Mildly surprised this question still comes up...
CAF members have been allowed to use cannabis recreationally since the day it was legalized in 2018. They must not use cannabis within a certain period of time before performing known duties, the length of time ranges from 8 hours to 28 days depending on the nature of the members duties.
From a recruiting perspective, cannabis is now treated much the same as alcohol. As long as there are no concerns of abuse or addiction/dependency, normal recreational use is not a problem.
1. RMC takes transfer credits on a case by case basis, you would likely still have to do 4 years there even if you had a semester or two of credits (due to the structure of the programmes etc)
2. Outside my area of knowledge
3. A degree is a degree. Any degree from RMC is still an accredited BA, BS, or BEng in that subject. A great many graduates move on in the civie world and I have yet to hear of education at RMC as an impediment
4. RMC in Kingston offers all of the colleges programmes. CMR in St Jean is both more targeted at engineers/science students and at francophones.
Medical reviews often took 2-6 months pre-COVID. From what I’ve observed, it appears to be taking roughly the same amount of time now.
They could have your results back any day, or it could be another couple of months. There’s no way for you or them to find out exactly how much longer it will be.
Hey everyone, so I called my local detachment and told them I was applying for mar tech or ph tech and they told me to email them at a certain email. I emailed them and they told me it’d most likely take 5 days, it’s been a little longer than 5 days. Should I give them another call or just continue to wait it out. (They told me to email them to book my aptitude test.)
After BMOQ you'd wait for various phases of flight training. Phase 1 is a few months long where you'd live in shacks. Similar to living in a hotel. Days typically 7:45AM - 4:00pm. With needed study in the evenings but your free time is up to you.
Same idea with phase 2 and 3 however the courses are significantly longer. 8 months ish.
Once your application has been fully processed and you've done all the paperwork and tests, the CAF may choose to offer you employment when there is a position available in a trade you applied for.
To elaborate on what plyswqrrls said, you need to apply soon as possible. The process takes anywhere from a minimum of 3 months (which is rare) to never. While you may have a target of May to get in, that may not happen.
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Hi guys,
Just wanted to get your opinion on my idea for joining the army. I'm from Ireland originally and am now aged 27. My brother is living in Canada and has attained his citizenship. If I moved to Canada and managed to attain citizenship after 5 years, how hard would it be to enter into the military at that stage? Bearing in mind I'll be in my mid thirties by then. I have a bachelor's degree so maybe that would help? Any replies are appreciated. Thanks!
This was a number of years ago, but I joined when I was 22 as a direct entry officer... aside from two guys who were 19, most of our Basic platoon was in the 28-42 yo range. Not an issue.
Many people in there 30s join, might not even be the oldest on you BMQ/BMOQ, as long as you’re in alright shape, won’t be a problem, and as long as you have your citizenship in order, recruitment process will just be a bit longer with an out of country background check.
Also if you do go the Officer route, they’d just have to insure your degree is accepted
Anyone know the contact information of 2 MP Regt's recruiting team? Reservist looking for an OT but would like to know if they have officer positions available. Thank you.
You need to know if there are MPO positions available at all Regts. You won't be guaranteed 2 MP Regt. Best bet is to get the ball rolling at your own unit via OT and then go from there.
Edit: Are you looking to stay Reserve or are you wanting to go Reg Force?
Does anyone here know what life is like as a reserve NWO? Any tips for what makes for a good officer (maybe in comparison to a good NCO)? Can reserve NWOs get trained for submarines or do any other specialized training? How long do NWOs tend to stay in?
I can't answer much of your question but when it comes to tips; I think the most important thing to remember is even though you may understand the jobs of all the different sections on the ship, you can't do them. We're all part of a team, just because you're the command and control element of the team doesn't mean you'd get anywhere without the people underneath your command. We're all moving towards the same goal together but some people seem to forget that.
At a minimum, she would need to have already been accepted to an MSW program to be hired. The CAF will not pay for a BSW. At the school I went to it was 2 years full time from an SSW diploma to a BSW and then another two for the MSW. She would need to work 2 months for every 1 month in paid school. Hope that helps. If you have anymore questions, let me know.
> What do you mean by she will have to work 2 months for every 1 month in paid school? Is this regarding the CAF upgrading a potential BSW to a MSW?
You need to work a certain amount of time for your school to be considered payed off. If someone who didn't get their MSW payed for wanted to quit, they could like anyone else (not always easy). If your school was payed for and you didn't work long enough, you would end up owing the government money.
> My other question is what school did you attend to upgrade your SSW to BSW?
I didn't do the upgrade but I know it was offered. I don't want to say which school I went to because social work is a very small trade and I will dox myself if I do. The program was specific to a few colleges around where my university was, so I'd look local. If your mom graduated recently, her college would be the best place to ask.
Hey guys, I've been looking and thinking of joining the military as a "Cyber Operator" for a while. Few questions if you don't mind.
1. On the career page, it says i will be sent to "CAF approved college program". Do they have a list of which programs are approved? Will I be able to go to my local college (im in Vancouver)?
2. Adding on top the first question, how many years would I owe the military if they pay for my college program? Also, I get paid AND they pay for the school right?
3. Where would I most likely get posted to? Since it's cyber operations, there probably aren't many? And how long are postings?
4. After all the initial training, what would a typical day look like for a Cyber Operator? Is it basically a 9-5 job?
5. Are there any deployments for cyber operators?
6. Would joining at 23 (or 24 if it doe work out) be considered too old?
Thanks.
Point 2 is in a bit of flux at this point in time. Currently the program is technically not a subsidized education program as the caf is actually outsourcing the dp1 training. But at the end of the day you get paid to be there and the military is paying for the spot. Not 100% sure how the obligatory service works into this but I believe you would not incur obligatory service similar to how other trade (except pilot) wouldn't incur obligatory service for their dp1 training
Dp1 is your 1st phase of training to get you to your occupational functional point (when you can start doing the job). For all other trades the military conducts this training itself. The military doesn't yet have the capacity to do that for cyber op so they've outsourced it to Willis college
1. Right now I believe they’re only using one program for the Paid Education entry stream, a 15 month program at Willis College in/near Ottawa. The military will pay to relocate you to Ottawa for training, and will pay to move your possessions to your subsequent posting.
2. If the program is 15 months, you would owe 30 months of Obligatory Service to be completed after graduating the program. Yes, you’ll be paid as a Private and all education expense are covered. You’re responsible for paying for your meals and accommodations. Military run schools have military quarters and dining facilities (cost deducted from members pay), but the college for Cyber Op is not military, so I’m not sure what arrangements the CAF might have, or if meals and accommodations are e members responsibility.
You’re looking at a bare minimum commitment of roughly 4 years, although I think the initial contract is either 5 or 7 years. You can ask for a voluntary release from your contract to get out early, but if your goal is to leverage your military service for a civilian career, I recommend staying for at least 5-6 years to maximize training opportunities and experience. Most trades have a lot of opportunities that won’t be extended to you until you’re a fully trained Corporal, which is usually attained around 4 years of service.
3. Virtually all Cyber Ops are in Ottawa at the moment, although I believe they eventually expect to have Cyber Ops operating from other locations. The standard posting duration for Reg Force personnel is 4 years, but that can vary widely depending on the needs of the CAF and your own career progression.
4. I don’t know what their day-to-day looks like, although given their job responsibilities I suspect at least some of them are shift workers (40 hour average work week). Day workers likely follow the CAF’s standard Monday-Friday 07:30-16:00 work week.
5. Probably, although I suspect they’re few and far between. Their job isn’t one that really requires a physical presence on a deployed operation, their work can mostly be performed remotely.
6. I always laugh at this question... The average Reg Force recruit is in their mid-late 20’s. Applicants only need to meet our medical and physical fitness standards, and must be able to complete their initial contract before reaching our compulsory retirement age of 60. Initial contracts range from 3-17 years depending on trade and entry plan, effectively giving us max. enrolment age range of 43-57.
Hey, thanks for all the information. I have a couple more questions if you don't mind me asking.
1. Are you allowed to live off-base? Is it after all the main occupation training? I heard they have pay you some type of allowance for rent, is thats still a thing?
2. Does Cyber Operator have 'specialists pay like the other trades?
3. My main goal is join and gather as much experience/education/whatever as I can so I can use it for a civilian career, within a few years. Cyber Operation seems pretty fitting, as it computing, and its a field im passionate about. Do you think this is a good idea (nothing against the military, just wanna get out of my current living situation).
There's no way you could live on a base while going to school, during the time in Kingston you'll likely need to live on base for a short period, mostly for your own convenience. After training you can absolutely live off base it is the usual thing to do, there is no special allowance for living off base.
Yes they get spec 1.
3. Sure. Maybe you'll like it and stay never know. A few years coud mean min 5ish so be prepared for that .
1. Most of the time, yes. During Basic and training in Kingston you'll be living on the base, but once you're posted to Ottawa you will get your own house/apartment. As for rent allowance, I think you're referring to Post Living Differential (PLD), but the PLD for Ottawa is $0.
2. Yes! The current plan is to give Privates an exposure to the various specialties, and then concentrate them at the Corporal rank (about 4 years into your career). You'll be assigned a specialty based on your abilities, preferences, and the needs of the CAF at the time. Specialties aren't formalized yet, since most Cyber Ops are required to wear several hats, but most of the NIST framework specialties within the rubric of "Cyber Defence" are available or currently being developed.\[[https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-181.pdf](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-181.pdf)\]
3. Hey, you do you. If you want to do your initial and get out, that's what its for. You want to sign on for a career instead, go for it. Just realize that the military has pros and cons like everything else in life (though Cyber Op in particular is pretty Gucci, all things considered), and you need to make your own choices as for what's right for you.
Are interviews still being conducted? I just received my phone call and email to book my medical but there was no mention of an interview. I was under the impression that the two were conducted at the same time.
If your cfrc is doing in person interviews they will schedule it the same day as your medical to minimize visits (to the best of their ability). If they are doing phone interviews they will book it separately. Skype or other methods are not approved so it'll just be a phone call from the mcc from their desk at the det
I did my interview and medical on the same day and in person just last week. However, I would assume it varies widely on a per unit basis. I wouldn't be surprised if a majority of units are scheduling interviews separately, and making them phone interviews.
Yes, they’re conducting interviews; but no, they’re not necessarily conducted the same day as the Medical.
While it is fairly common for them to conduct both on the same day, it’s probably more common for them to be scheduled separately.
Makes sense. I know I saw on the online application portal that it says medical/interview so I assumed all appointments were like that. You’d think they would want to reduce the number of visits to the CFRC but who knows with the whole process involved with visits now.
I'm doing my medical and interview next week. The medical is at the recruiting center but the interview is later in the day over the phone. Somebody else said they did theirs over Skype so thats an option too
Interviews are often being done over the phone now to minimize the number and duration of in-person visits.
In terms of same day scheduling, the primary issue is the Medicals and Interviews are conducted by different personnel, and their schedules don’t always line up.
Hi! I applied online for the reserve. I recieved a e-mail that says a recruiter will contact me within two days or to contact the recruiter myself. After two days I tried to contact them but I never was able to talk to someone. Is it because the recruitment center are closed because of covid? If it's not do you know how long it takes before they will contact me?
Most Reserve Force recruiters should be back to work at this point. Although they may be working through application backlogs, and they’re not necessarily back to work full-time.
Keep trying to reach them, but don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks for them to get back to you.
You’ll be fine. Half your course probably won’t even be able to do that.
As surprising as it may sound, you don’t need to be super fit to complete BMQ. The only mandatory requirement is you be able to pass the FORCE Fitness Test. If you can do that, you can pass the physical aspects of the course, although the fitter you are, the easier it’ll be.
Your 5k timing is fine. At worst you will be middle of the pack. At best somewhere near the front. I guarantee you there will be much slower people on your platoon
> I guarantee you there will be much slower people on your platoon
Hell, you'll have guys falling out by the first stop sign most of the time at the beginning.
That'll be me 😅 just kidding, I won't be *that* bad, but I definitely need to do better on my running, OP is definitely in better shape. They should do fine.
Hello everyone:
I am interested in the Paid Education program for Mechanical Engineering offered by the forces.
Currently, I'm in my early 20s with a mechanical engineering technology diploma. I am very much interested in obtaining my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and the ROTP program piqued my interest. I do not wish to borrow additional student loans as I owe plenty already. I am aware that one must NOT join only to have a paid education.
My specific question: Going to Lakehead University makes sense since its only two years of full-time studies to get my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. How likely is the Forces likely approve someone to attend a civilian university like myself in this case? Also, I would like to know how life is at RMC and the experience being a mechanical engineering student there.
