Too Big/Tall for Armoured?

[X-mo-1979]

Also to add
If you "care less" about LAV's and coyotes you should consider changing countries.

All your Armd career courses will be on the wheeled family.
From DP1 (coyote dvr and surv op)
ARCC (coyote TOC and recce crew commander)
patrol commander (also on coyote)
...and on and on.

Tank is a relatively small course.Your in for a disappointing career.And no there are no height restrictions on our wheeled family.

 

[Romeo88]

Okay so my options then are: gunner/loader in a tank or any of the other armoured vehicles? A friend of mine who's stationed in Petawawa right now as gunner for a Coyote said he's got a comrade there with him who's 6'5" and drives the Coyote and has driven a Leopard 1.

This is really pretty bad news though. I wonder why they offered me a contract if my height ALREADY prohibits me from filling one of the few roles this career path offers.

 

[X-mo-1979]

Okay so my options then are: gunner/loader in a tank or any of the other armoured vehicles? A friend of mine who's stationed in Petawawa right now as gunner for a Coyote said he's got a comrade there with him who's 6'5" and drives the Coyote and has driven a Leopard 1.

This is really pretty bad news though. I wonder why they offered me a contract if my height ALREADY prohibits me from filling one of the few roles this career path offers.

you signed u to be a armoured crewman.Im sure they gave you a job description that included lav/coyote.At your size you will not drive a leopard 2.And they will not deploy a guy to just drive leo 1 overseas.Therefore you will not be a leo driver.
You can be a gunner(ha ha at over 6ft) and turret crew.However you will probably never touch a leopard in a 25 year career.

Welcome to recce.

 

[Romeo88]

False advertising is so FTW. Thanks for clearing a few things up though. I haven't yet signed anything yet or sworn in and I'm seriously re-considering it. And I thought it was funny that you mentioned maybe changing countries because I happen to have dual citizenship with Germany/Canada.

 

[dangerboy]

False advertising is so FTW. Thanks for clearing a few things up though. I haven't yet signed anything yet or sworn in and I'm seriously re-considering it. And I thought it was funny that you mentioned maybe changing countries because I happen to have dual citizenship with Germany/Canada.

How come your first post says you signed a 3 year contract and leave for BMQ on 4 Oct.  Which is the truth.

 

[Romeo88]

My bad. To clarify things I was offered a 3 year contract over the phone which I "accepted". I go in to sign the paperwork and swear in on Sept. 24th.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Just remember...you are (maybe) joining the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps...not the Royal Canadian Tank Corps.

From experience, I think you shouldn't discount the job Recce does.  Driving a tank is "cool" but I'd bet you like everyone else I know who has done it...the novelty wears off, especially when you throw/break a track "again".

I think you are basing your opinion of..well everything else a Crewman can do on veryyyyyyyyy limited ideas and with a set of blinders on.  You might find after you finish your trg and get some troop time that tanks are "boring" and Recce is where it is at...who knows.

Driving tanks or any AFV is cool when you are young and full of P & V...but it gets old like everything else.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Yeah like me watching the same type of charges going off week after week here at CFSME.

 

[MikeL]

Yes taller folks can fit into a TLAV, Bison, but that's not our main vehicle platforms!

Well technically the Bison is essentially the same vehicle as a Coyote, with some exceptions(turret, no ramp, etc) an the driver area is the same in the Bison an Coyote is it not?  An isn't the Coyote one of the main vehicles in the Armoured Trade ! (I can do exclamation points aswell)


Also, do you or do you not have TLAVs in the Armoured units? Pretty sure I've seen atleast the LdSH with some.. so that would be another vehicle a Trooper can drive in their career, etc


;D

 

[PuckChaser]

Friend of mine is at the Dragoons, and he's on a RWS (Remote Weapon System) course, followed by TLAV driver.

 

[X-mo-1979]

Just remember...you are (maybe) joining the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps...not the Royal Canadian Tank Corps.

From experience, I think you shouldn't discount the job Recce does.  Driving a tank is "cool" but I'd bet you like everyone else I know who has done it...the novelty wears off, especially when you throw/break a track "again".

I think you are basing your opinion of..well everything else a Crewman can do on veryyyyyyyyy limited ideas and with a set of blinders on.  You might find after you finish your trg and get some troop time that tanks are "boring" and Recce is where it is at...who knows.

Driving tanks or any AFV is cool when you are young and full of P & V...but it gets old like everything else.

As a tanker  I disagree with most of that.The novelty didn't wear off.From driver to gunner to C/C.There were times last year after being overseas in one for months I still got giddy looking at my TRP.I couldn't believe I had finally completed all my career goals.And enjoyed every day in my panzer.

As for blowing track its the name of the game.Its worth the mobility.Same could be said about wheeled vehicles being stuck in the dirt again.I found a tank troop had way bigger morale and esprit de corp.Tanking is hard work,period.Everything is heavy and difficult.Everything requires working on your vehicle to get ready for the next OP.

