Questions about joining the Reserves

[Greenr]

Skeletor, yes I am 16. I've talked to him twice. I turned 16 last august and right after that I went into the CFRC to clear up the same issue this thread is about. I wanted to know what the training plan was. I was told it basically means that you're in school. He told me I would be fine to join up, but there weren't any openings.

For the thread poster, I suggest going into the CFRC again and talk to a different recruiter. But don't go for cadets, especially at this age - it's not worth it.

 

[jackmomma]

Well i'll go once more in the spring break to see again.

 

[Tape]

Me and my friend have been wanting to join the reserves for quite a while now, and we've been looking at information about it, but I still have a few questions to ask. I have searched around the internet before posting, the Forces site itself has been very bleak with information. I plan on visiting a nearby recruitment centre (Moss Park) this weekend, but I figure I'll ask a few questions here first, if anyone can provide any information at all it would be helpful, thank you!

1. Where is the nearest location we can do BMQ? (I have a friend in the reserves, he said the nearest training base is CFB Trenton. This is quite far from where we live and neither of us own a car. I know that there are closer recruiting centres, but can we train at a location closer than Trenton?)

2. Although the minimum age to join is 17, there is something mentioned about a junior member program on the Forces site. The Forces site doesn't give much information about it, does anyone know what that's about? (I am 17 and my friend is 16. He will be 17 in January but we are very excited for this, the sooner we can start the better!)

3. If we were to do our BMQ during the summer, would we have the opportunity to live at the base for the 2 month duration, or would we need to commute daily? (If there isn't a closer training location than Trenton, we will have to do BMQ in the summer.)

Please forgive me if I missed some obvious information online, I have looked around quite a bit and these questions still remain. Like I mentioned earlier, I will be going down to a recruitment centre to ask questions soon. Thanks again!

Edit: The closest recruitment centre to me is Moss Park, if anybody needed an idea of where I live.

 

[brihard]

I will assume you're looking at joining the infantry. If that's wrong, please correct me. I'm a recruiter for a reserve unit (Not in Toronto), so I may have some insight.

1. Reserve units will normally run BMQ locally. I would bet that in January or February a BMQ will probably start part time on weekends running somewhere out of Toronto. There are a ton of reserve units in the city. I wouldn't be surprised if one ran out of Moss Park. This would probably be about two weekends a month for a total of five months or so.

2. If you remain in high school full time you can join the reserves at 16, full stop.

3. There are two courses to get qualified in the infantry. BMQ takes about 20-22 training days, run either full time in a one month stretch (weekends are usually off) or part time as I mentioned above. The Infnatry course is broken into two modules The first mod can be either part time for the same duration, or full time for a month. The second mod is full time for a month. If done full time, the two mods will run back to back. Full time, they are run out of Meaford, Ontario, a particularly deplorable patch of the province near Owen Sound.

For the two of you, I advise you to apply immediately, on hopes that you get a part time BMQ in the winter/spring, then right onto your infantry course full time for two months in Meaford this summer.

Contact a recruiter at a Toronto unit for more solid information. Best of luck.

 

[Tape]

Just the answer I was looking for, thank you SO much Brihard! We'll be going down to Moss Park this weekend!

 

[dimsum]

Unless there's a weekend event going on already, the recruiters won't be in on the weekends. 

As the Reserve units recruit specifically for their unit (ie. you ask to join that specific unit rather than the CF in the beginning), you'll have to go to the unit in question on their parade night; Moss Park will have a few units, Fort York Armouries have a few, HMCS YORK has the Naval Reserve, and I think there is a detachment run out of Mississauga, Scarborough and Aurora if memory serves correctly.

All this to say:  Research what type of trade you want, then look into the units that offer them. 

 

[brihard]

Just the answer I was looking for, thank you SO much Brihard! We'll be going down to Moss Park this weekend!

Best to go in during a week day, talk to whoever's there, and find out what night the Queen's Own Rifles or the 48th Highlanders parade, and visit then. I've worked with guys from both, they're both good units.

Note that they may not have spots. Our budget year froms from 1 Apr - 31 Mar. By this time in the year units often have all the applicants they need. I've already got 8 of my 10 for the year.

 

[Tape]

Unless there's a weekend event going on already, the recruiters won't be in on the weekends.  If you're looking for Moss Park specifically, look for the training nights for the units there (it's been a while so I can't remember who/when they parade.)

