Sig Op QL5

[Fader]

Well, I‘m nearing the end of my summer here at CFSCE, and I‘ve learnt a lot of stuff, but as part of my training, as well as part of just being here. For aspiring sig ops, or to piss of the people in the combat arms at how much of a diamond course I‘ve gotten, here‘s the 411:

In week 1 we started off learning the history of the C&E branch of the CF, as well as voice and data encryption units used for IRIS and HARRIS radio sets.

In week 2 we did preperation for our tactical field exercise, where we practiced being det commanders.

In week 3 we had a 5 day tac rad exercise much in theme of week 2.

In week 4 we had an introduction to network administration using windows 2000.

In week 5 we learnt CMS as well as had a tour of JSR

In week 6 we had lessons on the QRT, INMARSAT, and the RF5022 HF radio used in the LCT;

Next week we have our strategic exercise using the LCT‘s.

--

That‘s it for training, but some other lessons, I learnt about:

MALE; I invented this phrase when talking to my buddies from Calgary. Minimum Acceptable Level of Effort. That being, doing the job to the point that nobody tells you to do any work. I learnt it here on these forums and I preached about it to every student I came into contact with. Unfortunatly, nobody on my course accepted it, but EVERYONE on the other QL5 course says and knows what it is. It‘s pretty much thier course motto (except that it‘s un-sharp)

Getting of the base, away from the uniform is the best way to keep your sanity is to just get away and forget that your a soldier. When I went to Toronto, the only thing that reminded me of the fact that I was in the military was my ranger blanket and my train ticked home. As it turned out, I traded with my cousins: my blanket for some clothes

Alcohol. I‘ve drunk before, but not nearly as much as I have here. I think being in the military has turned me into a blatent alcoholic. Once again, being combined with MALE, I‘ve also learnt how to time my drinking just right so I don‘t get in trouble for it, but still, whereas back home, I‘d go through a 26 of rum in a few months, I‘ve gone through a 26 of rum, shnapps or vodka every week here.

Having fun. A few days ago, my friends from Calgary and I had "Ugly Shirt Night" wherby we wore our UGLIEST most RETARDED outfit we could think up. Two guys wore really ugly Hawain shirts, one guy wore this blue and pink cowboy shirt with a pink bandana tied around his neck, and I wore a flamingly homo... well... a really loud pink, orange, and green collard shirt with a pink girls "Hello Kitty" shirt underneath (the shirt was unbuttoned for all to see). I swear I was just about to roll over on the ground when I walked into the mess and EVERYONE turned and stared at us. As it turned out, I wore the same girls "Hello Kitty" shirt for PT the previous morning, when I was really, really hungover (soccer). I remember running at some guy scraming out "MEOW!"

Not taking things seriously. This isn‘t so much fun, but if one of my instructors yells at me, telling me to do something, I don‘t care. If I agree with what they‘re saying, I‘ll correct it, if not, I just brush it right off. I find it very difficult to take anyone or anything seriously more than the bare minimum respect of the rank structure or common sense agreement on the issue at hand.

A whole lot more... I couldn‘t begin to name off some of the stuff I‘ve learnt from this experience. Obviously, I learnt the most when I wasn‘t in green, but still, I learnt a bit even then.

When I get home, for sure I‘ll discuss them. I‘m just using this as the skeleton for when I get back.

Peace^^

 

[Wingman]

To paraphrase ... you learnt nothing "in green" and everyhting from a 26 and wearing a goofy shirt one night.

Have you thought of a new vocation?

 

[Danjanou]

Was it just me, or did it seem awful quiet around here for the past few weeks? Ah well all good things must come to an end. Look on the bright side he didn‘t call his combat uniform "Republican Guards" this time.

 

[Redneck052]

Lui,

People like you are the cause of the never stable drinking policy at CFSCE.

Need we remind you why you are there at CFSCE?

Then people wonder why the Reserve courses are allowed to drink one summer and not the next. The reason...people like you Lui.

Have you ever heard of the pharse...."What happens away from home, stays away", or "What happens here, stays here".

Well done..... :akimbo:

 

[Mike Bobbitt]

Before this turns into another runaway, let‘s remember Lui‘s penchant for getting us (including myself) drawn into useless debate.

