Woman and officer in combat engineering?

[RMC candidate]

I applied for RMC and just finished all my tests. I am a woman and I want to become a combat engineer.
What should I expect?
How many women are there? How are they treated? What do you think about women in the combat arms?
Please answer me honestly.

 

[cagomez]

I take it you have never had previous military training before. In my opinion the more the merrier. As long as you can do the job I dont care if you sit or stand to pee (or both) !! In all honetsy I find it amazing how some CF women deal with the field, based on my experience with certain civvy "girls" Ive met. You might have read a previous thread around here about guys googling other women pers. Ignore those numpties. if you are into looking for guys be very careful with frat especially since your gonna become an officer. There are regs against this but rules are broken. Ive witnessed a few relationships blossom and even a few marriages. Nothing wrong with it just keep it out of the chain of command or risk losing it all together. Enough about the lecture though. Most guys I know have no problems with women or anybody in the forces, just as long as you do your job. And if they do have a problem with it Im sure they have all been "sharpened" enough that they know not to say anything. Anyway good luck with your training

 

[RMC candidate]

You‘re right, I didn‘t do any military training yet. I‘m in the cadets, but I know it‘s going to be different, yet some things will be alike...
Of course, I‘m not going in the Army to meet boys, I‘m going in the Army for the career opportunities. To do something important, to help people, to serve Canada.
Anyways, thank you for answering.

 

[Sapper Bloggins]

I am an ex Combat Engineer and we had a female captain @ 2 CER in the early 90‘s. She was fit, pulled her own weight and a pretty good hockey player to boot! So, you go girl! There aren‘t any reasons why you shouldn‘t consider a career in the best corps. Good-luck and CHIMO! AIRBORNE! bUBBLES UP!

 

[rceme_rat]

If you want this, you can achieve it. No doubt - other woman have been doing this for years now (first women grads from RMC -- 1984; many DEOs before that).

But the tone of your question seems to be: "do I really want this?"

I think it is the best scholarship in the country. Many of my classmates were woman (15%). Woman held many of the top positions at RMC, and they performed well on phase training and on postings. Any failures in performance were individual personality, not gender.

That being said, there aren‘t really a lot of woman out there. There are even fewer in the army in general and the combat arms in particular. So don‘t expect a lot of female camraderie. There are still many men who just don‘t get it. You will have episodes of insensitivity or even open hostility. To succeed, you will have to develop your own methods of coping - whether accepting it at times, deflecting it, or waging war against it constantly.

Now, this is one man‘s perspective. You really want to track down some female combat engineering officers. Your recruiting centre should be able to help you - if not, ask them to have the engineers‘ career manager call you.

Good luck.

 

[Pikache]

I say this to everyone who‘s looking into military career, more especially to myself.

If you really want to succeed, you have to want it so bad, and you‘re willing to be ruthless.

Good luck.

 

[Infanteer]

Of course, I‘m not going in the Army to meet boys, I‘m going in the Army for the career opportunities. To do something important, to help people, to serve Canada.

I hope you include fighting a war in this list of goodies. Warfighting is what we in the combat arms live to do.

 

[RMC candidate]

One of the reasons why I posted here was to know some men‘s perspectives, but I‘ll certainly try to reach a female officer.
Thanks for the hint!

I know that I will sometimes have to face hostilities, but I wanted to know more actual stuff, because what I‘ve read about women in the Army is about those women who left the combat arms in 1996-97 because the men were too hostile...
Anyways, I‘m very determined, so I‘ll probably find a good way to handle this. With some help if I need it.

Infanteer : For me, "war fighting" is part of "serving Canada".

I really appreciate your comments, thank you!

 

[Infanteer]

Just had that article "Where Have All The Tigers Gone" running through my head.
Cool, good luck to you. Remember, earn your troops respect by leading by example.

 

[Sapper Bloggins]

Leading by example will help further your career, you‘ll have to earn that respect though. The Engineer family takes care of it‘s own.

