Verification of Former Service (VFS) [Merged]

[maple_leaf_forever]

Question:

After your initial 3 year enlistment in the CF do you have to enlist for another 3 years after that ? or can you just go by the year after that ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ron]

I am planning to re-enlist in the military. After 20 years as a TelOp212 (now SigOp215) I just found out that my experience does not count for anything! I have been out of the military for 6 years and will obviously need training to upgrade my skills. Just being given" recruit school bypass‘ is an insult to my career and the years I served. In hindsight, I wish I had never been released. To start over as a recruit is going to be hard but that is what I have to do I guess.
Ron

 

[towhey]

Following an initial 3 year Basic Engagement, most soldiers who re-enlist do so on a second 3-year Basic Engagement.

After that, they may be offered an "Intermediate Engagement", essentially to the 20 year service point. (i.e. about 14 more years)

At some point during that 20 years they may be offered an opportunity to convert to an "Indefinite Period of Service" that will take them to compulsory retirement age.

 

[para]

What did you expect I mean 6 years is a big gap especially in the sigs world just thimk of the technology.
I have served with guys that have got out and had to go back to basic with only 3 yrs. out.
feel lucky that they let you back in at all.

 

[kowalski]

you should be given some amount of credit for your time in service.ive known some reservists and they were credited for their reserve service.besides after 6 years there must have been a few changes.anyway welcome back!

 

[Soldier of Fortune]

Does anybody know if when you get a transfer from reserve to reg what happens to your rank and stuff. I‘ve been told that your experience insn‘t really worth much if you decide you want to go reg from reserve...

 

[the patriot]

When you transfer from the Reserve Force to the Regular Force, your time in the reserves does count. It depends on the offer you receive from CFRC and the regiment you‘ll be serving with. It all comes down to what courses you‘ve had and how many year of OJT (on the job training) experience you‘ve had. You may be transferred in kind without it effecting your rank, or you might be knocked down a rank.

-the patriot-

 

[Shrapnel]

Knocked down a rank?

I didn‘t know they did that....
I always thought that was considered a "bad" thing.

I get sworn in to the Reserves next week.

I was thinking of joining the Reserves for a bit to see what the army was like and if I like it, I might sign up for the Reg Forces.

 

[enfield]

For the Infantry....
Reg to Reserve: Everything counts, but what rank they make you depends on their needs - ie, they may not need another sergeant major or Colonel. But Reserve units are usualy anxious to take advantage of Reg Force experience.

Reserve to Reg: Your time in counts towads your pension. Other than that, it matters jack ****. If you get a Reg course - like Jump, and last summer‘s Recce course was Reg Force - it still counts, but Militia courses don‘t.
If you go on a tour your not allowed to go to Battle School, you go strait to Regiment.
If you have massive amounts of time in and experience you might get to keep some rank. For example, my QL3 instructor, a sergeant with a tour in the Golan and lots of time in, transferred over and became a corporal.

 

[Shrapnel]

Originally posted by Enfield:
[qb]
If you have massive amounts of time in and experience you might get to keep some rank. For example, my QL3 instructor, a sergeant with a tour in the Golan and lots of time in, transferred over and became a corporal.[/qb]

Thanks for the info.

I have two more questions though- when you transfer from reserves to reg forces, is it a smooth transition or do you have to quit one first then join the other? What about from reg forces to reserves?

 

[Deleted member 585]

Wow, have things changed here! I haven‘t posted since 1998. In any case, I‘m applying to the Regs too, but only been out of the Reserves for 2.5 years. Hope it works out for us.

Good luck Ron!

 

[aurawolf]

I could use some help. I just recieved my compenent transfer. I am an infantry reserve private with 4 RCR, and I am going sigs215, but they gave me a recruit school by-pass. Theoretically a good thing, but I have only been in since the end of June this year and the only training I have is my 2/3‘s from the summer I did in Meaford. But the training was a little hurried. They left out alot of important things!! I have never been gassed, I didn‘t do a battle fitness test, the longest I have ever ruck-marched is 7 kliks, I only even wore a gas mask once. For goodness sakes I have never even done a night nav! I am hiker so I can but I didn‘t do one in training! My infantry course didn‘t teach me the gutov or the c6, and I havent done a swim test. I have never even been in shacks before (we stayed in Mods). I was just informed that I am shipping out on Jan 7th, and sometime between then and the 7th of mar. I am taking a driver wheel, then I start my sigs course. Which means there is no time to request a basic. Does anyone have an idea as to how I can make up the training o

 

[para]

All I have to say is the recruiter is odviously pushing you through because there was probably a shortage or a lack af recriuts for this course.
My advice is just go with it and let your insructors know (pick a time to talk in confidence) of your short comings (don‘t andvertise it) and you may recieve more training. Just worry about the course you are on at the time and you will have time to learn from the people on course with you to help you. And you might have some infantry skills these sigs guys may lack :bullet: bullet :bullet: bullet :bullet:

 

[RCA]

Your main concern should be passing your trade’s course. Concentrate on that. Once posted, when you are required to do skills you are not familiar with, put up your hand and say (honestly you haven‘t done it/not familiar with it.) You will get the benefit of the doubt and someone should/will help you out. At this point it will not hurt you admitting that you don‘t know something, As a Pte you are not expected to know/remember everything and with the training system being what it is, not unexpected. When someone shows how it is done soak it in and learn.

Don‘t worry. As I said before at this point in time, it is important to learn your trade, the rest will come from learning and experience.

 

[rolandstrong]

I have been waiting for 9 months for my VFS. I served with the Seaforth Highlanders in the mid 90‘s as an ncm, and am now seeking my commission. Thing is, I haven‘t even been contacted by CFRC to do my aptitude tests, fitness or medical yet. Courses start in 3.5 months, and i am still waiting to see if I will even be a competitive candidate.

Nine months seems rediculous to me. Is this a typical delay...do they need a VFS before they can even find out if I fit their profile? How long does this VFS take?

 

[Michael OLeary]

Sadly, 9 months for a VFS is probably not that unusual. The VFS seems to be one of the things that will slow the processing of a file more than any other single item. I have been told it‘s primarily a problem of too many requests and too few hands in the applicable shop in NDHQ. And, from what I have seen, the CFRC won‘t conduct further processing until they have the VFS. The best thing you can do is contact the CFRC regularly, at least weekly and in person if possible (it‘s always easier to brush someone off by phone), so that they know who you are and that you are ready for the next stage as soon as the VFS arrives.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Took over a year to process my VFS when I rejoined, I even handed them a complete certified true copy of my UER, encompassing my total Reg and Res career. Good luck!

 

[SpinDoc]

As I understand it, they‘re working on computerizing all the current CF personnel records and VFS time will be cut drastically eventually, esp. if you left the service recently.

 

[rolandstrong]

damn. that‘s crazy.

And i thought 9 months was a long time...

Recceguy, when you say one year, do you mean you were parading after one year?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Nope, that‘s how long the VFS took. Then I had to bug them and argue with them in order to go on summer training with the Regt. After all that, they said I had been out too long and I had to start as a corporal. It was their ****ing around that put me over the time limit in the first place. Don‘t expect any favours or miracles. It‘s easier to come from a former Soviet Bloc country, with landed immigrant status and join. You‘ll get in much faster and easier than if you had prior service in OUR military.