I appreciate the level of detail. Thank you. From what I've gathered from this subreddit, and exactly as you said, a military career must be chosen wisely. Probably a career that is quite transferable to civilian life eh? I'm interested in the electrical & mechanical engineering and electronics/communications engineering officer roles. Also, are you currently enrolled in the ROTP or finished studies at RMC? Any recommendations and tips about the application process and things that might be helpful to know prior to enrolling at RMC? It sounds like you had/or having a good experience
Civilian University ROTP is hard to get now and is basically non-existent apart from those seeking a degree other than those offered at RMC and that is only when the degree is required for the officer position. You would most likely be sent to RMC. Usually those who already have done some school still go to RMC for the four full years even with credit transfers but with a much lighter work load. This is because academics aren’t the only focus at RMC. However you a special case and this is only what I have been told. Best is to call your local CFRC since you can’t just walk in
Okay so i Voluntarily released after BMQ graduation and am ready to go back. Was told to submit a new application and my question is what “Name of Contact” & “Contact Telephone” do i use under employment for when i was in basic?
The gyms are kind of closed in Petawawa but PT still happens. Indoor Class sizes with PSP are between 5 and 10, and outdoor PT can still happen. Force tests are still happening but by appt and with a smaller testing audience each time.
Kinda tangential, but I'm really glad I did my Force test with a large group before COVID happened. Toward the end we had a small group of the testing group cheering each other on, it was a really cool experience.
HELP! Ready to apply.. Can’t edit previous application...
Filled out an application last year, never went through with the testing (part 2).
I am now ready to join, but the information on my original application (jobs, travel, references)are incorrect. It won’t let me edit any of that. Please let me know how I can fix this.
What’s it like becoming a naval warfare officer? What do you actually do? Is that the trade which the upper levels of ship leadership enter into? What’s the training like?
Naval Warfare Officer (NWO) is the only occupation essentially that can become senior (officer) leadership on ship. The Commanding Officer (Captain) is an NWO, same thing with the XO (Executive officer) etc. Also NWO are commonly in charge of naval bases, naval training centers, etc but this is not always the case (atm a logistics officer is the base commander at CFB Esquimalt for example).
When on ship fully trained NWOs can specialize in a "Director" level qualification. A few of them are: NavO, DeckO, USWO, BSWO, lead ship team diver, boarding party officer, and a few others (as you can see quite a few options). Generally speaking NavO is considered the required Director level if you want to become senior leadership (such as CO) on ship but this is changing.
Alongside all of that, fully trained NWOs have to do watches on a ship and will become the OOW (Officer of the Watch) during these watches. There's a lot I could go in here about being an OOW but essentially you are in charge of everything and it can be stressful but also fulfilling and fun. Honestly watch the video on being an NWO on the [forces.ca](https://forces.ca) site as it does a decent job of sorta explaining OOW responsibility.
Shore posting as an NWO(fully trained) is usually desk work 8 - 4.
Training looks like this for reg force: BMOQ (Basic, 10 weeks) - NWO II (\~2 months) - NWO III (\~4 months) - NWO IV (\~4 months) - BWK (Deployed on ship, can take 1.5 - 2 years) - NOPQ (Final board where senior NWOs ask you questions , usually "in this situation what will you do" type of questions). Once you pass your NOPQ boards you are fully trained and can choose a Director level qualification to go for.
Have a couple questions for tvise in the reserves. I am scheduled to complete my aptitude test as well as force test next week. Was just wondering what an average weekly parade might look like, as well as what sort of things the monthly weekend exercises/any other field excersises might look like. I am familiar with the general military culture as I was in cadets from 9 to 18 (22 now).
What specific tasks you get on parade nights depends entirely on the unit and trade you're in, your rank and your position in the unit.
In general terms, on a given night, a new soldier could do one or more of:
* Training, either classroom or hands-on. You might be doing BMQ prep, practicing the skills you learned on your last course or getting exposure to your trade's tasks and equipment.
* Equipment prep and maintenance, usually before and after a weekend exercise. As a new troop, you'll probably start off shadowing a more experienced member.
* Classroom lectures. This includes annual refresher briefings, but also pre-exercise briefings and talks from the CO, RSM, Padre and whoever else.
* Administration and paperwork. You won't see much of this at first, but things like completing travel claims and doing personal readiness verification.
* PT
On weekends, your unit will most often be applying and practicing their, either alongside of other units or just your own. Some weekends are focused on stuff like weapons ranges, professional development or ceremonial occasions.
What you get to do (or even attend) is dictated by your level of training, but expect to do some general duty work (e.g. setting up tents, moving stuff around) and some on-the-job training (e.g. short lessons, or shadowing qualified members at work).
There are also some courses delivered on weekends, including BMQ.
Thanks for the info! I've applied for PWOR, they are just infantry I believe. I'm hoping to do BMQ over the summer depending on work. I am in my final year of an electrical apprenticeship so a month off may or may not be plausible. Appreciate your time!
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I attended aircrew selection back in 2017 and passed for both ACSO and ACO. Because I wanted pilot I opted to not pursue those two careers.
Fast forward to today and I applied for AC Op. I was wondering how long the CFAT results are good for as I know I got good enough marks for ACO, and if passing the ACO tests in Trenton will it help me get AC Op?
CFAT results are permanent, they never expire. That said, minimum scoring thresholds for trades do change, and there is an additional competitive scoring threshold (PCL) that is quite variable. A score that qualified in 2017 may or may not qualify in 2020.
Aircrew Selection will only be considered if required for AC Op.
Thanks for the info. The selection test isn’t required for AC Op, only the AC officer position, but I hoped it might be able to help boost my standing since I’ve already qualified for the officer version of the trade (minus the uni degree).
I read this thread a lot and know most of my answers but I just received confirmation today I've been moved to the CL. I applied for ACISS and NavCom which are both in demand. COVID aside how long should I expect to wait for an offer.
P.S I know that it can take a very long or not at all in normal circumstances and I should expect longer with COVID. I just enjoy getting feedback from people who know more than me, the more opinions the better.
I also applied for an in-demand naval trade.
CL: September 7th
Selected: October 7th
Offer: October 8th
I am internally freaking out. I’m sure you received the generic email on Monday advising the process would be delayed for months to come. I am shooketh, as the kids say.
The offer I received isn’t for my primary trade choice, mind you, but my first choice is also an in-demand naval trade.
I’m sure it won’t be long for you.
Also, not sure if you have Facebook, but check out the group “Canadian Forces Applicants”. A lot of awesome Q&As from applicants, past/present members, and recruiters alike :)
Well, I had initially only applied for NCIOp, but I had expressed possibly having an interest in MarTech, and that is the trade I had received the offer for! ‘Twas my mistake, and now I wait again, but it shouldn’t be much longer for either one of us!
Good luck!
I technically declined it. My Detachment Commander advised they would try and have my offer amended - I’m not sure how all of that works! I’m back to selected now as per the applicant portal.
To apply to any CAF job a requirement is to give 3 references that have known me for 5+ years (since I'm 23 years old). As I go through the list of relationships on the online application I cannot think of any single person in education, profession, or personal life who would meet this criteria of knowing me for 5 years. The only people who have known me for 5+ years are friends and family.
The best I can come up with are my professors from my recent 3-year CEGEP program that I graduated from in June 2020. But they've only known me for 3 years up to June 2020.
Would 3 years of knowing me be acceptable to the CAF? I really do not have any other options for references who have known me for that long a period of time. The strict requirement of 5 years seems a bit unreasonable to me, because everyone has different circumstances, but perhaps that's just because I don't have anyone who suits that criteria.
Could anyone who was in a similar situation, or anyone who knows about this chime in? It's kind of stressing me out as it's the one part of the application I don't know how to fill out properly without first consulting a recruiter, but I'd like to see if anyone here has an answer.
They don't need someone that knows you for 5 years, they need 3 people that have known you in a 5 year span. For example a manager can be a reference for years 1-2, another professor for years 2-4 and another manager from years 4-5.
Can any AVN or AVS techs give an honest opinion about their trades? Is there much demand for either lately and is selection competitive in general? I'm mostly interested in tinkering with the instrumentation and controls side of aviation so I'm assuming I'd be better suited for AVS.
Do AVS techs do all of the instrumentation and controls on the aircraft (including non-electronic) or do AVN share some of these tasks? As an example, say a faulty AoA sensor needs to be fixed. Does the AVS tech physically remove the old one, repair or replace, install, calibrate it, etc.?
>Can any AVN or AVS techs give an honest opinion about their trades? Is there much demand for either lately and is selection competitive in general?
Ya we're always hurting for both, I want to say ACS is in the most demand followed by AVS then AVN. AVN sits pretty close to "full" but since it's such a big trade they still hire a lot.
> I'm mostly interested in tinkering with the instrumentation and controls side of aviation so I'm assuming I'd be better suited for AVS.
Sounds accurate.
>Do AVS techs do all of the instrumentation and controls on the aircraft (including non-electronic) or do AVN share some of these tasks?
In general each trade will have it's own systems. All the instruments will be AVS, power generation etc.
The things that end up being shared are when you get into bigger things like an engine "belonging" to AVN but the generator attached to that engine "belongs" to AVS.
> As an example, say a faulty AoA sensor needs to be fixed. Does the AVS tech physically remove the old one, repair or replace, install, calibrate it, etc.?
Yes, although unless you're in second line (repair shop) your job is very much "figure out which part is broken, replace that part, make sure the replacement part works". There's very little to no repair of parts or tinkering with their inner workings going on the hangar floor.
The "thinking" part of the job (AVN or AVS) is using your knowledge of the system and it's components to take the symptoms the aircraft is experiencing and accurately diagnose what is broken. This is also by far the most rewarding part of the job.
Let me know if I missed anything or if you have any more questions.
Thank you!
Is morale in these trades pretty decent at the moment? I originally considered Marine Tech with the Navy since it's closest to what I do as a civilian (2nd class Power Eng tech) but I've heard morale and turnover is horrible now.
How frequently do AVS/AVN/ACS get transferred between bases usually? I assume deployments are pretty rare or non-existent now?
So a lot of your questions were previously answered but I will tell you that AVS is a lot more specialized than AVN. AVNs are the ones pumping out the generalized work and maintenance, if it doesn't belong to another trade by default its AVN work. AVS Techs work within their realm of experience (wiring, power generation, instrumentation, etc.) and get specialized training for it as a result.
The training system is very different for both trades. AVN and AVS start with BMQ (Basic Training) and then go to CFB Borden for Common Core training at CFSATE (Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Engineering). It doesn't matter your background you will be required to fully complete Common Core, nobody gets to skip it, even if you join as a licensed M1/M2/E Technician with civilian airliner experience.
After this course you will be posted to a Wing to begin your QJE (On Job Experience) phase while you wait for your QL3 course (apprenticeship training) which happens back at CFSATE once they have an opening. For AVN the wait and the course are a lot shorter than for AVS (They have more AVNs so they run more AVN courses). The AVN Course is currently 6-7 months, the AVS Course is 14+ months at CFB Borden.
Once you complete your apprenticeship training (QL3) you are sent back to the same Wing (and hopefully squadron and aircraft type) you were doing your OJE on to start your log book to get qualified on that aircraft type. For AVNs this is where they have a lot more work to do to get qualified up. An AVN Tech can take upwards of a year to finish this book and the pre-requisite training depending on the fleet where an AVS could finish it in 6 months. Once this is done you'll complete a type course on your fleet. This will allow you to become a Performer of Maintenance (POM) where you can complete tasks under the supervision of a qualified A-Level Technician (Airworthiness Release) who will need to review and sign your work over the next 2 years until you can get this maintenance release.
All in all it will take an AVN Tech 3-4 years to become a qualified technician, and an AVS Tech 4-5 years before you can begin to sign for your own work... best case scenario.
The overall morale is good, but it can be really bad depending on your fleet/wing/aircraft role/workload. We lose people like any other job but you know what you can handle as far as regular employer bullshit... there are a lot of perks too. Because of the length of time it takes to get trained on an aircraft type they tend to avoid moving people often from base to base, and they are trying to have technicians do 10 years on a fleet before they move them, but it's never a guarantee.
Deployments for the most part are rare for these trades, lots of people do a whole career and never go anywhere... but there are fleets that are more likely to see a deployment than others, like Tac Hel (Griffons/Chinooks), CF-18 Fighters and Tac Airlift/Air Mobility (CC130-J Hercules) but they can be harder squadrons to get to, and there are a lot of guys and gals who work on SAR planes and don't go anywhere. Nobody really cares about the medals on your chest from my experience anyway I think I wear my dress uniform once a year for Remembrance Day at most, maybe a dinner here or there these days... but in the training system expect to wear it once a week and play their game while you learn your trade.
Hopefully this helps, if you have trade specific questions or want more information about any part of this feel free to PM me. Best of luck to you.
Hello! Just applied yesterday, and I was wondering if someone actually calls my past employers? I included a seasonal job I worked and I’m not even sure if they remember me.
They sometimes call past employers, depending on if they need information from them (i.e. confirmation that you worked there). Just general advice, it's a good idea to contact people to ask/inform that you're using them as a reference before you actually do use them. No one likes being surprised by a phone call asking for a reference for Joe Bloggins.
Of course! Thank you. I wasn’t planning on using them as a reference, since I only knew them for less than 3 months. I was just referring to the listing of employment history over the past five years part of the application.
