Possibly a unique situation, some advice please.

[Nick15]

Of course there is nothing new under the sun.

Hi all,

I am a 31 year old male that recently applied to the CAF for an infantryman(NCM) position. I have some school commitments before I start, if I do, and I have some questions that would help me with some life planning. I've tried browsing army.ca forums quite a bit to find some answers, and I'm sorry if I'm adding to forum clutter.

My background/dilemma: I am currently finishing school at the moment, and my end date/graduation date is a little unpredictable. I'm completing some graduate work and it's not always easy to predict when I will have permission to write my thesis, write my thesis, have the corrections sent back, and, finally, defend my thesis. I know that this whole process should be in the next 4-6 months, but who knows what can happen sometimes. So my questions...

I've done some research on the various infantry course that one must complete, though some information seems to be out of date and it isn't always clear what the day to day life is like. So here is my question:

- During infantry courses does one have their evenings and weekends open where I could possibly write my thesis? Based on your experience of the rigours of training, is it reasonable to expect to be able to write a thesis during these courses?

I'm wondering this because if I get an offer and I'm done all my lab work and commitments, but just have my thesis to write and defend, I thought I could defer the thesis process until after BMQ and begin to write during the evenings and weekends throughout my infantry courses. Once I'm done writing and the corrections I could fly back to the university to defend, come back to base and enjoy my new life in the infantry (should I get the opportunity).

Thanks again for your help, and also my apologies if I missed similar answers on other threads.

Cheers,

Nick

 

[mariomike]

Are you applying for Regular Force or Reserve?

During infantry courses does one have their evenings and weekends open where I could possibly write my thesis?

I would not know, I was an MSE Op. But, you may find some answers here,

Infantry DP1
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+Infantry+DP1&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=hypXV--4O6uC8QfB143oDA&gws_rd=ssl

 

[Nick15]

I am applying for the regular force. Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[mariomike]

I am applying for the regular force. Thanks a lot for your help!

You are welcome. Good luck! 

As always,  Recruiting is your most trusted source of information.

 

[X Royal]

I highly doubt writing your thesis during your basic infantry course would be a good idea or even possible.
Your basic infantry course will be more intense than your basic training.
Yes you will have some evenings and weekends off but far from all of them.
Things can and will change at the drop of a dime.
Finish your schooling first.

 

[runormal]

My sister had enough time doing a masters while working full time at Starbucks. I wouldn't advise it in The slightest.

The last thing I would want to on a trades course is extra work.

That being said apply now. When/if you get an offer go to your school and say "I have an employment opportunity, how can we work around this?". If they won't budge go to your appeal center and if all else falls talk to the CFRC.

 

[dangles]

Cheers,

Nick

Hi Nick,

As the others have noted, you should remain focused on your thesis first and then worry about the military after. That said, is there a specific reason why you want to join the infantry as an NCM and not as an Officer? You may regret this decision in the future.

I also recommend to everyone applying to the military in general to join the Reserves first, then get trained and receive a better idea of what your trade really entails. From there, decide if you want to go Regular force or if you wish to stay Reserves or leave the military. At your age you may wish to forego this process, but just as a forewarning, the CF isn't as romantic as it may seem, and that doubles for the infantry.

 

[mariomike]

I also recommend to everyone applying to the military in general to join the Reserves first, then get trained and receive a better idea of what your trade really entails. From there, decide if you want to go Regular force or if you wish to stay Reserves or leave the military. At your age you may wish to forego this process, but just as a forewarning, the CF isn't as romantic as it may seem, and that doubles for the infantry.

Especially after looking at some of the Infantry CT timelines,

Component Transfers (Reserve to Regular): Q&A 
http://army.ca/forums/threads/12797.1075.html

CT
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+ct&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=mFBXV_7-MceC8QfLzYOwCA&gws_rd=ssl#

 

[Nick15]

Hi everyone,

Wow thanks a lot for the feedback and help, this is really appreciated.

@X Royal - Ya, I assumed as much, but without knowing specifically how infantry courses are structured, etc it was hard to know for sure. I figured it wasn't a great option, but I wanted to consider all options. I do have a history of biting off more than I can chew at times. This clears it up haha!

@RunNormal - Ya, I can understand her pain. Did a couple of years of working simultaneously for the government, a hospital and my program. Then I quite the government but started as a teaching assistant/lab demonstrator, etc. It definitely was not easy. Just focusing on my program now to finish up as quickly as I can.

@Dangles - Yes, I've been asked this a few times. It's hard to answer without boring you with a big, long-winded response (I'm like that). I have some friends in the military that helped me through my decision to join the CAF through numerous discussions. A close friend in particular, whom retired recently as MWO, was a former member of the infantry, airborne and other trades to discuss things with (I'm going to be vague to protect his identity). Essentially, I've decided that the NCM route aligns more with my career aspirations, and personal interests at the moment. He also mentioned that having the opportunity to do NCM first and possibly officer route later in my career is the equivalent of "having my cake and eating it too". I understand that with my age I may not be able to achieve the same kind of career progression compared to if I had started at 20. This will probably be particularly true if I, later in my career, become an officer. I accept this and am OK with this. I also don't think I am romanticizing the CAF and infantry too much. I've had enough work experience to realize that things aren't always as you had imagined them, and I'm OK with that too. So I said I wouldn't be long winded but here I am.

Thanks again everyone for all the feedback. With this information my plan is to buckle down and finish my program, and also focus on my physical training program to make sure I'm in the best shape possible if I get the call to join.

Cheers,

Nick