Topic: Chill out!

[ballz]

When I wore my uniform I wore it with pride and properly, my boots were spit polish perfect from the beginning of week 2, and not once did I get more then 3 marks off during a morning inspection.  Also my drill was perfect from day one of week zero.

This is what's so bad about previous cadet experience.

Big deal. You had X years of practice polishing your boots and learning how to lace your boots and how to iron and drill practice. Naturally you're better at those things. Those things, however, don't make you a good soldier or airman or sailor. It helps your report card at basic, and after that, not much else.

People will catch up in polishing their shoes and ironing their shirts (its called going to the drycleaners) in a pretty short amount of time. What you're worth when you're being evaluated on how well you can do your job will tell the real tale.

And by the way, for somebody that doesn't flaunt, you could have fooled me.

[mariomike]

I was never in the Cadets, but I have always had a high opinion of them and Scouts etc. I've seen what they can do to help people in our society. 
I've always tried to support them with donations and encouragement. It's not surprising that many have gone on to successful careers.
Congratulations on your CF career, Cadaren! 

[Chapeski]

what have you against former cadets?  I was one and just finished BMQ in the top ten of my platoon and I was our platoon commander for the grade parade.

I told my PO right off the back that I was a former cadet, it was in my bio, not once did that come back to haunt me, and you know why?  When I wore my uniform I wore it with pride and properly, my boots were spit polish perfect from the beginning of week 2, and not once did I get more then 3 marks off during a morning inspection.  Also my drill was perfect from day one of week zero. So if having that cadet experience is so bad then oh well.

But, not once did I flant that I had that experience and not once did I refuse to help out the rest of my platoon.  I also didn't compare crap to cadets.

Bravo, you excelled well as a former cadet on a basic course. I as well was a former cadet. My PO found out I was a cadet within 15 minutes of me being in the Mega. He could tell by how I presented myself, not all uptight like a brick, but with professionalism and respect. It didn't hurt that I knew the rank structure either. Other than that, I never brought it up, I had been out of cadets long enough, and I wanted to learn how the army wanted things done, not some cadet officer (as dedicated as they are). I did very well on my course, not perfect. I did not want to be perfect, I did not want to be the center of attention. I wanted to get through my course and on with my career. I remember seeing one former cadet on my platoon arguing with our instructor about how a drill movement was performed. Not a good result.

If you go with the flow, and help out your peers then you'll get far. If you shine early, and act as an a** kisser know it all, then you will draw the ire of your course staff AND your peers, and you need your peers to succeed.

I hope you do well in your career, but make sure to keep yourself grounded as you go along.

[CallOfDuty]

ahhh....Cadets in BMQ.  I remember when we were having an inspection and the ex CWO cadets' boots were impeccable and all the rest of our boots were just OK.  He had his boots thrown against the wall and then all the shine deystroyed that was on them.  He got jacked up becuase everyone elses standard was not as good as his.
   We also had a cadet that was so hardcore in his drill....that when he came to attention,he would slam his foot down so hard, that he eventually broke his ankle and ended up getting released after months and months on PAT platoon.
  anyhow.........for the cadets out there....like the title says..chill out.  You have nothing to prove, and nobody cares.

[Eye In The Sky]

what have you against former cadets?  I was one and just finished BMQ in the top ten of my platoon and I was our platoon commander for the grade parade.

Perhaps sometimes they come off as arrogant and better than their platoonmates.  Just a thought.  I see your horn is working well.

I told my PO right off the back that I was a former cadet, it was in my bio, not once did that come back to haunt me, and you know why?  When I wore my uniform I wore it with pride and properly, my boots were spit polish perfect from the beginning of week 2, and not once did I get more then 3 marks off during a morning inspection.

No boots are perfect.  Ever.  See my reply above as well.

Also my drill was perfect from day one of week zero.

No drill is ever perfect.  Ever. 

But, not once did I flant that I had that experience and not once did I refuse to help out the rest of my platoon.  I also didn't compare crap to cadets.

You mean other than the way it seems you are doing in this post? 

I'll throw my opinion in here, not that it was asked for, and those who don't want to read it can skip ahead.

So your 3Ds (Drill, Dress, Deportment) were higher than most beginning in BMQ.  Great.

How about the other stuff?  Did you help make sure your section's kit and quarters were equally as high as yours at the beginning of Week 2?  Did you spend the weekend assisting others who didn't have their stuff as shiney/perfect as yours until everyone was at *your* standard?  Or did you make sure you got the brownie points from the staff and your little pat on the head? 

I would like to talk to a few recruits from your course and get THEIR opinion of your *perfection*.  Having instructed on many courses in the past such as BMQ, I've seen the ones who forgot about the "teamwork" and "selflessness" concepts in their endevours to get that oh-so important Top Candidate award. 

Previous experience isn't bad.  How you use it can be.

[BornToServe]

This is a great thread. I have almost laughed out loud (not quite, just a little smile) at some of the questions I've seen answered. Do you need common sense to join guys?? Stop overthinking things ! (myself included)

[willellis]

You know, I have to say Cadaren, for someone who has completed your BMQ, and was a former cadet, your sense of what really matters in the course seems to be quite misinterpreted. Eye in the sky gave his two cents, and if I were you, I would really try to take it to heart. If the most you took from basic training were the 3D's, then you really missed the point of it. What I took form your post could be wrong, but when you were defending your position as being a former cadet in basic, you failed to mention anything regarding how you helped your platoon be the best that they could be, or even how you used any leadership skills you may or may not have, to show them the ropes of the first two weeks of being in Saint Jean. I know that the instructors would recognize that. I just say this because those are the things that really stick out in my mind about my time at CFLRS. Anyways, have a good career and I hope that you do well where ever you are.

[CallOfDuty]

....just knocking this thread off course a second... What ever happened to the guy who started this thread, " Paracowboy"?   I remember when I first signed on here years ago, he was a wealth of info!
C.O.D.

[ProudofallofU]

Hi All, I am new here, and just wanted to add a couple things(Paracowboy did a Great job, Listen to what he said). After completing  BMQ 7 yrs ago, I  had 2 words stuck in my head.  TEAMWORK, and NO EXCUSE!(unfortunately I had to use the latter a few times lol) Enjoy your Stinky bags!. Cheers 

[Pegcity]

is a stinky bag a sleeping bag after 5 days of not showering?

[XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX]

I think this advice is good advice, not only for those going to basic, but for the family left behind. I am the wife of someone who is currently at BMQ. My brother-in law gave both of us smiler advice(he has been in for many years). Though, for those giving the advice, understand following that is easier said than done for those of us depending on the completion of BMQ for our families future. My husband is having challenges there due to injury that is pushing our family to it's limits. His completion of basic will take much longer now due to the injury and that is a hard pill to swallow for a recruit and their family. I am glad for places like this and advice like this, as things liker this help all of us get through. Just try and remember how hard it was when you had to go through BMQ. The benefits are great, but the process is hard.

[armychick2009]

is a stinky bag a sleeping bag after 5 days of not showering?

My stinky bag was where we kept our workout clothes, lugging it around here and there... after a few hundred recruits and their stinky clothes... well, it stank.