BMQ / BMOQ - Medical, Dental, Mental health questions [Merged]

[George Wallace]

Now that's it's cheap and easy to do at home, I scan all my important documents / forms,
including my immunization book. I back it all up on a separate external hard drive.

This way, if I lose / misplace ect...anything important, I have a way of proving
what I had up to that date.

Fine; but do you actually still have the book?

There is nothing wrong with keeping your own database/records.  If someone in the system loses your actual book, it still has to be replaced.  Something that you do not keep stocked in your 'home office'.

 

[RubberTree]

Now that's it's cheap and easy to do at home, I scan all my important documents / forms,
including my immunization book. I back it all up on a separate external hard drive.

This way, if I lose / misplace ect...anything important, I have a way of proving
what I had up to that date.

Now that is fantastic advice. Not just for immunizations but certificates, quals, letters... Everything. You may never need it but for the 30 seconds it takes to scan and save a document, the one time you do need it will make it worthwhile.

 

[George Wallace]

Now that is fantastic advice. Not just for immunizations but certificates, quals, letters... Everything. You may never need it but for the 30 seconds it takes to scan and save a document, the one time you do need it will make it worthwhile.

Something that Kratz, myself and many others have told people on this site to do.  Keep your own personal "Pers File".  Always keep records of your documentation and correspondence, because Murphy's Law will come into play if you don't and you will stuck in a bad place having to start from scratch to restart/resubmit/claim/whatever. 

 

[Draekz]

Check out your nearest Access health building and ask for a record of your immunizations.

http://www.wrha.mb.ca/facilities/access.php

I needed this when applying for Red River Collage. They will probably print you out a paper that has your immunizations on it and then mail you an official copy (looks like a manitoba health card but is brown not purple). I believe this is the booklet you are talking about.

Hey Thanks!!! Much appreciated

 

[randomgirl07]

Hey all, first time posting here so please bear with me if this is in the wrong spot! (I did search around for an answer before posting but couldn't seem to find much, so my apologies if this has been asked/answered before).

Anywho, my partner is currently in week 4 of his basic training in St Jean, QC (for crewman, if that matters). He has been sick for at least 2 weeks now, but assumed it was just the same sickness every other guy had. Turns out he had been coughing up blood clots so he finally went to the doctor, where he found out he has strep throat. The doc gave him some meds and put him on bed rest for a day (much to his displeasure), and now he's really worried that he'll get recoursed because he ended up missing two mandatory classes during his one off-day.

I guess my question is, is there any chance that people can get recoursed after missing one day? You'd think they would accommodate him since he's legitimately not well, but he seems to be worried about not being able to make up the missed classes, and having to go backwards.

I know (and he knows) that he needs to talk to his superiors there to get some concrete answers, I was just wondering if anyone else here can impart any wisdom for me that I can hopefully pass along. Thanks in advance!

 

[PuckChaser]

If there's no time to make up the training, you get recoursed. The staff likely tried to accomodate, but if he's missing 2 days, including an entire mandatory day, that's a whole lot of training to be made up in a compressed schedule. It sucks, but that's how the system works.

 

[randomgirl07]

If there's no time to make up the training, you get recoursed. The staff likely tried to accomodate, but if he's missing 2 days, including an entire mandatory day, that's a whole lot of training to be made up in a compressed schedule. It sucks, but that's how the system works.

Thanks for the fast reply! Yeah, that's what I was worried about. He is very adamant that he's not taking a second day off, so hopefully there's a possibility he can make it up without having to start over. I'm trying to be supportive and help him to see the big picture in case that does happen (he's been trying to get into the army forever, he can start basic training again and he'll still be living his dream of being in the army, etc.) but he's not hearing it, naturally.

If you don't mind explaining to me (or can kindly point me in the right direction), what exactly happens when somebody gets re-coursed? Do they just go back to week 1 the next week? Or do they need to wait until there's another class starting? Do they even have new training classes starting every week? I'm pretty uninformed about how the whole process works, and haven't found a ton of info so far (however I could just be looking in the wrong spots).

Thanks again for the response

 

[randomgirl07]

See also,

BMQ Recourse 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/112471.0
"A guy got sick in week 10 (farnham for us) and got to start at week 10 when he was better."

Recoursed? Ill During BMQ/ options + help 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/29974.0

answeres to bmq 
https://army.ca/forums/threads/13736.0
"i got sick and missed two days of first aid so i got recoursed."

Re-coursed sick
https://www.google.ca/search?q=site%3Aarmy.ca+recoursed&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-CA:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7GGHP_en-GBCA592&gfe_rd=cr&ei=sAdFV7DBAYyN8QfZ1qywAg&gws_rd=ssl#q=site:army.ca+recoursed+sick

Whoops, didn't see this before I posted a ton of questions about getting recoursed that look like they can be answered here. Thanks so much!

