wow thanks a lot for this depth of information cos even though it wasn't me who ask the question, i benefitted from the answers.
please how about for armoured officers. cos the answer you gave was for infantry even though you're an arouredofficer. i am hoping you can help with information for an armoured officer whose BMOQ is in February 2025?
thanks for the assistance its greatly appreciated
Glad I could help a little!
I will preface my comments by pointing out that my last stint at the Regiment was ten years ago. I am still somewhat connected to goings-on at units (I am in a garrison unit now), but things can and have changed. There is a lot of similarity between what a Armour Lieutenant and an Infanty Lieutenant go through, but there are also differences.
When you finish your DP 1 officer training at the Armour School (located in Gagetown) you will receive your Regimental affiliation and be posted to that unit. As a newly-qualified officer, though, you will be posted to your unit. You can indicate your preference, but you will go where the service needs you (LdSH in Edmonton, RCD in Petawawa, 12e RBC in Valcartier or C Sqn RCD in Gagetown).
You might be appointed as a Troop Leader upon arrival, but you might also have to wait for a Troop Leader position to become open. Organizations have been changing recently, but a Tank Troop has four tanks and sixteen people, one of whom is you. You are a crew commander in charge of a vehicle as well as being in command of the Troop. You will have a Troop Warrant Officer (Tp WO), a seasoned non-commissioned member with something like 12 to 16 years of experience who is fully qualified and capable of leading the Troop himself. He has his own vehicle. There should also be a Sergeant with his own tank and a Master Corporal with the fourth tank. Your Tp WO will advise and assist you in the execution of your duties. Its the most important relationship you will have in this phase of your career, and perhaps for your entire career in terms of setting the tone.
Daily routine in Garrison might see you doing Physical Training (PT) with your Troop or the Squadron at 0700 hrs. You then go to Officer's Coffee at 0900 hrs. This coffee is prepared by fellow junior officers on a rotation. Its not a meeting, per se, but all officers are expected to attend. Then you go to the Sqn lines for 0930 and get on with whatever the day has in store. This could be vehicle maintenance (which might have programed "Stables" periods, classroom/training work, office work such as handling the administration of your troops etc. Generally things wrap up by 1600 hrs.
You might be doing range work which could see you planning and conducting range practices with small arms or Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs). If you are in the field then you are very busy. Your Tp WO will do their best to make sure that you actually feed yourself and get some sleep, but you will be under a lot of pressure. You'll generally know what to do because of your DP 1 training, but its different when you are in a unit.
Post-DP 1 Career progression (so Development Period 2) for an Armour officer
might look something like:
Year 1 and 2 - Troop Leader (maybe with a deployment)
Year 3 - Transport Officer, Assistant Adjutant, Squadron Liaison Officer etc
Year 4 to 6 - Extra Regimental Employment (ERE) posting to the Armour School as an instructor or as the Regular Force officer at a Reserve Unit. - Y
ou should take the Army Tactical Operations Course (ATOC) during this period
Year 7 - Posted back to Regiment as a Squadron Battle Captain (this is a very important step)
Year 8 - Squadron 2IC (you would take the Army Operations Course (AOC) at this point if you had not done so already)
Year 9 - Regimental Operations Officer, Regimental Adjutant or 2IC Headquarters Squadron ("Big Three")
Year 10 to 11 - Posted to a HQ as a senior Captain and then potentially promoted to Major at some point
The timeline above would be for someone where the
stars aligned. Some officers never come back after their first tour at the Regiment, but continue to serve in the CAF.
All that to say, focus right now on your physical fitness and arriving at your training with the right frame of mind. Career stuff tends to take care of itself if you do your job. When you get to the Regiment focus on having a good relationship with your Troop Warrant Officer and Squadron Battle Captain (BC). Listen to them. Get along with your fellow Troop Leaders. You can all be successful together. Don't undermine each other.
Anyhoo - good luck!