Going back to St Jean

[Lil_T]

Hey all....

I'm really jumping the gun here as I just left my nice concrete bubble (aka the Mega) for my attach posting here at home.  I'm slated to go back 1 Feb 10 to be "reassessed" for my TCAT 3 and I'm, I guess, hoping against hope I'll be ready to go back to platoon and not AWT once that's done or very shortly thereafter. 

Realistically, I don't know what my recovery time is going to be.  My ortho says another 3 weeks before full weight bearing.  But that's just MY weight.  Not including the rucksack and all the other kit I have to hump around base.  I've been trying to keep up with my exercises that my Pt gave me as well as my upper body PT (push ups, sit ups etc... you should see me do a killer one legged pushup ) 

Obviously my recovery time is a big question that's weighing on me - but I will save those questions for my ortho when I see him in a couple weeks. (pray for a good xray for me)

My other question is this - If by some miracle I am actually declared fit - full duties, in Feb when I return to St Jean, what is the official (or close enough) policy on the obstacle course during the winter?  

I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared shitless of the thing now in good weather - nevermind the ice and snow.  Farnham doesn't faze me, nor does the BFT - I know I can do it.  It's just that damned obstacle course.  I just don't want to break anything else... it's bad enough it's going to take me almost a full year of my 3 year contract to finish my BMQ.

*sorry for the rambling... just a little stressed for my first day on my attach posting.... :S

 

[Antoine]

Hi Lil_T

I've read in another thread that the obstacle course can be shutdown during winter.

http://forums.navy.ca/forums/threads/68930/post-657862#msg657862

http://forums.navy.ca/forums/threads/89023.0

Hope someone in "the known" can give you a more precise answer.

Cheers,

 

[ballz]

My other question is this - If by some miracle I am actually declared fit - full duties, in Feb when I return to St Jean, what is the official (or close enough) policy on the obstacle course during the winter?  

I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared shitless of the thing now in good weather - nevermind the ice and snow.  Farnham doesn't faze me, nor does the BFT - I know I can do it.  It's just that damned obstacle course.  I just don't want to break anything else... it's bad enough it's going to take me almost a full year of my 3 year contract to finish my BMQ.

Which obstacle exactly? The infamous "CF-98" by any chance?

I think you would be selling yourself short if you didn't go back there with the mindset to get back at that obstacle course and kick it's @$$. Those obstacles are meant to be confidence builders. They are more than doable, by anybody, and require only the right mindset. Fear is not that mindset.

The military is trying to help you find that mindset, don't deny yourself the opportunity to achieve it.

 

[Lil_T]

nope they haven't used the "CF 98" in months now.  Not after the girl broke her back on it.  I got injured on one of the other ones.  For the most part - the obstacle course doesn't scare me - just maybe two/three obstacles.  I'm not afraid of heights - just of falling and that sudden stop at the end.

Also, it's hard to have that mindset when you hear your bone snap everytime you pass the damn thing.  That sort of thing messes you up a little.  Something else I'm dealing with - off board. 

I was more concerned with dealing with an icy injury-inducing obstacle.

 

[Pelorus]

Which obstacle is the "CF-98"?  My guess would be either the cargo ladder or the elevated tight-rope style one.

 

[ballz]

Which obstacle is the "CF-98"?  My guess would be either the cargo ladder or the elevated tight-rope style one.

Elevated rope style one...

Well Lil_T my only advice, which I got from a great Sgt while at the mega (every time we were doing extra-curricular PT ) is "do not deny yourself the opportunity." I know tons of my friends have seen the pics of me on the CF 98 and would pay to give the course a shot.

 

[Lil_T]

thanks ballz....  I'm not trying to deny myself anything.  I've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into my career already - I am just not about to jeopardize it any further by allowing myself to get sidelined again. 

Anyway - I'll take a wait and see approach to this - it's all I can do really.  But I will not be heartbroken if I don't do the OC in the winter.

 

[Drag]

I got recoursed on the "CF-98" on IAP... The next time I did it was a bit strange but after that mental block was down it was fun every other time

 

[Pelorus]

Elevated rope style one...

We had 3 people in my platoon eat it on that one during the duration of the course, luckily no course-ending injuries.

 

[X-mo-1979]

Is that the large one you gotta run down a rope bridge at the end and stab a dummy?

 

[Pelorus]

Is that the large one you gotta run down a rope bridge at the end and stab a dummy?

It's a horizontal tightrope that is suspended 20-ish (?) feet off the ground.  You climb up the metal frame holding up the one side, lie flat on the rope, and then shimmy across on your stomach to the other side and climb down.

 

[jeffb]

My course was one of the first to do that obstacle. We called it the "rope of death". A couple of people fell of it rather epically (yes, I know that isn't really a word). I personally fell off it and did a nice face plant. I can honestly say it was the only thing during BMOQ that scared the *&^( out of me. 

 

[Cadaren]

My platoon and our 2 sister platoons were the last to go across the high wire this summer.  Nobody in my platoon got hurt but a bunch fell, in our sisters Pl's though one person each broke their leg.  When I was there there was talk of standards getting a safety net underneath the rope, wonder if that's gone in yet.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Ours in Chilliwack just had a 4' deep pit of reeking stagnant water under it.  Really sucked falling into that in February, and you'd have to wash your gear three times to get the stink out.

 

[tango22a]

KaT:

That's amazing....The landing area on the "slide for life" was exactly the  same at The Infantry School at Borden almost 44 years ago. The cable ran from a tower on one side of the Pine river to a huge tree on the other side. Since the cable was wrapped around the tree you had a choice of dropping off into about 4 feet of goo or drilling the tree head on at a fair rate of speed. Seems to me a couple of the people in my platoon froze and really hit that old tree pretty hard. We were young at tough at the time and they just shook their heads and carried on.

tango22a

 

[vonGarvin]

Ours in Chilliwack just had a 4' deep pit of reeking stagnant water under it.  Really sucked falling into that in February, and you'd have to wash your gear three times to get the stink out.

Ah, Igor's Pit!  That brings back memories!

 

[tango22a]

Kat;

The REAL fun began when we got to do it in full fighting order, complete with helmet and FN C1. You cannot possibly believe how many places in your kit and especially weapon that the goo could penetrate!


tango22a

 

[Kat Stevens]

I probably crossed that thing about 150 times in my years in Chillwack, so I know all too well what a mess that particular dunking could cause.  You got really good at it after a few mid winter baths.  My only nemesis on our obstacle course was the 20 foot wall, I really hated that prick.

 

[tango22a]

Lil_T:

Sincerely hope Kat and I have hijacked your thread. There was no attempt intended as we sort of got to telling war stories (I even got my old tin pot out!),

All you have to remember is: no matter how bad it seems to look to you.....Some other poor bu**er has already been there, done that!


Cheers,


tango22a

 

[Lil_T]

My platoon and our 2 sister platoons were the last to go across the high wire this summer.  Nobody in my platoon got hurt but a bunch fell, in our sisters Pl's though one person each broke their leg.  When I was there there was talk of standards getting a safety net underneath the rope, wonder if that's gone in yet.

big no on that as of 13 Nov 09

no worries, tango22a... no worries  I enjoy the old war stories *especially now that I have one of my own*

I'm just dealing with stuff as it comes.. I was told by the Doc at the MIR yesterday that I have CIS - so I get to go talk to the shrink some more.  All in all, things can only get better right?