Reserve : Intelligence Operator / Infantry / Material Management Tech

[Aatrox666]

I applied recently to join the reserves and would like some guidance from active or ex reservists. My chosen trades are :

• Intelligence Operator
• Material Management tech
• Infantry

Why I chose these trades :

• Int Op : Pros : I have transferrable civ skills, and I would like to get to the interrogations and human int level. It seems to be a "cool" trade too. The cons : computer desk job.
• MMT : Pros : It will boost my civilian career, it's a mix of office and physical work, and it seems that they get deployed a lot. No cons
• Infantry : Pros : Combat ready, build mental toughness. Probably the coolest and most fun trade in the military. Cons : High risk of injury, would be a big culture shock for me, will change my communication style, and you can forget about privacy and hygiene, but i guess its part of it.

Am in my late 20s, ex athlete, used to heavy PTs, injuries, getting yelled at. My main reason of joining the military is for the experience and be combat ready. I work a high paying 9-5 desk job, that doesn't give me any sense of accomplishment. I want to do infantry stuff but not on a regular basis.

My questions :

• Is Int Op a solely desk job or do you get the chance to move around and go on the field. Also, do they get offered combat trainings (infantry stuff) ?
• Do MMTs get offered combat trainings (infantry stuff) ?
• How often infantry reserve do combat training and is it typically only week end stuff ?
• Why people do not recommend infantry ?
• How does BMQ compare to Infantry ? I will decide if it's for me or not after BMQ.

 

[sarahsmom]

• Is Int Op a solely desk job or do you get the chance to move around and go on the field. Also, do they get offered combat trainings (infantry stuff) ?
• Do MMTs get offered combat trainings (infantry stuff) ?
• How often infantry reserve do combat training and is it typically only week end stuff ?

If you are keen on doing infantry stuff, join the infantry.
Other trades are usually too busy doing their actual job to worry about learning infantry stuff. We all learn the basics of how to be a soldier, and every so often we go to the field and shoot weapons and do gas hut and ruck marches, but the bulk of the job of non-infantry folks is their actual job, whether it is materials management, intelligence gathering, or doing claims.

• Why people do not recommend infantry ?

People don't recommend infantry because it is quite hard on the body and you can break very easily. Also, every male (and some women) seems to want to do infantry as a path to CANSOF, and they also seem to know it is the foundation of the army. So we don't haave to promote it, and we will warn you it will break you (knees, back, ears, etc).

• How does BMQ compare to Infantry ? I will decide if it's for me or not after BMQ.

That's not how it works. You choose your trade FIRST, and then once you are done with recruiting and successful, you go to BMQ as a recruit of that trade. there will be lots of different trades with you, but everyone does the same training. It is BASIC military training. The bulk of the training is similar to general infantry stuff, but it's an intro to soldiering. If you don't like military life after BMQ, you cannot just switch to another trade. Especially with the reserves, you would need to find a unit close to you with a position available to you that you are interested in, and would need to apply for an occupational transfer- untrained. Not guaranteed to be accepted. They hired you as one trade, they expected you to get trained in that one trade.

 

[Aatrox666]

If you are keen on doing infantry stuff, join the infantry.
Other trades are usually too busy doing their actual job to worry about learning infantry stuff. We all learn the basics of how to be a soldier, and every so often we go to the field and shoot weapons and do gas hut and ruck marches, but the bulk of the job of non-infantry folks is their actual job, whether it is materials management, intelligence gathering, or doing claims.

People don't recommend infantry because it is quite hard on the body and you can break very easily. Also, every male (and some women) seems to want to do infantry as a path to CANSOF, and they also seem to know it is the foundation of the army. So we don't haave to promote it, and we will warn you it will break you (knees, back, ears, etc).

That's not how it works. You choose your trade FIRST, and then once you are done with recruiting and successful, you go to BMQ as a recruit of that trade. there will be lots of different trades with you, but everyone does the same training. It is BASIC military training. The bulk of the training is similar to general infantry stuff, but it's an intro to soldiering. If you don't like military life after BMQ, you cannot just switch to another trade. Especially with the reserves, you would need to find a unit close to you with a position available to you that you are interested in, and would need to apply for an occupational transfer- untrained. Not guaranteed to be accepted. They hired you as one trade, they expected you to get trained in that one trade.

Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond.

That answers my questions. I think MMT is the ideal trade for me. I believe they get to do infantry stuff more often according to the recruitment video.

 

[sarahsmom]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond.

That answers my questions. I think MMT is the ideal trade for me. I believe they get to do infantry stuff more often according to the recruitment video.

I’m not so sure they are correct, given what I’ve seen over the years MMT personnel don’t spend a whole lot of time in the field doing infantry stuff. Once they are traded qualified, they are working in their warehouse. Their job is to supply materials, manage material materials, order materials, not be the pointy end of the spear.

 

[AmmoTech90]

As a reserve MMT with a reserve service battalion, you will probably spend most exercises in the field learning how to support combat arms and combat support units. Organizing delivery points, etc. As part of that you would do a fair bit of field craft, tactical delivery, command posts. Not infantry stuff, but field stuff.