In that case, we'll go down next week. Thank you!

 

[xer0]

I'm sorry could someone clarify something for me? I went about 3 weeks ago to queens own rifles and they told me they were done recruiting for the year.  Was it just a polite way of turning me away or are they really not recruiting for awhile?  I have also contacted another reserve unit and they said they would call me by next april.  I would really also like to be in a reserve unit in the GTA but I am having a difficult time.  I have all my papers filled out, all my transcripts, everything ready to go.

 

[krimynal]

Note that they may not have spots. Our budget year froms from 1 Apr - 31 Mar. By this time in the year units often have all the applicants they need. I've already got 8 of my 10 for the year.


this quote is from brihard 3 post ago , so it is normal for them to be full.  since the budget year starts on april , they will be more likely to call you up by then !

 

[xer0]

Ok I was not sure if Brihard was in toronto or not and if he was infantry, if so it would be awesome if he could tell me if I could apply for one of the 2 spots left (if theyre still left)

 

[Journeyman]

Ok I was not sure if Brihard was in toronto or not

....I'm a recruiter for a reserve unit (Not in Toronto)....

 

[the-man]

I am planning on joining the Canadian Forces reserves (army) but I'm quite young (I'm at the minimum age, 16). Will my young age affect any part of my career? I found a many reserve units in my area and the only occupations available are: infantry, artillery, armored and combat engineer. I am leaning towards combat engineer but haven't decided 100%. I would like to choose an occupation that would help in the future and I'm thinking of going in to law enforcement as my future career.
My main questions are:
1: Will my young age make it harder for me?
2. Will artillery help me in the future and with what field?
3. I'm not an olympian but I do pass all the physical standards easily but just barely pass the running standards. How much running is part of bmq?
4. How does bmq work in the reserves?

 

[JorgSlice]

You need to be 17 years of age with parental permission or 18 without. (for both Reserve Force and Regular Force)

You can be 16 if you are applying for ROTP.

All of your answers can be found at Forces.ca

3. You need to at least meet the minimum fitness requirement in order to be giving a position in the reserves. You will do various Fitness training every day on BMQ. Sometimes twice a day or more.

4. BMQ is full time over the Summer, or part-time in the Fall or Spring over weekends. Friday 7pm-Sunday 3pm every second weekend of the month.

 

[DAA]

You need to be 17 years of age with parental permission or 18 without. (for both Reserve Force and Regular Force)

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG......

Entry standards for Reserve Force are not the same as Regular Force.......

Reserve Force - 16 years of age, with parental consent, provided you are currently attending school full-time.....

 

[brihard]

You need to be 17 years of age with parental permission or 18 without. (for both Reserve Force and Regular Force)

False. There are reserve recruiters here, and you are not among them. Please wait for one of us to respond rather than feeling the need to pitch in your two cents. I get the desire to be helpful, but you don't know enough yet.



To the original poster- you can join the reserves at the age of 16, with parental permission, provided you remain a full time student until the day you turn 17 (subject to the actual schedule of the school- nobody expects you to go to summer school to stay 'full time' until you turn 17 in, say, June)

1) Your young age may make it harder for you. You have emotional maturing to do yet; that's inevitable. However if you show up with a positive attitude and dedication you should be fine. Many of us weren't much more than that when we joined. I had only just turned 17 myself and yet they've continued to let me show up.

2) Artillery will help you with a future in artillery. There isn't much out there that artillery is transferable to. However, if you continue on for some years and rise up the ranks you will acquire many transferable skills and personal aptitudes: leadership, both trained and innate; confidence working with and comfort working for people. The ability to speak and to deliver material to groups. The ability to instruct more junior soldiers. And the intangible confidence that comes simply by virtue of doing something long enough that you know you're good at it.

3) Running will be part of BMQ, but not a huge part of it. Don't concern yourself with that: running is part of being in the *army*. BMQ is only the first step. Running is, fundamentally, cardio- and that keeps people alive, and it keeps them functional at the end of the first stage of a long session of 'this sucks' and ready to move on to the next part- you'll get what I mean in time.

4) Reserve BMQs for the most part run part time for about 11 weekend, spread out at roughly two weekends a month bewteen fal and late winter, and early winter to late spring. Some areas run full time BMQs in the May-July timeframe. Done full time the course is a month.

That should about cover it I think?

