What not to do - No excuse BMQ tips [Merged]

[Shamrock]

One of my friends who is also going to BMQ in october heard that at one point we get to go home on weekends...I wouldn't think so (except for christmas) given that basic training is made to build our strenght and character and a weekend off might break their training methods and our routine of barely sleeping etc.

It's quite the opposite.  A weekend offf -- and the incentive for same -- will boost espirit de corps and morale because it will have to be earned collectively.  Courses often go out on the town in large bodies, allowing further team building and personal interaction in a different environment.  Also reduces the strain on staff and resources.

There's a whole bunch more reasons why giving a weekend off to recruits is a good thing.  Some of them are obvious, some of them not so obvious.  I'll leave it to "your friend" to discover them.

 

[RCR Grunt]

Initiative:  If something needs doing, and you know it needs to be done, but no one has told you to do it yet ... do it anyways.

"In the absence of orders, go find something and kill it." -- Erwin Rommel

 

[gman620]

Im not saying cadets are bad, but, when I was on course the guys with the biggest attitude and gave the dumbest advice, were the cadets.  I found out very fast that most cadets were all taught differantly.  we got most of our push-ups because of cadets.  And if you were in cadets don't say to the sargeant "oh I can iron perfectly, I was in cadets."

 

[Neill McKay]

Im not saying cadets are bad, but, when I was on course the guys with the biggest attitude and gave the dumbest advice, were the cadets.  I found out very fast that most cadets were all taught differantly.  we got most of our push-ups because of cadets.

Maybe, maybe not.  Every population has its share of loudmouths, and some of them used to be cadets.

It's likely that some of the quiet candidates on your course were former cadets too, but you might never know about it.

 

[combat_clarke]

silly question are you allowed to bring Cell phones to stay in touch with family? and can you bring MP3 Players? this is for BMQ ofcourse.

 

[Blackthorne]

silly question are you allowed to bring Cell phones to stay in touch with family? and can you bring MP3 Players? this is for BMQ ofcourse.

Yes, at least on my current BMQ. But you will rarely ever have time to use it, and it better not go off during intruction or you'll get your whole section or platoon jacked.

 

[combat_clarke]

thanks for the advice. oh god no the only time I would turn the phone on is when I have down time to use it. I have no intensions of bringing it to class or anywhere only on down time. Dont want to get Jacked by the whole Platoon by doing something stupid like that . Again thanks for the advice.

 

[Klc]

thanks for the advice. oh god no the only time I would turn the phone on is when I have down time to use it. I have no intensions of bringing it to class or anywhere only on down time. Dont want to get Jacked by the whole Platoon by doing something stupid like that . Again thanks for the advice.

Leave it in your personal box - off. Chances are (at least in St Jean) that you won't be allowed it AT ALL for the first 4 weeks - get a phone card just in case.

On my BMQ (and that of most people I know) all electronics were banned for a minimum of 4 weeks. This specifically included cell phones. If found, you would lose it for the course.

 

[BDTyre]

On my BIQ all electronics were locked up in the storage room.  About two weeks in, the staff would unlock the storage room for a few hours to allow access to MP3 players, etc. so we could listen to music while we cleaned weapons.  But everything had to be turned back in before lights out and anyone caught with a phone or MP3 player would cause us all to lose the privleges.

Only on the last day did everyone get everything back.

 

[Lumber]

On my IAP they told us we weren't suppose to have laptops, cellphones, ipods etc... but they never got around to actually collecting them and/or locking them up. Tthroughout the whole course we would watch DVDs on our laptops while shinning our shoes, iron our shirts while listening to music and everyone else would be lying in their beds or wandering around chatting away on their cells with their gfs. The only thing the duty staff said when they did their rounds was "<sigh> tabernac...".

During inspection, however, one of our MCpls found a cell phone in someone's personal box. The entirety of that sorry OCdt's cubicle wound up in the hallway, and in the cubicles of his buddies around him.

 

[mysteriousmind]

On my SQ I just completed last Friday,


Mp3 and phones and laptop were tolerated after 9PM until lights out at 11pm. One jerk in our platoon was caught using it during the day and well...it cost us a week end.