 

[mariomike]

Whoops, didn't see this before I posted a ton of questions about getting recoursed that look like they can be answered here. Thanks so much!

You are welcome. Good luck. 

 

[sarahsmom]

I got recourse in week 11, for missing 12.5 hours of training. I passed out, got sent to the MIR and ordered on bed rest. If you miss more than 12 hours training in the field at BMQ it's an automatic recourse. And even though I felt better after 8 hours, you are not allowed (as a recruit anyway) to go against what the MIR prescribes.
I went to warrior platoon to wait for a spot on the next platoon to open. I was able to start back at week 10, after being on warrior for a week, so I only lost 1 week of training.
If you take more than 3 months to "get better" you get recourse to week zero. If you take less than 3 months, you get recourse to when you started missing class (for example: get injured week 2, go to PAT platoon week 5, heal, go back to a platoon in their week 2).
There may not be platoons with open spots every week, so the waiting sucks. When I did BMQ there was only room for max 60 recruits per platoon. You started with 75 people, a bunch of people were always recoursed or VR'd by the end of week zero, so you were down to max 60 by end of week 2. There has to be less than 60 people before you can add more people later from PAT platoon.

 

[Pusser]

Unfortunately, it's really not up to your partner as to how many days he takes off.  The medical authorities will decide that.  Although strep throat is usually easily treated with antibiotics, it can get very serious and even fatal, so it needs to be treated properly and rest is a good part of that.  The stress and general exhaustion one experiences on basic training do not create an optimal healing environment, particularly for something like strep.

Nobody thinks you're a hero for toughing out a legitimate illness, particularly if it's communicable (which strep is) and you give it to others!  Yes, it kind of sucks to have to join a later course, but he is unlikely to have to repeat everything.  In the meantime, he's still getting paid and it's all pensionable.  His best bet is to accept things as they are and roll with the punches.  Throwing a temper tantrum at this point won't do him any favours or win him any friends (least of all in the places where they count).

 

[Jarnhamar]

You'd think they would accommodate him since he's legitimately not well

The problem is the medical system can't always tell the legitimately injured from the fakers, and there's a lot of fakers out there.  Even when they strongly suspect someone is faking it can be difficult to prove it.

Lots of recruits try and buck the system to get easier times of training and on various exercises. Part of getting re-coursed due to miss training is to help mitigate these cheaters.

 

[mariomike]

The problem is the medical system can't always tell the legitimately injured from the fakers, and there's a lot of fakers out there. 

 

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Many of us here have taught recruits before;  you get fairly good at telling those who are milking it from those who are really sick and need time to get well. 

There's a difference between getting recoursed for something like missed training due to illness and getting recoursed because you weren't meeting the standard.  No one wants to get recoursed for either reason;  moving to a new platoon, new instructors, new recruits, etc but the best advice I can give to him is if he is recoursed, accept it, go to the new platoon and perform.  There will be a feeling out time between him and his new coursemates but that should be brief.  If the recourse was just for missed training due to strep throat, he'll likely fit in with the new folks in a day or two and within no time at all life will be 'back to normal'.

The staff at the school will make a determination if there is the ability to do what is called 'remedial training' (quite normal) in the time available to them.  However, because of so many varying factors, it can often be better for both the recruit and instructional staff to 'recourse' the recruit back even a week or two;  this is not a punishment.  It is just an administrative training procedure that ensures the recruit gets the same training to the same standard as everyone else.  At CFLRS, there are courses in Week 'X' almost every week of the year.  Because of this, the best course of action to meet the recruits' training needs (paramount and far more important than a recruit staying on the same platoon) can often be a recourse. 

Like everyone else, I was once a recruit and the last thing I wanted to do was the ol 'kit bag drag' (recourse) but it happened 27 years ago when I was in Basic, it happened many time between now and then...if it happens, it will suck for a bit and then life will go on.  No one wants to leave their 'new family' during Basic, but it will start a process of learning to adapt to new peers and superiors that will likely be the norm in the first few years in the military anyways.  Once he gets his first posting, he will likely spend time in different Squadrons, troops and crews - working with 'new people' will be normal.  I am aircrew and I rarely fly with the same 'crew' for very long as people are moving around constantly.  Just part of normal life in a crew/troop/Squadron environment (like crewmen work in) and something you get used to really quickly - I was a crewman in a former life.  Its a chance to make new friends and all that stuff too.

Good luck to him, tell him to just keep his stick on the ice no matter what team he ends up on.

 

[randomgirl07]

Wow, thanks everyone! I really appreciate hearing all the insight Turns out he only missed one mandatory class, and there were a bunch of other people who missed it as well so they're doing some kind of make-up class. Soooo crisis averted!
Thanks again!

 

[Falsey87]

Hey folks,

I found a lot of posts regarding anxiety, couples, depression, etc. which didn't really answer my concern. I'll tell you a bit about me and from there i hope to get some advices to get ready for my eventual call (turning in the last paper needed for my app. then all there's left is the BMQ date!)