 

[ender]

I‘m a female Sapper in the reserves. It‘s not all fun and games. Some of the older guys don‘t accept you, and you have to be better than the guys to get the same amound of recognition. That‘s just the way it is. It depends on the unit, things change a lot. For instance, 56 FES in Newfoundland has several female sappers who seems to be treated pretty fairly. Some other engineer units don‘t have any.

I‘ll email you because there is some stuff I don‘t wish to discuss on a public forum.

 

[RMC candidate]

To lead by example... As a senior NCO in the cadets, I‘m being told that all the time!!
And I know that it is how you earn respect, it‘s one of many good things I learned being a cadet and a leader.

Anyways, thanks a lot for your comments!!!

 

[Recce41]

Good luck
I have daughters that may join the Military. But I‘m not inclined for them to go Combat arms. I had Females on tour, and in garrison who were a headache. Some donot relise its a mans world. If you can do it try. As a Female cbtarms officer on ph2/3/4 most get pushed through. To me this is not fair, to them and us Snr NCOs who must train them. It demeans the system, and when one makes it . Its did she pass or was passed. I‘m not putting you down but just telling you reality. You be best off to go OR then try Officer. This will give you a better insite as what to expect.
Most Females use their personal problems to get out of the field, work, special duties. And most OCs/COs are not willing to put their necks out to stop it. So Go and try hard, GOOD LUCK!
Sgt J. CD,CDS com

 

[rceme_rat]

And many male soldiers use their personal problems too -- I even could (but never would) name a WO who caused me no end of grief.

As for going ORs first - not if you want to get a degree paid for. Your best chance is to go to RMC. It is very difficult to get selected to go OCTP, CFR, or UTPNCM. If you know you want to be an officer, just do it!

 

[Recce41]

Their taking officers from the ranks like wild fire in the CbtArms. Your even better off for being a female. Being a sapper first will help. Most ringknockers are right out of it. RMC grades are in one mind set MEMEME. Most of the officers we have from RMC are F***ed. There is a few verygood ones, this is because they go to the Regts to do time for PH3/4 dueing the summer. This is when they get a reality check. For your a Officer Cadet, lower then a Trooper/Sapper/Private.
Sgt J. CD,CDS com

 

[Infanteer]

In my opinion ALL officers should come from the ranks.
You gotta learn to shovel s**t before you ride the horse.

 

[RMC candidate]

You guys are right, someone that has been a follower usually becomes a better leader.
The most respected leader is the one who respect his/her subordinates first.
I may be young and I may still have a lot to learn, but I already know a few things about leadership...

I want to go to RMC, because I want a degree in a challenging environment and because I want a career in the Army. I love to learn, but school is awefully boring...

I would be more than shameful if I would pass my training without desearving it! And I‘m not going in the Army to sit on my a**! I‘m a devoted person and I want to serve.

Still, I appreciate that you say what you really think.

 

[rceme_rat]

Never forget that a junior officer is both leader and follower -- and more than anyone, must balance loyalty up and loyalty down.

As for a single stream from private to general -- society has come a long way since the days when you purchased your commission. If the time was ever ripe for a change in the leadership structure, it has been over the past twenty years. Since no major armed forces seems to be doing it, there must be a general consensus that the system works the way it is.

Either that, or you buy into the theory that there is an elitist class conspiracy ...

 

[Infanteer]

I don‘t think the military needs a single stream heirarchy. As any soldier recognizes, the military needs both strong NCO and Officer Corps, they play two different, but equally vital, roles in managing the body of any army, the Private soldiers.
However, in my opinion (one voiced by a great number of enlisted soldiers and officers, many with combat experience) the military can only benifit from having our officers and NCO‘s both culled from the best of the ranks. I‘m not saying good officers HAVE to come from the ranks. Many of our greatest leaders have been graduates of military academies with no prior service. However, it would sure get rid alot of the duds who only waste oxygen, or worse, get soldiers killed when the time comes to get the job done.

 

[Pikache]

Hey... Starship Troopers, by Heinlein

Rico did his basics, then served few years as a private, then asked for Officer academy and got in.

And it‘s his platoon sergeant who decided if he should go officer or not... Perhaps there is some merit in this idea?