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Advice for women on BMQ and other courses [MERGED]

  • Thread starter Thread starter the patriot
  • Start date Start date
Practising taking it off and putting it on AND keeping it neat.  I like to be prepared - so I don't look like a fool with wispies hanging out under the beret.  My hair is really short so no bun for me.  Will also make the helmet easier.  :)
 
Tulach Ard said:
At the risk of sounding like a complete dolt here, (feel free to laugh) why practice with a beret? Practice what, putting it on correctly? Or finding the correct place for your bun? They sit fairly high on your head, I must be missing something here. ::)

You'd be surprised. I practiced putting my long hair in a bun lots before going to SJ, and thought I was putting the bun quite low, but it still wasn't low enough. (If you can't tell from my posts here, I got jacked *a lot* for my hair, so I'm trying to help you ladies avoid that!  ;)) One thing I learned to do (eventually) was keep extra bobby pins and hairnets in my pocket. A tiny bottle of hair gel would be a fab thing to have handy, too.

Winter was especially bad for female hair...the swapping of toques and berets all day long really wreaked havoc on our hair and when you have "one minute" to change your headdress and take off / put on your jacket and gloves, you don't have any time to fuss with the ol' mop.  :P
 
Aahh okay makes more sense now. Well I have practiced my "bunning" lots, and still will just to make sure, as I really dont want to cut it.
So tell me, how high is "not low enough", I have been doing it just above the nape of my neck, so almost as low as my hair grows. Is this STILL too high? fine balance I guess between touching collar, and jamming helmet.

 
Celticgirl said:
I got jacked *a lot* for my hair,

Hey CelticGirl,

I will be leaving in less than 2 months... the hair thing is stressing me a little... I have never been good with my hair. Can you please elaborate on all the reasons why you got jacked for your hair... what exactly was wrong with your hair... what we should be careful with... does it really have to be perfect like it is glued together stuck to the head??? let me know

Also I don't like using Gel and hair spray when doing physical activities because if you sweat or if it rains... it leaks in your eyes and it burns like crazy... does this ever happen to you???

thanks
 
I am going to give my 2 cents worth on a couple of things.

1) bathroom use and emergency female bathroom use in the field:  a) let them know when you need to use the rest room, and to be prepared I would take a couple of baggies of wipes, both facial and nether regions, with you (they are a hit when you are anywhere getting dirty), b) take a couple of tampons for emergency female use and for when during those times during the march when someone gets a bloody nose that won't stop, c) you'd be amazed that when you have to pee in the field you will go anywhere and d) take a couple of empty baggies to put "garbage" into that you don't want just sitting in your pocket.  All of these items will fit nicely in your tack vest and will get you through your field time.
2) Hair...: I cut my hair before basic, just like one of the girls I got jacked for my hair too, too many clips holding the hair up, not enough clips holding it up, my whispies were too curly, do you get the idea?  They are going to rag on you about your hair at one time or another because they have to bug you about something.  In St Jean, long hair in garrison had to be in a bun, in the field or coming out from the field it could be braided, in a bun, tied in a knot, they didn't care as long as it was out of the way.  Once you are done basic your hair can be braided, one braid, two braids and hanging as long as the tip doesn't go past the seam just past your shoulder. 

That's it for now, hope it helped.
 
the_girlfirend said:
Hey CelticGirl,

I will be leaving in less than 2 months... the hair thing is stressing me a little... I have never been good with my hair. Can you please elaborate on all the reasons why you got jacked for your hair... what exactly was wrong with your hair... what we should be careful with... does it really have to be perfect like it is glued together stuck to the head??? let me know

Also I don't like using Gel and hair spray when doing physical activities because if you sweat or if it rains... it leaks in your eyes and it burns like crazy... does this ever happen to you???

thanks

"Miss Celticgirl, your hair is freaking me out!", "Officer Cadet, is that hair band a colour that is found in nature?", "Where is your 'air net, Madame?"

Most of the time they weren't yelling, but they were not happy. One Sgt. (not one of my DS) spent several minutes giving me 'advice' through gritted teeth one day, all the while I was at attention in the hallway awaiting a swipe for something or other. Fun times. lol

I was jacked up because my hair net broke (hence why you need extras in your pocket so that when you do get a chance to run to the washroom you can fix it) and wispies were sticking out, because my hair bands weren't the right colour, my hair was out too far, up too high, down too low, or just generally not meeting the standards in some way. I have long, thick hair that was hard to tame, especially when time was so limited and headdress was changed quickly and often.

You should really use some gel, though. The max hold stuff. You don't need to worry about the front, top, and side as much as the actual bun, so no worries about it melting into your eyes with sweat. The rest of your hair should be under your beret anyway (until you are in class, but I don't recall anyone getting jacked for flyaways in class). On your morning runs, you don't need to fuss with your hair...just toss in a ponytail and go.
 
Love this thread.

I really wish that I could do the pill or shot thing, but my hormones are wacky enough. So I can't go sans period. And tampons don't work for me, two kids, tilted cervix = uncomfortable PITA.

Already starting to cut my hair shorter, cannot be bothered with the whole long hair thing. The only thing that will kill me is the gray. Ugh. Oh well!
 
