The Infantry Recruit Superthread- Lots of Q&A's

[BestOfTheBest]

I need advice here.
I am 16 and going into grade 12 soon.
I have to do my course option sheet for grade 12.
The job that i turely want to do is not really what people in my school is really famous in my school or not even regonized as a job.
My parents want me to go to university or collage and study anything ANYTHING i want as long as i have a degree in something.
I really want to be the infantry to be my future job. why becuase i dont want to spend the rest of my life sitting on a desk or doing anything of the other stuff.
I want a job that requries action, pyshical workout and stuff like that.
my parents think that being in the infantry is one of the most dangerous job out there which it is but i really dont care.
I am just having trouble of what to do in school.
I am applying back into the reseves this summer and was thinking of staying with them while i go to university or collage and then after done all that switch to reg.
I really need help on this
I know this not the best place to ask these kind of question but i wanted to take an opinion form people who are in the infantry.
thanks

 

[Paras]

Well BestofTheBest i suggest that you continue your education because the more knowledge you have the more choices youll have in the army and in the civy world.But also you dont want to do something that makes you unhappy.I see that your from Ottawa,i hope that means youll be joining the Cameron Highlanders.

 

[nbk]

You sound exactly like me dude. I‘m in my last semester of grade 12 and plan on going for my tests in the summer some time after I graduate. Assuming I get my 40 hours of community service in the next four and a half months...(anyone in the Toronto area need an extra hand???).

If you want to join infantry I suggest going for things like phys ed, or a health class...

Or just do what I am doing and fill up your schedule with bull**** courses like Parenting and Art, you get the credits you need, if you have nice teachers they won‘t mind if you skip class occasionally, and you can actually become a pretty good drawer, etc...

Since I plan on becoming a combat engineer I took a tech design course and in retrospect I probably should have picked a chemistry but I trust the army will provide some sort of training.

I know what you are talking about concerning wanting to get out and do stuff. I hate learning about stuff I will never ever use, that is why the military is so appealing, you sit and learn things that you will actually use in your job. Plus you get paid for learning, which should be standard practice in high school.

My parents (well my mother anyways) are somewhat concerned about me wanting to join the army. They think that the second I get off the bus I will be given a rifle, sent to war and be shot dead within 12 hours. She even told me that she thinks being a "grunt" (as she put it) was a "labourer" job, as if she was too good to have her son become a simpleton "labourer". She is the editor of a freaking magazine for christs sake! Not a member of the damn aristocracy!

That is another reason I want to join the army, I can get away from my family and all the crap they are always trying to fling in my direction.

If your parents don‘t like it just tell them what I did: I am not immortal and will die someday anyways & if you doin‘t like it, you don‘t have to join up with me.

 

[Illucigen]

Look at RMC. Seriously. Might as well continue your forces career and education together. But if you want to stay NCM, then Id suggest joining a reserve unit, as mentioned.

As far as an infantry officer, just take general high school courses, plus science options if you can. Im an armour officer, it requires no major science courses, although they help. Make sure to take highest level calculus available, no matter what your trade, if you intend on going to university, especially RMC.

 

[nbk]

I considered going to RMC, but I got the impression that an officer‘s job would mostly deal with paperwork and the like, which is not what I am really looking for.

You don‘t need a complex math course in order to become a NCM, do you?

 

[Nfld Sapper]

I considered going to RMC, but I got the impression that an officer‘s job would mostly deal with paperwork and the like, which is not what I am really looking for.

You don‘t need a complex math course in order to become a NCM, do you?

Officers do a little more than just paper work (well that also depends on the MOC) they must be able to lead their troops and to understand what he/she is asking of the troops. (i.e. It is no good to put an Inf. Officer IC of a section of engineers and not use them as engineers but rather as glorified inf. (had that happen to a section on an ex with the inf.))

