Pathfinder Course

[Enfield]

Check it out... Reservists on Pathfinder.
www.dnd.ca/menu/Feature_Story/2001/13sept01_f_e.htm (http://www.dnd.ca/menu/Feature_Story/2001/13sept01_f_e.htm)

[garett]

The greatest course of all courses. I was told a few weeks ago that a guy on Phase 3 from the Queen's Own is on it.

[enderr]

Yeah, there are only two reservists on the course, and they are both Lieutenants from the QOR. Both are really switched on, and the plan is to allocate two spots to the Queen's Own annually provided that the candidates are competent. The reason two officers were sent is so the QOR can run a recce course next year. We usually get follower spots, but I have yet to hear anything, apparently the Hasty P's sent some followers last year that were right out to lunch.

[DonK]

A Sgt I work with was down there late last week instructing them...they lost four guys in four days...and the 5 US Rangers who are on course were sucking serious wind... He spoke with one of the staff, and if what he heard was true, the cost of the course is unbelievable... I hope that they can afford to keep it running on a more or less consistant basis....

[garett]

Yeah I think one of those Lt's is Slack. Don't really know the guy personally but he looks like a tough fucker. Those fuckin QOR assholes. The only MO unit worth being in.

[pete]

I really hope that the pathfinder course will be kept in the military. In the forces today you need to have specialized courses or trades that require "elite" individuals to do the job. This sort of course really gives soldiers something to push for. So i think that IF they ever wanted to get rid of a course like the pathfinder course, they would be INSANE. Anyways thats so sweet that they are running course still. Hopefully there is more and more of this sort of thing taking place in the armed forces.

[enderr]

Heh, thanks for the comment. I just love that feeling I get when someone calls us "Queen's Own Bastards", or "all you airborne guys are assholes". I mean it almost brings a tear to my eye, it's too bad that 32Bde HQ is shite, and couldn't plan a good brigade exercise if their life depended on it.

[murphquake]

Guys,
A little help on the northern acronyms? ya lost me on like half of it. TIA!!
-bill

[Enfield]

Originally posted by murphquake:
Guys,
A little help on the northern acronyms? ya lost me on like half of it. TIA!!
-bill

Alright...here goes.
QOR - Queen's Own Rifles, a reserve infantry unit in Toronto that is the only airbornbe-tasked reserve unit in Canada.

MO- also "Mo'", Mo-litia. Refers to the Militia, another name for the Army Reserves.

Recce- Recon

Pathfinder - well, fairly obvious, but there's a bit more to it. It's considere dthe course to end all courses, and means more than the US version - think of it as the Ranger or SF course.

Hasty P's - a reserve unit in Ontario called the 'Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, after the counties it's in.

Phase 3 - the third part of officer training
Anyways, murphquake, the jist of this thread is that a athfinder course is being run by the Canbadian Army - these are a little rare now - and that for the first time we're aware of, some reservists are on. And most of us are jealous because the QOR gets all the slots. Last Pathfinder had a US SF sergeant on it.

[TonyM]

"it's too bad that 32Bde HQ is shite, and couldn't plan a good brigade exercise if their life depended on it."

Ha! Same-Same over here.

Anyone going over for the Swiss Raid Commando? We not only got shot down, I was almost shot at dawn over it. One of our Sgt's really got the bamboo under the fingernails from the CO. Seems like the Swiss military are taboo.

[FNG]

TonyM, you seem to have had better luck with US based training arrangements. Perhaps your unit would be less anal about an EIB test? It's no Cambrian Patrol, but maybe it will be more politically acceptable.

Anyone here know anything about the Northern European Infantry Competition?

[TonyM]

Is that the one called "Operation LYNXCLAW"? If it is, I got them to get a German Army Major to invite us through our military attache in Paris. Still didn't work.

Might be a good time for some cross-border training, the spending sure has gone up done south. Hope we get some spin-off here.

[FNG]

Have no idea about Op. Lynx Claw. I only just got the name of NEIC in an article. Might have been the Brit "Soldier" magazine. No details were given.

[murphquake]

Thank you very much Enfield!
-bill

[FNG]

More on the current Pathfinder course. Turns out the Reserve Lt. is a Cameron.
http://www.dnd.ca/menu/maple/vol_4/vol4_33/army8-9.pdf

[pete]

Thats pretty cool, looking at the pictures, the guy from PPCLI has a carabiner on his rifle. Does anybody know why?

[FNG]

We are sometimes required to secure our weapons to the assault boat so they don't get lost if the boat flips. I would have thought that pathfinders would want their weapons at the ready though...

[garett]

I used one this summer during our defensive phase to secure my C-9 to myself because our staff liked to steal them, then yell at us, then throw them about 20m and tell us to go get them.

[TonyM]

Put your snap link on your webbing harness shoulder loop. Get rid of that sling, tape up the front swivel. Use a small amount of webbing or para cord on the back sling attachment to hook your weapon into your 'biner when needed. Presto. Good for FIBUA, boat ops, vehicles, patrolling, everything. Weapon hangs muzzle down with pistol grip right by your hand.



[This message has been edited by TonyM (edited 09-25-2001).]

[King]

OOOOOOOH!

I'm getting into the Cameron's and now I know why. Maybe one day, years down the road......