I entered the Armd corp 10 years ago with a open mind..however I was brainwashed by the tanks.It is a sexy piece of kit. I have done recce,but found it wasnt very cool.I like positions of fire not positions of observation.I like engaging more than "defining and running away".However I have had some fun times doing SOME recce stuff.

Having said that I know plenty of people who would rather be kicked than even go near tank.Those afternoons where you watch recce leave early from the hanger to go home and you have to come in at night to get f1-f3's done.Or coming back off OP's and working your butt off to get the maintance heavy vehcile ready for QRF the next morning.

My suggestion to you is go into it with a blank slate that you have and learn all you can about the recce world.If your coming to petawawa realize very very few get tank tours.

 

[Neolithium]

I cannot remember the exact size but do remember it was 5 foot something.

I just finished getting everything together and applied this week, personally I wouldn't mind any vehicle, even though there is a general mystique about the tank.  I've been told flat out by my recruiter do not expect to ever be able to touch a Leopard, which actually doesn't surprise me, though I gotta say I'm quite glad I'm a small statured guy- gives me a small glimmer of hope for years down the road!

 

[X-mo-1979]

Im also in the 5 foot 3 apples tall category and could do jumping jacks in my crew commanders compartment. I watched my very large comrades have issues after spending 18 hours stuck trying to be comfortable in there.

You never know what you'll be up to.Ive been from mud recce for a year (no vehicles) to tanking  to recce.

Tanks are where my heart is.

 

[Romeo88]

Would you be able to tell me right now what I can and can't do when it comes to my height and being in a Leopard? How about the other armoured vehicles? I'm assuming there aren't height restrictions for the majority of them or I would not have gotten selected for this profession. Do armoured guys drive LAV-3s too or is that solely an infantry specialization?

 

[ajp]

I have not seen anyone too tall, and there are some very tall pers at t he Armour School.  I did see a couple of TOO SHORT cases.  One individual actually changed trades as the issue of being able to reach  the pedals on ANY CF vehicle was an aissue.  The Staff actually walked the person to every option in the green fleet and not one would do.  The individual - a Pte, carried on to OT and is now in Borden in a new trade.

 

[X-mo-1979]

I have not seen anyone too tall, and there are some very tall pers at t he Armour School.  I did see a couple of TOO SHORT cases.  One individual actually changed trades as the issue of being able to reach  the pedals on ANY CF vehicle was an aissue.  The Staff actually walked the person to every option in the green fleet and not one would do.  The individual - a Pte, carried on to OT and is now in Borden in a new trade.

AJP
If a member is over the 5 foot 8 (not positive on the inch but I recall 5'8") the swing seat will not work properly and he will not be able to achieve the clearance between the floor or the roof and either will break his neck or turn his tailbone into a bleed out factory during a mine or IED strike.
We were told by our OC during a brief while deployed that they had finally came down with a height restriction based on the safety of the driver.

Romeo88 there is no other restriction on what you can drive gun or C/C.The only thing you won't be doing is driving a Leo 2A6M.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I have not seen anyone too tall, and there are some very tall pers at t he Armour School.  I did see a couple of TOO SHORT cases.  One individual actually changed trades as the issue of being able to reach  the pedals on ANY CF vehicle was an aissue.  The Staff actually walked the person to every option in the green fleet and not one would do.  The individual - a Pte, carried on to OT and is now in Borden in a new trade.

Let me guess...they made him an MSE Op? 

 

[ajp]

X Mo - ACK.  I can understand there can be issues, I have just not seen any yet for too tall.

EITS - Thats a common answer when I tell that story.  There were lots of offers to get the individual BLOCK so She could reach the pedals. 

 

[Rowshambow]

The Bison actually has a little more space, I am shorter and there was more room in the bison than coyote. Yes my Regt (LdSH(RC) has a few TLAV's and Bisons, its not a course that is generally desired by Troopers, they join to work with tanks etc. There are not many (if any) actual CFTPO positions for TLAV or Bison drivers in a Regt (at this point). As I previously stated it's not our main vehicle platform (i.e. PCF) it would be like an Infanteer getting an LSVW course or something the like.
If you go to my Regt (I'll take you Skeletor if you'd like) you can ask any Tpr/Cpl if they have TLAV or Bison, there will be a some (mainly those from the school) that will have it.
A Drivers career is hopefully short (a couple of years), if your entire career is as a  driver, there are issues. You normally progress from the Dvr's hole, to the gunners hole to the Commanders seat (or loaders in a tank). Sometimes that's all people want to be is drivers, so you can do it but its few and far between.

 

[tango22a]

Perhaps we should emulate the Russians and just recruit people under 5ft 8in for the RCAC.....J/K of course!!


tango22a