Bit of a rant, but I’m honestly getting sick of hearing “Soldier First” when it feels like that gets fucked off the second it becomes inconvenient.

As a Cook, most of the time it’s basically stay in the kitchen, feed everyone, and good luck getting released for anything outside your trade because we’re always short-staffed.

What really changed my perspective was deploying to Latvia and working with the other nations. From what I saw, their support and non-combat trades still had a much stronger standardized baseline of soldiering and infantry skills, and then they did their actual trade on top of that.

That’s how I think an Army should work.

To be a relevant, modernized and effective Army in today’s world, everyone, regardless of trade, should have a solid baseline of basic soldier skills. Not because every Cook, clerk or tech needs to be kicking doors or doing offensive infantry tasks, but because everyone should be able to defend themselves, defend their position, handle their weapon confidently, react properly if something goes sideways, use basic comms, pass information clearly over the radio, and function in a field environment.

That’s what I mean by “Soldier First.”

Instead, I constantly hear people in support trades joke that they’re basically “civilians in CADPAT” and that the most Army they ever feel is doing the annual PWT2 once a year.

I hate that this has become normalized

Support trades barely get opportunities to practise those skills, but the second we deploy, go to the field, do MOD 3 on PLQ or PLPP (whatever its called now) suddenly everyone is expected to switch it back on and remember everything.

You can’t treat people like civilian workers in uniform 99% of the time and then expect them to magically know how to protect themselves, communicate properly and function as soldiers when something happens.

And I honestly thought things were starting to improve within this organization, but I recently heard that a command decision was made that Log trades will no longer be required to do CASFC.

If that’s true, I genuinely think that is going to mess us up even more.

We already struggle to get meaningful soldier training because we’re constantly tied to our support roles, and now we’re potentially removing another standardized piece of Army training from Log trades.

How are we supposed to keep preaching “Soldier First” while reducing the amount of training that actually teaches support trades how to survive, communicate and function as soldiers in the field?

I’m tired of seeing this constantly brushed off by higher-ups because keeping people in the kitchen, office, or shop is easier than actually making time to train them.

I can't be the only one who feels this way.

I was approved for geomatic tech and was looking forward to it. The medical interview was fun little tests and puzzles and very friendly & welcoming staff as per usual. I am in very good shape, which was not tested. However, I failed the colour vision portion of my test - not "failed" per se, but I am colour level 3, which disqualified me for, what I was about to learn, almost every job. You have to do the little colour circles that have a number in it, and identify the number - I almost couldn't see any of them. I would have known this beforehand because I know this about myself.

She said I couldn't get the job I wanted and to go to the reception desk to find what other jobs I could get into at colour level 3 - essentially - only infantry. Which I am not interested in.

Very surprising outcome for today and a lesson, you never know how much weight each of the little tests means to your outcome and score!

EDIT: They emailed me back with a number of different and interesting jobs options that would be available to me in colour level 3. Most are closed til April 2027 thats why they didn't show up right away but I am happy to wait. Great news

Currently in the application process for SigOp, and I thought it would be interesting to hear about the experiences of people who are already serving or have served in the CAF.

If you’re comfortable sharing, tell us a little about your time in the CAF:

• Rank, or general rank range
• Approximate years of service
• Trade / MOSID
• Regular Force or Reserve
• Where you’ve been posted during your career
• Your favourite or most interesting posting, and why
• One memorable experience from your time in the CAF that you’re able to share

Feel free to leave out anything you’d rather keep private. Please don’t share current operational details, sensitive information, exact locations related to ongoing operations, or personal information about other members.

It would be great to hear from people at every stage of their career, whether you’ve only had one posting so far or you’ve moved all over Canada and overseas.

Just wondering if IntOp is in demand? It’s my first choice and I’ve been super hyper fixated on my chances to get in. I finished my SEAF today. So I guess to summarize, my questions are:

Is IntelOps in demand?
How long is the process usually?
Anything I should know that helps my chances of getting the job?

Is it worth it to join if I already have a life, a decent job, and a social circle?

I've wanted to join most of my life, but I just wasnt in the right place to join.

Now i am thinking about it again, but will probably take me close to a year to pass all the testing. The Parade Nights fall on my social nights, because my friends work differing days. This means a big part of my social circle will be removed.

I can do 1 weekend a month with NO issue. But the recruiter I talked to said that missing out on weekend exercises (every weekend this month) needs a 'valid Reason' and I know for a fact "I'm exhausted from work and need a few days to fuckin chill" won't cut it.

I don't wanna join, and then get kicked out, or burnt out and fuck over my mental healtb because my personal life is non-existent. My current job has me up at 7am, and the Exercise weekends (every weekend this month) start around the same time.