Looking for other Recruits starting June 29th, course R0262E. I don't swear-in till June 24th so I won't meet anyone till then. This is my 2nd try at BMQ, I first joined May 2007 but quit due to personal shit. I don't fly to St-Jean till the day before my course starts and it's hard prepare 1st-timers with such little time.

Basic tips: bring the minimum amount of civvy stuff you'll need, and preferrably pack it in duffel bags cuz it'll all have to be hauled up about 5 floors of stairs depending which floor you're on. Start practicing lots of stairs, 10 flights, 10x daily. Run Run Run. Push-ups, Sit-ups, Up-downs, and chin-ups if you have a bar. That's your workout. Anything else and you're wasting your time. You won't get yelled at till the morning of your course start. Learn to eat fast, I mean shoving all the food in your face that you can and then swallowing. The 1st week you'll have all of 45 seconds per meal before the Sgt. is behind you yelling to move your ass. Don't party too hard on your weekends off because your platoon mates will suffer during monday morning's inspection cuz your quarters look like shit. For girls, I suggest you get your head shaved with the guys cuz you'll be having up to 4 showers a day and only 3 minutes per shower, longer hair becomes a big pain in ass, the best part is hair grows back!!! I had 12 girls and myself on my 1st BMQ and we all had shaved our heads by the end of week 2. If it's not broken, don't fix it. If your foot hurts, but isn't broken, don't go to the MIR. All they do is drug you up and then in a lot of cases, you end up on PAT for 6 months before getting re-coursed.

Don't Bring: Muscle creams, advil, tylenol, polysporin, heat wraps, any of that kind of stuff cause they'll confiscate it till the end of your course or make you throw it out. Do bring vaseline (it has 100 uses including moistorizurer and it heals cuts and blisters, works good for shining boots too).
For girls, they make you get rid of your birth control pills, you won't get to the MIR till mid-week 0 to get whatever they prescribe. Any meds you take must be prescribed by the MIR.


Stuff to not buy until you get there: detergent, shoe shine kit, hangers, padlocks. Also, bring a pair of comfy sweats or something, you'll enjoy them on weekends after week 4.

Save money if you can. On your 1st weekend off, you'll spend a lot getting trash-faced and buying new clothes cause all the the clothes you brought when you 1st arrived are now wayyy too big. But remember, party the friday nite and be back on base by saturday evening or very early sunday morning cuz there'll be a lot of work to do for monday.

Well that's what I've got for now, please add some of your own as well. I'll add more as I think of them.

PS- Your 1st name will no longer exist once you step through the Green Door at the MEGA, if someone asks for your name, you say Recruit ____(last name)___  and the last 3 numbers of your service number.


Edited to remove the counselling of others to violate CF rules.

First post and your one step away from the Warning System. I suggest you go read the Site Guidelines, very carefully, before you post again.
 
Umm, yeah, okay.

There is a thread on BMQ tips here, here and one specifically for girls here.

Some of your info makes sense, some of it, not so much.

Edit to add:  Mods, might I suggest a merge?
 
Bah getting the hair cut short next week...i can't be bothered with putting it up every day and waiting for it to dry. I'll miss it, but meh it's only hair, it'll grow back, and it will certainly be cooler during the summer time. I've shaved my head before and i was mighty cute, but i'm not gonna go that extreme. Maybe a cute little bob with some layers or something.

I know makeup is a no-go during training but what about chapstick? There is nothing worse than burnt lips in the summer!!!

 
Kel_115124 said:
Don't Bring: For girls, they make you get rid of your birth control pills, you won't get to the MIR till mid-week 0 to get whatever they prescribe. Any meds you take must be prescribed by the MIR.

seriously?  oh that shit is not going to fly!

re: screwing up my system for the sake of 4 days, not the having to take what they give me.
 
Lil_T said:
seriously?  oh that shit is not going to fly!

re: screwing up my system for the sake of 4 days, not the having to take what they give me.

I'd take that with a grain of salt.  Whatever prescription(s) you're on, bring copies of the prescriptions with you along with the medication itself.  Nobody should be confiscating prescriptions for which you've got a duly authorized script from a civvie doctor.
 
janbear said:
I know makeup is a no-go during training but what about chapstick? There is nothing worse than burnt lips in the summer!!!

Definitely!  Chapstick and sun screen, use them!
 
PMedMoe said:
Definitely!  Chapstick and sun screen, use them!

Usually these are given in a "goodies" bag when you arrive on course (not sure if CFLRS ST.JEAN does this, but here in Gagetown they do)
 
NFLD Sapper said:
Usually these are given in a "goodies" bag when you arrive on course (not sure if CFLRS ST.JEAN does this, but here in Gagetown they do)

We were given chapstick and sunscreen before going to Farnham. Furthermore, we were encouraged to use them because, as we were told, if we got sunburns or blisters, they would consider them 'self-inflicted wounds' and charge us! LOL!

No females had any BCP prescriptions confiscated on our course that I know of. They also gave DP shots to those who required them.