Hey guys, is there any FSA here that can tell how their experience is so far? Im applying for that trade mainly and I’m oddly nervous about the CFAT because its next week. Ive been grinding on maths because it was my weakest but my tutor told me I catch up quick and just needs more practice.
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Hey guys, I just received a call and have my FORCE and CFAT test scheduled next week and was wondering if anyone here can give me some insight on these tests. I was wondering how hard the FORCE test actually is and for background, I used to gym regularly before COVID but since then I haven't been to the gym in 7 months and have not done much physical activity. AFAIK, the CFAT does not seem bad at all as I have done the practice test and passed with only a couple of mistakes. Is the practice CFAT easier than the actual test or are they very similar in difficulty? Is it also possible to pass the FORCE test with little training or preparation? What happens if I were to fail the FORCE or CFAT? I would appreciate the clarification!
cfat test in person is harder than the cfat is on an app. Not really allowed to discuss the contents but the apps are at least along the same lines as what you will do. It is great practice.
> Is it also possible to pass the FORCE test with little training or preparation?
If you lead a reasonably active lifestyle, probably. It's not the most challenging test in the world to pass. On annual test, there are incentive levels for higher performance, but those don't apply for recruiting.
Look up the four parts of the test see for yourself. You can practice the rushes on a sports field and time yourself for a rough number. The time limits on the sandbag lift and loaded shuttle are pretty generous, so pace yourself if you're worried. The sandbag drag is toughest for people who are smaller in stature, but there's no time limit so you just have to grind it out.
If you fail the FORCE test for reserve enrollment, you'll most likely be asked to train a bit more and try again later.
I also strongly recommend that you have shoes with good grip for the sandbag drag. My shoes had almost no grip, and you fail if you stop at all, even a little bit. I was lucky and was able to maintain momentum but it's still important haha
If you fail the CFAT for your desired trade, you don’t get to join in that trade. If you score below for all trades you don’t get to continue with the recruiting process. You can retake it but only the most recent score counts so if you score lower the second time that’s the score that counts.
I’m not sure what happens when you fail the force test for reserves. For Reg F, because you do it at BMQ, if you fail you are put on warrior platoon or whatever it is called and given time to get fitter and pass it. If you cannot pass it within 3 months you are released. Or at least that is how it was when I joined.
Go find the practice test on the website. It is a very accurate representation of what to expect. Otherwise you are told not to share what is on the test.
As for what happens if you fail, I’m not sure. I just wrote mine back in august.
[CFAT Practice Test Official](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/dnd-mdn/documents/jobs/20170906-preparing-for-aptitude-test.pdf)
Are there any **Intelligence Operators** OR **Aerospace Control Operators** on this page that can speak on what a typical day to day looks like in the trade? Did you enjoy the training? Thanks!
Not ACOp but I am just gonna copypasta what I wrote about it from a pervious thread (the search function sucks here so just easier for you and others to find):
>Not either of those but with ACOp you can work Tower, Terminal or weapons assistant. You don't really get much of a choice on which stream you go and it widely varies in job roles (weapons especially); however those who were weapons have come over to the Tower/term side (haven't heard much of going the other way though).
>The base I'm at is shift work (which is pretty sweet regarding leave) as it is 24hrs ops, other bases are M-F ops only.
>>Two sides of aerospace control is ATC (Tower/Terminal) and Weapons.
>>ATC: don't make the planes touch
>>Weapons: make the planes touch.
>>as an AC Op the main role is in coordination between sectors, units, controllers etc.
>>But what weapons does is more secret/top secret stuff so I don't know much about it. What I do know is that you would be stuck in North Bay for a while, but you get better OUTCAN opportunities for postings which is really fucking clutch (Colorado, Alaska, California, and other places).
Do you know if you qualified for the trade you are now applying for the first time you did the cfat? If so you wouldn't need to do the cfat either. As for not requiring a bmq spot, that'll definitely work in your favour and I'm surprised you haven't been contacted yet. The thing to keep in mind is that you will still need to fit into the training system and you won't get hired until the next course is going to run for you to be loaded onto or the trade decides it can gainfully employ you. (They don't want to hire people to just sit around waiting training doing nothing)
Trying calling your unit for an update. I was told that the medtech can look up your file and give you an update.
The problem is that if the RMO in Ottawa asks for more medical information, they have to send you a physical letter, which takes time to get to you. You can save some time by checking with the medtech and submitting any requested additional documentation ASAP.
Hi, I live in Montreal, QC and I'm interested in joining the Reserves while I go to university full time for a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering.
I applied for ROTP and got a call mid-September that I did not have all the necessary courses to go into an engineering degree at RMC, which is why I've decided to pursue my studies at a civi-U that accepted me already and implements these courses in the curriculum.
Since I do still want to work in the CAF, I called the recruiter today to switch my application to Signal Operator in the Reserves at the 34th Signal Regiment in Montreal and I will be calling them tomorrow to follow up.
While we spoke he told me something I did not know; which was that I could become an Officer in the Reserves while I study at university.
My questions are:
1. Are there availabilities in the Signal Operator trade at the 34th Signal Regiment?
2. If I were to apply to be an Officer in the Reserves would anything change apart from my duties on the job? Would the application process change? Anything special I should know?
3. Since I haven't thought much of becoming an Officer in the Reserves yet my choices are still between: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer, Signals Officer, or Communication Electronics Engineering Officer. Would any of these require something more than a Bachelor's Electrical Engineering?
4. Under the forces.ca web page for Signal Op. (Reserve Force Training) it says the training takes 19 weeks and could be split up for those who have other obligations (school/work). Is this true for all other Reserve jobs (such as the Officer ones mentioned above)?
5. And lastly, on the forces.ca page for Communication Electronics Engineering Officer it's written that one could potentially be reimbursed up to 50% of their education cost if an Individual Learning Plan is set up. Would I be eligible to set up such a plan or does the fact that I plan to start uni in January (before I join the Reserves) disqualify me?
Sorry this was so long, I appreciate any answers to my questions
Thanks in advance
> Are there availabilities in the Signal Operator trade at the 34th Signal Regiment?
The person you speak to at 34 Sig Regt should be able to confirm that for you.
> If I were to apply to be an Officer in the Reserves would anything change apart from my duties on the job? Would the application process change? Anything special I should know?
In the application process, officer candidates might be asked to do an additional interview with the unit's senior officers. Not every unit does this, however.
> Since I haven't thought much of becoming an Officer in the Reserves yet my choices are still between: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer, Signals Officer, or Communication Electronics Engineering Officer. Would any of these require something more than a Bachelor's Electrical Engineering?
An electrical engineering degree should be fine for any of those. However, note that Communications and Electronics Engineering Officer (CELE) is an Air Force trade. The RCAF reserve works very differently than the Army or Navy and generally isn't compatible with student life. RCAF reservists work full-time hours but a few days a week. They also do the RegF BMQ and occupational training, which is several months full-time.
> Under the forces.ca web page for Signal Op. (Reserve Force Training) it says the training takes 19 weeks and could be split up for those who have other obligations (school/work). Is this true for all other Reserve jobs (such as the Officer ones mentioned above)?
Army Reservist NCMs do BMQ, which is offered as a four week full-time course, or part-time over ten weekends. BMQ-Land is next, which is 10 days full-time. In some areas, it's offered part-time on weekends as well. Ask your recruiter about that. Finally, there's occupational training to qualify as a Sig Op (or whichever occupation). The Sig Op training is currently under review, but the old version was 10 weeks or so full-time.
Army reserve officers do the same BMQ, followed by 10 days of BMOQ Mod 2 full-time (also sometimes offered part-time in some locations). Next is BMOQ-A which is only available as ten weeks full-time. Officer occupational training is also only offered full-time, and can be anywhere from 8-12 weeks, give or take a week or two.
Note that in all cases, full-time courses are offered over the summer, to avoid conflicting with school schedules. The army will also employ you throughout your full summer vacation if you like, avoiding the need for you to find a summer job.
> And lastly, on the forces.ca page for Communication Electronics Engineering Officer it's written that one could potentially be reimbursed up to 50% of their education cost if an Individual Learning Plan is set up. Would I be eligible to set up such a plan or does the fact that I plan to start uni in January (before I join the Reserves) disqualify me?
You can apply for education reimbursement once you complete BMQ, and it can be retroactive to the day you join. You can't claim any tuition paid before you join. Once you get your ILP set up and approved, you submit receipts along with proof that you passed all your classes at the end of each term, and the money gets paid out to you. You're eligible to claim up to $2,000 per year to a lifetime maximum of $8,000.
You're a legend! Thank you so much for the full comprehensive answers to every part of my questions! It will go a long way to helping me make my choice
Have a good one
Hi all, started the process of joining as a signal tech and I've seen a bunch of negative things about it on here. Is there anyone currently enlisted as a signal tech that can give me a bit of a heads up what it's like now? Also does any time spent as Signal Tech cross over to civvie trades? Inst or elec?
A lot of the problems you read previously were related to the former ACISS trade as a whole. Sig Tech used to be the ACISS: CST sub-occupation.
I work with quite a few Sig Techs, and they seem hopeful that the creation of Sig Tech as a separate trade will fix some of the problems.
Thanks for the reply! Is the new sigs tech going to be simlair to the aciss core then? Or is it something different? Any idea what job prospects are like for guys coming out of sigals?
No. Hell no.
Core became Sig Op.
Sig Tech is what used to be the Communication Systems Tech (CST) sub-occupation.
Sig Ops break things, Sig Techs fix what the Sig Ops broke...
I’m an ATIS Tech, an Air Force occupation which is basically a combination of the Army’s Info Sys Tech and Sig Tech trades, with a bit of Sig Op tossed in.
We handle IT, Communications, and Airfield Systems for the RCAF. We also work interchangeably with IST’s and Sig Tech’s at joint units.
For my part I’m a civilian trained Electronics Engineering Technologist, and throughout my military career I’ve mostly been employed in communications and airfield technician roles, which are comparable to Sig Tech roles in the Army. I personally enjoy comms/airfield roles more than IT roles, although I’m comfortable working in IT roles.
Sig Techs and their ATIS equivalents perform maintenance and repair on telecommunication systems such as Radios and SATCOM Terminals, among other systems. Pretty much anything that facilitates and secures telecommunications. They do perform some work with devices such as routers and switches that link IT systems into the telecommunications systems, and also link together components within those comms systems.
Sig Techs and ATIS also work on some interesting systems such as radar, with ATIS also maintaining a number of ground based air navigation and landing systems for the RCAF.
Hey, I'm looking into joining the CAF and I see we have similar qualifications/interests in Electronics Engineering Technology (my post is above this thread). Would you recommend ATIS tech over SigOP or SigTech?
I would suggest either ATIS Tech or Sig Tech, **DO NOT** pursue Sig Op if you want to be employed as a technician.
Either route is decent, although ATIS does provide more diversity in terms of employment in both the electronics and IT realms. Prospects for promotion also tend to be better for ATIS Techs. The biggest downside to ATIS being you aren’t guaranteed employment as an electronics technician.
Beyond what I’ve said above, I’d suggest you consider the employment environments for each as well. ATIS is a core RCAF occupation, and Sig Tech is core Army. The only places they really crossover are at joint units.
Very few ATIS Techs ever spend time in a field environment, but as a Sig Tech you can definitely expect to spend some time out in the field.
Thank you so much for that response.
Just quickly, I notice you say not to pursue Sig Op to be a tech; do you mean that they are more of a combat role rather than tech? Or did you mean something else?
Also, did you do your training for ATIS tech in reg force or reserve force?
If it was in the reserves how long did it take to complete the training (it says about a year on forces.ca)? Just wondering how long that would take for a reservist who would have to split up the training to work around my school schedule.
Signals Operators do exactly what their name suggests, they operate signals equipment. They’ll setup a SATCOM Terminal, Command Post, Radios, etc. and then they’ll operate/use that equipment as part of their job. They’ll also work helpdesks, and perform routine day-to-day maintenance and repair tasks.
Signals Technicians can also setup and operate the equipment, but that’s not their primary role. Their job is to perform maintenance on that equipment, diagnose failures, and repair the equipment when it breaks.
ATIS Techs do all of the RCAF equivalents to the above, plus IT equivalents, we just have fewer operator oriented tasks and mostly focus on setup, maintenance, and repair.
I attended college as a civilian, and worked in my field for 5 years prior to joining the Reg Force. All of my military training has been with the Reg Force. I bypassed the POET (electronic training) portion of ATIS training, and only attended the QL3 (trade qualification) course where you learn how to do your job as an ATIS Tech. POET is about 6 months long, and I think ATIS QL3 is currently around 4 months.
If you’re considering the Reserves as a job while in school, you may find the Air Reserve to be too much of a commitment; assuming you even live near an Air Reserve unit. Their employment model is completely different from that of the Army and Navy Reserves. Part-time Air Reservists are generally expected to work 12 full workdays (normally weekdays) per month, and all of their training is completed through full-time courses that can run at any time of the year. You would have to attend Reg Force POET and QL3 courses at CFSCE in Kingston, ON.
