Advice for women on BMQ and other courses [MERGED]

[Molly1680]

I have a few friends in the military, I’m applying in February. I’ve had a few say not to go army but air due to SQ would be rough on 5 foot woman. Does anyone have any views in this?

 

[garb811]

Hi Molly, welcome to the forums.

I would absolutely NOT use that as a criteria as to whether or not you join as army or air.  People your height have been successful, folks 6'5" have probably failed. It's all about preparation and attitude.

A big part of joining the CAF should be to challenge yourself to get outside of your comfort zones, mentally and physically; to do things that you never thought were possible.

So, if you have your heart set on a trade that is army, then go for it. You will have lots of PT on basic to help you on the way to being successful.

 

[BeyondTheNow]

I have a few friends in the military, I’m applying in February. I’ve had a few say not to go army but air due to SQ would be rough on 5 foot woman. Does anyone have any views in this?

In addition to the comments by garb811, there are RCAF trades which still require SQ (Met-tech for one.) Do your research before you select a trade (which you should do thoroughly anyway, regardless of element), so you know exactly what you’re getting into and you have the chance to minimize any surprises.

Ultimately, go with something you believe you’ll enjoy the most, not choose based on which part of training you do or don’t want to do. Training can suck for almost every trade at different times. But once your training is done, you need to be doing something that you feel you can sustain and tolerate for a long period, otherwise your long-term career could be much more of a struggle.

 

[daftandbarmy]

I have a few friends in the military, I’m applying in February. I’ve had a few say not to go army but air due to SQ would be rough on 5 foot woman. Does anyone have any views in this?

I knew a guy who was 6ft 8in and joined the armoured corps. He wished he was 5 ft tall

Pick the trade/ job that you think is best for you, and then go for it. Don't let your height run your life decisions for you!