Questions about joining the Reserves

[Searyn]

What about this situation:

Guy A joins the PRes, works for 4 years, decides he doesn't like it, and takes a VR. Applies to a Police Agency and uses his military experience to increase his chances of getting hired.

Guy B joins the PRes while planning to only work for 4 years, then take a VR, apply to a Police Agency and use his military experience to increase his chances of getting hired.


Why is Guy B so terrible? I'm not playing devil's advocate anymore, I really do want to know.

 

[mariomike]

Just as a comparison, this is the priority some American police departments ( NYPD: "the largest municipal police force in the United States",  according to Wikipedia ) give to applicants with military experience:
http://www.nypdrecruit.com/benefits-salary/military-benefits

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

If you plan on joining the military just to use it as a stepping stone to the police then I would suggest you not join. This sour point with me because I have witnessed many soldiers come and go with the same intent as you, and waste everyone's time and money.
  Also I find in these type of situations, they generally make poor soldiers and even worse team players and thus don't do well in the military, and the police usually pickup on this trait and don't hire them. Keep in mind that because of the large amount of former service personal in the police world they won't look at a couple of years in the reserves as a huge achomplishment like they would a couple of operational tours.

Join to serve your country, not personal gain.. If it happens great, but this military is built on selfless service.

Just my opinion; Cheers

I disagree there are many soldiers, sailors and airmen that have only joined for a couple of years in both the Reserves and Regulars that have been outstanding. There is nothing wrong with putting in some time and moving on to something that these people might be more interested in. You only have one life and its up to you on making it a happy one.

 

[Towards_the_gap]

I agree with ex-dragoon, service itself is what is important, not how long or for what reason.

But I will say this....guys with 3-4 years reserve experience, a couple of courses, Cpl or maybe MCpl, and possibly a tour.......Are most likely a dime a dozen. Doesn't really get your head above the crowd when trying to get hired for the cops/fire.

 

[Jomas]

Hello,
I have been wanting to join the reserves for the past couple of years and had planned on joining The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa, however I have hit multiple snags that include summer school and other problems that preventing me from full commitment over the summer.
From what I have read basic training lasts longer then 10 weeks and this cuts into my school (I am going to CEGEP in Hull) and I was wondering if their was other options of doing basic training so I can continue with my education? I have seen people say that the training can happen on weekend's however I'm not completely sure if this is true or not and was hoping to shed some light on the situation.
Also I'm a Quebec Citizen, does this effect me at all if I want to join a Ottawa based Reserve?
If their isn't any other way then I will go after my courses are completely finished, I was just hoping to join the reserves this year, any information will be helpful.

 

[Fiera]

Unless I am mistaken, reservists do not take the 12 week BMQ in St.Jean. The BMQ is conducted on weekends by the home unit with very few exceptions to that.

I also do not believe distance to your unit matters. The concern would lay in your ability to get to and from your unit on parade nights on time.

My advice is contact the unit you are wanting to sign up with and ask them how their unit is run, when and how their BMQ is conducted, what nights they parade on and times and then judge if it will fit into your present situation with school. No one here can give you better information about the unit you want to join than that specific unit can.

their website is http://www.camerons.ca/

As per their site

Training and Employment


The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa normally train on Thursday nights and one weekend per month during the Fall, Winter and Spring months. Training is normally conducted at the unit but may be in the field, putting theory to practice. During the summer months, members may seek opportunities for full-time employment. Opportunities to serve with the Regular Force are available in support of Canada's NATO and United Nations commitments. Some of your training may also be taken with the Regular Force. You may be called upon to perform a number of tasks in support of civilian authorities such as providing assistance in fighting floods or forest fires, searching for lost children, medical emergencies, or participating in ceremonial parades. The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa have an enviable reputation of "getting the job done" when asked.

Application forms for enrollment are available from our Recruiting Office located in Cartier Square Drill Hall, 2 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Ottawa on Monday and Thursday evenings between 1900hrs and 2200hrs (7-10P.M.)

I did not see a phone number on the site, but with the address it shouldn't be too difficult to look up.

Cheers!

 

[MikeL]

Unless I am mistaken, reservists do not take the 12 week BMQ in St.Jean. The BMQ is conducted on weekends by the home unit with very few exceptions to that.