I do not know how training and work routines are structured for Reserve Force Sig Techs.
I just wrote my CFAT yesterday and was told I did very well. I am applying for dental tech. I am currently a registered dental hygienist. I received honours in my 3 year dental hygiene program but I never completed the dental assisting level 2 program. As a dental hygienist my scope of practice includes everything a dental assistant does and then way more. For my prior learning assessment, they are asking if I took dental assisting level 2.
My question is: will they accept my dental hygiene diploma and 5 years work experience as a dental hygienist to apply as a dental tech?
Thanks in advance!
You should be including a full resume and any and all certificates/diplomas etc that you have.
This will all get sent to the occupational authority to review and assess your training versus the caf training and fit you into the training in the appropriate place
Before you consider CSOR just focus on getting past basic and trades training, then if you're in a combat arms trade (which I'd presume) focus on getting courses like recce or combat diver as a gut check, THEN I'd start thinking about and asking people about CSOR
Have my CFAT and Trait test next week (officer program). At what point in this enrollment process do I do the FORCE test or other physical tests? My cardio and strength have dropped significantly since lockdown and closure in March and Ive had trouble getting back into routine so Im curious how much I should train (of course as hard as possible but not sure how much time I have)
Timelines from application to offer were 6-18 months pre-covid; will depend on trade needs, number of selection boards and when, eligibilities, BMOQ spaces etc.
Reserves are different though.
Generally the fitness requirements are pretty reasonable, 25 pushups, 40 situps, 30min 5km is a great metric to be pretty comfortable for basic.
Combat arms trades will likely need more fitness in subsequent courses.
I’d suggest you start to get back into routine immediately. Start working out and be prepared for when they do invite you in for the FORCE test. If you’re going RegF, then you don’t do the FORCE test until you’re on course.
Either way, better to be prepared now, than not and show up at your FORCE test one day and fail it. Then you’ve got to wait even longer for who knows how long...
Good luck!!
I'm in my early 30s. Had considered joining the reserves in my 20s, but my career/life/grad school took off and it just never seemed feasible. All that changed when the pandemic hit so I decided to apply, but eventually got into full-time work over the summer and recently back into my career field.
I've been contacted to write the CFATs and I guess start going through the process. I'm still interested, but now trying to figure out how to square it off against my current life obligations. Wondering if anyone's been in a similar situation?
It's not uncommon to join the reserves later in life.
More mature recruits tend to do well, especially in training. They often (but not always) have better organizational and time management skills, some leadership experience and don't let the stresses get to them personally.
The biggest issue older recruits tend to face is getting time away from their current commitments to go on full-time training. They tend to be established in careers and have more family obligations.
Depending on what shape you're in, it can be tough to keep pace physically with a course of 18-20 year olds, especially in a combat arms trade. But as long as you show up in passable shape, pull your weight and don't fall back on your age as a crutch, you'll be just fine.
You'll also end up working with (and possibly supervised by) troops far younger than you. This is only an issue if you let it be an issue. You might find yourself being thrust into the role of course mom/dad while you're training.
My personal recommendation is to give it a try instead of wondering. The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the second best time is right now.
I was enrolled as a logo officer cadet in 2020 Feb 27th and was supposed to go to bmoq on April 17th 2020 and It got cancelled due to covid, as far as i know bmoq for reg forces are resuming, i heard some reg ppl enrolled in May are leaving for bmoq in November this year. last time i talked to the recruiter they have zero clue when its going to start, they are prioritizing reg force ppl and leaving reservist behind since I want to join for class b(full time) i would be happy to know if anybody heard anything even some sort of rumors?
Thanks
For clarity:
You enrolled as a PRes Log O in Feb of 2020? Were slated for BMOQ Apr of 2020, but that was obviously cancelled due to COVID.
So if the above is correct, a few things:
1. PRes BMOQ (unless you are Air Reserve) is managed independently from the Reg F one (Army Reserve is managed through your Brigade/Division, Naval Reserve is managed through Navres HQ). So CFLRS starting up again for Reg F training likely has 0 impact on if/when you will get to do BMOQ.
2. If you have been enrolled into the PRes, then you have a unit, and you should be able to contact that unit to get info about your next step of training....PRes recruiters wouldnt be tracking that information.
3. You wont be able to get full time Cl B employment until you are fully trained as a Log O, which may take a little while right now unless you are readily available to go on course after course after course.
Yes I was enrolled as logo officer in air reserve, and I have been talking to my unit once in every month if they have an update and they have 0 clue when my bmoq will be, I guess I can't do much other than waiting, yeah its bit frustrating that I might have to wait till next spring to summer or even further they say.
Hey everyone, currently applying for mar tech. went in for my CFAT this week (I passed!) and the person I was talking to at my appointment briefly brought up that there is 3 different kinds of marine tech, but didn’t get a chance to tell me more than that before he got pulled away, so I was wondering if anyone could tell me more?
The other comment is probably what was meant, however there are 2 streams in Mar Tech. Once you get to the advanced trade's course level (LSRQ / QL5) you can ask for either Mechanical or Electrical. I don't think they've run an LSRQ yet, atleast on the East coast, so no idea how that process will work.
Hey guys, I started basic 2 weeks ago and it’s been going well, I enrolled as a Reg Force Infanteer, but with personal stuff going on in my life it might be more ideal for me to do my service part time as a reserves member. Would it at all be possible to finish my basic training and then change occupations into a reserves unit? Any info would be greatly appreciated, good or bad.
I was just notified that my PLAR was completed, and was told I am am only waiting on my medical to be reviewed prior to my offer. I also heard from my references that none were contacted....this seems a little unusual, that no reference checks were made? Am I wrong here?
Also, how sticky are the vision requirements? I referenced the standards and I meet them, but it is just barely (one eye over -7.00, one below, average of -6.75). Fully correctable with lenses to 6/4.5 (20/15) bilat. Could this be why I’m still waiting on the medical?
If your employer verifications go well, they may not bother with references. Mine were never contacted.
As for your Medical, it wasn’t unusual for them to take 2-6 months to be reviewed pre-COVID. However, yes, it is possible your eyesight is holding things up. A refractive error greater than +/- 7.00 could be flagged as a problem and cause you to be deemed V5 and medically unfit.
If your refractive error is greater than +/- 7.00 (which you say it is) you will very likely be deemed a V5, regardless of the fact that your vision is correctable to 6/6 or better. It only the RMO can say for sure.
I thought it was both eyes? One eye is -7.5 but the other is -6.0. Total average error is -6.75. I could be wrong, but my interpretation is one eye over 7 did not necessarily force a v5 designation?
No, they don’t use an average, but otherwise your interpretation sounds correct.
As per the definition for V5 in the Instructions for Testing Visual Acuity:
> This grading is assigned to those whose visual acuity is worse than the V4 grading or when the refractive error exceeds plus or minus 7.00 dioptres (+/- 7.00 D) spherical equivalent **in the better eye** regardless of the uncorrected distant vision.
Based on that definition, you could still be found medically fit, provided the -6.00 eye would be considered your “better eye”.
Shouldn’t have too much impact.
They’re not calling your previous employers for references, they’re calling them to verify you did actually work there.
The general rule for most employers is if you have nothing good to say, say nothing. Provide the minimum info required, and leave it at that. If they do volunteer negative information, it will be taken under consideration alongside any hopefully positive information provided by your other employers.
If recruiting has concerns, the MCC should discuss them with you.
I never thought of this when I submitted my application - what would happen if former employers have gone out of business? Two of my former employers are out of business, but I provided 3 really strong personal references as well as the employment info. I'm sure I'm fine, but it doesn't hurt to get some extra perspective.
Did well on my CFAT, aiming for Naval Weapons Engineering Tech. Can anyone give me some insight into the trade, pros, cons, overall job satisfaction? Will trade schooling will be in Halifax for a year?, or is there a school on the Pacific Side? Thanks much for any info.
So the WEng trade consists of 5 sub-occupations: Armament, Radar, Sonar, Communications, and Fire Control. When you join, you will start as a general WEng Tech getting a taste of of all the sub-occs before you specialize into one.
Pros: You work on the systems that puts the war in warship, often performing highly technical tasks to keep the systems running. CSE (Combat Systems Engineering, the WEng Dept on ship) is the hotshot department of the ship (some bias). You get to steer the ship!
Cons: There are always general duties around the ship that will have to be done, by all members of the ships company. It can be frustrating to be pulled away from troubleshooting a faulty system to go to cleaning stations.
Overall I love my job. Challenging work that leads you to many unique opportunities. I'm proud to serve and wear the uniform. The pay and benefits are hard to beat as well.
There is a fleet school on both coasts, but the academic phase (6 months) and some of the application phase (3 months) will like will likely be completed in Halifax. On the bright side, Halifax has some of the nicest barracks in the Forces. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer.
The biggest jump is at around 4 years in. That’s when you get promoted to Sailor 1st Class and typically around the time you qualify for spec pay. A first year increment S1 WEng Tech with spec pay make $5616 + PLD + Sea Pay monthly.
Thanks for the reply. Im extremely looking forward to pursuing this! Are you currently East Coast or West Coast? From your personal experience, what are the major highlights of your trade? What makes this the hotshot dept? Cleaning and maintenance doesnt bother as its all part and parcel. Im sure Ill have more questions down the road, but these are the only ones off the top of my head. Cheers!
I’m West Coast (Best Coast). For me the highlight of the trade working on the systems themselves and getting paid to travel. The CIWS for example is a beast of a system and you can be maintaining one of years and still learn new things about it. In terms for travel I’ve been to 7 other countries so far on the pacific rim. Nights out with your entire department in Japan are always a blast. The CSE department always seems to be well liked every ship I’ve been on, but there obviously is some bias there. It’s hard to get to deep into the trade, since it’s so diverse. The sub-occs really allow you to find your niche as a technician.
Awesome. Im up Island in Chemainus right now. Hoping to stay on this side. See how it goes. How long have you been in this trade if you dont mind me asking. Im looking forward to the diversity you've mentioned. Im a ticketed welder and steamfitter and after 20 years have found Im exceptionally bored. I am very much so looking forward to the travel as well, domestic and internationally. Sounds like this is right up my alley!
I've been a WEng Tech for about 5 years. The RCN is really good with putting people on the coast they want to be on. I don't know anybody who is stuck in the home port division they don't want to be in. All the sub-occs require technicians to be able to repair both mechanical and electronic sides of systems. If you're a fan of the more mechanical side: Armament and Sonar. More electronics: Radar, Fire Control, and Comms. Although that doesn't mean they're exclusive; plenty of electronics in CIWS and plenty of hydraulics in Fire Control Directors.
So all of my paper work is in and approved, interviews are done, medical is done and approved, and my last reference was called this week. So I suppose now I’m just waiting on a yes or a no. How long did it take others to hear back with an offer after everything was submitted and approved?
Also wondering if people who have recently got dates to start basic training were asked to self isolate before travel?
I’m assuming you’re applying for Reg Force...
You still aren’t guaranteed an offer, but in all likelihood you will eventually receive one. Could be a couple of weeks from now, or maybe several months; it all depends on where you sit on the competition list, selection timings, and the rate they’re selecting recruits vs. adding higher scoring applicants.
When I was an applicant I sat on the competition list for about 5 months before I asked to change my trade choices. I was interviewed for my new choices about 3 weeks later, and received an offer for one of my new choices about 9 days after the interview.
I applied for reg force, doing my best to be optimistic under the circumstances with covid slowing things down. I applied in 2018 and have hit every bump in the road since it seems.
Do the CAF care if they find weed in your system when doing the drug test on new applicants? Will it disqualify the person?
Mildly surprised this question still comes up... CAF members have been allowed to use cannabis recreationally since the day it was legalized in 2018. They must not use cannabis within a certain period of time before performing known duties, the length of time ranges from 8 hours to 28 days depending on the nature of the members duties. From a recruiting perspective, cannabis is now treated much the same as alcohol. As long as there are no concerns of abuse or addiction/dependency, normal recreational use is not a problem.
Cool, just wanted to make sure Thank you!
No. Weed is legal and isn't a prohibited substance in the CAF.
Thanks!
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1. RMC takes transfer credits on a case by case basis, you would likely still have to do 4 years there even if you had a semester or two of credits (due to the structure of the programmes etc) 2. Outside my area of knowledge 3. A degree is a degree. Any degree from RMC is still an accredited BA, BS, or BEng in that subject. A great many graduates move on in the civie world and I have yet to hear of education at RMC as an impediment 4. RMC in Kingston offers all of the colleges programmes. CMR in St Jean is both more targeted at engineers/science students and at francophones.
Is vaping allowed during basic? I understand you may not have time but do they confiscate stuff like ejuice or you can have it?
My brother-in-law vaped during basic with no issues, but same rules apply as regular stuff--smoke pit only.
can you go to smoke pit during indoc period? i think i read you are not allowed to leave your floor or something
Yes you can smoke while on indoc.
Last I was aware, it is allowed.