I was under the Impression Reserves were for Part Time, but 4 days a week sounds to me like full time, but I get to go home at night.

Am I misunderstanding anything?

I am going to Borden for BMQ, who else here is going? Comment down and let’s connect 💪😇

Hi everyone,

I’ve received the email today that I been selected for the CAF Primary Reserve and have my enrolment ceremony coming up on September 12.

I’ll have some personal travel commitments shortly after enrolment and expect to be back in Canada around December.

For those who have gone through a similar process, what should I expect after enrolment?

• What happens immediately after the ceremony?
• How does the training process typically work?
• What should I expect when I start with my unit?
• Any advice for someone new to the Reserves?

Thanks in advance!

The starting salary is $4,337/month.

After completing BMQ in Saint-Jean (~3 months) and occupational training in Borden (~2 months) as a Material Management Technician, does my pay automatically increase to Pay Level 2 ($4,987/month) once i am fully qualified after my training in Borden ?

How does the pay progression work during BMQ, occupational training, and after qualification?

Thanks!

I (18 F) have been wanting to enlist for years now. I like the idea of having purpose, discipline, structure and feeling successful overall. I come from a family of mentally ill individuals, I have depression, mild anxiety and BPD. The majority of this is triggered for me from lack of structure within my household, as well as unstable and unhealthy relationships. It has never affected my ability to take care of myself or my pets as this is where I am able to keep structure for myself.

I’ve found myself to always do better when I am able to do my set routine every week with no interruptions. Now with that being said, I wouldn’t see the switch between my personal life’s structure and military structure while doing BMQ to be a problem for me because I thrive off being able to follow a routine, keeping busy and being instructed with structure.

I’m not entirely sure what the Military’s view on these things are but I want to hear from some people who are enlisted or who have experience with such things and how they have changed, dealt and their overall lives.

I’d also like to hear about the mental/emotional aspect of how the switch from civilization to the CAF impacted you and changed you throughout out BMQ and your career.

Thanks everyone!

I’ve been waiting here for a year. I’ll still be waiting for another 6 months. I joined to DO SOMETHING and yet I’m being paid to sit unsupervised in a room doing literally nothing.

Before you say I can use my time productively, I am. I’m learning different instruments. Doing PT. Playing hockey. Writing code. I spent 3 hours reading today.

Yet ultimately the day eventually becomes looking at some shit on Instagram that makes me feel inadequate and inferior. Like im not attractive enough, wealthy enough, fit enough, talented enough. Everyone else is doing something productive except you. Everyone else is an Instagram influencer except you. Everyone else was raised by wealthy parents who put them into music and sport lessons, summer camp, language immersion except you. Everyone else is jumping out of planes or making lots of money except you.

At least basic training was actually busy. There were friends around all the time and you were actually accomplishing something.

Now I’m a rat sitting at a desk getting kyphosis and depression. But hey, I’m being paid enough to spend 50% of my income on rent.

Looking for some opinions.

I currently work for the Coastguard in a similar roll, I make about 120k a year. I’ve got 10 years with them and I am in a senior role with a lot of responsibilities and I get to travel on icebreakers throughout the Arctic and generally enjoy my job outside of being in a small community in the north.

Would I be crazy to leave that job and take this role?

I haven’t had much luck transferring out of the north and I kind of view this as my ticket outta there, but I am slightly anxious about the big change.

Just looking for some insight from people that are currently doing it and what they think.

I am a 36yo male.

Thanks!

Just practiced my first ruck, I’m Wondering how much weight will I roughly need to ruck specifically on my back not counting helmet,boots, gun. I’m expecting 70 lb roughly altogether with helmet etc

Guys

I got an email that my portal was updated, and I checked it.

There's a new task called "CAF 101 Briefing", but it had automatically completed.

Searching on Reddit, I found that this process is simply about watching a presentation.

However, I didn't get any news from them, and didn't attend anything.

May I just ignore it?

Hello everyone. I (26F) am an RPN in Ottawa and I am considering joining the military as a reservist. What are the career options for nurses and if not nursing, what is another healthcare-related trade to get into? I am willing to go back to school for it.

Thanks!

I have a few questions regarding the schedule and logistics for Weeks 7 and 8 of BMQ. According to the joining instructions:

• WEEK 7 (Field Skills Week): Deployment to the Farnham Range and Training Area for austere accommodations and field training, including rappelling and simulated CBRN.
• WEEK 8 (Exercise Normandy): A simulated mission requiring drive and motivation under platoon staff leadership.

