sigs vs. infantry

[lfejoel25]

hi, i'm signing up, passed all the tests and stuff, and looking to make a career out of the forces.  i put my first choice as sigs, but after thinking about it for a bit, i'm not sure.  i think both trades are short of people, so i was told by a buddy in the forces that there basically no chance of re-mustering.  basically what i'm thinking is, if i'm going to spend a career in the forces in a job, with little or no chance of changing jobs, i want to make sure i'm in something i want to do.  i have an electronics technologist diploma, so that's why i was joining sigs.  it seemed like it was the best job that had anything to do with electronics that wouldn't leave me stuck in an office for the rest of my life.  well, since i started my application, the video description on the dnd website wasn't working, but i checked it out last night, and it just kind of confused me.  it didn't really tell me what kind of life i'd have.  it showed some people working in indoor locations, typing away on a computer, and then it showed some people hanging around outside, some people sitting in a vehicle of some sort.  now heres the deal, i'm good when it comes to electronics, and i'd really like to have a job that has something to with electronics, but i DON"T want to be a desk jockey.  are there and units you can try to get into, or specialty training where you can get into different things.  last night i started to think about whether or not i should just go infantry, but at the same time i think it would be quite a waste of an education.  so basically, i guess what i'm asking, is there any way i can make sigs, (or any other electronics job for that matter), so that i'm not some kind of desk jockey?
or, would it be easier to re-muster between trades that are in distress? or maybe is somebody out there that's in sigs that can tell me what it's like, is there any opportunity for different types of jobs in sigs, how much opportunity is there for tours, what do you generally do on them, etc..

 

[Jason Bourne]

Hey man,

I'm in the same boat...well sort of. I want to take something OUT of being a signal operator, some sort of technology thing. I don't want to spend my entire career in the fiield else I would have joined 031. I heard you can speciallize in various types of things in the signals trade which is good and I'm pretty sure it won't be a waste of a career choice. I heard lineman are getting really good civvy side oppurtunities also. As a signal operator you are expected to perform with the same skill level in basic infanteer activities (section attacks, employment of weapons, navigation etc) while also carrying out your main job as the platoon/section/coy signaller.

I am going on my QL3's in Kingston right away and I'm pretty sure it will be a great time. Learning a trade and putting it to use has and will be my main objective throughout my CF career, I just hope that it doesn't let me down in the end.

Jason

(stay SigOp!!)

 

[lfejoel25]

well, that's kinda what i'm looking for actually, an electronics trade that's kind of close to infantry.  by the looks of the trade definitions online, sigs would be the closest, but i'm wondering how close it is.

 

[hiv]

Have you considered LCIS tech? They strike a nice balance of field time with many useful electronics skills. To be honest, it's rare that SigOps comes away with anything useful from their job. Radio procedure isn't in high demand in the civvie world.

 

[Satelliteslayer]

For an electronics trade, in the Army, you have two choices, LCIS or FCS. These are the only two "electronics" trades. Many others deal with the operation of electronics equipment i.e. RadOp but when it comes to maintaining the stuff these are your choices.

If you are willing to venture out of the land element then you have more choices such as ATIC and AVN for the Air Force and for the Navy it's NET(C), NET(T), NET(A) and to an ever increasing degree NWT.

So, if you have an electronics diploma from a recognized colledge and you want to work in the land element, then LCIS or FCS are your choices.

Good Luck

 

[meni0n]

Just how much do you really know about the trade Tribal so say we only learn vp and nothing useful for the civy world?

 

[Jason Bourne]

Hrmm..yeah...you do learn a BIT more than voice proceadure while in Kingston...well least last time I checked...

 

[Boone]

Hey Man

You should seriously consider LCIS Tech. If You have a electronics diploma ( at least 2 years ) you would qualify for a signing bonus. It is a far better trade than SIG OP trade and you get paid more. By having your electronics diploma you would skip part of your training. The military calls it POET which stands for Performance oriented electronics training. And you would go from basic straight to your 3's. I just finished POET myself and will be starting my LCIS 3's Sept 17. There are other trades you may want to consider because of your back ground. FCS(army),AVS (airforce)and ATIS(airforce) all are very good trades however there is very long wait times to get onto course. But LCIS is the quickest! I know this first hand because I have friends in each of those trades and and some are waiting from 6months to a year just to get on course. Go on the recruiting web site and research each trade and see what you think. Hope this helps. If you have any questions about any of these trades right back and I will see if I can help you.

 

[meni0n]

There is no one trade better than the other. It's what you want out of a trade that will make you love it.  Quiet frankly people who have not yet  even completed their 3s and  have little experience shouldn't say if the trade they chose is better than another. SigOp trade is well balanced between field and static postings. If you like fixing computers, radios and other electronics then go tech. If you want to use them, live a little rougher in the field then in a heated mod tent and wait for things to break and more join sigs. It's tedious at times but it's a great trade. If you get to a unit which maintains good balance between soldier and sigop you'll have a blast.

 

[lfejoel25]

thanks meni0n, that's what i was looking for.  thanks to everybody else for your replies.  but that's what i'm looking for.  something that is well balanced between soldier and -----.  I'm not looking for anything to take back to civy life.  i did put fcs tech down as a third choice, but i don't think i'd be looking forward to doing that.  is there some kind of sigs unit that is more field op orientated?

 

[meni0n]

Usually sig troops within the infantry. Or postings with the combat arms units.

 

[CdnGalaGal]

If you really want to make use of your diploma, go tech.

Sig Ops don't fix their radios or any other equipment by themselves - our purpose in life (wrt equipment) is to just use the stuff we are given. Techs work with the stuff every day (repairing equipment, setting up computers or video conferencing rooms sometimes... other tech stuff...). As a tech though, I am not sure just how much field time you will have (someone help me out here). If you are posted to Ottawa, good luck getting out of the workshop for anything more than your qualification shoots at the range.

meni0n is correct when he says that you are the only one who can determine how much you will enjoy a trade, but at the same time, look at what you like doing - you will get much more satisfaction out of your career if you choose wisely.

Sigs don't do JUST VP.  We also operate (keyword OPERATE not OPERATE AND REPAIR) VHF, HF and Satellite comms equipment, computers, LANs, vehicles, generators... You'll learn a little about laying line, and later in your career you may do some systems administration (but that is a desk job of course). Until you have completed your Journeyman course, the Sig Op skills that you learn are not very marketable in the civie world. But, as you will receive in any trade, you WILL learn team-building skills, multi-tasking, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, perhaps some business correspondence (yay memos), research skills (for when you are about to be charged and need to know the best way to get out of it, for example  ;D), and leadership.

As for field time as a Sig op, combat arms will give you the most field time. If you want to be in a Sigs Regt though, JSR in Kingston is a field unit and constantly deploys troops.

And meni0n... QUITE frankly, you shouldn't be so quick to shoot someone down or to take offense. If Boone is excited about his trade, let him be. Down boy...

IMHO, lfejoel should opt for Tech simply because he stands to gain more out of that trade than ours.