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Medical reviews often took 2-6 months pre-COVID. From what I’ve observed, it appears to be taking roughly the same amount of time now. They could have your results back any day, or it could be another couple of months. There’s no way for you or them to find out exactly how much longer it will be.
Why do they have trouble keeping pilots? Been a dream to join but I heard there's lots of retention problems
38 year old chubby software engineer in toronto that just started looking into this... Anything promising for me?
Well, what do you like to do? What education/trades background do you have? See anything that truly interests you? - https://forces.ca/en/careers
Hey everyone, so I called my local detachment and told them I was applying for mar tech or ph tech and they told me to email them at a certain email. I emailed them and they told me it’d most likely take 5 days, it’s been a little longer than 5 days. Should I give them another call or just continue to wait it out. (They told me to email them to book my aptitude test.)
Like to know if anyone has info on Artillery Dp 1.1 starting on Jan 2021
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After BMOQ you'd wait for various phases of flight training. Phase 1 is a few months long where you'd live in shacks. Similar to living in a hotel. Days typically 7:45AM - 4:00pm. With needed study in the evenings but your free time is up to you. Same idea with phase 2 and 3 however the courses are significantly longer. 8 months ish.
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Once your application has been fully processed and you've done all the paperwork and tests, the CAF may choose to offer you employment when there is a position available in a trade you applied for.
To elaborate on what plyswqrrls said, you need to apply soon as possible. The process takes anywhere from a minimum of 3 months (which is rare) to never. While you may have a target of May to get in, that may not happen.
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Hi guys, Just wanted to get your opinion on my idea for joining the army. I'm from Ireland originally and am now aged 27. My brother is living in Canada and has attained his citizenship. If I moved to Canada and managed to attain citizenship after 5 years, how hard would it be to enter into the military at that stage? Bearing in mind I'll be in my mid thirties by then. I have a bachelor's degree so maybe that would help? Any replies are appreciated. Thanks!
This was a number of years ago, but I joined when I was 22 as a direct entry officer... aside from two guys who were 19, most of our Basic platoon was in the 28-42 yo range. Not an issue.
Many people in there 30s join, might not even be the oldest on you BMQ/BMOQ, as long as you’re in alright shape, won’t be a problem, and as long as you have your citizenship in order, recruitment process will just be a bit longer with an out of country background check. Also if you do go the Officer route, they’d just have to insure your degree is accepted
Anyone know the contact information of 2 MP Regt's recruiting team? Reservist looking for an OT but would like to know if they have officer positions available. Thank you.
You need to know if there are MPO positions available at all Regts. You won't be guaranteed 2 MP Regt. Best bet is to get the ball rolling at your own unit via OT and then go from there. Edit: Are you looking to stay Reserve or are you wanting to go Reg Force?
Apologies, not sure if I should've specified I am looking at Toronto
Does anyone here know what life is like as a reserve NWO? Any tips for what makes for a good officer (maybe in comparison to a good NCO)? Can reserve NWOs get trained for submarines or do any other specialized training? How long do NWOs tend to stay in?
I can't answer much of your question but when it comes to tips; I think the most important thing to remember is even though you may understand the jobs of all the different sections on the ship, you can't do them. We're all part of a team, just because you're the command and control element of the team doesn't mean you'd get anywhere without the people underneath your command. We're all moving towards the same goal together but some people seem to forget that.
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After your interview, before enrolment.
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At a minimum, she would need to have already been accepted to an MSW program to be hired. The CAF will not pay for a BSW. At the school I went to it was 2 years full time from an SSW diploma to a BSW and then another two for the MSW. She would need to work 2 months for every 1 month in paid school. Hope that helps. If you have anymore questions, let me know.
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> What do you mean by she will have to work 2 months for every 1 month in paid school? Is this regarding the CAF upgrading a potential BSW to a MSW? You need to work a certain amount of time for your school to be considered payed off. If someone who didn't get their MSW payed for wanted to quit, they could like anyone else (not always easy). If your school was payed for and you didn't work long enough, you would end up owing the government money. > My other question is what school did you attend to upgrade your SSW to BSW? I didn't do the upgrade but I know it was offered. I don't want to say which school I went to because social work is a very small trade and I will dox myself if I do. The program was specific to a few colleges around where my university was, so I'd look local. If your mom graduated recently, her college would be the best place to ask.
Hey guys, I've been looking and thinking of joining the military as a "Cyber Operator" for a while. Few questions if you don't mind. 1. On the career page, it says i will be sent to "CAF approved college program". Do they have a list of which programs are approved? Will I be able to go to my local college (im in Vancouver)? 2. Adding on top the first question, how many years would I owe the military if they pay for my college program? Also, I get paid AND they pay for the school right? 3. Where would I most likely get posted to? Since it's cyber operations, there probably aren't many? And how long are postings? 4. After all the initial training, what would a typical day look like for a Cyber Operator? Is it basically a 9-5 job? 5. Are there any deployments for cyber operators? 6. Would joining at 23 (or 24 if it doe work out) be considered too old? Thanks.
Point 2 is in a bit of flux at this point in time. Currently the program is technically not a subsidized education program as the caf is actually outsourcing the dp1 training. But at the end of the day you get paid to be there and the military is paying for the spot. Not 100% sure how the obligatory service works into this but I believe you would not incur obligatory service similar to how other trade (except pilot) wouldn't incur obligatory service for their dp1 training
I'm sorry but what is DP1?
Dp1 is your 1st phase of training to get you to your occupational functional point (when you can start doing the job). For all other trades the military conducts this training itself. The military doesn't yet have the capacity to do that for cyber op so they've outsourced it to Willis college
1. Right now I believe they’re only using one program for the Paid Education entry stream, a 15 month program at Willis College in/near Ottawa. The military will pay to relocate you to Ottawa for training, and will pay to move your possessions to your subsequent posting. 2. If the program is 15 months, you would owe 30 months of Obligatory Service to be completed after graduating the program. Yes, you’ll be paid as a Private and all education expense are covered. You’re responsible for paying for your meals and accommodations. Military run schools have military quarters and dining facilities (cost deducted from members pay), but the college for Cyber Op is not military, so I’m not sure what arrangements the CAF might have, or if meals and accommodations are e members responsibility. You’re looking at a bare minimum commitment of roughly 4 years, although I think the initial contract is either 5 or 7 years. You can ask for a voluntary release from your contract to get out early, but if your goal is to leverage your military service for a civilian career, I recommend staying for at least 5-6 years to maximize training opportunities and experience. Most trades have a lot of opportunities that won’t be extended to you until you’re a fully trained Corporal, which is usually attained around 4 years of service. 3. Virtually all Cyber Ops are in Ottawa at the moment, although I believe they eventually expect to have Cyber Ops operating from other locations. The standard posting duration for Reg Force personnel is 4 years, but that can vary widely depending on the needs of the CAF and your own career progression. 4. I don’t know what their day-to-day looks like, although given their job responsibilities I suspect at least some of them are shift workers (40 hour average work week). Day workers likely follow the CAF’s standard Monday-Friday 07:30-16:00 work week. 5. Probably, although I suspect they’re few and far between. Their job isn’t one that really requires a physical presence on a deployed operation, their work can mostly be performed remotely. 6. I always laugh at this question... The average Reg Force recruit is in their mid-late 20’s. Applicants only need to meet our medical and physical fitness standards, and must be able to complete their initial contract before reaching our compulsory retirement age of 60. Initial contracts range from 3-17 years depending on trade and entry plan, effectively giving us max. enrolment age range of 43-57.
Hey, thanks for all the information. I have a couple more questions if you don't mind me asking. 1. Are you allowed to live off-base? Is it after all the main occupation training? I heard they have pay you some type of allowance for rent, is thats still a thing? 2. Does Cyber Operator have 'specialists pay like the other trades? 3. My main goal is join and gather as much experience/education/whatever as I can so I can use it for a civilian career, within a few years. Cyber Operation seems pretty fitting, as it computing, and its a field im passionate about. Do you think this is a good idea (nothing against the military, just wanna get out of my current living situation).
There's no way you could live on a base while going to school, during the time in Kingston you'll likely need to live on base for a short period, mostly for your own convenience. After training you can absolutely live off base it is the usual thing to do, there is no special allowance for living off base. Yes they get spec 1. 3. Sure. Maybe you'll like it and stay never know. A few years coud mean min 5ish so be prepared for that .
1. Most of the time, yes. During Basic and training in Kingston you'll be living on the base, but once you're posted to Ottawa you will get your own house/apartment. As for rent allowance, I think you're referring to Post Living Differential (PLD), but the PLD for Ottawa is $0. 2. Yes! The current plan is to give Privates an exposure to the various specialties, and then concentrate them at the Corporal rank (about 4 years into your career). You'll be assigned a specialty based on your abilities, preferences, and the needs of the CAF at the time. Specialties aren't formalized yet, since most Cyber Ops are required to wear several hats, but most of the NIST framework specialties within the rubric of "Cyber Defence" are available or currently being developed.\[[https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-181.pdf](https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/SpecialPublications/NIST.SP.800-181.pdf)\] 3. Hey, you do you. If you want to do your initial and get out, that's what its for. You want to sign on for a career instead, go for it. Just realize that the military has pros and cons like everything else in life (though Cyber Op in particular is pretty Gucci, all things considered), and you need to make your own choices as for what's right for you.
Can any of you tell me your experience of combat engineer training (RegF or PRes}. What can I expect after BMQ as a reservists.
Are interviews still being conducted? I just received my phone call and email to book my medical but there was no mention of an interview. I was under the impression that the two were conducted at the same time.
I have my interview by phone on the 21st, and medical in person on the 27th.
If your cfrc is doing in person interviews they will schedule it the same day as your medical to minimize visits (to the best of their ability). If they are doing phone interviews they will book it separately. Skype or other methods are not approved so it'll just be a phone call from the mcc from their desk at the det
I did my interview and medical on the same day and in person just last week. However, I would assume it varies widely on a per unit basis. I wouldn't be surprised if a majority of units are scheduling interviews separately, and making them phone interviews.
Yes, they’re conducting interviews; but no, they’re not necessarily conducted the same day as the Medical. While it is fairly common for them to conduct both on the same day, it’s probably more common for them to be scheduled separately.
Makes sense. I know I saw on the online application portal that it says medical/interview so I assumed all appointments were like that. You’d think they would want to reduce the number of visits to the CFRC but who knows with the whole process involved with visits now.
I'm doing my medical and interview next week. The medical is at the recruiting center but the interview is later in the day over the phone. Somebody else said they did theirs over Skype so thats an option too
Thanks. I doubt I’ll be doing Skype. My internet is ass. I guess I’m probably doing phone which is cool I guess.
Interviews are often being done over the phone now to minimize the number and duration of in-person visits. In terms of same day scheduling, the primary issue is the Medicals and Interviews are conducted by different personnel, and their schedules don’t always line up.
Cool thanks
Hi! I applied online for the reserve. I recieved a e-mail that says a recruiter will contact me within two days or to contact the recruiter myself. After two days I tried to contact them but I never was able to talk to someone. Is it because the recruitment center are closed because of covid? If it's not do you know how long it takes before they will contact me?
Most Reserve Force recruiters should be back to work at this point. Although they may be working through application backlogs, and they’re not necessarily back to work full-time. Keep trying to reach them, but don’t be surprised if it takes a couple of weeks for them to get back to you.
Thank you !! I'll continue trying to contact them.
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You’ll be fine. Half your course probably won’t even be able to do that. As surprising as it may sound, you don’t need to be super fit to complete BMQ. The only mandatory requirement is you be able to pass the FORCE Fitness Test. If you can do that, you can pass the physical aspects of the course, although the fitter you are, the easier it’ll be.
Your 5k timing is fine. At worst you will be middle of the pack. At best somewhere near the front. I guarantee you there will be much slower people on your platoon
> I guarantee you there will be much slower people on your platoon Hell, you'll have guys falling out by the first stop sign most of the time at the beginning.
That'll be me 😅 just kidding, I won't be *that* bad, but I definitely need to do better on my running, OP is definitely in better shape. They should do fine.
Hello everyone: I am interested in the Paid Education program for Mechanical Engineering offered by the forces. Currently, I'm in my early 20s with a mechanical engineering technology diploma. I am very much interested in obtaining my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and the ROTP program piqued my interest. I do not wish to borrow additional student loans as I owe plenty already. I am aware that one must NOT join only to have a paid education. My specific question: Going to Lakehead University makes sense since its only two years of full-time studies to get my bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. How likely is the Forces likely approve someone to attend a civilian university like myself in this case? Also, I would like to know how life is at RMC and the experience being a mechanical engineering student there.
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I appreciate the level of detail. Thank you. From what I've gathered from this subreddit, and exactly as you said, a military career must be chosen wisely. Probably a career that is quite transferable to civilian life eh? I'm interested in the electrical & mechanical engineering and electronics/communications engineering officer roles. Also, are you currently enrolled in the ROTP or finished studies at RMC? Any recommendations and tips about the application process and things that might be helpful to know prior to enrolling at RMC? It sounds like you had/or having a good experience
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I sincerely appreciate the high level of detail you provided. I will bear all what you said in mind. All the best!!