 

[JorgSlice]

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG......

Entry standards for Reserve Force are not the same as Regular Force.......

Reserve Force - 16 years of age, with parental consent, provided you are currently attending school full-time.....

Whoa calm down, I forgot that when CANFORGEN 038/11 CMP 019/11 171252Z FEB 11 came out that the "MAINTAINS FULL TIME STUDENT" clause was still in place. Damn.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Whoa calm down, I forgot that when CANFORGEN 038/11 CMP 019/11 171252Z FEB 11 came out that the "MAINTAINS FULL TIME STUDENT" clause was still in place. Damn.

You should let CF members associated with recruiting answer questions about recruiting.

 

[Nobody_Important]

Not 100% sure if this is the right place to ask this, but bear with me, everybody.

For the past year or so i've been seriously considering joining the Canadian Forces. I'm sure you've all heard the "It looks like the life for me." explanation before, so i'll skip over my reasons and move straight onto the questions i'd like to ask all of you.

I briefly wondered about joining the Regular Force as a NCM, but decided that the reserves (Calgary Highlanders to be exact) would be a better place for me seeing as i'm not fully sure if i'd want to get into the Regular Force right off the bat. I just have a few questions about the reserves in general i'd like to ask all of you.

1. Is it possible to live off base if I apply and get accepted into the reserves?

2. Am I required to stick to weekend training, or can I train throughout the week and complete BMQ quicker?

3. Do I have to wear a uniform 24/7 if I live off base?

4. What are my chances of switching into the Regular Force after completing BMQ, Soldier Qualification, and Infantry Training (I've forgotten the name. BIQ?)

Anyway, if anyone could answer my questions, i'd be very appreciative.

 

[brihard]

Not 100% sure if this is the right place to ask this, but bear with me, everybody.

For the past year or so i've been seriously considering joining the Canadian Forces. I'm sure you've all heard the "It looks like the life for me." explanation before, so i'll skip over my reasons and move straight onto the questions i'd like to ask all of you.

I briefly wondered about joining the Regular Force as a NCM, but decided that the reserves (Calgary Highlanders to be exact) would be a better place for me seeing as i'm not fully sure if i'd want to get into the Regular Force right off the bat. I just have a few questions about the reserves in general i'd like to ask all of you.

1. Is it possible to live off base if I apply and get accepted into the reserves?

2. Am I required to stick to weekend training, or can I train throughout the week and complete BMQ quicker?

3. Do I have to wear a uniform 24/7 if I live off base?

4. What are my chances of switching into the Regular Force after completing BMQ, Soldier Qualification, and Infantry Training (I've forgotten the name. BIQ?)

Anyway, if anyone could answer my questions, i'd be very appreciative.

I'll field these. I'm reserve infantry for most of a decade. Currently working full time, but I've done lots of part time too.

1. As a part time reservist there is no 'living on base'. Reservists are almost all people with ordinary civilian lives. Most are students, some professionals. A small proportion live off the reserves through combinations of short term taskings and casual work, and longer term full time taskings and courses when they come up. The actual time commitment for a trained reservist averages 3 hours a week on an evening, and one weekend a month for a training exercise during the months of Sept - Apr. You will live 'on base' when attending full time training, or if you have chosen to volunteer for employment of some sort or another at a base (e.g., providing support for a course that's running, etc).

2. Reservists almost always do a part time weekend BMQ these days. Recent course schedules I've looked at are usually 11 or 12 weekends over the course of 5 or 6 months. Some bases do full time reserve BMQs in May or June, but that's never a given. Subsequent to BMQ, if you went infantry you would have a two-module course called DP1 (developmental period 1) Infantry. The first mod is usually done full time for a month but MAY be done the same 11-12 weekends format. The second mod is always full time. In actuality you are very likely to get a two month full time compelte DP1 mods 1 and 2 both. Those are almost exclusively int he summer.

3. God no. Soldiers wear uniforms at work (most of the time we work relatively normal hours) and when at official functions and on some official travel. As a reservist you'll be wearing your uniform for 4 or 5 hours a week, unless you pick up extra casual taskings or courses. Soldiers have lives outside of work too. We come home, uniform comes off, and we carry on with our evening / weekend.

4. These days- not so hot. Getting into regular force infantry is hard, and a lot of guys with considerably more experience are trying to transfer in. It's by no means impossible, but these days it's not likely or easy.