 

[OLD SCHOOL]

Not to be drawn in of course as this may be the only attention this fellow gets in life but he reminds me of summers in Pet. when the good old CDO would play enemy for the reserve units. This was not sought after duty mind you but little pi** ants like him were the first to break down and cry for mother so a little fun could be had.
I thank god that the Sigs we had were professional as your life depended on them paying attention on course.
Sonny boy, you need to be selling cell phones in civie land not working in green.

 

[radop211tc]

C‘mon guys, he might be only off by one number in a ArtyStrike grid reference.
hehehe

Tc...
VVV

 

[newfiemafia]

Lui,

After reading your comments. I think that you are a disgrace. If you are in the Reserves to pay for your University that‘s fine. Remember that you are still a Canadian Soldier and you should wear the uniform with pride. Obviously, by your comments earlier it seems that you have no pride and understanding of what it means to wear the military uniform and should not be a representative of CFSCE or in that matter the Canadian Forces period. I only wish that I could have you as a student on one of my courses to teach you some military bearing, discipline and respect.

 

[McInnes]

before Lui left, many tried to change his ways...obviously it didnt work, so i very much doubt that further "chastisement" will do anything. Each to his own i suppose. there‘s a reason why the pres has this rep.

 

[Fader]

test

EDIT:

Well, I remembered my password.

Anyways, I really don‘t want to get into specifics again, as one of you mentioned, all that will come of it is me stirring up the hornets nest again. BUT...

...What I will say is, I havn‘t abused any of the rules and privlages I‘ve gotten. I‘ve drunk a whole lot more in the last 7 weeks that I would have at home, but by no means have I done it in a tasteless, unprofessional way. Likewise with my Ugly Shirt night. I made **** sure days before I walked into the mess that my outfit didn‘t violate any of the mess rules.

Whatsmore, to me MALE, is a good thing. I take it as something that promotes efficiency and compitance on the job. To me, MALE means doing the job completly, safely, and quickly. It means when the jobs done, the jobs done, and it‘s time to party.

Everything is MALE, including my attitude about rank. Believe me, I know how rank works. I know Corporal is below anything leafed, striped, or crowned (if that makes any sense) and as such, a Corporal is a subordinate to any of those aforementioned.

However, I think just as anybody here does. If a Master Corporal corrects me on inspection for having a drawer that looks like a grenade went off in it, (and it actually looked like it did), afterwards, I‘d slap myself on the head for being such an idiot and fix it. If the same Master Corporal tells me to do something I know to be completly unreasonable and unfeasable, I‘ll either not do it, or do it to the extent I know is possible, no more. Some people take what they say WAY to personally and way to close to heart. To some people, it‘s the end of the world having a bad inspection, or falling out of a death run for PT. I know this, since that used to be the case for me. I know from having gone on this course, that it doesn‘t have to be that way.

I guess these are just the complaints that everyone has after going on course; obviously there‘s more. Truthfully though, this course has been the best course I‘ve done in the past three summers (the sum of my short, uninteresting, military career). However, so much of what has transpired here over the last 7 weeks is so unjust and so wrong that I feel it criminal to leave it unsaid. True, the CSD, Privacy act, and all other rule books I fall under prevent me from saying a lot of stuff, but I know when it comes to the social dynamics between instructors and students, it‘s fair game. What makes it worse, though, is after this summer, I realize that all the injustices and wrongs are always present and there‘s nothing that I as an individual soldier can do about it.

Another big thing I realized from going on this course is that my future lies as being a professinal, civilian Engineer. The military will always have a sacred little nook in my heart as it has given me a great deal. However, engineers exist to solve problems in society. Being in an problem filled environment and having little to no power to change it feels very wrong to me. So I guess that‘s why I bitch a bit more than the average reserve soldier.

Anyways, I‘ve drawn this out long enough, and this is costing me time I could be playing Warcraft.

I hope everyone (EVERYONE) reading this gets my point. You‘d think someone in a communications trade in the military would be able to effectivly communicate his thoughts with others; but again, I tell everyone I run into I‘m an incompitant bag of crap (with a "sh" in front) so who knows?

 

[Fader]

Well, looks like I got mine in the end. To tell you the truth, I‘m glad I did. The hammer fell, and boy was it a big one. I think it went pretty high up too. I‘m pretty sure anyone whose ever had to do the hatless dance into the SSM‘s office probably knows what I‘m talking about.

