BMQ Reserves 2010 - 2017

[MilEME09]

While I am not surprised at all, I feel we shouldn't be leaving this to "pre deployment training" and such for non-combat trades. Now I am a weapons tech so I know the drills for these weapons fairly well, but what about a vehicle tech? a medic? an MP? If they are say going to teach some of these items later on a different course for individual trades, may I ask to the good idea fairies what the point is? and I wonder what else has been cut from BMQ-L now? With the Army's grand plan of having the Reserves priority be domestic ops (90% dom ops, 10% expeditionary ops last I was told, opposite for reg force) This seems the way Reserve courses are going. Trimming everything that isn't Dom Ops needed, and have no plans to give us more training to make up what we dont have for us to be useful that 10% of the time.

 

[Tibbson]

There used to be a time, many years ago, when there was an almost 3 week "field phase" on the MP QL3.  All the weapons were gone over, all the field tactics introduced and all the fieldcraft touched on.  They eventually did away with that training at that level, the thought being that it would be taught once (and if) you were posted to a field platoon.  A great cry was heard at the time but once it died down people quickly came to realize it made sense.  In 28 years I've never been posted to a field platoon and the fact that I happened to have had that training is a moot point since the weapons have all changed and even if they hadn't it's been soo long I couldnt remember it anyway.  Even if I got posted into a field roll tomorrow the first thing they would do is start the training I'd need.  Just like pre deployment training where they dont care how recently you shot the C8, you still do it again as part of the package.  If you dont get it on the BMQ L then you get it when you need it, if you need it.  There are enough pressures to keep the training in two, or at most 3, week blocks to accomodate people who can only get 2 weeks off their civvie jobs that something had to go. 

 

[George Wallace]

While I am not surprised at all, I feel we shouldn't be leaving this to "pre deployment training" and such for non-combat trades. Now I am a weapons tech so I know the drills for these weapons fairly well, but what about a vehicle tech? a medic? an MP? If they are say going to teach some of these items later on a different course for individual trades, may I ask to the good idea fairies what the point is? and I wonder what else has been cut from BMQ-L now? With the Army's grand plan of having the Reserves priority be domestic ops (90% dom ops, 10% expeditionary ops last I was told, opposite for reg force) This seems the way Reserve courses are going. Trimming everything that isn't Dom Ops needed, and have no plans to give us more training to make up what we dont have for us to be useful that 10% of the time.

As a Wpns Tech, you would know one of the reasons that some of this trg has been cut already.  Quite simple really.  When I was teaching BMQ-L there was a serious problem with availability of these wpns.  Due to wear and lack of parts, plus a large number having been condemned, with no replacements in sight, the wpns were not available so trg was often cut from the crse to be made up by the units at a future date. 

 

[Mike5]

Does this have any implication for PRes BMOQ-L (current schedule for BMOQ-L is 10 weeks)?

 

[Smirnoff123]

So if none of them are trained on the weapons, they are going to have them do their defensive ftx with just C7 trenches and hasty attacks with no support elements?I guess the time is better spent with power points and jacking the troops up all evening.

 

[2ndChoiceName]

I'm not exactly sure what's been taken out. I'll be sure to ask my buddies who are on it right now once they come back.

 

[OldSolduer]

So if none of them are trained on the weapons, they are going to have them do their defensive ftx with just C7 trenches and hasty attacks with no support elements?I guess the time is better spent with power points and jacking the troops up all evening.

In 1975 I went through 11 weeks basic trg.....and we did not do a defensive ex. The point of BMQ is to train to the basics, and a defensive ex is not "basic". It's a waste of time and resources.

Our defensive ex was on TQ3 aka DP 1.1.

 

[MilEME09]

As a Wpns Tech, you would know one of the reasons that some of this trg has been cut already.  Quite simple really.  When I was teaching BMQ-L there was a serious problem with availability of these wpns.  Due to wear and lack of parts, plus a large number having been condemned, with no replacements in sight, the wpns were not available so trg was often cut from the crse to be made up by the units at a future date.

And this is not going to change with a 4% cut to the maintenance budget, and I highly doubt any plans for soultions will get off the ground, like purchasing new C6's as an interm solution until the replacement project is going sometime at the end of this decade. Point I'm trying to make is that at the unit level I've touched a c6 or a C9 maybe twice since my BMQ-L. Rest of the time they are at the battle school, or other units. If we have the weapons we should be using them. Unfortunately it doesn't happen like that.

 

[2ndChoiceName]

I'm now hearing that ALL PRes courses are about 15% shorter. Some guys from my unit are going on their DP1, but it is in fact DP1 and DP2 combined, and it is approximately 5 weeks. So yeah.

 

[MilEME09]

I'm now hearing that ALL PRes courses are about 15% shorter. Some guys from my unit are going on their DP1, but it is in fact DP1 and DP2 combined, and it is approximately 5 weeks. So yeah.

Depends on the trade, my courses increased from 6 to 10 weeks this summer, for the same content, but i'm also running a pilot course wave

 

[2ndChoiceName]

Yeah I suppose truly technical trades would be kept full length. Now I'm fully talking out of my ass though, so I don't really know.

 

[Messorius]

I'm scheduled for a BMQ-L from 29 July to 15 August, guys on my course left for a BMQ-L that is also like 15 or 16 days.

Scheduled from 30 Jun - 16 Jul. 12 days, unless we'll be working weekends.

 

[darknsmelly]

I just completed the first serial of the shortened PRes BMQ-L held in Meaford. There were two of these courses held at the same time, and we both marched out of the same block of weatherhavens for the duration.

to clarify, grenades, c6, and m72 have been removed from trg. focus was on tactics, c9 drills, and comms. the belief is that our home units will adopt the responsibility of training us on those weapon systems.

max candidate level has been risen from 40 to nearly 60. I was in a pl of 53, and there was a sister pl with 55. sections got pretty ridiculous with between 12-14 per.

our ECRs may determine whether this new course stays the way it is or goes away.

 

[PuckChaser]

You don't even cover toets for c6/grenades/m72? Wish tapatalk had a facepalm smiley.

 

[MilEME09]

You don't even cover toets for c6/grenades/m72? Wish tapatalk had a facepalm smiley.

The whole army is going full retard with course redesigns lately

 

[brihard]

I no longer have access to the CTPs. Is anyone up to speed right now and able to bring me up to date on where things fall for a new soldier just coming into the infantry? My last reckoning is a year old - what weapons will a soldier coming off reserve DP1 Infantry complete be trained on? What exercises will they have done?

 

[2ndChoiceName]

Some of the guys I know who are going on Inf DP1.1 have told me that it's still the 4 week course and nothing has been taken out.

 

[MilEME09]

Infantry i doubt will change at all training wise, its all the non-combat trades that i've been seeing someone above my pay grade screwing around with things for how they think reserve training should go, and fail in my opinion.

 

[2ndChoiceName]

Infantry i doubt will change at all training wise, its all the non-combat trades that i've been seeing someone above my pay grade screwing around with things for how they think reserve training should go, and fail in my opinion.

Armour, Arty, and Engineers are also combat arms and we have to go on the shortened one too.

 

[MilEME09]

Armour, Arty, and Engineers are also combat arms and we have to go on the shortened one too.

In that case, I would say we are dealing with an internal battle to reshape the reserves