Over a year in the making...and counting

[JLeclerc]

Sorry for the long upcoming post. Only for those not faint of heart. Please read on and let me know if your recruitment story was a horror as mine so far...

It all started back in July 2006. I had just left the army after my IE and my return from Afghanistan (to go back to school), when it hit me, I couldn't stand civilian life. Took a whole 2 months to realize this as I was out by May 30th. So I did what any man in my situation would do, I walked over to my recruit station in Quebec City, and re-enrolled. I obtained a derogative note from the commander of recruiting to forgo the usual 6 months wait time and went right into it. I was originally an armored crewman serving with RCDs in Petawawa, but I was longing for a change of pace and challenge so I opted for CEOTP Pilot. Application process started and I had them sent to Montreal Station because I moved back in the area a few weeks later.

From August to November, not a word and then I had my interview on the 20th of November, which went very well. My medical was to be on the 29th but that didn't happen as they had not received my old med files from Ottawa. I waited and called and called and called until a young private finally found them at my old unit's UMS in March.

April came around and for about 3 weeks times, CEOTP Pilot shut down so I chose my second choice and redid my interview to CEOTP MARS officer, then it reopened. I stayed with MARS, having had enough of triple redoing everything every few months and actually looking forward to such an apparently tough and challenging trade.

Went through my medical exams (again and again) in May and of course everything checked out (as it had done x number of times before) and finally I was simply waiting for Borden review to say everything was A-ok. That came around on June 3rd. I was simply waiting for NOAB dates by now and hopefully BOTC dates as well...

July 17th came, and I celebrated my 1 year recruitment ordeal, with no news in sight as to dates or where my file was at now. Finally got a call last Wednesday saying it was up in OCTR or another acronym I don't remember, being told this usually meant a few days to finding out whats going to happen...finally.

It's Sunday night and I sure could use the moral boost at this point. Being patient enough to know military bureaucracy, I have just about exhausted that oh so well built patience now, and everyday is...argh.

Primed and ready as the first day I re-applied...let me know if you have any similar stories, I need to smile at this point...right? 

 

[Franko]

Good to hear that you're making some progress. I remember the day you left....bloody near a year ago indeed.

Haven't heard from you in a while...keep us posted.

Regards

 

[Agent-0]

Well, hopefully everything goes smoothly from here on out. Sounds like you had a pretty rough wait. For that, I congratulate you for being patient.

Anyways, best of luck with the rest of the process, it'll happen eventually.

 

[Deleted member 9665]

do not give up, its worth the waiting,

My component transfer took 478 days, and I still have no reret doing it.



the army : Hurry...to wait

 

[Halicat]

I can some what relate to your situation.  I am leaving for basic training in 4 days ( August 4th 07 ).  I am going Reg-Force Infantry.  I applied in September 06 and am just now leaving for basic.  It took close to 12 months for everything to happen.  I have no idea why because some people have gone through the application process so quickly.  I passed everything with no problem and was mostly waiting on my security check, or so I belive.  I did have a run in with the police shortly after I turned 19 ( Am now 21 ) so I am guessing that is why everything took so long ?  I just tried to be patient and keep up my physical training and sure enough I got my offer and was sworn in 3 months after that.  Hopefully everything works out for you, keep your head up if you loved it so much before you know it will be worth it !

 

[phantomofthemuppetshow]

Greetings bro. I was reading your post and want to say "DON'T LOSE HOPE". In my case, I began enrollment last October with my on-line application. Thereafter I was called for test dates, interview and the like in January. I passed everything except the medical because of my eyesight. My response was to have laser eye surgery in March and after 3 months, I submitted the post-operative forms to the MO here in Winnipeg. I had my interview which took a few hours to complete (drug, harassment and racism forms; well "anti" on all 3 counts). The original MO was posted out in the meantime and I was told to call back in a few weeks. I phoned back last week and found out that my forms went to Borden on July 24th and to call back during the second week of August. I had PRes for Signals and Infantry was second choice. If and when I am accepted, I am told that I will complete enrollment forms and then be sworn into my chosen unit. I am also told that because I have selected the PRes, that my service from the fall to next spring will be a good time for me to discover more about the culture of military life prior to BMQ. Anyone else with simliar stories or enrollment sequences are encouraged to share...the phantom...aka dale.

 

[JLeclerc]

Heh...it's funny how it goes though that some people start and finish the process within 6 months and other like us are stuck for almost a year or over a year even with no visible problems to our files.

I'm keeping hope of course that somewhere in the near future I finally get my NOAB dates and BOTC dates.

The one thing I find funny, and you have to laugh at this point, is the fact that every time you call into a recruit station, nobody ever knows whats going on with files.  ;D You keep hearing Borden, Ottawa, production team, Borden, Borden, OCTR etc. But nobody knows how where and when...lol.

Anyways best wishes to similar horror stories. Hurry up and wait like they say. 

 

[Agent-0]

Heh...it's funny how it goes though that some people start and finish the process within 6 months and other like us are stuck for almost a year or over a year even with no visible problems to our files.

The one thing I find funny, and you have to laugh at this point, is the fact that every time you call into a recruit station, nobody ever knows whats going on with files.  ;D You keep hearing Borden, Ottawa, production team, Borden, Borden, OCTR etc. But nobody knows how where and when...lol.

The recruiters have pretty hard jobs. They deal with a LOT of people everyday, including people in your position. Don't blame them for not knowing those certain dates or locations of papers, as they have to look after everyone else's files that applied. So give them some respect at least, and be patient. It will come.

 

[JLeclerc]

Of course, I wasn't taking it out on recruiters or the people that work on the files in back, I meant like since there is no obvious pattern (because everyone is different in files, tests etc) it is hard to know whats going on. The people back there have my praises of course. With the way recruiting has gone up in the last years it must be one heck of a sight, so many applications and requests.

 

[Antoine]

Almost one year delay for me too due to my vision (V4). I had to secure enough money for the laser eye surgery but it is done now. I'll meet the surgeon in two weeks for the first assessment, the wait still goes on...but that is OK with me. It gives me more time to get fit and to find a strategy to convince my boss to let me go for the BMOQ training.