BMQ / BMOQ - Personal Electronics during course [MERGED]
- Thread starter HItorMiss
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I have 2 kids, both under three (at the time), a wife who was helping out my mother who had broken her neck and I didn't even own a cellphone. I lived, whereas the 18 year old on the other side of the wall from me panicked because his girlfriend works at DQ and gets hit on, somehow his iPhone was going to save his relationship.
I saw my uncle survive Cornholis, and they dumbed down portions of BMQ now, hence my survival. BMQ should be less like university. Yea, they want to keep VR's down, how the hell are they going to survive deployments if they can't survive 3 months in basic. Hell, they even get to get those pesky French diseases after 5 weeks.
Repeated and cited much what was said before, but my :2c:
I saw my uncle survive Cornholis, and they dumbed down portions of BMQ now, hence my survival. BMQ should be less like university. Yea, they want to keep VR's down, how the hell are they going to survive deployments if they can't survive 3 months in basic. Hell, they even get to get those pesky French diseases after 5 weeks.
Repeated and cited much what was said before, but my :2c:
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Mudshuvel said:
Huh? Enlighten me please. What are those pesky French diseases you speak of?
NavalMoose
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"mal de mer" ?
medicineman
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"Les Pappillons d'amour"?
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Maybe I'm weird, but having no electronics and no real communication to the outside world for the first few weeks of training, in my opinion, should be part of the experience. I can't even imagine how BMW would have been different if I had my cell phone, or even a laptop.
I remember being really excited when we were allowed to use the payphone to call home, lol.
I remember being really excited when we were allowed to use the payphone to call home, lol.
Eye In The Sky
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Imagine how people feel who can't afford a BMW!!
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The only thing I see this being good for is if someone wanted to call home and check up on things or whatever, other than that if you cant handle a couple of weeks without a cellphone, you got problems.
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How can you go without a cell phone on BMQ?! How else would you be able to upload hero pics to facebook?? It is imperative that the world sees you aiming your empty C7 at a wall in the bathroom!
Eye In The Sky
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:rofl:
M
MikeL
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C.G.R said:
http://www.brokenandunreadable.com/broken%20and%20unreadable%2021%20color.jpg
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I did mine in Borden, 06, we had the rules that, "after 1800 hrs, after the 4th week etc. " not during the 4 week indoc though, we were allowed to use the payphones etc, or if you were on door duty and knew how to use the base phone you could use it. I have been succesful in my career thus far, and the ability to use my cell phone after week four has not hindered that one bit. I know many SNCOs that have told me I would deploy with you again.
Even on my BMQ I had a bit of a family emergency in the first four weeks, Staff came to me, said come to civi lockup, get your cellphone and call home. It was that simple.
We are going through a changing of the guard. Technology is there, its small, its easily affordable, and the batteries last a long time. The old guard, 15+years in, may not of had cell phones affordable etc. So yes, you had to make do without them. Its pretty easy to say "I didn't need that" when the said item did not exist. I think its not so much a matter of being under a comms lockout from Family anymore. Its more of making people work, showing them realities, putting them through the strain of it all (BFT…..laugh go ahead…field, drill, etc). One of the realities is, is that in 98% of this world the CF has comms available. Only places its scarce is the poles. We always have a way of contacting back, whether you are on the ships using BGANs, or storms, or calling in port, in the middle of Afghanistan with a jail broken Iphone.
And yes to the whole hero shot thing, but I remember people even on my BMQ go get inked with the course number, and one even VRd during the field!! There are always those special people folks, always.
However, the other statements about not hearing from months on end?? my father was in Haiti early 90s, we still heard from him once a week. Even in my recent deployments in Africa, Afghanistan etc. I was always able to make a quick call say I am OK. (it helps being a sig too) We have become a technology driven military. If you weren't able to call at least once a week, especially in the sandbox throughout the past 6-8 years (unless one of our brothers had fallen). It was your CoCs decision (or someone was being greedy and keeping it hush hush), to make the Iridium available, They paid many a dollar for them. I have seen with my own eyes some of the monthly bills for the iridium phones, and the SATCOMM links that carried the welfare and voice links back to Canada. They are insanely expensive. So they were being used (and heavily). Even when my girlfriend would spend the night, her dad would call her cell phone, while he was in the box, on a regular basis. I understand that yes sometimes a new camp/FOB within the first few weeks will not have instant access, however there was always the Iridium's. Even then, as a sigs guy, I know comms comes 2nd, behind security, it is one of the top priorities when building a FOB.
For the SOF guys, I definitely can see this being totally different. Leaving at the drop of a hat etc. not being able to talk for weeks on end, maybe months, but for the rest of us, not so much, but the fact you may not be able to call/contact due to mission requirements is a given in that. You work for them, you have to expect that.
But, what I completely disagree with is this;
POET training, a fair amount of geeky kids, play games such as WoW etc. Well, these kids would play all night every night, fail POs, keep their roommates up etc. However, when it came down to it, because they paid for the internet, they were allowed too, no way the staff could say no to them having internet (violation of human rights because they were paying for said service). Well then the staff tried no electronics. that's great, however, when on a 9 month course, of course your going to bring your car. So the electronics were stored in the cars. It was a mess. At somepoint, there has to be the ability to say "your wasting military money on training you, we are taking away the internet."
Its the trades training that instill the discipline nowadays, not so much the BMQ.
Even on my BMQ I had a bit of a family emergency in the first four weeks, Staff came to me, said come to civi lockup, get your cellphone and call home. It was that simple.
