Teager said:
Army08 are you planning on going regs or res? You seem to be bouncing between the two. If you plan on going into the res world you will need to visit the unit you plan on joining to see if they are hiring and what trades they have available. The trades you have mentioned may not be the trades at the unit closest to you. A lot of the programs like ROTP do not apply to reserves. IMO you should first figure out if you want to go regs or res you cannot apply for both.
I'm hoping to pass the medical.
I am unlimited I have made plans for both and neither. I solicited interest in res locally, I won't be back in country and the point man for intake is out of office until a couple days before I'm due back in. I've applied online for regforce. I am waiting on my transcripts to be sent, but have requested electronic copies so I can forward them to the CFRC, although I am a little confused as I had the impression I need to send them within a time frame, but also have read I should not send them until they have requested them. I'm left with the impression that based on the application itself I need to get an initial approval for the application to enter the documentation provision phase. None the less I've sent off my birth certificate by fax, and will do the same for my transcripts in absence of a response from the CFRC.
Before heading out to Mexico I ran into someone who was applying for reg force. He basically went over where they were at with things, and the timeframe. He seemed to indicate that doing a reserve application in absence of regforce was more or less what he was suggested. Assuming, and i know this is guesswork, that I might be in the same boat if I were to apply I've proceeded locally and with the CFRC as both are on the table for myself.
My situation is a little odd as I live seasonally a 300 kms from the nearest detachment as, not to completely destroy any remaining OPSEC, I'm in the north of Ontario. However, I was due to be doing a degree in OK here we go, Thunder Bay, but this has changed slightly due to a twist of fate. Thus, being a recent graduate from my Undergrad studies, I would have been free and looking for work out of country based on my accreditation. However, I have business in Thunder Bay that may drag on at least a few months. This would have been my first winter in Northern Ontario, as I only have spent from around April to September at my home in the North. I would have been in Thunder Bay, and now due to the change of circumstances I am still likely to be in Thunder Bay. To complicate this further, since I was in Thunder Bay, I've opted to study, as I have been a student forever, but in a different technical field than my degree, but within line of my hobbies and interests. I have not yet been admitted to the program and won't find out until I think November, but I've gone off and applied as I in visioned myself doing reserve and the program and the other activity that is keeping me local to Thunder Bay. All or none of them could happen but any one thing individually would guide my time over the winter. The program is a 3+ year program. So in that context I am most preparing for reserve BUT this is based on there being a demand, as I have been reading that there is big downturn in force size expected as budget cuts are looming, it would make sense that some people cut from regforce, although not great in number could potentially saturate the reserve, but that is guesswork.
Now to further this however, I have finished my primary degree and am technically looking for a career. My hobbies largely fall in line with the military, in the trades I've applied for they are essentially engineering trades. Based upon my accreditation I would expect there to be a need for ROTP or at least some coursework - now with the application I've put off to the Electrical Engineering program, I'm hoping that will potentially be sufficient along with my degree. Based on what I have seen I am expecting any regforce application to take many months to complete. I am also highly suspicious that I would get a secret clearance. When I volunteered last time I didn't even consider officer as I didn't want to worry about being responsible for other people, I also lacked a degree. I'm more open minded to it now, but feel technology will be playing an essential role more progressively as time progresses, so I feel that I will be better able to contribute by improving my technical capacities, they are also in demand trades, so it is a mutually beneficial selection. I have however contacted the CFRC and asked if I can just be marked down as open to any trade rather than limiting myself to only 3 trades.
When I was still in school I still felt like I had a future ahead of me, I was still young, and while I could position myself to help serve and protect society in volunteering for the reserves, I really don't feel the same way now, I don't feel young. Now it is more about having some sort of purpose, getting out of the ongoing chaos of being completely free to do nothing but pursue personal interests and doing so on an incredibly tight budget. I feel an impending sense that the next decade or two is critical in the future of life on the planet, as technology and the environment are nearing a climax point, that is nearing a point of no return. As a hobbiest prepper and survivalist, and someone whose leisure activity is exercise and technology, that everything really culminates that yes, entry into a technological trade is something that would be living my life and contributing to society as opposed to being merely selfish self interest. So at the end of all these words, it is basically both. I don't want to cut my hair though, nor shave, except maybe a bit for the gas mask fitting, I will though.
None the less I think I am capable and someone who will be dedicated, I have a very good work ethic and I put my heart, often too much, into doing my job when I have responsibilities, but by the book.
I have the feeling that entry into the reserves while doing skills upgrading, in absence of clearance for the applicable CF school would be more likely to occur, simply because I do not have accreditation in fields, that is I'm not a P.Eng, I have some experience, but is an Advanced Amateur Radio Operator's Certificate going to have any real weight compared to someone with a 2 year College Diploma in Electronics. Sure I've read and had a slight intorduction to Raspberry Pi and Adruino but will that hold any weight compared to someone with a term of ECE studies? As you can see, I am interested in regular force trades that my accreditation may not fully support, in that sense they would require ROTP quite possibly and I would be in reserve force anyway while doing ROTP, must read more on that though. I think for the CF they may be more interested in me paying for my own education while being a member of the reserve, that is training in a field that is related such as ASIS which is OPEN in Thunder Bay, not 100% sure on that but there are a few technical trades that are open. After completing my program, which would have an option of doing a 4th year to lead to convocation with a University degree as opposed to only a 3 year Advanced College Diploma. Bear in mind I am in my 30's. Doing 4 additional years of post secondary education would make me quite old, imo. However in getting in 3 or 4 years of time reserve, which may or may not be interrupted due to global events, this would hopefully still have me capable of gaining experience in the Forces before entering regular forces, which by that time it should be very clear if I will still be able to contribute.
So in a nutshell, both and neither. In the short term, not to get ahead of myself, I have a medical get signed off on. I have three different reasons for a medical right now if including the CF. If there is need in the CF I can fill I would enter in regforce in good faith. I am not yet convinced I am applicable to DEO with an Arts Degree. None the less I feel that whatever the outcome I've put in one more hand up to contribute. I have no reservation in my mind that it will not be a beneficial experience, aside from the dangers, having talked to vets who were permanently injured on deployment. If there is a shortage of volunteers for trades, I'm willing to be the body that can fill those shoes, but at the same time, I am highly skeptical with restructuring of the CF that that really is the case, I would expect retraining. It is worrysome that there would be such a high attrition rate dropping out of the forces, especially as the potential for reduced deployment due to budgetary constraints seems in the near term most likely.
The local is out of office I'll be checking their availability next week when they are in again. I'm out of country currently so chances are any in person will not happen for another two weeks. I am hopefully my transcript will arrive and CFRC can proceed with the regforce stuff, but if I understand I should expect to wait atleast 3 weeks for movement on that. I also don't have access to my mail until the end of October.
I will very much not be local until my program starts in January if it does. However, my place is seasonal, and doing my extreme cold weather training at my place will likely get old by December.
The open and closed trades are posted on-line I've looked at them. I've tried to communicate both to the CFRC and local that if there is a need I'm open to fill it I'm not adverse really. I see it more as filling a role on a team than getting the position I want. I just think technical trades will have the most room for personal development over the long term.
