JPye said:
Has anyone successfully found any blogs/testimonials regarding the 2 week orientation camp in St. Jean? I have found in other forums information on the garrison and BMQ/BMOQ, but aside from the joining instructions I haven't found much else.
There are many posts on these forums describing what the 2 week orientation is like- unfortunately, they're probably buried in the middle of thick threads like this one.
I did it. What would you like to know?
Your first few days, you'll feel a bit out of place because you'll be walking around the Mega in Civi's while everyone else walks around in uniform. You'll spend a lot of time in a class room hearing lectures on military knowledge, regulations, rank structure, and a whole lot more. This material is taken right out of the course material for BMQ/BMOQ and is designed to give you a brief introduction to what being in the CF is all about.
You can expect to be up by 0500 and doing PT some mornings, maybe a little later others. You can expect to go through inspections. Watch the series 'Basic Up' on youtube or wherever it is online courtesy of the CF (Google it) and you'll get an idea for what inspections are like. Not fun, extremely picky on details you've probably never thought of before.
You will get yelled at a lot, even when you don't think you're doing anything wrong. You'll spend hours doing drill either in the drill hall or outside in the sun. You will sweat and mark time until you think your legs are going to fall off. You'll learn what exactly 'marking time' means.
You'll go up and down 9-12 flights of stairs several times on a daily basis because your rooms will probably be on one of those floors. You will learn to correct your mistakes through 'corrective training' in the form of physical exercise. A lot of pushups.
You will probably see people release, realizing that the CF isn't for them. Yes, even the 2 week orientation is long enough to show some people that maybe they're better suited to something else. You will probably see some people that aren't as strong as you- you will be expected to make up the difference because you succeed or fail as a team.
You will probably see people who are a lot stronger than you- you will need them to help you make up the difference.
You will spend hours polishing, ironing, marking your kit, studying, laundry, cleaning your room, cleaning your common areas, scrubbing the floor to remove polish stains, doing homework that they will assign you, and hopefully practicing drill because you'll probably be brutal at drill.
You will probably have some people on your orientation course who have been in cadets and already know drill, polishing, how to form a beret (please do yourself a favor and form your beret well as soon as you can- chef boyardee berets look stupid) and things like that. Be a sponge, soak up the experience they have and learn from them- and obviously from your instructors as well.
If you ARE that former cadet- realize that your experience is limited and you don't know everything. Even if you got your glider license or jump wings through cadets, you are as green as anybody else on that course when it comes to being in the CF. Help and guide others with your experience, but don't lord it over anybody. No one will be impressed with nonstop chatter about how great an OCdt you are because you were in cadets; however, they will benefit and appreciate a bit of guidance you can offer with humility.
Best piece of advice: Play the game. It will be hard (although people who have been through much harder will tell you that it's nothing) because you've probably never done anything like it. When they yell at you, don't take it personally. Show that you can take it on a chin and keep going- that's what they're looking for.
When you get disciplined and have to do pushups or whatever, you go until muscle failure. Go until your arms literally cannot lift your body again. Anything less is called giving up, and you don't want to be that person.
It's worth it if you want it, and before you complain remember: you chose it.
Good luck. Any specific questions feel free to ask here or PM me, whether you're curious about RMC or the recruit camp you're about to do (Civ U or RMC).
