AlphaCharlie...
It took me the better part of my nearly two years in the CF to finally get fully MOC-trained as an infantry private.
BMQ is the first of several courses you need to finish, all of which I‘m sure have been discussed to death in the recruiting area, if nowhere else.
I‘ll keep the post relevant, though.
You can do one of two main things this summer:
1. You can complete the REST of your infantry training (assuming that is your trade).
2. You can do nothing at all, in which case your regt will probably fill your spot with someone else, and you‘ll have to wait until the next courses come along. In the meanwhile, you will be severely restricted in what you can do with your unit.
A personal experience, for a moment. When I was on BMQ, I had to wear the CF cornflake capbadge like everyone else, and my unit did NOT want me parading with them while I was on course - although some other units allowed their BMQ candidates to do so, as members of "B Coys" or training companies.
My BMQ was on weekends, like yours. Some weekends, we were told to wear our epaulette slips ons. The only ones I had been issued said "48 HIGHRS" on them. This (rightly) annoyed many instructors, who deemed that no regimental associations should be allowed at all. So we had to ALL wear "CANADA" slip ons, or no one wore ANY at all. This changed from weekend to weekend, depending on the personalities in charge and who was making the decisions, but generally those slip ons were not on my shoulders very long.
Finally, when I got BMQ out of the way, we went off to summer camp for SQ and infantry MOC courses. At SQ, we kept the cornflake, and were still not allowed any regimental slip ons (although again, they eventually relented and allowed us to wear them to make it easier to identify us, I think). Had I joined the GGFG‘s, I would have been badged with the regimental badge, as is their tradition. Eventually, the GGFG recruits on the SQ course were de-badged by the Directing Staff who demanded uniformity over regimental traditions. This was, after all, Land Force Central Area Training Centre Meaford, not 31 CBG.
After SQ, I felt proud to have earned the Infantry cap badge. I knew I wouldn‘t have it long, as I was going to finish the infantry course in 4 weeks. But there is an undeniable sense of accomplishment as you move from one phase (SQ) of training into a new, deeper phase (infantry). You were part of a select group. Infanteers, like all trades I am sure, feel deep sense of pride in their belonging to that special group. You will learn things that other trades will not get to learn, and it is usually fun stuff (like M203 grenades and 60mm mortars).
The progression is capped off when you finally pass your MOC and have honestly and rightly earned your regimental capbadge (or in the case of the GGFG‘s, re-earned it). I am still a newbie in my regt, and am still in "mouth closed, ears open" mode, but nothing can take away the fact that I earned my badge and am an infanteer.
So, make your choice, spend your summer wisely. If this is what you want, get it done as quickly as possible, get stuck right in and absorb all you can like a sponge. When you‘ve earned the capbadge, you‘ll know your part of the regimental family.
Nothing against the cadets, but when I see the regiment‘s cadets, I can‘t help feeling just a little put out, because they were rank and wear the capbadge, but are not sworn members and are not MOC qualified. I know I shouldn‘t feel that way, and I would never hold it against them - it‘s an important youth experience that will serve them well.
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