Day 2 Day routine/life of an officer

[KalydonSB]

Hi,

I am a hopeful new recruit in the middle of the application process, and am looking for some job specific information.  I am wondering what the usual day to day routine for and enlisted Officer would be, and in specific a Signal Officer. 

Thanks for the help in advance

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

Hi,

I am a hopeful new recruit in the middle of the application process, and am looking for some job specific information.  I am wondering what the usual day to day routine for and enlisted Officer would be, and in specific a Signal Officer. 

Thanks for the help in advance

Welcome to the board!

I am an Armour Officer, but I will offer you my recollection of a typical day as a junior officer. A lot will depend on what type of unit you are in. If you are an Army officer your first assignment/posting after completing your training will likely be an operational unit. For a Signals officer it could be a Headquarters and Signals Squadron, but there are plenty of other units you could find yourself in.

The routine in my last operational unit for a junior officer looked something like this in Garrison:

0700 to 0800 - Physical Training with your troops
0900 to 0930 - Officer's Coffee (this sounds like time off but you are actually working)
0930 to 1600 - Administration or Training in the unit lines

Some days you are attending Orders Groups (meetings) and giving orders groups to your troops. Sometimes you are working on administration for your soldiers. You might be conducting training with your troops in Garrison (hands on classes for equipment/weapons etc). You might conduct Maintenance on vehicles and equipment once a week with your troops. Some periods will see you on the ranges for several days at a time, qualifying on weapons etc. As a junior officer it is likely that you would be tasked to run a range. So you would have several days of planning and coordination ahead of the range, working closely with one of your senior Non-Commissioned Members. That Sgt or WO could easily run the activity themselves, but tasking you gives you an opportunity to learn and develop with their mentorship/advice/support. As a Junior Officer you will also get at least one Secondary Duty to further your development as an officer.

When you are in the field on exercise you are pretty much on duty 24/7. Exercises can be anything from a week to a month in length. Its when you really learn your job, as well as the apprenticing (hopefully) for the next job. The days are long but usually go quickly. I will let a Signals Officer chime in here.

Best of luck,

T2B

 

[HiTechComms]

• • • I am current in CL for DEO Signals Officer. I am an older individual and considered a senior in the IT world (not an e, c, or v to much politics for that to be worth my efforts).
      
      Sounds almost like my current day in the private sector.
      
      Work out. 6-7 (yes this is a bit unusual for most civies)
      Drink my morning Tea while reading all the status reports and emails.7:30-8 (assign priorities)
      Scrum with Team 830- 845
      Meeting with Management 845 - 915
      Proceed to either 915-5
      
      Supervise
      Babysit
      Write Statements of Work
      Supervise on Projects
      Write Projects
      Meetings
      Webinars
      Paperwork
      
      
      I have and still work with corporations that have a bigger annual revenue than entire Canadian Forces receives as the annual budget.
      
      I have a feeling like CAF will not be much of a change for me as far as duties and environment is concerned. In fact it seems from what I have read on various forums and spoken with CAF members its more relaxed in certain regards than the Private sector. I work in IT and monotony and brief times of panic is the norm in my life.
      
      Sounds like I will be trading in my Monkey Suit for a Green Suit.
      :rofl:

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

• • • I am current in CL for DEO Signals Officer. I am an older individual and considered a senior in the IT world (not an e, c, or v to much politics for that to be worth my efforts).
      
      Sounds almost like my current day in the private sector.
      
      Work out. 6-7 (yes this is a bit unusual for most civies)
      Drink my morning Tea while reading all the status reports and emails.7:30-8 (assign priorities)
      Scrum with Team 830- 845
      Meeting with Management 845 - 915
      Proceed to either 915-5
      
      Supervise
      Babysit
      Write Statements of Work
      Supervise on Projects
      Write Projects
      Meetings
      Webinars
      Paperwork
      
      
      I have and still work with corporations that have a bigger annual revenue than entire Canadian Forces receives as the annual budget.
      
      I have a feeling like CAF will not be much of a change for me as far as duties and environment is concerned. In fact it seems from what I have read on various forums and spoken with CAF members its more relaxed in certain regards than the Private sector. I work in IT and monotony and brief times of panic is the norm in my life.
      
      Sounds like I will be trading in my Monkey Suit for a Green Suit.
      :rofl:

HiTech,

If I have given the impression that life for an officer in an operational unit is simply office work then I have mislead you. There will be times when its like other jobs, but rest assured that an officer in a operational unit is not simply sitting behind a desk and attending meetings. You might find yourself later in your career in a static headquarters in a staff job where yes - it will be similar to office work in the private sector. In a field unit you will indeed be tested. Not every hour of every day, but you should find it a challenge.

As to your working for companies who have a larger annual revenue than the CAF's operating budget, I fail to see how that is relevant. Perhaps you are trying to prove to us, and yourself, that you are more than suitable for the CAF? Its good to be confident, but watch for hubris.

Warm regards,

T2B

 

[HiTechComms]

I was alluding to the regimented, highly bureaucratic, and hierarchical system. Private sector doesn't differ that much, sure it has differences but not by far. (especially large organizations)

As for the organizational size comment, nuance was not expressed and I apologize. I never meant to impress and or demonstrate my abilities. I meant to represent from my post that I was a senior and junior position/officer don't differ a lot. Its not the first time that I have decided to make a drastic change in my life, I will be making some large sacrifices by joining and I accept that fact.

Being in the field and being tested, I get that and am not mislead and when you are tasked to "cook in a billion dollar kitchen the owner wants to know you are a real chef". (In my private career, I have been in the field for more then 70% of it) Very few things get me off guard.

The more things change the more they stay the same. Just little idiosyncrasies of life.

 

[Mike5]

Sig O here; with prior private sector IT experience.  Just so we're on the same page -- 'being in the field' means being in a field, or a wooded area, or a swamp, in rural Canada, in a tent or hoochie, in 15 below weather, working non-stop, crawling into a sleeping bag at 3:00 AM and then getting up at 5:00 AM to do it again. 

So the role as a Sig O is similar to private sector IT management you described, but also doing it the odd weekend 'in the field' (I'm Reserve, we go in the field a weekend at a time; Reg Force can tell you more but I know they go longer in the field).

 

[KalydonSB]

Awesome! Thanks so much everyone for your responses and insight. It sounds like an amazing role and something I would enjoy doing. I am really excited and hopeful to get selected for this position, I have have my interview and medical (which I passed) and am wait to go in to sign the forms if selected.

 

[HiTechComms]

Mike5

Thanks for the response

Never slept in a hoochie but I did do a lot of SCADA support and getting sent out to the middle of no where is ok with me. I also hunt so roughing it in the middle of the winter has been done, not exactly fun but its not the end of the world. shrug To be honest with you I am kind of looking forward to it, I am bored to tears in my current situation.

I don't have a family so being deployed is not an issue either. Would love to get sent to eastern europe and never comeback, might get to see some family before they all die of old age cause the rona crap ain't ever gone stop.

 

[Mike5]

Mike5

Thanks for the response

Never slept in a hoochie but I did do a lot of SCADA support and getting sent out to the middle of no where is ok with me. I also hunt so roughing it in the middle of the winter has been done, not exactly fun but its not the end of the world. shrug To be honest with you I am kind of looking forward to it, I am bored to tears in my current situation.

I don't have a family so being deployed is not an issue either. Would love to get sent to eastern europe and never comeback, might get to see some family before they all die of old age cause the rona crap ain't ever gone stop.

Then you may love it -- I certainly do. Good luck!