I come from a very poor and psychologically violent background, all of my childhood my father used to mentally abuse me and ruin my self esteem telling me id turn into a useless POS, do nothing, we'd fight when his drunk ass would come home (and my mother has a mental illness meaning shes as crazy and i couldn't really turn to her for support) i've made it through all of this BS and became a rather successful individual (got a good job, a degree, a car etc - not associating success to possession, just giving you an idea that i didnt end up a welfare bum doing drugs like my dad is and projected i'd be)

Which brings me to the point of the post; My self esteem is pretty low even if it shouldn't after making it out of this situation. Im anxious and rather sensitive, i can picture myself crying during the evening after shades of my past but want to succeed BMQ and join the family i never had more than anything. Ive done cadets (never mention that to the instructors, i saw that! lol) so i know the drills and stuff like uniform maintenance, polishing, im not an athlete but im in decent shape.

After my brief therapy group session, i wanted to ask how does one prepare for the coming mental war to break me down with the instructors, or should i go in with the moto ''they cant break me down psychologically if im already down'' (i just memed my post yea boy!) I can't be the only one with confidence issues that's still going in  head first.

Shoot away!

 

[Kat Stevens]

You need to keep in mind that nobody at BMQ is out to get you, at least not until you give them a reason to. It's called playing the game, they can't kill you, hell they can't even hurt you. Everything done there is done for a reason. It's been to thousands before you and will be done to thousands after you. It's nothing personal, don't take it like it is.

 

[Pusser]

Being selected to join the CAF is an accomplishment unto itself.  A scan of this forum should make it abundantly clear that getting into this outfit is a competitive process, so getting "the call" is already an achievement.  After that, the future will be what you make of it.  No one on BMQ is "out to get you."  In fact, they want you to achieve.  The staff are not praised for the number of people they fail, they are praised for succeeding in getting as many through BMQ as possible, without compromising the standard.

The key to success o BMQ is understanding that it's a game.  They are trying to stress you out.  It's not supposed to be easy, but it's not "hard" either(depending I suppose on your definition of hard).  There will be a lot of yelling and harsh comments.  Don't take them personally - it's not a reflection on your individual worth - they are simply statements to the effect that you don't currently meet a given standard.  Correct yourself, learn from it and not repeat it and all negative things will be forgotten.  It really is that simple.  The most important parts of BMQ are the academics (you have to pass the tests) and fitness (you have to pass the FORCE test), but neither is particularly difficult.  If you finished high school and can run up the stairs without sucking wind, you should be able to pass BMQ.  NO ONE fails BMQ because they can't make a bed properly or polish their shoes, so keep things in perspective.  Finally, work as a team.  Your platoon will be your new family.  Be helpful and you will be helped.  You're all in it together and your biggest goal should be for all of you to finish together.

PS:  Life after BMQ gets much better!

 

[Loachman]

i've made it through all of this BS and became a rather successful individual (got a good job, a degree, a car etc <snip> My self esteem is pretty low even if it shouldn't after making it out of this situation.

You have proven yourself, but not, yet, to yourself. You remain your second-worst critic, despite your accomplishments. 'Twould help to overcome that a little and recognize your achievements despite greater obstacles to success than most have faced.

You likely stand a better chance of success through (at least the early part) of a military career because of that ability to succeed, as long as your past does not become a bigger obstacle.

One of the Principles of War is "Select and maintain the aim". Focus on your goal. Do not consider proving your male parental unit wrong. You already know that, so do not let it become a distraction. Know that your coursemates will also suffer lack of confidence and self-doubt at times, whether they show that or not. That is not an unhealthy thing, as it keeps complacency and overconfidence at bay.

Have a little faith in yourself.

Qapla!

 

[BeyondTheNow]

OP, thank you for sharing. Many are too scared, proud or feel shame about feeling things you've shared.

Let me tell you something--there are more people who end up at BMQ with similar backgrounds to yours than you think, including me. I was there for a while and spent significant amounts of time listening to people's stories and sharing some of my own.

In an earlier post of mine I said that one's past can help them and it can also hinder them, and it's absolutely true. I have an awful habit of internalizing, which means I take things very personally. I was raised to believe I was sh*t and sustained all forms of abuse. (Getting to a point where I know that to be untrue is always a work in progress and might always will be.)

But being on course was excellent for me. It boosted my confidence while I was on it. Despite being perpetually tired, hungry and sore, I was able to do things I never thought I would've been able to while in that state otherwise. I had the chance to bond with some fantastic people and I was fortunate to meet some great staff along the way too.

Like others have said, don't take criticisms from staff personally (nor from pl mates, for that matter--everyone has bouts of grumpiness/irritability when on course). Like I said, given your past, you probably have a strength others may not possess--use it to your advantage.