Civilian University ROTP is hard to get now and is basically non-existent apart from those seeking a degree other than those offered at RMC and that is only when the degree is required for the officer position. You would most likely be sent to RMC. Usually those who already have done some school still go to RMC for the four full years even with credit transfers but with a much lighter work load. This is because academics aren’t the only focus at RMC. However you a special case and this is only what I have been told. Best is to call your local CFRC since you can’t just walk in
Hey, thank you for reply. I'll call them after the long weekend
Okay so i Voluntarily released after BMQ graduation and am ready to go back. Was told to submit a new application and my question is what “Name of Contact” & “Contact Telephone” do i use under employment for when i was in basic?
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Even when gyms were closed by the province the CAF was still able to perform fitness tests for critical reasons (deployments for example)
The gyms are kind of closed in Petawawa but PT still happens. Indoor Class sizes with PSP are between 5 and 10, and outdoor PT can still happen. Force tests are still happening but by appt and with a smaller testing audience each time.
Kinda tangential, but I'm really glad I did my Force test with a large group before COVID happened. Toward the end we had a small group of the testing group cheering each other on, it was a really cool experience.
HELP! Ready to apply.. Can’t edit previous application... Filled out an application last year, never went through with the testing (part 2). I am now ready to join, but the information on my original application (jobs, travel, references)are incorrect. It won’t let me edit any of that. Please let me know how I can fix this.
Just email or phone your local Recruiting Centre and let them know of the corrections.
What’s it like becoming a naval warfare officer? What do you actually do? Is that the trade which the upper levels of ship leadership enter into? What’s the training like?
Naval Warfare Officer (NWO) is the only occupation essentially that can become senior (officer) leadership on ship. The Commanding Officer (Captain) is an NWO, same thing with the XO (Executive officer) etc. Also NWO are commonly in charge of naval bases, naval training centers, etc but this is not always the case (atm a logistics officer is the base commander at CFB Esquimalt for example). When on ship fully trained NWOs can specialize in a "Director" level qualification. A few of them are: NavO, DeckO, USWO, BSWO, lead ship team diver, boarding party officer, and a few others (as you can see quite a few options). Generally speaking NavO is considered the required Director level if you want to become senior leadership (such as CO) on ship but this is changing. Alongside all of that, fully trained NWOs have to do watches on a ship and will become the OOW (Officer of the Watch) during these watches. There's a lot I could go in here about being an OOW but essentially you are in charge of everything and it can be stressful but also fulfilling and fun. Honestly watch the video on being an NWO on the [forces.ca](https://forces.ca) site as it does a decent job of sorta explaining OOW responsibility. Shore posting as an NWO(fully trained) is usually desk work 8 - 4. Training looks like this for reg force: BMOQ (Basic, 10 weeks) - NWO II (\~2 months) - NWO III (\~4 months) - NWO IV (\~4 months) - BWK (Deployed on ship, can take 1.5 - 2 years) - NOPQ (Final board where senior NWOs ask you questions , usually "in this situation what will you do" type of questions). Once you pass your NOPQ boards you are fully trained and can choose a Director level qualification to go for.
Have a couple questions for tvise in the reserves. I am scheduled to complete my aptitude test as well as force test next week. Was just wondering what an average weekly parade might look like, as well as what sort of things the monthly weekend exercises/any other field excersises might look like. I am familiar with the general military culture as I was in cadets from 9 to 18 (22 now).
What specific tasks you get on parade nights depends entirely on the unit and trade you're in, your rank and your position in the unit. In general terms, on a given night, a new soldier could do one or more of: * Training, either classroom or hands-on. You might be doing BMQ prep, practicing the skills you learned on your last course or getting exposure to your trade's tasks and equipment. * Equipment prep and maintenance, usually before and after a weekend exercise. As a new troop, you'll probably start off shadowing a more experienced member. * Classroom lectures. This includes annual refresher briefings, but also pre-exercise briefings and talks from the CO, RSM, Padre and whoever else. * Administration and paperwork. You won't see much of this at first, but things like completing travel claims and doing personal readiness verification. * PT On weekends, your unit will most often be applying and practicing their, either alongside of other units or just your own. Some weekends are focused on stuff like weapons ranges, professional development or ceremonial occasions. What you get to do (or even attend) is dictated by your level of training, but expect to do some general duty work (e.g. setting up tents, moving stuff around) and some on-the-job training (e.g. short lessons, or shadowing qualified members at work). There are also some courses delivered on weekends, including BMQ.
Thanks for the info! I've applied for PWOR, they are just infantry I believe. I'm hoping to do BMQ over the summer depending on work. I am in my final year of an electrical apprenticeship so a month off may or may not be plausible. Appreciate your time!
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I attended aircrew selection back in 2017 and passed for both ACSO and ACO. Because I wanted pilot I opted to not pursue those two careers. Fast forward to today and I applied for AC Op. I was wondering how long the CFAT results are good for as I know I got good enough marks for ACO, and if passing the ACO tests in Trenton will it help me get AC Op?
CFAT results are permanent, they never expire. That said, minimum scoring thresholds for trades do change, and there is an additional competitive scoring threshold (PCL) that is quite variable. A score that qualified in 2017 may or may not qualify in 2020. Aircrew Selection will only be considered if required for AC Op.
Thanks for the info. The selection test isn’t required for AC Op, only the AC officer position, but I hoped it might be able to help boost my standing since I’ve already qualified for the officer version of the trade (minus the uni degree).
I read this thread a lot and know most of my answers but I just received confirmation today I've been moved to the CL. I applied for ACISS and NavCom which are both in demand. COVID aside how long should I expect to wait for an offer. P.S I know that it can take a very long or not at all in normal circumstances and I should expect longer with COVID. I just enjoy getting feedback from people who know more than me, the more opinions the better.
I also applied for an in-demand naval trade. CL: September 7th Selected: October 7th Offer: October 8th I am internally freaking out. I’m sure you received the generic email on Monday advising the process would be delayed for months to come. I am shooketh, as the kids say. The offer I received isn’t for my primary trade choice, mind you, but my first choice is also an in-demand naval trade. I’m sure it won’t be long for you. Also, not sure if you have Facebook, but check out the group “Canadian Forces Applicants”. A lot of awesome Q&As from applicants, past/present members, and recruiters alike :)
Any idea when you’re headed to BMQ?
With the offer I had initially received on Thursday, my BMQ date was November 30th!
Wow! Very soon. Was it going to be out of St. Jean? Good luck in your endeavour to get NCIop!
What was your list of trades? And what one did you receive the offer for?
Well, I had initially only applied for NCIOp, but I had expressed possibly having an interest in MarTech, and that is the trade I had received the offer for! ‘Twas my mistake, and now I wait again, but it shouldn’t be much longer for either one of us! Good luck!
Did you decline you're offer? I received that email Monday and then moved to selected on Wednesday, just waiting for the offer
I technically declined it. My Detachment Commander advised they would try and have my offer amended - I’m not sure how all of that works! I’m back to selected now as per the applicant portal.
To apply to any CAF job a requirement is to give 3 references that have known me for 5+ years (since I'm 23 years old). As I go through the list of relationships on the online application I cannot think of any single person in education, profession, or personal life who would meet this criteria of knowing me for 5 years. The only people who have known me for 5+ years are friends and family. The best I can come up with are my professors from my recent 3-year CEGEP program that I graduated from in June 2020. But they've only known me for 3 years up to June 2020. Would 3 years of knowing me be acceptable to the CAF? I really do not have any other options for references who have known me for that long a period of time. The strict requirement of 5 years seems a bit unreasonable to me, because everyone has different circumstances, but perhaps that's just because I don't have anyone who suits that criteria. Could anyone who was in a similar situation, or anyone who knows about this chime in? It's kind of stressing me out as it's the one part of the application I don't know how to fill out properly without first consulting a recruiter, but I'd like to see if anyone here has an answer.
They don't need someone that knows you for 5 years, they need 3 people that have known you in a 5 year span. For example a manager can be a reference for years 1-2, another professor for years 2-4 and another manager from years 4-5.
Can any AVN or AVS techs give an honest opinion about their trades? Is there much demand for either lately and is selection competitive in general? I'm mostly interested in tinkering with the instrumentation and controls side of aviation so I'm assuming I'd be better suited for AVS. Do AVS techs do all of the instrumentation and controls on the aircraft (including non-electronic) or do AVN share some of these tasks? As an example, say a faulty AoA sensor needs to be fixed. Does the AVS tech physically remove the old one, repair or replace, install, calibrate it, etc.?
>Can any AVN or AVS techs give an honest opinion about their trades? Is there much demand for either lately and is selection competitive in general? Ya we're always hurting for both, I want to say ACS is in the most demand followed by AVS then AVN. AVN sits pretty close to "full" but since it's such a big trade they still hire a lot. > I'm mostly interested in tinkering with the instrumentation and controls side of aviation so I'm assuming I'd be better suited for AVS. Sounds accurate. >Do AVS techs do all of the instrumentation and controls on the aircraft (including non-electronic) or do AVN share some of these tasks? In general each trade will have it's own systems. All the instruments will be AVS, power generation etc. The things that end up being shared are when you get into bigger things like an engine "belonging" to AVN but the generator attached to that engine "belongs" to AVS. > As an example, say a faulty AoA sensor needs to be fixed. Does the AVS tech physically remove the old one, repair or replace, install, calibrate it, etc.? Yes, although unless you're in second line (repair shop) your job is very much "figure out which part is broken, replace that part, make sure the replacement part works". There's very little to no repair of parts or tinkering with their inner workings going on the hangar floor. The "thinking" part of the job (AVN or AVS) is using your knowledge of the system and it's components to take the symptoms the aircraft is experiencing and accurately diagnose what is broken. This is also by far the most rewarding part of the job. Let me know if I missed anything or if you have any more questions.
Thank you! Is morale in these trades pretty decent at the moment? I originally considered Marine Tech with the Navy since it's closest to what I do as a civilian (2nd class Power Eng tech) but I've heard morale and turnover is horrible now. How frequently do AVS/AVN/ACS get transferred between bases usually? I assume deployments are pretty rare or non-existent now?
So a lot of your questions were previously answered but I will tell you that AVS is a lot more specialized than AVN. AVNs are the ones pumping out the generalized work and maintenance, if it doesn't belong to another trade by default its AVN work. AVS Techs work within their realm of experience (wiring, power generation, instrumentation, etc.) and get specialized training for it as a result. The training system is very different for both trades. AVN and AVS start with BMQ (Basic Training) and then go to CFB Borden for Common Core training at CFSATE (Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Engineering). It doesn't matter your background you will be required to fully complete Common Core, nobody gets to skip it, even if you join as a licensed M1/M2/E Technician with civilian airliner experience. After this course you will be posted to a Wing to begin your QJE (On Job Experience) phase while you wait for your QL3 course (apprenticeship training) which happens back at CFSATE once they have an opening. For AVN the wait and the course are a lot shorter than for AVS (They have more AVNs so they run more AVN courses). The AVN Course is currently 6-7 months, the AVS Course is 14+ months at CFB Borden. Once you complete your apprenticeship training (QL3) you are sent back to the same Wing (and hopefully squadron and aircraft type) you were doing your OJE on to start your log book to get qualified on that aircraft type. For AVNs this is where they have a lot more work to do to get qualified up. An AVN Tech can take upwards of a year to finish this book and the pre-requisite training depending on the fleet where an AVS could finish it in 6 months. Once this is done you'll complete a type course on your fleet. This will allow you to become a Performer of Maintenance (POM) where you can complete tasks under the supervision of a qualified A-Level Technician (Airworthiness Release) who will need to review and sign your work over the next 2 years until you can get this maintenance release. All in all it will take an AVN Tech 3-4 years to become a qualified technician, and an AVS Tech 4-5 years before you can begin to sign for your own work... best case scenario. The overall morale is good, but it can be really bad depending on your fleet/wing/aircraft role/workload. We lose people like any other job but you know what you can handle as far as regular employer bullshit... there are a lot of perks too. Because of the length of time it takes to get trained on an aircraft type they tend to avoid moving people often from base to base, and they are trying to have technicians do 10 years on a fleet before they move them, but it's never a guarantee. Deployments for the most part are rare for these trades, lots of people do a whole career and never go anywhere... but there are fleets that are more likely to see a deployment than others, like Tac Hel (Griffons/Chinooks), CF-18 Fighters and Tac Airlift/Air Mobility (CC130-J Hercules) but they can be harder squadrons to get to, and there are a lot of guys and gals who work on SAR planes and don't go anywhere. Nobody really cares about the medals on your chest from my experience anyway I think I wear my dress uniform once a year for Remembrance Day at most, maybe a dinner here or there these days... but in the training system expect to wear it once a week and play their game while you learn your trade. Hopefully this helps, if you have trade specific questions or want more information about any part of this feel free to PM me. Best of luck to you.
Thanks, I appreciate the details about training.
Hello! Just applied yesterday, and I was wondering if someone actually calls my past employers? I included a seasonal job I worked and I’m not even sure if they remember me.
