military, US and Non US

Coming up on my third year here. During the school year, I study at the Royal Military College of Canada (our version of West Point) patiently awaiting the day next year when I get to graduate, walk out of here and never look back. I train in the summers for my job. I am an armoured officer but have been considering switching to an infantry officer for some time now.

I have two training courses under my belt and no tours yet. In my first summer, I completely my basic military officer qualification course and last summer, I did my common army phase course. Thus, I am half trained in my trade.

This summer, I will hopefully be doing my phase 3 armoured crew commander course However, it is more likely that I am going to be sent away on a second language training course in order to become bilingual as it is required of me to graduate.

brihard wrote: carl_the_sniper wrote: Coming up on my third year here. During the school year, I study at the Royal Military College of Canada (our version of West Point) patiently awaiting the day next year when I get to graduate, walk out of here and never look back. I train in the summers for my job. I am an armoured officer but have been considering switching to an infantry officer for some time now. I have two training courses under my belt and no tours yet. In my first summer, I completely my basic military officer qualification course and last summer, I did my common army phase course. Thus, I am half trained in my trade. This summer, I will hopefully be doing my phase 3 armoured crew commander course However, it is more likely that I am going to be sent away on a second language training course in order to become bilingual as it is required of me to graduate. My understanding is that officer DP1.1s are heavily backlogged, including for armour. My regiment has a 2lt who came over recently from reg force armour after getting sick of waiting for three years at the armour school to try to get to a regiment. Realize that when you get in as a new junior officer in the combat arms, you get one and only one shot at it if you're going to keep getting troops. Your platoon/troop command will be very short; maybe 6 to 8 months. By the end of that it will be known within your regiment;s leadership whether you're worth grooming to someday lead a company, or whether you'll spend most of the rest of your career in staff jobs.

Infantry is not really backlogged but Armour is... rumors say 2+ years due to lack of working vehicles to train on. However, RMC gets a sort of priority for summer courses. I am hoping to take advantage of it before I graduate and am stuck in Gagetown for three years. (literally hell on earth).

I understand the second point, and realize such. I know it's especially true in the armoured regiments. 

Thor wrote: I'm a Corporal in the Canadian Armoured corp. I am employed in a 25mm gunners position. Have a tou to Kandahar Province, Afghanistan and Just under nine years in. Done all kind of stuff but right now I am aiding courses being run at the Armoured School in Gagetown, New-Brunswick. We train young Non-Commissioned all the way to the senior position of Sergeant-Major. We also train young Armoured Officers, like Carl, for their Phase 3 and 4 of training before they are remotely employable in the forces. And Carl, if you have any questions about the state of the trade or the School itself, ask away as I have boots on the ground and can get you the info you need. Plus I have been on enough ARTL Mods 1 and 2 to triple qualify me as an officer! hahahahaha

I appreciate that and will likely have questions periodically for you as they pop up.

Sucks that you are stuck in Gagetown though. Fredericton blows... Moncton up the road is a nice city though, a lot more military friendly also.