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What not to do - No excuse BMQ tips [Merged]

Just got back from my BMNQ and what a great experience it was.  I realized very quickly that the things I was worried about before leaving (and the questions that are asked over and over on this site) were largely irrelevant.  For the people worried about what to bring, just bring what they tell you to bring and a positive attitude.  Don't worry about how the best ways to polish your boots or other tricks for inspections, they will show you what they want when you get there.  When other people in your platoon mess up and cause more work for everyone, do it with a smile and without judgment.  Keep the positive attitude throughout the course and help everyone else do the same.  STAY LOUD!  Even when your tired, keeping the volume up for everything will help motivate you and your platoon mates and bring your spirits and pride back even during the most trying times.  Most importantly, have fun.  This can be one of the best experiences of your life if you let it.  Keep your chin up through it all, work together, and help those that need help and you will also finish with great friends and memories that will last a lifetime.
 
A person I went to Highschool with did BMQ in 2012 and saw Im heading to BMQ this month, he sent me this message and I thought Id just pass it along seeing as there are a lot of people who want to gain as much different insites as they can! :)

WARNING: He DOES use the odd swear word if anyone is offended by that, but then again joining the forces I hope you can handle it


Well you don't need to bring a whole pile of civvie stuff, you're not going to get a chance to wear them much until you're off of indoc once you get your kit issued, which I think is day 2 or 3. Just show up in a clean pair of jeans, no rips or crap in them, and a comfy shirt/sweater, you'll be getting right off a plane and going to the base.

Just don't show up looking like a bag of crap, you're making your first impressions on the people that'll be running your life for the next 12ish weeks. We had a guy show up with a greasey little faux hawk, and the MCpl's called him twilight for the entire course, and they picked on him extra during inspections and drill.

A couple tips for when you get there:

- Have doubles of everything you'll have in terms of shower kit. It makes inspections easy, I remember the MCpl checking the cap in my shampoo and seeing residue and getting crap for it. I didn't learn this lesson until SQ, so use it now. You'll be allowed a kit bag under your bunk, keep the kit you're going to use in there.

- Have a green shirt, a pt shirt and a pair of boxers that you never wear. Fold them perfectly, and never ever move them after. Keep them on the top of the pile. Our staff generally didn't check any shirts but the top ones. Mileage may vary though, I doubt my staff are still there.

- Your parade boots will look like crap for the first like 6 weeks, don't worry when the staff chew you up for it. They take a loooong time to look good.

- Find people that are good at the stuff you're not. For example, I'm pretty terrible at kit maintenance in general, so I had a shirt guy, a boots guy, and a guy to help me with my bunk. I don't imagine you'll have someone to do all your crap but it never hurts. On that same note, if someone asks for help with something you're good at, give them a hand. If one person on the course is a crap pump it ****s the whole course.

- Don't be a crap pump. Do your part when it comes to station jobs. Don't be the ******* asking one more question at 5 when everyone wants to get back to their bunks and get their crap ready for tomorrow.

- There's going to be moments where you'll say to yourself, 'frig this crap, I want to quit.' While the army isn't for everyone, if you quit because you think it's too hard, you're selling yourself short. The entire course is a head game, and most courses afterwards are too. You have to pretty much be the little engine that could. Just keep driving the body, never quit. You'll be exhausted, tired, pissed off. You'll probably end up hating people on your course and you can't stand them. DON'T QUIT. The only way to fail basic is to be maximum crap pump. If you fail tests, they give you like 3 redoes per. Don't sweat anything too much. It's all about getting through.

- I don't know what the current policy is in terms of electronics. When I was there we were allowed our cell phones only at night. You won't have a lot of time to be on your phone, and you won't have weekends off til after indoc. You can bring a laptop if you want to, there's terrible wifi in the mess but that's about it. We couldn't use laptops except for weekends. A guy got caught with his and everyone lost their electronics for the week. Don't be that guy.

- It'll take a little while to get the little things down, like making sure your combat boots look ok, and making sure your locker and everything else is inspection ready, but unless your staff are total dickweeds, they'll tell you what you need to work on.

- Bring swiffer pads, and a swiffer broom. It makes life soooo much easier. LOTS OF SWIFFER dusting pads. The Mega is a shitty old building. No matter how well you dust pre-inspection there'll be a coat of dust on everything by the time your MCpl gets to you. They know it too, so just do your best to stay on top of it.

At the end of the day, it's just a course. I showed up not even slightly prepared physically, pt was a major drag for me, especially at 5am. But I made it through. The most important thing is to keep a positive attitude and never give up. And that applies to any course you'll ever take. There'll be days where it's nothing but a total **** fest, filled with unending pushups or drill practice, don't get too down about it. When you finish, you'll be proud to have made it through. You'll do things that none of your friends will ever get to do or even could do, things you never thought you could do. You'll make friendships that will help you to get through the course, and you'll have them forever. And then all the bullshit will seem worth it.

Plus actual life once you're out of the training system is nothing like course life. I have a 9-5 monday to friday job in an office. That's life unless you're attached to a combat arms unit, but that's not very likely seeing as how you're going chair force, and you probably wouldn't get a posting like that in your first contract anyway.
 