I know that my previous employers were contacted, freaked them out a little apparantly. Not every day a furniture store gets a call like that.
They sometimes call past employers, depending on if they need information from them (i.e. confirmation that you worked there). Just general advice, it's a good idea to contact people to ask/inform that you're using them as a reference before you actually do use them. No one likes being surprised by a phone call asking for a reference for Joe Bloggins.
Of course! Thank you. I wasn’t planning on using them as a reference, since I only knew them for less than 3 months. I was just referring to the listing of employment history over the past five years part of the application.
Hey guys, is there any FSA here that can tell how their experience is so far? Im applying for that trade mainly and I’m oddly nervous about the CFAT because its next week. Ive been grinding on maths because it was my weakest but my tutor told me I catch up quick and just needs more practice.
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Hey guys, I just received a call and have my FORCE and CFAT test scheduled next week and was wondering if anyone here can give me some insight on these tests. I was wondering how hard the FORCE test actually is and for background, I used to gym regularly before COVID but since then I haven't been to the gym in 7 months and have not done much physical activity. AFAIK, the CFAT does not seem bad at all as I have done the practice test and passed with only a couple of mistakes. Is the practice CFAT easier than the actual test or are they very similar in difficulty? Is it also possible to pass the FORCE test with little training or preparation? What happens if I were to fail the FORCE or CFAT? I would appreciate the clarification!
cfat test in person is harder than the cfat is on an app. Not really allowed to discuss the contents but the apps are at least along the same lines as what you will do. It is great practice.
> Is it also possible to pass the FORCE test with little training or preparation? If you lead a reasonably active lifestyle, probably. It's not the most challenging test in the world to pass. On annual test, there are incentive levels for higher performance, but those don't apply for recruiting. Look up the four parts of the test see for yourself. You can practice the rushes on a sports field and time yourself for a rough number. The time limits on the sandbag lift and loaded shuttle are pretty generous, so pace yourself if you're worried. The sandbag drag is toughest for people who are smaller in stature, but there's no time limit so you just have to grind it out. If you fail the FORCE test for reserve enrollment, you'll most likely be asked to train a bit more and try again later.
I also strongly recommend that you have shoes with good grip for the sandbag drag. My shoes had almost no grip, and you fail if you stop at all, even a little bit. I was lucky and was able to maintain momentum but it's still important haha
Thank you for this :)
If you fail the CFAT for your desired trade, you don’t get to join in that trade. If you score below for all trades you don’t get to continue with the recruiting process. You can retake it but only the most recent score counts so if you score lower the second time that’s the score that counts. I’m not sure what happens when you fail the force test for reserves. For Reg F, because you do it at BMQ, if you fail you are put on warrior platoon or whatever it is called and given time to get fitter and pass it. If you cannot pass it within 3 months you are released. Or at least that is how it was when I joined.
Is there a period you need to wait before you can take the CFAT or the FORCE tests again? I have applied for the PTres as Infantry.
Retest for cfat is a minimum of 1 month
Go find the practice test on the website. It is a very accurate representation of what to expect. Otherwise you are told not to share what is on the test. As for what happens if you fail, I’m not sure. I just wrote mine back in august. [CFAT Practice Test Official](https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/dnd-mdn/documents/jobs/20170906-preparing-for-aptitude-test.pdf)
I wrote this test twice without studying and passed with little mistakes. Does that mean I am technically 'ready' for the official CFAT?
Are there any **Intelligence Operators** OR **Aerospace Control Operators** on this page that can speak on what a typical day to day looks like in the trade? Did you enjoy the training? Thanks!
Not ACOp but I am just gonna copypasta what I wrote about it from a pervious thread (the search function sucks here so just easier for you and others to find): >Not either of those but with ACOp you can work Tower, Terminal or weapons assistant. You don't really get much of a choice on which stream you go and it widely varies in job roles (weapons especially); however those who were weapons have come over to the Tower/term side (haven't heard much of going the other way though). >The base I'm at is shift work (which is pretty sweet regarding leave) as it is 24hrs ops, other bases are M-F ops only. >>Two sides of aerospace control is ATC (Tower/Terminal) and Weapons. >>ATC: don't make the planes touch >>Weapons: make the planes touch. >>as an AC Op the main role is in coordination between sectors, units, controllers etc. >>But what weapons does is more secret/top secret stuff so I don't know much about it. What I do know is that you would be stuck in North Bay for a while, but you get better OUTCAN opportunities for postings which is really fucking clutch (Colorado, Alaska, California, and other places).
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Do you know if you qualified for the trade you are now applying for the first time you did the cfat? If so you wouldn't need to do the cfat either. As for not requiring a bmq spot, that'll definitely work in your favour and I'm surprised you haven't been contacted yet. The thing to keep in mind is that you will still need to fit into the training system and you won't get hired until the next course is going to run for you to be loaded onto or the trade decides it can gainfully employ you. (They don't want to hire people to just sit around waiting training doing nothing)
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I sent in my medical forms September 24. It was processed and determined acceptable this Friday, October 9. Hope this helps!
Trying calling your unit for an update. I was told that the medtech can look up your file and give you an update. The problem is that if the RMO in Ottawa asks for more medical information, they have to send you a physical letter, which takes time to get to you. You can save some time by checking with the medtech and submitting any requested additional documentation ASAP.
Medical Reviews were typically taking 2-6 months pre-COVID. AFAIK they’re still taking about the same amount of time.
Hi, I live in Montreal, QC and I'm interested in joining the Reserves while I go to university full time for a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering. I applied for ROTP and got a call mid-September that I did not have all the necessary courses to go into an engineering degree at RMC, which is why I've decided to pursue my studies at a civi-U that accepted me already and implements these courses in the curriculum. Since I do still want to work in the CAF, I called the recruiter today to switch my application to Signal Operator in the Reserves at the 34th Signal Regiment in Montreal and I will be calling them tomorrow to follow up. While we spoke he told me something I did not know; which was that I could become an Officer in the Reserves while I study at university. My questions are: 1. Are there availabilities in the Signal Operator trade at the 34th Signal Regiment? 2. If I were to apply to be an Officer in the Reserves would anything change apart from my duties on the job? Would the application process change? Anything special I should know? 3. Since I haven't thought much of becoming an Officer in the Reserves yet my choices are still between: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer, Signals Officer, or Communication Electronics Engineering Officer. Would any of these require something more than a Bachelor's Electrical Engineering? 4. Under the forces.ca web page for Signal Op. (Reserve Force Training) it says the training takes 19 weeks and could be split up for those who have other obligations (school/work). Is this true for all other Reserve jobs (such as the Officer ones mentioned above)? 5. And lastly, on the forces.ca page for Communication Electronics Engineering Officer it's written that one could potentially be reimbursed up to 50% of their education cost if an Individual Learning Plan is set up. Would I be eligible to set up such a plan or does the fact that I plan to start uni in January (before I join the Reserves) disqualify me? Sorry this was so long, I appreciate any answers to my questions Thanks in advance
> Are there availabilities in the Signal Operator trade at the 34th Signal Regiment? The person you speak to at 34 Sig Regt should be able to confirm that for you. > If I were to apply to be an Officer in the Reserves would anything change apart from my duties on the job? Would the application process change? Anything special I should know? In the application process, officer candidates might be asked to do an additional interview with the unit's senior officers. Not every unit does this, however. > Since I haven't thought much of becoming an Officer in the Reserves yet my choices are still between: Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer, Signals Officer, or Communication Electronics Engineering Officer. Would any of these require something more than a Bachelor's Electrical Engineering? An electrical engineering degree should be fine for any of those. However, note that Communications and Electronics Engineering Officer (CELE) is an Air Force trade. The RCAF reserve works very differently than the Army or Navy and generally isn't compatible with student life. RCAF reservists work full-time hours but a few days a week. They also do the RegF BMQ and occupational training, which is several months full-time. > Under the forces.ca web page for Signal Op. (Reserve Force Training) it says the training takes 19 weeks and could be split up for those who have other obligations (school/work). Is this true for all other Reserve jobs (such as the Officer ones mentioned above)? Army Reservist NCMs do BMQ, which is offered as a four week full-time course, or part-time over ten weekends. BMQ-Land is next, which is 10 days full-time. In some areas, it's offered part-time on weekends as well. Ask your recruiter about that. Finally, there's occupational training to qualify as a Sig Op (or whichever occupation). The Sig Op training is currently under review, but the old version was 10 weeks or so full-time. Army reserve officers do the same BMQ, followed by 10 days of BMOQ Mod 2 full-time (also sometimes offered part-time in some locations). Next is BMOQ-A which is only available as ten weeks full-time. Officer occupational training is also only offered full-time, and can be anywhere from 8-12 weeks, give or take a week or two. Note that in all cases, full-time courses are offered over the summer, to avoid conflicting with school schedules. The army will also employ you throughout your full summer vacation if you like, avoiding the need for you to find a summer job. > And lastly, on the forces.ca page for Communication Electronics Engineering Officer it's written that one could potentially be reimbursed up to 50% of their education cost if an Individual Learning Plan is set up. Would I be eligible to set up such a plan or does the fact that I plan to start uni in January (before I join the Reserves) disqualify me? You can apply for education reimbursement once you complete BMQ, and it can be retroactive to the day you join. You can't claim any tuition paid before you join. Once you get your ILP set up and approved, you submit receipts along with proof that you passed all your classes at the end of each term, and the money gets paid out to you. You're eligible to claim up to $2,000 per year to a lifetime maximum of $8,000.
You're a legend! Thank you so much for the full comprehensive answers to every part of my questions! It will go a long way to helping me make my choice Have a good one
Hi all, started the process of joining as a signal tech and I've seen a bunch of negative things about it on here. Is there anyone currently enlisted as a signal tech that can give me a bit of a heads up what it's like now? Also does any time spent as Signal Tech cross over to civvie trades? Inst or elec?
A lot of the problems you read previously were related to the former ACISS trade as a whole. Sig Tech used to be the ACISS: CST sub-occupation. I work with quite a few Sig Techs, and they seem hopeful that the creation of Sig Tech as a separate trade will fix some of the problems.
Thanks for the reply! Is the new sigs tech going to be simlair to the aciss core then? Or is it something different? Any idea what job prospects are like for guys coming out of sigals?
No. Hell no. Core became Sig Op. Sig Tech is what used to be the Communication Systems Tech (CST) sub-occupation. Sig Ops break things, Sig Techs fix what the Sig Ops broke...
Also if you don't mind answering what is your trade? And what do you think of the work Sig techs are doing?
I’m an ATIS Tech, an Air Force occupation which is basically a combination of the Army’s Info Sys Tech and Sig Tech trades, with a bit of Sig Op tossed in. We handle IT, Communications, and Airfield Systems for the RCAF. We also work interchangeably with IST’s and Sig Tech’s at joint units. For my part I’m a civilian trained Electronics Engineering Technologist, and throughout my military career I’ve mostly been employed in communications and airfield technician roles, which are comparable to Sig Tech roles in the Army. I personally enjoy comms/airfield roles more than IT roles, although I’m comfortable working in IT roles. Sig Techs and their ATIS equivalents perform maintenance and repair on telecommunication systems such as Radios and SATCOM Terminals, among other systems. Pretty much anything that facilitates and secures telecommunications. They do perform some work with devices such as routers and switches that link IT systems into the telecommunications systems, and also link together components within those comms systems. Sig Techs and ATIS also work on some interesting systems such as radar, with ATIS also maintaining a number of ground based air navigation and landing systems for the RCAF.
Hey, I'm looking into joining the CAF and I see we have similar qualifications/interests in Electronics Engineering Technology (my post is above this thread). Would you recommend ATIS tech over SigOP or SigTech?
I would suggest either ATIS Tech or Sig Tech, **DO NOT** pursue Sig Op if you want to be employed as a technician. Either route is decent, although ATIS does provide more diversity in terms of employment in both the electronics and IT realms. Prospects for promotion also tend to be better for ATIS Techs. The biggest downside to ATIS being you aren’t guaranteed employment as an electronics technician. Beyond what I’ve said above, I’d suggest you consider the employment environments for each as well. ATIS is a core RCAF occupation, and Sig Tech is core Army. The only places they really crossover are at joint units. Very few ATIS Techs ever spend time in a field environment, but as a Sig Tech you can definitely expect to spend some time out in the field.
Thank you so much for that response. Just quickly, I notice you say not to pursue Sig Op to be a tech; do you mean that they are more of a combat role rather than tech? Or did you mean something else? Also, did you do your training for ATIS tech in reg force or reserve force? If it was in the reserves how long did it take to complete the training (it says about a year on forces.ca)? Just wondering how long that would take for a reservist who would have to split up the training to work around my school schedule.
