Sig op- Infantry man with a radio?

[Island Ryhno]

Hey folks, just came back from recruiting where I was told by the recruiter that basically, reg force sig ops is an infantry job except with radios  :threat: Is this true, I've been reserve infantry, I'd like to keep my knees and back until at least my 40's. Just wondering what the career progression is like and is it mostly field work with an infantry regiment? Tanks.....um no Thanks, yeah!

 

[Irishone]

No it is not true, I am not sure what center you went into but you weren't told the whole truth. There aspects of the trade where you can work in a Battalion but that isn't all that it is. There are many aspects to the job which include satellite comms, computers, command post positions, wide area communications. No you aren't going to be in an office the whole time, but we do use vehicles for the most part at a Signals unit. Talk to another recruiter is my suggestion.

 

[Pte. Bloggins]

Infantry with radios huh...not exactly. Although the infantry does have infanteers who are comms qualified and use some of our equipment, a sig op's job is very different from that of an infanteer's. From a reserve perspective, we do work in the field quite a bit, but we're usually manning the CP (command post, where all them infantry officer types like to hang out) while the infanteers are out on patrols. Our job is alot more technical then just using the basic radio, there's alot more equipment to operate then you think.

 

[Carey]

I agree, must have been a bad recruiter without any concept of what a signalman is. Generally Sigs keep the channels of communication open, allow the commander to manage information, excersize control over his formations and operate most computer communication equipment. Basically anything that facilitates communication, we do it.

 

[SigPigs]

Well I am not sure any of those posts actually is accurate. I am a tech and not an op but I work with them all the time and have for my whole career. Ops keep us in business by breaking everything...ha ha..A sig op can be employed in a battalion where they do run the CP etc but during garrioson you will be humping around just like the grunts doing your PT and such, maybe this is what the recruiter was thinking. Also our trades are in a state of flux right now. Ops can be employed in CFNOC helpdesk posn's and IT sections doing computer helpdesks and lots of stuff like that. But there are lots of field postings too. Once MMHS kills all of the commcens all yo have left is mostly field posn's so be aware.

Andrew

 

[Island Ryhno]

So essentially the field positions are posting to an infantry unit as the sigs pers right? I'm not knocking it, I'm looking for something that will involve field work and also allow me to get a trade that's post military applicable, I'm just not equipped to be an infantry guy anymore. Thanks for the replies.

 

[sigpig]

So essentially the field positions are posting to an infantry unit as the sigs pers right?

The majority of fd posns for a sigop would be at the Regiment in Kingston, or at one of the Brigade HQ & Sigs Sqns. All fd units, armour, arty, inf, fd engrs, sv bn, have an attached sig element - usually tp/pl strength.

The sigop trade is very fd oriented and there will be pt and basic grunt trg but to employ them as 'infantry with radios' would be a gross misuse of their skills and trg. That recruiter must have been saying what he thought you wanted to hear, or was an idiot.

 

[Island Ryhno]

Thanks sigpig!  ;D

 

[Radop]

Hey folks, just came back from recruiting where I was told by the recruiter that basically, reg force sig ops is an infantry job except with radios   :threat: Is this true, I've been reserve infantry, I'd like to keep my knees and back until at least my 40's. Just wondering what the career progression is like and is it mostly field work with an infantry regiment? Tanks.....um no Thanks, yeah!

lol, lets see there are about 1500 sig ops in cf and only maybe 100 positions that are with the infantry and out of them 36 are in infantry positions as coy sigs (all MCpl positions).

Your job as a sig coming to a unit will be - can you say canvas lacer?  You may be lucky and go to CFJSR were you may work Satcom, but unlikely.  More likely you will go to a bde.

Good luck.  Don't let us discourage you from getting into this trade.  It is rewarding and if you want to go overseas, it is very probable as a sig op.

 

[Radop]

The sigop trade is very fd oriented and there will be pt and basic grunt trg but to employ them as 'infantry with radios' would be a gross misuse of their skills and trg. That recruiter must have been saying what he thought you wanted to hear, or was an idiot.

When I was in Pet, we spent more time in the field than in garrison.  When I was with the regiment in the mid 90s, we spent over 200 days in the field (which sucked because it was right after we came back from Rwanda).  Later dude.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Just in "defence" of the recruiter, I imagine it is difficult to keep all the available trades and specialties straight across the three services.

