Reserve Courses

[King]

O.K. I have heard so many different things about what Canadian Reservists can and can't take for courses that as usual I'm confused. First of all, how long would it take for a university student who has the summers off to complete the required basic training for an infantry unit?

As for the courses, I have heard of people paying money to take courses with foreign militaries but what does the Canadian Military officially sanction as courses that reserve infantry NCM's can take that are run by Canadians and take place in Canada? What kind of chances would one have of getting into some of these courses?

Thanks.

[Enfield]

Okay.. I'll try to make it strait for you.
To become a qualified Infanteer you need two courses. The first is General Military Training, known as QL2 - basic training or boot camp of you will. All Army Reservists take this course, and you may be mixed in with MP's and mechanics and Arty guys. It teaches the basics - C7 rifle, drill, military law, how to wear your uniform and brush your teeth, a little bit on living in the field. This course is done over the school year, on weekends and maybe a few evenings, and lasts a few months. Units run QL2 courses all year, to build up recruits for the summer.
The second course you need is the Infantry Course, which is a QL3. This course lasts all summer, and is full-time. You go away to a military base and work every day all day, though most bases give weekends off. QL3 is where you learn field stuff, weapons, patrolling, ambushes, cam, all that good stuff. When you finished QL3, you are a qualified Infanteer. After a few months in your unit - on the job training - you get your Private's hook.
Between QL2 and QL3 - since many QL2's end months before the summer - you can work with your unit. It varies by unit, but most units let their QL2 Qualified troops do just about everything the unit does.
After that, to reach Corporal, the next rank, you need two years in and a QL4 - another course, like Driver, or Mortar, or Machine guns.
The rest of your question I'm afraid I can't answer. I believe TonyM's the resident expert on foreign courses... =o)

Cheers, and good luck! Go down in a week or so and sign up, you can start pretty soon.

Enfield

[Cree Warrior]

Wainright this summer had an experimental QL2/3 course from June - Aug, (ends Friday) I'll give you the lowdown on that when they get back. (my buddy was course officer).
King, If you head down to winnipeg I've got some friends down there that can give you the lowdown and help you out alot.
email me @
jbwilson@ualberta.ca

PS Hows life in good ol The Pas?

Sua Sponte

[This message has been edited by Cree Warrior (edited 08-23-2000).]

[TonyM]

King-
Here's my 2 pesos, it's bit long winded, so bear with me.
The Reserves seem to be tailor made for students, so you're in luck there. Working stiffs have a bit more trouble with time off, etc. As for courses you can take (after you're QL3'd), here's my advice. When you are talking to someone from a unit you're looking to join ask this specific question "What is the (insert unit's name here) tasking within the Brigade?" This will be a big factor on courses (normally) made avilible to you. For instance, the Queens Own Rifles have an airborne tasking (good chance of jump course), the Rocky Mountain Rangers have a Recconaissance (I can never spell that right) tasking, so Recce courses will be avilible, etc. Watch out for units that have no specific tasking or, horror of horrors, are garrison or cerimonial units because other than Driver-Wheeled and Basic Comms, anything else will be on an funding opportunity and/or time served basis (meaning chances are slim). Also, look at locations of the nearest Reg force. This will tell you where / what you'll be doing for the majority of your training. Again as an example, our unit is "stranded" out on Vancouver Island, so we get to go to Ft Lewis in Washington, as opposed to units like the Calgary Highlanders or Loyal Ed Rgt who probably train in Wainwright with the PPCLI all the time because it's a couple of hours away. Find out what the RSS (Regular Support Staff) people in the unit are like. These guys are on the front line for deciding what you will be doing after your QL2/3. Talk to the RSM and the Platoon / Company commander. This may be the only chance to chat with them one-on-one, so now's the time to ask questions and get the answers you want. Ask for permission to go to the mess and chat with the lads. Some will shine you on, some may be helpful, but you'll get a good feel for the unit and what the chances are to get on that Airborne Scuba Night-Vision Hand to Hand Knife Fighting course are.

PS- If you do get on that course, take me with you.

[King]

It's still another year before I'm off to university and the reserves, but thank you for taking the time to reply to my questions.

Cree Warrior,

I'll be going in the Halifax area, mabye even Acadia. It very hot today in The Pas which was preceeded by a lot of cool fall weather. They re-painted all the stop lines on the roads so all day I had to drive around the blockades and take detours, life in a small town. When was the last time you where here?

As for the reserves, I start applying to schools next month so it's dependant on where I get in.

Thank You again.

[Cole]

Tony
I never knew about the tasking bit, maybe you can help me since this is your Brigade.
What is the tasking for the Royal Westminster Regiment and the Seaforth Highlanders; I am still contemplating either unit(living conditions have placed me smack dab in the middle)and I plan on contacting a recruiter on the first week of September.
Thanks

[TonyM]

I can't say what the current unit taskings are, but previously the Seaforths had a mortar platoon, so the tasking would have been to provide augumentation of reg force Weapons Platoon. I've asked around but nobody here knows what the Westies do. I did find out from one of our ex airborne guys that they used to have a jump platoon and were real hard core. But time's they are a changin'. Our ex CO is now the new DCO of 39 Bde and rumour has it (and aren't all rumours true?) that there's a Assault Pioneer and a Recce tasking up for grabs this year. We were recently issued two 10 man assault boats, so we'll watch and shoot. Ask before you join, if the unit tasking is "augument reg force with an infantry platoon", you most likely won't see much in the way of courses beyond a Drivers or Comms.

[FNG]

Hi King,

Just to add to what has already been said in terms of when QL2 and 3 courses run...

Most units will run QL2 courses throughout the year, but some may send you away to do it in the summer, and then send you to a QL3 course immediately after that.

If you are on a separate QL3 course, expect about 35 full days (don't count weekends) of training, maybe less. If you are taking the experimental QL2/3 course, it's about 24 days of training for the QL3 portion I believe.

If somehow you can choose which program to do, take the separate QL2 and QL3 courses. The QL2/3 course guys didn't learn the C6 or the 84mm, and they only had 4 days in the field.