As for the math course, if you mean stuff like calculus - no you don‘t need it (or better said I haven‘t seen it used yet in my MOC) but if you mean stuff like fractions then yes you need it (or be confident in it) for engineers. As for what is required of math in other MOC‘s I don‘t know

 

[Troopasaurus]

Im in the same boat (only younger) im entering into grade 11 and choosing my courses at the moment. So far im taking PE Biology drawing superfit (wieght training) the manditory courses (eng socials math). My reasons for the above are PE + superfit are self explanitory, drawing for range cards and whatnot (might help any imput?). Biology i took because my math isnt good enought for chem or physics. :crybaby: . My military dream is to be in the PPCLI and way off in dreamland is JTF-2 (yea ill be in that on my first try :blotto: ) anyways i am also taking a Athletics Instructor course with the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. Thats if my pass my review boards, if i do get the camp i spend 6 weeks in kingston doing physical and leadership training. Anyways ill let everyone get back on topic now.

 

[clinton_84]

I just have a few questions about joining the infantry that i havent seen posted yet, first off what is the education standard for getting into the infantry, I mean i know that you need grade 10 as a minimum to join the army, but could someone be accepted into the infantry that doesnt have a highschool diploma? if they do well on the fitness and aptitude tests but only have grade 10 what are the chances of them being accepted? also do I need a drivers license ? I heard somewhere that you can get a drivers license through the army

 

[combat_medic]

You don‘t need a driver‘s lisence to get in. If you get your military driver‘s lisence, it‘s not the same as having a civilian one; you still need to go out and get that one to drive a normal car.

As for educational standards, you‘ll need to talk to your local recruiter as the standards are different from province to province.

 

[SpinDoc]

You know, of all the science courses that would be useful, I would think physics would be the most applicable to your average military person. Understanding gravity, friction, and all that good stuff sometimes could give a boost to understanding the "why is it done THIS way"...

For example, range and scope... we need to adjust the scope to account for range is because good ol‘ gravity tugs on the bullet. Or why we throw a grenade instead of lobbing it...

Of course, we don‘t THINK about this stuff in the classroom x+y=z sense, but it helps getting that *click*, "oh I get it"...

 

[Zenhachirou]

Whatup?

Er well, I'm 17 and in my last year of school, graduating in June, and have become pretty keen on joining the Army. Besides that, I won't give you my whole life story, just to make it easier for everyone.    Some of my questions are a little nondescript, so I couldn't search the archives as best as possible.

My questions are:

1. I'm contemplating becoming part of the Infantry in the Regulars. Where can I find more specific details about each regiment and battalion's roles? I'm not quite certain about what each's role is, and a lot of military sites either don't work or don't give me the details I'd like.
2. Am I allowed to select my regiment and battalion, or am I automatically assigned one? If you're automatically assigned one, I suppose that it'll make my "choice" a little easier, hehe.
3. Infantry roles are split up into Armoured, Artillery, and Combat Arms, right?

I think I have more questions, but I'm not sure how to word them, so I won't yet. Thanks for any help you can give me.  

 

[Zoomie]

Being an Infanteer, you would be in the Infantry, which is a Combat Arms. Armour, artillery and the engineers are also combat arms. They (along with other sub-elements) form up the Land Forces Command (ie ARMY) of the Canadian Forces.
Most probably the choice will be made for you, as to which Battalion of which Regiment you would be first posted to. If you want more information on each specific Regiment, try using google.ca and see what it has to offer.

good luck

 

[Illucigen]

Out of curiosity, I would assume youd need a civi license to get the military one?

 

[Illucigen]

If you are looking at RegFor Inf, you have the following possibilities for regiments.

- PPCLI (Edmonton, mostly)
- RCR (Petawawa, mostly)
- 22ieme *Vandoos* (Valcartier, Francophone regiment)

I say mostly, because in the reg for, you are regimented, but can be posted around for a multiple amount of reasons.

If you are into Armour then you could go to:

- Lord Strathcona‘s Horse (Edmonton)
- Dragoons (Pet)
- 12ieme (Francophone, valcartier)

Same thing, some of the regiments are posted around, ie 2nd Dragoons I think is in Gagetown.. could be wrong though.

