Well, here's the long version...
I was posted to The Dukes Coy, 1RCR last spring. At that time the other two rifle companies were currently deployed - Bravo was in Bosnia and Charles was in Afghanistan. Dukes, being rear party, had been taking in all the new BIQ graduates out of Meaford for the past few months while everyone else was overseas. At this point in time, we were doing almost nothing. This definatly wasn't the most exciting time to be in 1RCR. Because we were all new Ptes, with no exposure to senior Ptes and Cpls who had been in battalion awhile allot of us still acted like we were in Meaford. Because of this - in my opinion - the NCOs would treat us the same way. Guys were used to being told exactly what to do and when to do it, following instructions to the letter, nothing more and nothing less. This mentality lead to a certain amount of micro-managing by the NCOs and while it was still quite a bit easier going then the SQ and BIQ, it wasn't very stimulating mentally. Combine this with the fact that no major training was going on due to the overall lack of troops in battalion, and it was sort of a disappointing experience for a new Pte in 1RCR.
Then the guys got back from tour. A new training cycle was started and I was loaded onto a Basic Comms course. This was a huge eye opener for myself as it was my first exposure to guys who had worked in different areas of the battalion. I was on course with a bunch of Ptes and Cpls who just got back from Bosnia and Afghanistan, guys from the Anti-Armour Platoon, a guy who just got off his US Ranger Course, a sniper, guys from Recce Platoon, an MP, and Army.ca's very own GerryCan. As much as I got my balls busted for being the new guy (and a horrible grey man), it was good to see that there was quite a bit more to life in battalion.
After my Comms course 1RCR went through a re-org. Each rifle company was shifted apart and mashed together, spreading the tour experience, new guys, good troops, and crap pumps evenly across the board. I ended up in Charles Company. As soon as the re-org was complete we did about a month of field training, which included NAVEXs, ranges, and FIBUA - complete with 427 squadron taking us in for an airmobile assult on the FIBUA site. In my opinion, this is when the cool training started. For the first time, I was in a section where most guys had a considerable amount of time in, multiple courses, and operational experience. We were trusted to know our jobs, and encouraged to use our own initiative. Using the SQ and BIQ as a base, new Ptes were now put in a situation where they could see first hand the way senior Cpls did their job and learn from them. Good times, all around. After a week long patrol ex, we had about a month off for summer leave.
When we got back, we started workup training for Op Athena ROTO 3. We were told that during the course of our training, and up until we deployed sections and platoons would be cut from the roto due to manning restrictions. From a grunts point of view, it looked like we were being forced into a position where we were competing against our buddies for spots overseas. Most guys thought it was pretty gay. Regardless, as part of our training we got to do some pretty cool stuff. For the month of september we were shooting live rounds at least once a week. We started with pairs fire and movement, then section, platoon, and company attacks with the LAV3. In Charles, we got to do some really good Jungle Lanes with pistols, shotguns, and peq 2 laser aimers with night vision. We also shot M203, Carl G, M72, Grenades, etc, etc... Just before thanksgiving 1RCR set up at the FIBUA site and had a sort of "peacekeeping exercise". We got to go on patrols out into the towns around Petawawa, and did training with an enemy force dressed in civilian clothes simulating riots, snatch operations, and recce tasks. After that we had the long weekend to cool off and spend some time at home with the family.
It was around this time that almost half the troops got cut off the rotation. Even though we knew it was coming, most of us were seriously pissed. Guys join the infantry because we want to go overseas. Its not like a medic or a veh tech who can do his trade back home in Canada. The only place an infanteer can go on a real patrol is overseas. Basically, the only thing we could do about the situation was get drunk in the shacks - so we did. Those of us who were lucky enough to remain slated for tour were again re-orged into The Dukes company, and that is now the formation we are serving under here in Afghanistan.
After Thanksgiving we started "stand training". Specific units at CFB Petawawa were each tasked with creating a training program to be run within its own unit lines (more or less). Then, each unit being deployed would rotate though each stand in order to cover all the material. The MPs set up a stand where you practiced restraining prisoners. The RCDs set up a stand where you did a convoy escort. 2CER send up a stand where you had to prod your way out of a simulated minefield. etc, etc. It was alright, but we were working long hours. For weeks we were working early in the morning until late at night, six days a week. After a 2 week confirmation exercise we took over a month for Christmas Leave. Soon after we got back, flights started leaving for Afghanistan.
So, there you go. A year in 1RCR, more or less. Sometimes we do some really wicked stuff and for the most part we're treated pretty well by those in our immediate chain of command. But at the same times guys do get buggered around, and leave the military bitter. In my opinion, a positive outlook is key. There is plenty of positive to go with the negative, but its up to you to decide what you want to dwell on. 10 guys got cut off the tour only two days before the first flight left. Thats really hard on a guy who's been psyching himself and his family up for a deployment. But for those of us currently overseas, I'd say overall things are going pretty well. Today, the Dukes Company destroyed all other teams in a military skills competition. Just like we placed first at a shooting competition last month. In the end, it doesn't matter what unit you're with. There will always be BS and politics. But in the infantry, we just grin and push through to the objective.
[Moderator edit: Some minor spelling corrections - if you can't figure out what was changed ... good]