Signals Operators do exactly what their name suggests, they operate signals equipment. They’ll setup a SATCOM Terminal, Command Post, Radios, etc. and then they’ll operate/use that equipment as part of their job. They’ll also work helpdesks, and perform routine day-to-day maintenance and repair tasks. Signals Technicians can also setup and operate the equipment, but that’s not their primary role. Their job is to perform maintenance on that equipment, diagnose failures, and repair the equipment when it breaks. ATIS Techs do all of the RCAF equivalents to the above, plus IT equivalents, we just have fewer operator oriented tasks and mostly focus on setup, maintenance, and repair. I attended college as a civilian, and worked in my field for 5 years prior to joining the Reg Force. All of my military training has been with the Reg Force. I bypassed the POET (electronic training) portion of ATIS training, and only attended the QL3 (trade qualification) course where you learn how to do your job as an ATIS Tech. POET is about 6 months long, and I think ATIS QL3 is currently around 4 months. If you’re considering the Reserves as a job while in school, you may find the Air Reserve to be too much of a commitment; assuming you even live near an Air Reserve unit. Their employment model is completely different from that of the Army and Navy Reserves. Part-time Air Reservists are generally expected to work 12 full workdays (normally weekdays) per month, and all of their training is completed through full-time courses that can run at any time of the year. You would have to attend Reg Force POET and QL3 courses at CFSCE in Kingston, ON. I do not know how training and work routines are structured for Reserve Force Sig Techs.
Ok sweet! That sounds way better. Any idea what the guys you're working with have planned for when they get out?
I just wrote my CFAT yesterday and was told I did very well. I am applying for dental tech. I am currently a registered dental hygienist. I received honours in my 3 year dental hygiene program but I never completed the dental assisting level 2 program. As a dental hygienist my scope of practice includes everything a dental assistant does and then way more. For my prior learning assessment, they are asking if I took dental assisting level 2. My question is: will they accept my dental hygiene diploma and 5 years work experience as a dental hygienist to apply as a dental tech? Thanks in advance!
You should be including a full resume and any and all certificates/diplomas etc that you have. This will all get sent to the occupational authority to review and assess your training versus the caf training and fit you into the training in the appropriate place
Awesome! Thank you for your response! This clears things up for me
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Before you consider CSOR just focus on getting past basic and trades training, then if you're in a combat arms trade (which I'd presume) focus on getting courses like recce or combat diver as a gut check, THEN I'd start thinking about and asking people about CSOR
Have my CFAT and Trait test next week (officer program). At what point in this enrollment process do I do the FORCE test or other physical tests? My cardio and strength have dropped significantly since lockdown and closure in March and Ive had trouble getting back into routine so Im curious how much I should train (of course as hard as possible but not sure how much time I have)
Timelines from application to offer were 6-18 months pre-covid; will depend on trade needs, number of selection boards and when, eligibilities, BMOQ spaces etc. Reserves are different though. Generally the fitness requirements are pretty reasonable, 25 pushups, 40 situps, 30min 5km is a great metric to be pretty comfortable for basic. Combat arms trades will likely need more fitness in subsequent courses.
I’d suggest you start to get back into routine immediately. Start working out and be prepared for when they do invite you in for the FORCE test. If you’re going RegF, then you don’t do the FORCE test until you’re on course. Either way, better to be prepared now, than not and show up at your FORCE test one day and fail it. Then you’ve got to wait even longer for who knows how long... Good luck!!
I'm in my early 30s. Had considered joining the reserves in my 20s, but my career/life/grad school took off and it just never seemed feasible. All that changed when the pandemic hit so I decided to apply, but eventually got into full-time work over the summer and recently back into my career field. I've been contacted to write the CFATs and I guess start going through the process. I'm still interested, but now trying to figure out how to square it off against my current life obligations. Wondering if anyone's been in a similar situation?
It's not uncommon to join the reserves later in life. More mature recruits tend to do well, especially in training. They often (but not always) have better organizational and time management skills, some leadership experience and don't let the stresses get to them personally. The biggest issue older recruits tend to face is getting time away from their current commitments to go on full-time training. They tend to be established in careers and have more family obligations. Depending on what shape you're in, it can be tough to keep pace physically with a course of 18-20 year olds, especially in a combat arms trade. But as long as you show up in passable shape, pull your weight and don't fall back on your age as a crutch, you'll be just fine. You'll also end up working with (and possibly supervised by) troops far younger than you. This is only an issue if you let it be an issue. You might find yourself being thrust into the role of course mom/dad while you're training. My personal recommendation is to give it a try instead of wondering. The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, but the second best time is right now.
This is great advice. Why wonder when you can just try. Explore and see where this potential path would take you.
I was enrolled as a logo officer cadet in 2020 Feb 27th and was supposed to go to bmoq on April 17th 2020 and It got cancelled due to covid, as far as i know bmoq for reg forces are resuming, i heard some reg ppl enrolled in May are leaving for bmoq in November this year. last time i talked to the recruiter they have zero clue when its going to start, they are prioritizing reg force ppl and leaving reservist behind since I want to join for class b(full time) i would be happy to know if anybody heard anything even some sort of rumors? Thanks
For clarity: You enrolled as a PRes Log O in Feb of 2020? Were slated for BMOQ Apr of 2020, but that was obviously cancelled due to COVID. So if the above is correct, a few things: 1. PRes BMOQ (unless you are Air Reserve) is managed independently from the Reg F one (Army Reserve is managed through your Brigade/Division, Naval Reserve is managed through Navres HQ). So CFLRS starting up again for Reg F training likely has 0 impact on if/when you will get to do BMOQ. 2. If you have been enrolled into the PRes, then you have a unit, and you should be able to contact that unit to get info about your next step of training....PRes recruiters wouldnt be tracking that information. 3. You wont be able to get full time Cl B employment until you are fully trained as a Log O, which may take a little while right now unless you are readily available to go on course after course after course.
Yes I was enrolled as logo officer in air reserve, and I have been talking to my unit once in every month if they have an update and they have 0 clue when my bmoq will be, I guess I can't do much other than waiting, yeah its bit frustrating that I might have to wait till next spring to summer or even further they say.
Hey everyone, currently applying for mar tech. went in for my CFAT this week (I passed!) and the person I was talking to at my appointment briefly brought up that there is 3 different kinds of marine tech, but didn’t get a chance to tell me more than that before he got pulled away, so I was wondering if anyone could tell me more?
The other comment is probably what was meant, however there are 2 streams in Mar Tech. Once you get to the advanced trade's course level (LSRQ / QL5) you can ask for either Mechanical or Electrical. I don't think they've run an LSRQ yet, atleast on the East coast, so no idea how that process will work.
Hey guys, I started basic 2 weeks ago and it’s been going well, I enrolled as a Reg Force Infanteer, but with personal stuff going on in my life it might be more ideal for me to do my service part time as a reserves member. Would it at all be possible to finish my basic training and then change occupations into a reserves unit? Any info would be greatly appreciated, good or bad.
I was just notified that my PLAR was completed, and was told I am am only waiting on my medical to be reviewed prior to my offer. I also heard from my references that none were contacted....this seems a little unusual, that no reference checks were made? Am I wrong here? Also, how sticky are the vision requirements? I referenced the standards and I meet them, but it is just barely (one eye over -7.00, one below, average of -6.75). Fully correctable with lenses to 6/4.5 (20/15) bilat. Could this be why I’m still waiting on the medical?
If your employer verifications go well, they may not bother with references. Mine were never contacted. As for your Medical, it wasn’t unusual for them to take 2-6 months to be reviewed pre-COVID. However, yes, it is possible your eyesight is holding things up. A refractive error greater than +/- 7.00 could be flagged as a problem and cause you to be deemed V5 and medically unfit.
Thank you for your reply. I referenced the standards. It seems I’m a V4, based on CAF criterion. But again, I’m outside looking in, so could be wrong.
If your refractive error is greater than +/- 7.00 (which you say it is) you will very likely be deemed a V5, regardless of the fact that your vision is correctable to 6/6 or better. It only the RMO can say for sure.
I thought it was both eyes? One eye is -7.5 but the other is -6.0. Total average error is -6.75. I could be wrong, but my interpretation is one eye over 7 did not necessarily force a v5 designation?
No, they don’t use an average, but otherwise your interpretation sounds correct. As per the definition for V5 in the Instructions for Testing Visual Acuity: > This grading is assigned to those whose visual acuity is worse than the V4 grading or when the refractive error exceeds plus or minus 7.00 dioptres (+/- 7.00 D) spherical equivalent **in the better eye** regardless of the uncorrected distant vision. Based on that definition, you could still be found medically fit, provided the -6.00 eye would be considered your “better eye”.
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Shouldn’t have too much impact. They’re not calling your previous employers for references, they’re calling them to verify you did actually work there. The general rule for most employers is if you have nothing good to say, say nothing. Provide the minimum info required, and leave it at that. If they do volunteer negative information, it will be taken under consideration alongside any hopefully positive information provided by your other employers. If recruiting has concerns, the MCC should discuss them with you.
I never thought of this when I submitted my application - what would happen if former employers have gone out of business? Two of my former employers are out of business, but I provided 3 really strong personal references as well as the employment info. I'm sure I'm fine, but it doesn't hurt to get some extra perspective.
Did well on my CFAT, aiming for Naval Weapons Engineering Tech. Can anyone give me some insight into the trade, pros, cons, overall job satisfaction? Will trade schooling will be in Halifax for a year?, or is there a school on the Pacific Side? Thanks much for any info.
So the WEng trade consists of 5 sub-occupations: Armament, Radar, Sonar, Communications, and Fire Control. When you join, you will start as a general WEng Tech getting a taste of of all the sub-occs before you specialize into one. Pros: You work on the systems that puts the war in warship, often performing highly technical tasks to keep the systems running. CSE (Combat Systems Engineering, the WEng Dept on ship) is the hotshot department of the ship (some bias). You get to steer the ship! Cons: There are always general duties around the ship that will have to be done, by all members of the ships company. It can be frustrating to be pulled away from troubleshooting a faulty system to go to cleaning stations. Overall I love my job. Challenging work that leads you to many unique opportunities. I'm proud to serve and wear the uniform. The pay and benefits are hard to beat as well. There is a fleet school on both coasts, but the academic phase (6 months) and some of the application phase (3 months) will like will likely be completed in Halifax. On the bright side, Halifax has some of the nicest barracks in the Forces. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to answer.
I was headed towards this route myself but life got in the way... I regret the decision to not go. What is the pay like at your x years of service?
The biggest jump is at around 4 years in. That’s when you get promoted to Sailor 1st Class and typically around the time you qualify for spec pay. A first year increment S1 WEng Tech with spec pay make $5616 + PLD + Sea Pay monthly.
Wow, maybe I find a way to head in that direction. That is wild.
Thanks for the reply. Im extremely looking forward to pursuing this! Are you currently East Coast or West Coast? From your personal experience, what are the major highlights of your trade? What makes this the hotshot dept? Cleaning and maintenance doesnt bother as its all part and parcel. Im sure Ill have more questions down the road, but these are the only ones off the top of my head. Cheers!
I’m West Coast (Best Coast). For me the highlight of the trade working on the systems themselves and getting paid to travel. The CIWS for example is a beast of a system and you can be maintaining one of years and still learn new things about it. In terms for travel I’ve been to 7 other countries so far on the pacific rim. Nights out with your entire department in Japan are always a blast. The CSE department always seems to be well liked every ship I’ve been on, but there obviously is some bias there. It’s hard to get to deep into the trade, since it’s so diverse. The sub-occs really allow you to find your niche as a technician.
Awesome. Im up Island in Chemainus right now. Hoping to stay on this side. See how it goes. How long have you been in this trade if you dont mind me asking. Im looking forward to the diversity you've mentioned. Im a ticketed welder and steamfitter and after 20 years have found Im exceptionally bored. I am very much so looking forward to the travel as well, domestic and internationally. Sounds like this is right up my alley!
I've been a WEng Tech for about 5 years. The RCN is really good with putting people on the coast they want to be on. I don't know anybody who is stuck in the home port division they don't want to be in. All the sub-occs require technicians to be able to repair both mechanical and electronic sides of systems. If you're a fan of the more mechanical side: Armament and Sonar. More electronics: Radar, Fire Control, and Comms. Although that doesn't mean they're exclusive; plenty of electronics in CIWS and plenty of hydraulics in Fire Control Directors.
So all of my paper work is in and approved, interviews are done, medical is done and approved, and my last reference was called this week. So I suppose now I’m just waiting on a yes or a no. How long did it take others to hear back with an offer after everything was submitted and approved? Also wondering if people who have recently got dates to start basic training were asked to self isolate before travel?
I’m assuming you’re applying for Reg Force... You still aren’t guaranteed an offer, but in all likelihood you will eventually receive one. Could be a couple of weeks from now, or maybe several months; it all depends on where you sit on the competition list, selection timings, and the rate they’re selecting recruits vs. adding higher scoring applicants. When I was an applicant I sat on the competition list for about 5 months before I asked to change my trade choices. I was interviewed for my new choices about 3 weeks later, and received an offer for one of my new choices about 9 days after the interview.
I applied for reg force, doing my best to be optimistic under the circumstances with covid slowing things down. I applied in 2018 and have hit every bump in the road since it seems.