AznVengence said:
I see... So I will train even after the summer. So basiclly, I have to do 90 days of training, then I can qualify as a "Infantryman"?
As long as you're in the army, you'll be training as a soldier. Just because you have finished your 90 days of training does not mean you will stop training. You do courses in order to earn your qualifications, for example, BMQ (Basic Military Qualification - commonly referred to as 'boot camp') will be a course you will take for the duration of approximately 20-22 days over the summer. Following your BMQ course, you will move on to your SQ (Soldier Qualification), which will qualify you as a soldier in the army - whether it be reserve force or regular force. That course will be another 20-22 days long in the summer, if you do in fact choose to do the summer course. Following your SQ course, you will move on to your more advanced training more specific to your trade (your job), in your case (pursuing a career in the infantry) being your BIQ (basic infantry qualification), which will be more in depth infanteer skills. Following THAT course, you will move on to your DP1 (again, more in depth infanteer skills), but lets not worry about those courses for now - those are long into the future if you are only 15 years old. Let's say you DO in fact decide to pursue the summer course option (as opposed to the fall/winter course option where you'll be doing your training for the respective course over approximately 10 weekends throughout the course of the year), you will return to your respective regiment in the fall and 'parade' with them one night during the week. A parade night consists of unit-level training with your fellow soldiers within your unit. You will work from approximately 7 to 10 pm on these parade nights, one night a week. You will also be required to participate in weekend exercises (a minimum amount of exercises attended quarterly is required), in which you will meet with your regiment at your armoury and participate in a weekend-long training exercise which will most likely be held in Borden, Meaford, Petawawa, or wherever the regiment decides to take you. As im sure you're next question will be - yes, you will be spending the weekend with your regiment on base, wherever you are based for the weekend. You will be sleeping and eating all meals there. you're in the army, its a commitment you are expected to make. Think of it as a part-time job.. because that's what it is, just quite different from what most teenagers are doing (working at McDonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Pizza, etc.).
AznVengence said:
What will be the jobs of the Infantryman?
It is your responsibility to research your trade and to know what it entails. Search around this site, there are countless threads discussing the infantry and infanteers. There are MANY trades in the army appealing to all types of people and their interests... do some research.
AznVengence said:
I'm only 15 at the moment, but next year I will be 16 and that's when I'm signing up, but can I sign up before I am 16 because my birthday is in March, and I'm sure it's best to sign up during January or so? any recommendations?
I BELIEVE you can begin your paperwork at age 15 (prior to joining), but do not hold me to that. And, it's ALWAYS a good time to join up. There's no "better" or "worse" times to join. A good tip that I'm sure many others will attest to... it's to your advantage to parade with your unit as much as possible before beginning your basic courses.
AznVengence said:
NES means Non-Effective Strength. If you have not attended the required amount of parade nights per month with your unit, you will be placed on NES. NES is basically the beginning of the disciplinary system, for example.. you will not be paid until you see your chain of command and explain why you have become NES. I believe if you do not attend AT LEAST one parade night per month, you are placed on NES.