The rule was quite simple. Our instructor, who happend to be instructor on a BMQ this summer...told us to consider ourself lucky because on BMQ it was banned for a 6 week period.

Don't be the platoon jerk, you have lived without your cell phone before...what is a small 13 weeks....leave it home....don't carry it and get a chance to break it or get yourself or other people in trouble.

My humble opinion of course.

 

[JBoyd]

my personal interest regarding the use of cellphones is purely so that I am able to keep in touch with my wife and kids.

 

[Klc]

my personal interest regarding the use of cellphones is purely so that I am able to keep in touch with my wife and kids.

Understood - but as I said, do not RELY on it. I made the mistake of planning to use solely the cell phone and only found out there that I also couldn't charge collect calls to the family. Took 4 weeks before  I was able to go to canex to pick up a phone card. Have a backup plan, just in case is all I'm saying.

 

[JBoyd]

Understood - but as I said, do not RELY on it. I made the mistake of planning to use solely the cell phone and only found out there that I also couldn't charge collect calls to the family. Took 4 weeks before  I was able to go to canex to pick up a phone card. Have a backup plan, just in case is all I'm saying.

understood and noted, I will then make sure to have a phone card handy

 

[DirtyDog]

Electronics will depend on your staff or the SM.

Laptops, cell phones, MP3 players, cameras and DVD players were the norm on my BMQ, SQ and DP1, with them only being "taken away" on one occasion.

It all depends and common sense is a given.

A little pic from BMQ:

 

[Spr. FItzy]

BMQ is so easy its sooo funny. people stress over whats going to happen. they are going to break you down and rebuild you there. thats the point of the course.  the only thing i have to say is have a ghost kit so u dont use any inspection kit. thats it. and comply with every command given. do not question the stupid stuff they will make you do. it all has a purpose. your lucky in st jean. i had to wax my room floor almost three times a week on my QL3 course. and we had to polish 36 brass door plates our staff scuffed sometimes. and we had to wax a floor 75 feet long. so take it one day at a time and smile while you eat your own crap!! and have fun because i did. i had a good attitude. they sense a bad attitude and will weed you out. dont work hard. same thing. basic is there to see who is the shakers and movers. less than 1 year later i am a qualified engineer. and damn proud of how hard my courses were. i am a tougher person because of it. i can handle almost all stress.

 

[aesop081]

BMQ is so easy its sooo funny. people stress over whats going to happen. they are going to break you down and rebuild you there. thats the point of the course.  the only thing i have to say is have a ghost kit so u dont use any inspection kit. thats it. and comply with every command given. do not question the stupid stuff they will make you do. it all has a purpose. your lucky in st jean. i had to wax my room floor almost three times a week on my QL3 course. and we had to polish 36 brass door plates our staff scuffed sometimes. and we had to wax a floor 75 feet long. so take it one day at a time and smile while you eat your own crap!! and have fun because i did. i had a good attitude. they sense a bad attitude and will weed you out. dont work hard. same thing. basic is there to see who is the shakers and movers. less than 1 year later i am a qualified engineer. and damn proud of how hard my courses were. i am a tougher person because of it.

Glad you had a good time and that CFSME was to your liking.

i can handle almost all stress.

No offense but you realy havent experienced real stress yet

 

[Spr. FItzy]

how do you know what i have gone through? and attitude is everything. if i doubt myself i will get myself or ever worse my friend killed. i have confidence in myself. you dont know me. and what i have gone through in my days. i have had a home invasion. i was on my knees with some thug with a gun to me. and i was cooler than ice. and i was sure i was dead. up until i knew he didnt wanna kill me. because he couldnt look me in the eyes. attitude is everything i am sure we can agree on that. new recruits must have a good attitude. they need to exibit the professionalism they need to in our line of work. instead of being just a PR liability.  so when i go to afghanistan in 2010 with my regiment i will have the attitude i need to survive and the motivation to keep us all alive over there. have you done a feild excercise as a combat engineer? because thats pretty stressful! LOL

 

[aesop081]

how do you know what i have gone through?

I was a combat engineer for 11 years and an instructor at CFSME for 3 years

Thats how i know exactly what you have gone through so far in your career

 

[Spr. FItzy]

ah well chimo brother!!!