The comments above about mealtimes were funny, if somewhat exaggerated. I think it's fair to say that you'll have 7-10 minutes to eat most meals (it goes by quickly, though, and you do have to eat very quickly...I even learned to chug a hot coffee ;)). Yes, there were mornings we only had time to grab a glass of juice and swig it down on the way out, but it wasn't like that the entire time. Suppertime is usually the most relaxed meal, unless you have a class after dinner. (In our case, it happened, but not often.)

I'll be going back this fall, and hopefully will have a better idea of what to bring / what to expect. I won't be shaving my head, though!  :P  I know it's only hair, but mine is very long and I like it that way. It would take many years to grow it back.
 
Occam said:
I'd take that with a grain of salt.  Whatever prescription(s) you're on, bring copies of the prescriptions with you along with the medication itself.  Nobody should be confiscating prescriptions for which you've got a duly authorized script from a civvie doctor.

duly noted - random crap like that just kind of throws me for a loop.

for the copy of the prescription - do I use just the refill sticker or do they need the actual rx?
 
Lil_T said:
duly noted - random crap like that just kind of throws me for a loop.

for the copy of the prescription - do I use just the refill sticker or do they need the actual rx?

I'm sure the refill sticker would do. Also, you *can* take Tylenol and ibuprofen with you...you just need to get them cleared by the pharmacists. There will be a class with them in the first couple of weeks and you just mark down what meds you have, including pain meds, show it to them, and get them stickered. I was approved for Tylenol and then was 'prescribed' ibuprofen after pulling a leg muscle, so I had both almost the entire time and it wasn't a problem. I'm not really sure how anyone could get by without them!  :P
 
oh indeed.  ha! I'd hate to have to go to the MIR everytime I had an ache or pain from training...
 
Wow...where to start?  I'll try to keep it short.

Kel_115124 said:
Run Run Run. Push-ups, Sit-ups, Up-downs, and chin-ups if you have a bar. That's your workout. Anything else and you're wasting your time.

I would suggest complementing these exercises with others.  If you focus on just the ones listed above without varying you run the risk of injury, overuse and hitting a plateau.

Kel_115124 said:
For girls, I suggest you get your head shaved with the guys cuz you'll be having up to 4 showers a day and only 3 minutes per shower, longer hair becomes a big pain in ***, the best part is hair grows back!!!

There's no need to shave your head.  You don't have to wash your hair EVERY time you step in the shower!  As has been stated many times before, put your hair up at night, jel it back again in the morning and just don't wash it again until the end of the day.  It worked for me, and it still does when I'm in a situation where I need to shower throughout the day at work.

Kel_115124 said:
If it's not broken, don't fix it. If your foot hurts, but isn't broken, don't go to the MIR. All they do is drug you up and then in a lot of cases, you end up on PAT for 6 months before getting re-coursed.

How is this point bad?  Let me count the ways.  If you're hurting and DON'T get it checked out, you run the risk of screwing yourself in the future.  Imagine messing up your back, ignoring it to muscle through and then having chronic back problems in the future.  Had you gone in to get it checked during the initial flare-up you are more likely to qualify for a medical pension.  If you don't then you're SOL.  What if you fall off a step, mess up your ankle and carry on like it's a sprain?  What if you in fact have broken it?  You suck it up, finally go to the MIR after a week or so, and they either can't do anything and you're in pain for the rest of your life or they have to break it again to reset the bone.  Right, real smart.

I'm not saying go to the MIR for every bump and bruise.  Just be smart about it!  This is your future you're playing with.

Kel_115124 said:
Don't Bring: Muscle creams, advil, tylenol, polysporin, heat wraps, any of that kind of stuff cause they'll confiscate it till the end of your course or make you throw it out. Do bring vaseline (it has 100 uses including moistorizurer and it heals cuts and blisters, works good for shining boots too).
For girls, they make you get rid of your birth control pills, you won't get to the MIR till mid-week 0 to get whatever they prescribe. Any meds you take must be prescribed by the MIR.

Never heard of using Vaseline to polish boots in my 15 years in the Regs and 5 years in cadets.  I'd also suggest bringing Runner's Balm.  It's similar to lip balm but in a container like pit stick.  It doesn't stain clothing like Vaseline and is great for reducing chaffing between the legs, around the underwear line, and under the arms.

As for the MIR taking away BCP, if you have the box with the refills, that should be enough.  You may be required to get a new refill through the military which might also require another internal exam though.

That's about it.
 
Strike said:
There's no need to shave your head.  You don't have to wash your hair EVERY time you step in the shower!  As has been stated many times before, put your hair up at night, jel it back again in the morning and just don't wash it again until the end of the day.  It worked for me, and it still does when I'm in a situation where I need to shower throughout the day at work.

Agreed! I could never understand the whole G.I. Jane thing myself, but it was popular at SJ Garrison! As Strike said, you can wash your hair in the evenings and then just do the 60-second dash in the morning with your hair up. Yes, putting it in a bun and practically gluing it to your head with gel and bobby pins is a minor pain in the backside, but you're going to get jacked up over *something* so it might as well be your hair. ;)


Then again, if you want to pay $$ like the guys do to have it buzzed every two weeks, have at 'er!  ;D
 
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