Having said that, since it is his job, he should probably make more of an effort to know the stuff...especially if he is counselling prospective recruits on career options. 

It's good to see experienced soldiers here giving good advice, though.  Kind of a shame it had to come to that.  One does wonder about our recruiting processes sometimes.

 

[buzgo]

Don't let them tell you that: "You'll be working as a system administrator or network manager" either.  There are sig ops doing these jobs, but there are not very many doing it. The numbers ARE going up, as systems become more specialized and we deploy with more and more IT assets. Its just not an 'entry level' job.

Radop is right, at least in Petawawa, there is lots of canvas wrangling and jeep jockeying (that parts fun!) but that only lasts a while. Its like every other job, you have to pay your dues!

 

[Island Ryhno]

Thanks folks, this is important info for me, I'm tossing around Sig Ops and Armoured, it's nice to get informed opinions. I'm pretty good with cpu's (software, hardware etc, I'm also consider a wireless network expert((gsm 1900, 1800, 900, 850, TDMA and CDMA)) ) I want to do tours, but I'm reading this as, I can probably get a computer sci degree doing time with the armoured corps part time and still have a kick ass time at work. Canvass lacer sounds exciting....but I dunno know. Micheal, I agree it's sad, I have military experience and I knew he was bullshitting me but I'm trying to get in so mums the word, the funny thing was he didn't try to sell me on anything, which I found funny, seemed non chalant  : Ok so enough ranting, what's the career progression going to be like if I do go sigs, can someone give me and idea on courses, postings etc. Thanks for all the info folks 

 

[Radop]

Radop is right, at least in Petawawa, there is lots of canvas wrangling and jeep jockeying (that parts fun!) but that only lasts a while. Its like every other job, you have to pay your dues!

That must be the first time we have agreed on something eh! lol.  Hopefully, he gets in and goes to Pet and not here or he will push a broom for 4 hrs a day, lol.

 

[Island Ryhno]

So Kingston...BAD...Pet a better bad? I hate brooms  ;D

 

[Radop]

Kingston does a lot of bs jobs in garrison but deploys frequently while Pet is always in the field but rarely deploys.

 

[buzgo]

Well, I was with the Sig Sqn for 6 years. I deployed on 2 overseas ops, 2 overseas exercises, several major domestic exercises and every Brigade ex going.

I think if you worked out the amount of time that we were on exercise, it easily worked out to be equal to a deployment per year, posssibly more.

 

[Radop]

Well, I was with the Sig Sqn for 6 years. I deployed on 2 overseas ops, 2 overseas exercises, several major domestic exercises and every Brigade ex going.

I think if you worked out the amount of time that we were on exercise, it easily worked out to be equal to a deployment per year, posssibly more.

Obviously before I got there then but of course I got there after the bosnia tour as you know.  We were on ex more than in Garrison in Brovo Tp.  We were in Wainwright for a month before deploying to Afghanistan and that ex had nothing to do with our deployment really.  FQT, FQX supporting every lvl 5 ex of all other units in the Bde and our own exercise left us out of garrison quite often.

The boys there now were working a CP ex from Sept until Dec.  Here in Kingston, I have helped launch about 150+ people out the door on missions but have only gone on two exercises of which both were less than two weeks long.

 

[JimmyPeeOn]

I was told the exact same thing, and believed it.  I had spent a bit of time in the reserves through a co-op program at my high school and had seen several "dirty Jimmy's" running around with radios on thier backs as Pl Sigs.  I later found out they were just spare rad ops from the local Comm Sqn that they didnt have trucks for so they sent them out with us grunts for a little tactical VP review.

On the bright side howeverl, I've been a Sig now for about 3 years, I started at JSR, did tac rad for a bit and went on Op Athena as a driver.  Came back and was posted to a deployable IS det as a no hook Pte.  I'm getting ready to do my 2nd tour now with the JSR in less than 3 years.  So if you like sleeping in a dent in the gravel, go JSR!  (actually i hear there are beds now)

So, as you can see I've been here for less than 3 years and held just as many roles.  It's a good MOC if you like diversity of training and you still get to play silly dick in the bush every now and then without all the cock of 031.

 

[Inf Sig]

Ask any Sig Op, who has been on EX longer than a day, if they leave behind their 1. T.V.  2. DVD player  3. X-Box  4. Cell Phone    5. personal heater?

Haven't see a Sig in an Inf unit sleep in the gravel in a long time!