Prepare yourself well before go there. Like learn how to use compass and AR15 rifle, Learn how to swim if  you don't know how, start jogging in the morning, do push-up and chin-up every day.....Army will "help" you, but it could be very unpleasant especially when you are lack of sleeping....
 
uzi said:
Like learn how to use compass and AR15 rifle,

I disagree with this point.  The purpose of the training is to teach you how to do this.  If you teach yourself (learning from the internet/friends) you might learn either the wrong stuff or how to do drills in a way that is different from the Canadian Forces way.  In the case of the AR15 you can find all sorts of drills on how to load and ready the weapon and they all work but they are not all the way that the CF does it. It is a lot harder to learn things if you have to unlearn previous things.  Your staff are trained how to teach you to use the rifle let them do their job.  They are expecting you to know nothing when you arrive.  Spend your prep time doing stuff like Uzi said doing PT and getting your personal life in order.
 
Well definitely learn from serious source. Especially most military training materials are online. Practice shooting skill will be 100% helpful. But still listen to your staff, and don't argue or show off.
 
uzi said:
Well definitely learn from serious source. Especially most military training materials are online. Practice shooting skill will be 100% helpful. But still listen to your staff, and don't argue or show off.

How about don't show up with bad habits learned from online materials and what you think are serious sources. 
 
B-GL-385-001, manual from the compass manufacture, m16m4 operator's manual etc...
 
Stop now.

There is a system in place to train people properly.

You are not it.

Stop.
 
Things I point out are from the "system" not made by myself or backyard cowboy, Ok
 
uzi said:
Things I point out are from the "system" not made by myself or backyard cowboy, Ok

Please.  Where you stepped on your dick, is when you stated they should practice with an AR 15.  You obviously have no knowledge or experience to make such an assine statement.

In future, please refrain from such stupid remarks or advice.
 
Cause I touch some people's stupid pride and professionalism? Same thing can only be spoken out from someone's mouth, but not read and learn by others on their own.
 
uzi said:
Cause I touch some people's stupid pride and professionalism? Same thing can only be spoken out from someone's mouth, but not read and learn by others on their own.

If I'm not mistaking there is difference between the C7 and M16. Besides, BASIC Military Qualification course is meant to give you all of the BASICS you need to know for military service learning… if you need to learn it, it will be taught so there is no need to spend time learning something the wrong way since it will not help you in the end, in fact it might harm your progress.
 
uzi said:
Cause I touch some people's stupid pride and professionalism? Same thing can only be spoken out from someone's mouth, but not read and learn by others on their own.

No, because you are going to cause problems for anybody foolish enough to take your "advice".

Why should they even bother to go to BMQ at all? Why don't they just get an RPAL and fork out a wad of cash for a rifle, buy a bunch of other kit, download some publications, and watch some Youtube clips instead?

And what, pray tell, is wrong with professionalism? That is what keeps people alive, and makes them effective.

You are a twit. And, no, that is not a personal attack. It is a straightforward statement of fact.
 
uzi said:
Cause I touch some people's stupid pride and professionalism? Same thing can only be spoken out from someone's mouth, but not read and learn by others on their own.

Please enlighten us as to where you've acquired knowledge as to the best way to prepare for recruit courses.

Recruit courses are designed to prepare someone who has never put on a uniform for a career in the military. Pay attention throughout the course, do what your instructors tell you to do, and follow common sense. Even with minor injuries, never having looked at a weapon before, and zero fieldcraft, someone who wants to be there will probably pass. Particularly if they make an attempt at physical fitness prior to going on course. Physical fitness will help them avoid injuries, which jeopardize their ability to effectively learn lessons even if they don't directly disqualify them from course.

A zealot who believes they know everything has likely learned something wrong. They can trip themselves up sorting out what they learned differently from what's being taught to them on course. You are given the time and the tools to learn something from scratch.
 
Those of you talking about cheating obviously have never heard of Cpt.Kirk's solution to the no-win scenario...
 
Jamzes said:
Those of you talking about cheating obviously have never heard of Cpt.Kirk's solution to the no-win scenario...

It's a fucking science fiction movie, not real life.
 
It was a tongue in cheek response, however; the psychology behind the scenario is real. It is asking if we have deterministic control (Kirk) over our lives or is it a version of theological determinism (Spock) where you must accept that you can not always effect a desirable outcome. What comes from that is the very definition of cheating. If you accept that you have no control over certain conditions then you must accept that kind of "Spock Determinism". If, however; you accept that you should exercise every control that you can muster over your circumstances then you believe that you have absolute control. It really is the hallmark of intelligence to be able to work within a defined system (military rules,regulations) and still be able to use creativity to make your situation better. The reality is there will always be constraints on your choices but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to break out of those constraints. Just like locks are meant to keep the honest people out, rules are there to keep the honest people challenged. It is far easier to blatantly break a rule or smash a window but that's not very creative. :subbies:
 
:facepalm:

Stop watching "Big Bang Theory";  some of it is leaking out of your head.

Sheldon_cooper_spock-41675976.jpg


Jamzes said:
The reality is there will always be constraints on your choices but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to break out of those constraints   when I talk like this around normal people they start to drool, and if I do this during kit and quarters at night during BMQ, someone will eventually tape my mouth shut and tie me to my bed! :subbies:

There...added some *reality* for you.  Nanu nanu.
 
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