

Hey, the guy is just sharing his observations. No need to burn him for that. At least he took time to write something for others from his own experience.

I'm not burning him. Just saying he should add to existing threads, not repeat them.

 

[Marinero2008]

Just saying he should add to existing threads, not repeat them.

Well, he would have but he didn't. No big deal. He posted in "Basic Training" which is a right place for it. I still complement  him for his effort.
That's enough of that. I will move on now. 

 

[George Wallace]

I'm not burning him. Just saying he should add to existing threads, not repeat them.

Perhaps he felt he and BMOQ were "unique".  Something that "No one" had ever done before.  Or perhaps jsut: http://www.fakeposters.com/view/32/

 

[Celticgirl]

In the OP's defense - not that he/she needs my assistance - this is about BMOQ, not BMQ. I have been lead to believe, both through reading about the courses on the CFLRS website and from talking to NCMs and Officers, that there are some fundamental differences between these courses. Personally, I would be pleased to see more info about the basic Officer courses (IAP and BOTP) on this site.

 

[aesop081]

that there are some fundamental differences between these courses.

Of course there are. That being said, there are universal truths to life in the military that do not differ between officers and NCMs. These will apply to both courses.

 

[Celticgirl]

Of course there are. That being said, there are universal truths to life in the military that do not differ between officers and NCMs. These will apply to both courses.

That does not mean we shouldn't have separate threads for NCM courses and Officer courses. Universal truths do not answer specific questions about specific courses.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

And round and round we go..............

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I think it's only fair that I share my experience from this course I finished last month. There were some things I wish I knew before going to St Jean. Anyhoo, here are some tips

- Answer your instructors by saying yes or no "staff" ( if you don't know their rank )
- You are not to use the elevator unless MIR ( sick bay for you newbies ) allows it
- You march everywhere on the ground, even when in civies which will happen after wk4 when you get some priviledges
- You have to work together with your peers to survive ( you will have fire team partner )
- never drop the ball on inspections from day 1, learn to make your bed with hospital corners now, iron clothes and polish shoes
- You can cut corners by having 2 of each toileteries, the 2nd set goes in your "personal locker" ( not part of the inspection )
- Get yourself in shape physically now, otherwise you'll pay the price by ending up on PAT or RFT for months
- Even when you decide to VR ( voluntary release ), you can end up being there in the trailers for months.
- someone that VR'ed after we finished IAP, even though they passed and decided the CF was not for them, is still there now on PAR
- Start working on your map reading ( topography ), first aid ( choking baby and unconscious adult ), and general military knowledge now- Be ready to walk alot when you go to the field ( Farham and St Bruno for Topo )
- Get used to wearing a Tac Vest that weighs about 30lbs with helmet and rifle in hand ( from wk 7 onwards )- Don't forget to take your beret off before you pass the pic of the queen when lined up for food
- Once you get your cap badge, you have to salute officers, mainly in the orange sector
- Pray that you end up with Army infantry PPCLI instructors and Capt, it will do you good, trust me  ;D
- lights out at 11pm wk days and 1am wkends
- Try to avoid swipes and councellings, otherwise you will end up in front of the PRB
- Never turn down the role of CPC, happened to me in wk 1 during IAP and it was the wrong move on my part. Come 1st day of BOTP, I was given the chance again, and I grabbed it with both hands. I was 2IC many times though, 4 times in wk1 to 4 different CPCs that kept getting fired.

Am sure other will add to this list

I see this thread as a wasted database record.  However, if you are so knowledgeable, please provide your thoughts on how the f**k you think someone not in the military will get used to a TACVEST and walking with a weapon, GSK, and the other things I highlighted?

Again, IMO a wasted effort.  As for those of you who "applaude" the effort, I liken it to someone shooting at the wrong target with a BAD grouping.  You''re comments about getting only PPCLI instructors is just stupid.  Are you saying the RCD, RCR, etc instructors all blow chunks??  STFU.

"Mainly in the Orange Sector" is a stupid comment to tell people when they salute Officers, by the way.  If you can't provide the correct info, you're better off providing NO info.

Here are my BMOQ/BMQ/whatever survival tips.

DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD, WHEN YOU'RE TOLD, HOW YOU'RE TOLD.  LEAD WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LEAD, FOLLOW WHEN YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW.  THE REST OF THE TIME, STFU.  DON'T BE A BLADE (i.e. a buddy f**cker).  K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid)

If you can remember that short list and apply it to your BMOQ training, you should be ok.

That is all.

 

[Mario]

Thanks for your tips. They are very much appreciated. However, with this particular point I have quoted above, there is a huge thread in this forum (IIRC the no excuse (bmq tips) thread), about not cutting corners with a personal toiletry kit. :-\ However, your advice here is that it is okay to have a second kit? Isn't that frowned upon? Didn't mean to hijack this thread with discussions about toiletries lol - just that there are a lot of mixed signals regarding this. Just trying to understand Thanks.

My staff specifically told us to only use on toiletry kit, and that we'd recieve a Serious Incident if we were caught with a 2nd one. That aside, there's very little work involved in simply cleaning your shaving cream/toothpaste before an inspection. (I just use my toothbrush and spend about 20 seconds total cleaning them both, then dry them off with a paper towel and ta-da)

 

[Command-Sense-Act 105]

...

 

[Nfld Sapper]

round and around we go again.


:

 

[George Wallace]

round and around we go again.


:

They'll all be in Disneyland on the Rideau in a few years as Cubical Gnomes creating new acronyms for every Trade and Crse in the CF and Space Command (yet another .COM).

 

[PMedMoe]

They'll all be in Disneyland on the Rideau in a few years as Cubical Gnomes creating new acronyms for every Trade and Crse in the CF and Space Command (yet another .COM).

Hey, that's the job I want!    Not! 

I just use my toothbrush and spend about 20 seconds total cleaning them both, then dry them off with a paper towel and ta-da

And then do you brush your teeth?  :-X

 

[Celticgirl]

They'll all be in Disneyland on the Rideau in a few years as Cubical Gnomes creating new acronyms for every Trade and Crse in the CF and Space Command (yet another .COM).

Is there any need of this?

As for those of you who "applaude" the effort, I liken it to someone shooting at the wrong target with a BAD grouping. 

Or this?

Sorry, guys, but I don't see the point in tearing down the 'newbies'. Some of us are still learning the ropes and are here to get information and pick up on the 'culture' of the CF. We respect the knowledge and experience that many of the members here possess and that is precisely why we are here. Why can't you all respect that some new members and applicants are looking for a little direction from you, and recognize that the degrading and dismissive posts do nothing to help any of us (yourselves included)?

 

[Narcisse]

Nicely said Celticgirl,

I'm exactly here for those reasons and I thought I could be helped but those having lot's of experience. I know that some guys here are very helpful, thanks to them. But others are taking there years of services to laugh about other's questions. That's sad because the first role of this forum is about helping, what you guys are surely not doing. You should think about it.

Peace.