Some Reservists do take the Reg Force BMQ course.  Army Reservists don't though, also there are summer BMQ courses which are full time not weekends like during the fall.  Also, courses you take post BMQ can either be run during the year on weekends and some are run full time in the summer.  Depends on the course as to if it's a weekend or full time course, ie a driver course can be done on weekends but AFAIK all trade courses(DP1/QL3) would be run full time in the summer.

 

[Jomas]

Thanks for the information!

 

[JMesh]

The reservists who do the RegF BMQ are Air Reserve and Naval Reserve. They mostly train at NRTD (Naval Reserve Training Division) Borden and the officers do BMOQ at NOTC (Naval Officer Training Centre) VENTURE at CFB Esquimalt. Even though these are naval training establishments, they also do air reserve training for BMQ or BMOQ. There have been naval and air reservists in the past who have gone through CFLRS (there are a few mentions of this happening elsewhere on this site), but these are the exception rather than the norm, and I think this has been all but eliminated now (please correct me if I'm wrong).

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the courses run at NRTD Borden and NOTC VENTURE are also actually slightly shorter (a couple of weeks at most) than the courses at CFLRS due to training done at the reserve unit.

 

[Fiera]

Aah i was indeed mistaken then. Thank you for the clarification guys 

 

[chrisf]

The majority of persons enrolled in the (army) reserves are students, not only are most of the basic and trades courses run during the summer to accommodating students, but post-courses, most unit training is run with a student schedule in mind.

They're also fairly accommodating for things like exams, etc, if you've got to take some time away from work for educational reasons.

They've recently changed from BMQ/SQ (Meaning two courses making up what considered "basic training") to what we now call BMQ(L) (Which means one longer basic training) for the army... not sure the length of the new course, but the two old courses together were approx a month each, no problem for a high-school or university student to accomplish both in a summer.

Trades courses vary in length, if (and most can) they can't fit into a single summer, they're split into modules spread over multiple summers.

Even if you can't make a full time commitment this summer, if you're going to be able to make a commitment next summer, it's worth talking to a recruiter now, get the paperwork done, start parading in the fall, and do a BMQ spread over weekends during the winter.

 

[CAND2011]

Are there opportunities for high school students to do a part of the reservist BMQ over the spring break, in general?

 

[infantryian]

In general no. Army reserve BMQ is typically completed over the summer or on weekends during the school year to accommodate the large number of students.

A recruiter at your prospective unit would be able to answer that and the other questions you have asked over the past couple of months. Best of luck.

 

[Neill McKay]

Are there opportunities for high school students to do a part of the reservist BMQ over the spring break, in general?

I've known this to have been done in one unit.  All it is is a weekend BMQ that runs solid for a week during the March Break, presumably shaving off a few weekends from the length of the course.  No idea if this is at all a common practice.

 

[chrisf]

It's not rare.

Any time a unit can use a holiday (part of christmas break/easter break/spring break) as part of BMQ, it saves a lot of admin time (issuing/returning weapons is a big one)

 

[Timmy!]

What is your unit policy on chewing tobacco? I'm getting rode hard over me chewing. Can't do it in the garage...nor the smoking area. And I use a bottle to spit. Civvies cried foul to the Sgt over me. And this my way of getting my fix without smoking.  Seems to me that if you are unionized in DND, you get to go on a whining campaign. I hate garrison!

Sorry for the vent,
It pisses me off even now.. pills or not.

Your thoughts?

 

[aesop081]

Never seen any issue anywhere. Working with civvies is, well, "interesting", as have been finding out the last few months.

 

[Occam]

Civvies cried foul to the Sgt over me.

Cried foul over what?

Speaking as a relatively new civvie, and an almost 4-year ex-smoker, I have to ask - what reg are you supposedly breaking?

As long as you're not chawing on it like a yokel, and spitting into the bottle within eyeshot of any of the other workers...I don't know what grounds anyone has to complain.

 

[Timmy!]

Is there anything in "the books" stating I can not use chew?

 

[medicineman]

Only thing I can think of is chewing gum...if you're being discrete, the civvies have nothing to say unless they're in your CoC.  If they give you grief, ask them to cough up a regulation and show where in their collective agreement it says you can't chew.  Of course though, I say this all tongue in cheek, as I actively discourage tobacco use of any kind...

MM