Topic: Reserves to RMC to Army

[Erik]

G'day folks I am Erik Bezpalko and I am 15.
After grade 10 I will be joining the army reserves as infantry.
Now, here is where my questions start.

    Will there be any problems that you can forsee from going from the reserves to RMC or would I just have to tell whoever is in charge that I am going to RMC. Then too, graduating from RMC (as a officer combat engineer) would I still be considered part of the reserves and have to transfer or do I just go straight from RMC to the regular force? Thank you for reading this thread and even more so if you can answer my question.

P.S In the reserve, I need a clarification, I am 90% sure I can take basic training on the weekends or will I have to wait a year till next summer when I have plenty of spare time. (B-day is August 10 so basic training that summer would not happen)

[Aquilus]

Yes, there are coarses run on the weekends. You join the regular force before you even get to RMC.

[Michael O'Leary]

Erik,

you are actually asking about a number of different programs. I will try to respond to the different issues you have raised.

You are considering joining the Reserves once you meet the eligibility requirement while you are still in high school.  You may want to read through threads of interest in the Recruiting Forum for a better understanding of the recruiting process and possible issues you may meet:

Recruiting FAAQ - http://army.ca/forums/index.php/topic,17073.0.html

Joining the Reserves as a soldier while in High School is a good way to get an introduction to the military. Many Reserve units do run Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) training on weekends through the school year, and you can attend other training course during the summers.

Once you get to the senior year of high school, if your intentions are to attend RMC, then your military career path will be changing significantly. Officer candidates at RMC are members of the Regular Force (not the Reserves). You will have to return to the Recruiting centre and repeat the Recruiting process as an applicant for the Regular Force. Keep in mind that being a serving Reserve soldier does not speed up this process, if anything it can slow the process because of the requirements for a Component Transfer. See the Recruiting FAQ links on Component Transfers and on Officers for more information to start your research with. Be prepared to start your application for the transfer and consideration or RMC very early in your senior year, to allow the Recruiting System to complete the steps it must put your file through.

Remember that your Reserve service will not be a significant factor for your selection as a candidate for officer training and attendance at RMC to the point where other perceived deficiencies would be waived. Your scholastic abilities and your general presentation as a well-rounded citizen with leadership potential and a variety of personal and inter-personal skills will be more important. No matter how much you may enjoy and wish to dedicate time and energy to your Reserve service, don't let these other factors slip to the point where they might undermine your application.

Good luck with your plans.

[tree hugger]

Officer candidates at RMC are members of the Regular Force (not the Reserves).

Actually, you can attend RMC through the RETP:

http://www.rmc.ca/admission/plans/retp_e.html

[Erik]

Okay then, thank you all for the replys.

So I in the first month of grade 12 I will go to the recruiter and apply for RMC and the regular force at the same time. I assume I will have to take BMQ again and that I after all is said and done that there is a good chance that I would not be finished BMQ by the time RMC time rolls around.
Actually, would I not just take BMQ with the rest of the 1st year RMC students?
If I was in BMQ while it was time to go to RMC would I have to wait to join next year and re-apply?

[Inch]

BMQ is for NCMs, I don't know what the new officer basic training is called but you'll do it the summer before you start 1st year so after grade 12. Just ask the recruiter about RMC and time frames when you should apply, etc when you go ask about the reserves.

Cheers

[Rusty Shackleford]

When applying for ROTP you can go straight to your nearest CFRC for application, you don't have to do a component transfer request through your unit.  The difference is that the CFRC initiates the application, bypasses the unit and you move through the system as fast as a civilian applicant.

[Aquilus]

The Unit is not necessarily bypassed. My experiance is that CFRC will tell you to do a normal release through your unit, with the release being effective the day before your swearing-in ceremony is scheduled. This disables the long wait times for component transfers as you will be applying as a civilian for you will be civilian for 24 hours before becoming reg. force.

As for reserve experiance...it can show the recruiters that you can indeed handle military courses, as they can lose a lot of people who simply quit due to a sort of 'culture shock'. Personally, I was still accepted, even with sub-par grades (below the recommended 'minimum' standard). However, this came with quite a bit of leadership experiance through school and the community, as well as sports, coaching and reserve experiance.

I handed in my application in October and had all my testing done by December. The deadline I believe is early February. In any event your CFRC will nicely walk you through everything like the lovely maternal organisation they are.

cheers