Reserve Infantry Officer - Rank potential and timelines?

[Meridian]

This is plain idle curiosity. I do not have a pending application to the forces; actually I would be applying ARMD rather than infantry anyway probably (since I was a 21 wannabe in an earlier debacle )

Regardng these questions:

"I understand the Reserve Platoon Commander's course is a hurdle and a half.  Any input from those who have survived it?

What is the course required to move from junior officer to senior officer, i.e. Capt to Major?  Is it a true "Company Commander's Course?" or some such animal and if so, what's it like?

Progression to Lt. Col in the reserves - another course or time in as Major?"


I am curious what the Reserve Plt Cmds course is like, and if there is one for Company OCs, or if it is staff courses that makes the man/woman here?

Lt.Col in the RegF I believe (could be very wrong) is heavily tied to completing staff tours and Staff College courses... 

I guess by question is how different is the reserves than the regf for training.
(I could care less about timelines, Im more interested in what kind of formal, non-ojt requirements exist for progression in the officer ranks).


Thanks!

 

[bossi]

What is the course required to move from junior officer to senior officer, i.e. Capt to Major?   Is it a true "Company Commander's Course?" or some such animal and if so, what's it like?

ACT = Advanced Classification Training, either Squadron Comd crse, Dismounted Inf Coy Comd crse, or for old geezers like me the Cbt Tm Comd crse (which was a combined armd/inf crse)

Progression to Lt. Col in the reserves - another course or time in as Major?"

Time in rank plus MCSC, and then the CO's crse if you're selected to comd (and, one would hope that the only prom to LCol in the reserves is to comd ... and not just a pay raise whilst serving ERE ...)

I am curious what the Reserve Plt Cmds course is like, and if there is one for Company OCs, or if it is staff courses that makes the man/woman here?

Already answered, and no - staff crses do not make the man/woman, but MCSC is a Command and Staff crse (i.e. there's more to it than just "staffwork" ...)

Lt.Col in the RegF I believe (could be very wrong) is heavily tied to completing staff tours and Staff College courses... 

Only after progressing through coy/sqn comd, and other significant appts
(i.e. staff tours are not the vital pre-requisite to comd ... and again, it's "Command and Staff College")

I guess by question is how different is the reserves than the regf for training.
(I could care less about timelines, Im more interested in what kind of formal, non-ojt requirements exist for progression in the officer ranks).

The Reserves work part-time, and therefore can sometimes only "skim the top" of various experiences.
The Regular Force do it full-time, and therefore can sometimes get more practice ...
(however, it's important not to paint with too broad a brush ... and I won't get into slagging here ...)

As for "formal non-OJT reqts", there's also the promotion reqt for reservists to participate and be assessed during large ex or ops (e.g. including but not restricted to what used to be called MILCON, or actually going on an op).

Like many pursuits, the more you practice ... the more you've practiced.
At a certain point in time there's no substitute for experience ...

 

[Meridian]

Muchos Gracias, Bossi.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I could go on and on about your junior rank mess discussion style, but what's the point.   You won't get it.

You succesfully brought this thread down 50 IQ points in about three sentences.   That's quite an accomplishment.

You should be very proud.

One of the best points about this board,   I believe, is that JR Ranks, SNCOs and Officers are all treated as equals with each bringing a unique perspective and point of view to the debates.

Maybe you just want a convenient excuse to bash a potential officer while you can?

ya you got me. I'm all about bashing future officers because thats just what us jr ranks type do.

You know what Ted? I do look at things from a jr ranks popint of view because thats exactly what I am.  
Platoon commanders who don't give two shits about the troops they are in charge of irk me. They see their command of a infantry platoon as a little stepping stone, thats it. I see the infantry platoon as something a little more important than a rung in someones carreer ladder. The same can be said for Reserve commanding officers who "suck up" having to do 3 years as a battalion CO before they can "move on to bigger and better things". Regiments spend 3 years with lack luster interest by their CO. Not very professional when it happens.  

Am I saying you are this type of character? Nope not at all. I don't know you.
I am saying that the tone and direction of your post painted you as quite possibly being one of these types.(To me) You say your not? Well great. I already appologized if I read into your post wrong.

You've stated your a retired private so you've obviously served.   Reading your following posts it looks like you have a real negitive attitude towards the JR Ranks.   I'm not sure if you mean Privates, Corporals and Master Corporals in general or the actual JR ranks mess.

Your comming across as having a real superority complex and a hate on for the JR Ranks.   Honest question Ted, was your time in Jr Ranks so shitty that you choose to quit as a private? What happened to you as a JR Rank?   Most officers who started out as a private seem to look at their time as a troop as a real lesson learned. I get the feeling you felt it as a waste of time?

You were a private. You know troops can tell when an officer doesn't respect or like them. In the future, should you become an officer, I hope you show a little more restraint and choose your words well, else you'll probably spend considerable time looking for things you "lost".
Earn the troops respect and they will do their best to make you look good which of course will get you promoted faster  

I don't think people are that concerned over your question about how long it will take to become a CO, It looks to me like people are more focused on how you carried yourself afterwards.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

There is a tongue in cheek saying, which sometimes turns out to be prophetic.

"We couldn't make a man out of him, so we made him an officer."

In general I like the officers I work with, and for, and being in a trade that puts me in close contact with them, I have gained an appreciation for some of the stresses they undergo and issues they face.  But there are one or two examples that I am sure most experienced troops could turn to and identify as someone who couldn't cut it with the troops and so decided to go the officer route - and did just as poorly.

Let's hope, Ghost, that Mr. Ted is not one of them.  I'd be loathe to judge him based on some silly remarks on the internet, but what you suggest is not entirely out of the realm of possibility either.  I guess the rest is up to him out in the "real world."