I‘m actually glad it happened. After all, it‘s only in times of strife like this that we are most alive. Whatsmore, it grieves me to no end that, throughout the summer good, decent soldiers got punished over issues of bad timing rather than bad character. It‘s made worse by the fact that this summer, I chose to be a bad, substandard soldier and as a matter of luck, I never got punished for anything. Essentially, I got what I deserved.

Not that it matters now that it‘s all said and done and I‘ve taken some of my licks (I fear there may be more) I feel quite content that the system does work and the dissenters and the bag of hammers get theres in the end.

Truthfully, I‘m not an alcoholic. I drink, but I don‘t drink in excess and never to the point that I‘m unable to perform at a level I deem acceptable.

I care. I know I‘ve preached and practiced MALE all this summer, but really, I don‘t believe in it. It‘s bs both civvy side and military side. Even though I got away with being a minimalist, apathetic snake for so long, in the end, it doesn‘t pay off. So, anyone thinking of entering the sig op trade, or any other trade, or any other path in life; never give the minimum acceptable level. It‘s a harsh lesson I learnt in the past few days that it‘s just not worth it in the end. Strive to be all that you can be, not all of what someone else wants you to be.

I love the military. I love putting on the uniform and existing as a soldier. I like balance in life, so I equally love taking off the uniform and existing as a civilian (though it was made quite clear to me that so long as there‘s the prospect for me to put it back on again, I‘m not ever completly a civilian). There are aspects of the military that I rather don‘t like, problems and inefficiencies that I think shouldn‘t exist; but really, as a soldier and an engineer, I should have realized that the only way I can change them is to actually exist within the system and make contributions to it, rather than criticisms.

Last, hopefully I learnt a lesson I‘ve not learnt after making the same mistake again and again. As the cliche says, don‘t put my foot in my mouth. Think before I say/write stuff. I guess that coincides with actually caring about what I say and do, so I guess that‘s quite redundant to say.

Ah well, I go home tommorow.

 

[OLD SCHOOL]

stick to paintball.

 

[Deleted member 585]

Can I not exclude his posts from my field of vision?

:gunner:

 

[McInnes]

well lui, good for you i guess, if you actually do practice "being all that you can be" in life.

 

[sinblox]

Lui, you got RTU‘d? What happened?

 

[newfiemafia]

I have to agree with what "OLD SCHOOL" commented. Stick to paint ball. :fifty: :fifty: :fifty:

 

[Jarnhamar]

"Whatsmore, it grieves me to no end that, throughout the summer good, decent soldiers got punished over issues of bad timing rather than bad character" Amen to that. Imagine how many people would be forced to clean up with act if getting your pee pee slapped for being a bad character happened more often?

I see where Lui is comming from with taking stupid orders. I can‘t count how many times i‘ve been told to put a square through a circle sized hole.

I‘m win Sinblox, what did you do Lui? Get hammered and fall down the stairs. Public drukenness. Someone found your diary and didn‘t like how you painted their charcter heh For a signals guy to get hit by such a heavy hammer you must have been uber naughty.

 

[OLD SCHOOL]

Squares are designed to fit through a circle sized hole. This is the Army. If it won‘t go through, get a bigger hammer.
Order=carry it out and repeat as necessary.
Those that act without wondering why will go far.
If an order hits you in the mind then you fail before you even act.
Yes there are stupid orders and ones that can even needlessly put your life in danger but an order is an order. Be it on time for eats or on time for the C-6 overwatch in a combat zone, on time is on time.
This kid questions his training and his instructors and would be gone from any of my courses in a world of hurt. This of course in the prevention of any hurt that he would cause others by his lack of comittment.
What was the comment? He is only off by one gridsquare? LOL except that I have seen it done in live fire.
Pay attention and do as you are told you sorry little whining $&!%.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I was expecting that force the square to fit response

I understand the requirement to react to orders without thinking about it. I believe there is also times (Which you as a warrant im sure have had) where you recieve an order and you change it around a little, improve it or just do something a little different. You still carry out the order and get the job done but you may have known a way to do it faster, safer or more productivly. All depends on the case.

Humility and somberness just eminates off Lui‘s post, sounds very defeated.

 

[OLD SCHOOL]

Exactly. Only as you gain rank. Comments made for QL3 level.