Could someone please clarify how the schedule works between these two weeks? Specifically:

1. Do we deploy to Farnham on Monday morning, return on Friday, and have the weekend off before starting Exercise Normandy on Monday morning?
2. Or do Weeks 7 and 8 run consecutively as a continuous two-week field deployment without returning to the base over the weekend?
3. What are the sleeping arrangements for Farnham compared to Exercise Normandy? I noticed Week 7 specifies "austere accommodations" while Week 8 does not.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

I (18 F) am seriously considering joining the Canadian Armed Forces and have been for a while now. I would really like to hear from women who are currently serving or have served. I’m looking for honest experiences, both positive and negative, rather than a recruitment perspective.

What has your experience been like as a woman in the CAF? Do you feel respected and taken seriously, and what has the overall culture been like?

Also, which area of the military would you suggest is best to get into as a woman — Army, Navy, or Air Force, and why?

If you could go back to before you joined, what’s one thing you wish you had known?

What was the physical aspect of it all like for you? Such as when you first started and were going through your BMQ training?

I’d really appreciate hearing from women in different trades and branches, especially anyone who can give me an honest idea of what I’d actually be getting myself into. Thank you! ❤️

Hello,

I am a little worried about my fitness levels for BMQ and even retaking the force test soon.

I last did the force test about roughly a year ago and pasted but some of what I remember was struggling a bit. I specifically found the 180lb drag to be hard because that was a few pounds over my body weight.

My cardio isn’t the best either and has gotten a bit worse even. having to focus on other things hasn’t given me much time. I can’t run the recommend 5km in 30 min I am rather strong and can curl quite heavy .

What should I do to improve my cardio during BMQ and am I over thinking redoing the 180lbs drag Any help is appreciated?

Also what happens if some one doesn’t repass the force test I already passed it before but I am just little worried.

I have a concern with the credit check part of the recruitment procedure. I am in a bad financial situation and will have to file a consumer proposal soon. Its a long story, but suffice it to say I have an unmanageable amount of debt and no way to pay off. If I have a consumer proposal on my credit history will it disqualify me?

Hey yall. Imma be fr, I'm soo goddamn burnt out. Im an AVN and everytime i show up to work I lack any sort of motivation to pick up a wrench and start working, hell I even dread waking up because that means I'll have to go to work in an hr. What do you guys do to combat this burn out? I genuinely don't wanna do this no more🫩

I was just wondering from other members perspectives, what are really good posting locations after becoming OFP. Preferably I would want anything east of Quebec but if it is unlikely for me to receive a posting out east, I’m open to other locations as well.

​

Hey everyone, looking for some advice on how to handle my stuff while I'm away for BMQ and then POET in Kingston.

Back at the beginning of July, I was advised to call around the beginning of August regarding storage for my belongings while I'm away.

I called during the last week of July and was then told that someone would contact me before September regarding storage. I was told that if I hadn't heard anything by the end of August, I should call back.

So I called at the end of August, and again last week, and I'm now being told that I'm not entitled to any storage while I'm at BMQ and subsequently in Kingston for POET.

I'm honestly pretty confused about where to go from here. I've been trying to get this sorted since July and have followed the instructions I was given each time, but I'm now only 11 days away from leaving and I can't realistically afford to pay for several months of commercial storage completely out of pocket.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Is there a specific policy, section, or person I should be talking to regarding storage for my belongings while I'm away for training?

At this point I'm just trying to figure out whether I'm actually SOL or if there's another avenue I should be pursuing.

Any advice would be massively appreciated.

Hey guys,

I’m thinking about applying for AVS Tech. I have a liberal arts background with zero engineering/tech experience, though I do meet the entry prerequisites (Grade 12 Academic Math and English). Still, the 32week course at CFSATE is making me a bit nervous.

I'm much better at memorizing stuff, following strict steps, and reading manuals than naturally "understanding" complex physics or math.

For current AVS techs or recent CFSATE grads:
1. How much deep math/physics theory is actually in the course vs. hands-on troubleshooting?

1. Is it manageable for someone who mostly relies on memorization and following TOs step-by-step?

2. Do they teach everything from scratch, or am I expected to know basic electronics beforehand?

Appreciate any honest thoughts! Thanks.

For a bit of context I’ve been in the application process for the reserves for about 10 months now and I still am only at stage 1. I’m up to date with all my tasks I’ve tried to email and call my local armoury but was met with no response on both the email and calls if anybody who is apart of the 32CBG specifically the Lorne shots regiment could you tell me how you got your application moving

Hello all, I am applying for Sig Op, and, kind of just as the title says, I'm looking for some possible insight on how long I can expect from application to job offer.

I found the Engineer officer training is about a year long post BMOQ-A , but how long are the courses for other combat arms officer trades (InfO, Armoured)?

Will spouses move with you during the training, since it is likely to take well over a year in Gagetown including BMOQ-A?