We are going through a changing of the guard. Technology is there, its small, its easily affordable, and the batteries last a long time. The old guard, 15+years in, may not of had cell phones affordable etc. So yes, you had to make do without them. Its pretty easy to say "I didn't need that" when the said item did not exist. I think its not so much a matter of being under a comms lockout from Family anymore. Its more of making people work, showing them realities, putting them through the strain of it all (BFT…..laugh go ahead…field, drill, etc). One of the realities is, is that in 98% of this world the CF has comms available. Only places its scarce is the poles. We always have a way of contacting back, whether you are on the ships using BGANs, or storms, or calling in port, in the middle of Afghanistan with a jail broken Iphone.
And yes to the whole hero shot thing, but I remember people even on my BMQ go get inked with the course number, and one even VRd during the field!! There are always those special people folks, always.
However, the other statements about not hearing from months on end?? my father was in Haiti early 90s, we still heard from him once a week. Even in my recent deployments in Africa, Afghanistan etc. I was always able to make a quick call say I am OK. (it helps being a sig too) We have become a technology driven military. If you weren't able to call at least once a week, especially in the sandbox throughout the past 6-8 years (unless one of our brothers had fallen). It was your CoCs decision (or someone was being greedy and keeping it hush hush), to make the Iridium available, They paid many a dollar for them. I have seen with my own eyes some of the monthly bills for the iridium phones, and the SATCOMM links that carried the welfare and voice links back to Canada. They are insanely expensive. So they were being used (and heavily). Even when my girlfriend would spend the night, her dad would call her cell phone, while he was in the box, on a regular basis. I understand that yes sometimes a new camp/FOB within the first few weeks will not have instant access, however there was always the Iridium's. Even then, as a sigs guy, I know comms comes 2nd, behind security, it is one of the top priorities when building a FOB.
For the SOF guys, I definitely can see this being totally different. Leaving at the drop of a hat etc. not being able to talk for weeks on end, maybe months, but for the rest of us, not so much, but the fact you may not be able to call/contact due to mission requirements is a given in that. You work for them, you have to expect that.
But, what I completely disagree with is this;
POET training, a fair amount of geeky kids, play games such as WoW etc. Well, these kids would play all night every night, fail POs, keep their roommates up etc. However, when it came down to it, because they paid for the internet, they were allowed too, no way the staff could say no to them having internet (violation of human rights because they were paying for said service). Well then the staff tried no electronics. that's great, however, when on a 9 month course, of course your going to bring your car. So the electronics were stored in the cars. It was a mess. At somepoint, there has to be the ability to say "your wasting military money on training you, we are taking away the internet."
Its the trades training that instill the discipline nowadays, not so much the BMQ.
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Just wondering if anyone has done the course since the change could answer this? Is it worth bringing a laptop to BMQ? I was thinking of getting one to talk to family and friends through Skype if I get the time later on in the course and for during training after BMQ at Borden.
P
polishman23
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you will not have time for your laptop, but most front facing phones can have skype installed as an app. I think its great to finally be allowed your phone, It was a stupid rule to begin with and honestly teaches people nothing. If you deploy, you can call your family whenever you want, either bring your phone or use the internet there. People have busy lives and need to communicate with others, pay bills, and for starters basic is a huge shock on alot of people who have no military back ground and talking to someone else other than your platoon mates is a good change of scenery. Good job on the CO who approved this.
George Wallace
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polishman23 said:
Rubbish coming from someone with little or no experience. Have you ever deployed? I can tell you now that you can not call home anytime you want when deployed.
People have always had busy lives and had to pay bills. However did they do it without Cellphones? Inquiring minds would like to know. Magic?
Funny how Basic has suddenly become a huge shock on a lot of people who have no military background. I guess all our forefathers were military folk, right out of the womb. We must have all been born of Amazon warrior mothers.
Shake your head. You really have a lot to learn about the military and something called "discipline".
Jarnhamar
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No, you can't. That's a blatantly stupid thing to say actually.polishman23 said:
Then join a civilian job that won't possibly put you in a position to be away from your things.
You mean in the military you MIGHT be stuck with only the people in your platoon and even though you may hate the guy next to you you're going to be stuck working with him to accomplish a mission ergo the military forcing you to be stuck with ONLY your platoon mates to interact with is actually preparing you for that? I agree.
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polishman23
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wow, typical military responses.. you have an opinion and you get blasted for it, cause the bullies have it so far up their asses. seriously, is having a cellphone hinder your performance that much, its all about moral boosting, they do it all the time. Before people did not know what cell phones were therefore had no reason to complain about not having one. Humans do everything they can to make their lives easier, cell phones are one of them. Just like wearing a hat in the winter time. If the military is all tough mentally and physically, why do we even bother upgrading weapons, use a rock and stick and go after your enemy. I know people who have deployed and call their families whenever they pretty much feel like it. Military being so tough and all, I had a sgt in basic ask permission to touch me to fix my barret, That i find is ridiculous. but cell phones, come on give me a break.. let them listen to music while they clean their rooms or whatever.. as long as their task is complete its all that matters. Feel free to take away more of my Milnet points, as my life will not be the same.
P.S the new force test is also an example of the new military, can't pass the old one, make an easier one. So do not bash me cause you simply do not agree.
P.S the new force test is also an example of the new military, can't pass the old one, make an easier one. So do not bash me cause you simply do not agree.
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