Anyway, from my understanding, usually you are asked for a preference at the end of BRT and your score at the end of battle school usually entitles you (or not) to your preference, if there is space available.

 

[gate_guard]

Surprisingly, this isn‘t the case. I know guys who haven‘t gotten their civvy licence yet but do have 404s. Let‘s just say it was a steep learning curve for them.

 

[Zenhachirou]

Ah that makes sense now Zoomie. Thanks. I wasn‘t sure exactly how Combat Arms was divided up.

Anyway, from my understanding, usually you are asked for a preference at the end of BRT and your score at the end of battle school usually entitles you (or not) to your preference, if there is space available.

That‘s great then. So I‘ll be assigned there after I finish my BRT and MOC? (Or are those both the same thing if I pass my application process for Infantry?)

After I finish my Infantry training course, how do I go about taking an advanced course such as the Reconnaissance or Section Commander role training? I‘m offered the option to take an advanced role course provided I do well enough in the training, right?

 

[portcullisguy]

Zenhachirou, are you thinking of joining as a regular force member (full-time) or reserve force member (part-time)?

The other respondents have given you info about regular force.

For reserves, at least where I am, you are allowed to choose what regiment you would prefer. That regiment still has to accept you, because you will be on their training budget books if they take on new numbers. During the several years I was considering joining, I was in touch with recruiters from several reserve regiments. Finally when I had made my choice to join for sure, I already had a regiment in mind and they were looking for lots of people.

 

[DnA]

Zenhachirou
"3. Infantry roles are split up into Armoured, Artillery, and Combat Arms, right?"

no

The Combat Arms are made up of the Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Field Engineers, each of these are their own thing, their not under the infantry"

 

[DnA]

That‘s great then. So I‘ll be assigned there after I finish my BRT and MOC? (Or are those both the same thing if I pass my application process for Infantry?)

After I finish my Infantry training course, how do I go about taking an advanced course such as the Reconnaissance or Section Commander role training? I‘m offered the option to take an advanced role course provided I do well enough in the training, right?
___________________________

Once your done your QL2, your sent to your Regiment, assigned a BN, then put into PAT Platoon, then you wait there untill your sent onto your QL3, which yours would be Infantry, once your done that, your assigned into a Company within yourr Battalion, to go onto your QL4? specialty courses? like Recce, Mortar, Para, I would assume you tell somone, an fill a form requesting to goto that school, then you wait untill there‘s a free slot in that course for you to take.

 

[portcullisguy]

nbk: Our parents, and the older generation may still be familiar with and stick to values that are decades old, when it comes to their impression of the military. It is an impression based on a class system which was and is rampant throughout the military.

To some extent they are not far off.

Officers are not generally required to do a lot of physical labour, whereas NCM‘s are.

Both officers and NCM‘s are subject to the rule that the "new guys" get the dirty/hard jobs, and the people with the rank get to supervise.

There is no shame in being a "labourer" or doing the "grunt work". In fact, I believe it adds immeasureably to your character if you can do things for yourself and work as part of a team to accomplish a goal.

Those in my family who were in the military were all commissioned officers in the Royal Navy. My uncle was a sea cadet, played cricket and soccer (football), went to boarding school, and eventually became a Sea Harrier pilot. My grandfather, though he didn‘t join the navy, was an electrical engineer and retired as a Managing Director for a company you may be familiar with, as their subsidiary makes our gas mask filters: Racal Electronics Plc. In theory, I fall into a "class" that would have been expected to be an officer in the military. However, I don‘t feel with my education and lack of military experience that I would be an effective officer at this stage, befitting of a "gentleman". I had no problem making the decision to join as an NCM.

Besides, one doesn‘t need an officer‘s rank to behold the qualities of a gentleman. You simply need to act and follow a code of ethics, integrity and chivalry which places you above reproach.

And, anyway, you won‘t do the crap jobs forever, and life in the army (I don‘t think, anyway) isn‘t all back-breaking hard work.