SQ, dates and courses, HELP!

[Skinny]

I am posting under my boyfriends account to ask some questions as it seems he doesn't have all the information he needs, and he's the one in the army! Go figure.  :

He is in BMQ right now and will finish on Oct 27th.  He has received his travel papers for going to Meaford, but from what I have read on this site, the course for SQ is starting Oct 4th, and he will obviously not be making this course.

If the next course is not running until next Jan, or Feb (as indicated in other posts), what will he be doing until then?

Any help anyone can give me is appreciated, I do find it amusing that there is sometimes more accurate and up-to-date info here than he is getting in St. Jean.

 

[Shadow Cat]

What trade is he doing?  Depending on this will determine if he is going to be sitting in Meaford or Borden twiddling his thumbs until he starts his course.  If he is lucky he will have PT and might get to do some manual work around the base.

My DH as it sits now has been twiddlign his thumbs for a month and a week and has another month and three weeks fo twiddling to go.  He sits in a room all morning doing nothing, eats lunch, has a nap and than works out for two hours in the afternoon.  Not exactly the most exciting life.  He hates it actually and has submitted papers  to try to do some EWAT while he waits for his training to start.

 

[Skinny]

He is going to be an infantryman.  I think he's lost his mind, but that is the only career he has wanted to do in the army since he was a child.  He was allowed to choose from almost all the trades avaliable, but still only wanted infantry.

I think he would lose his mind if he had to sit for months, and not get to do anything.  Plus, this will only increase the time until he finishes his training!

 

[Shadow Cat]

He will be sitting in Meadford waiting for his course. 

I know that it is fustrating to have to wait until you get your trainign done so you can move on with your life and be togehter again.  I know of someone right now that has been on PAT waiting for his training to start since August 15th and his course doesn't start until October 2006.  That really sucks.  I am very happy that we only have to wait three months. 

Are you close to him so that you can see him through all of this training and waiting?

 

[Skinny]

I had a sinking feeling about that, but at least I know what I am dealing with.  The unknown makes it so much harder.

I am not close at all to where he is, I am in Halifax.  He is still in St Jean until the end of the month, and, then on to Meaford. 

I don't know how that person would be able to wait that long to complete their training! That is insane to say the least.  What would they be doing with their days?  Work around the base, or anything?  I can't even imagine it!

Do you know when the next SQ course will be starting then?

 

[plattypuss]

There are currently 2 SQs scheduled to start in Nov (Nov 4 and Nov 28). Right now there is a plan a-foot to change those two courses slightly so that they would end earlier - 16 Dec and 20 Jan respectively. After that he has to do his DP1 Infantryman course. If all goes well with his trg he should be at the Battalion by Apr 06.

 

[Skinny]

Well, that would be awesome, I was not looking forward to telling him he might be sitting still until next year waiting for a course to start.  He was told November 4th, so it would be great if this change will be made, he would be starting right away!
He already has his travelling papers, and will be in Meaford Oct 28th.  Do you know if he has to stay on base until the course starts on Nov 4th, or will he be able to come home for that week?

 

[Shadow Cat]

He will have to stay there.  In order to get a leave they have to do up a leave request which takes a few days and unfortuantley can't be done until he gets there.

I am in Halifax too.  There are quite a few of us that are in the same position right now and we get together every once in awhile to chat and see how one another are doing.  You should join us one night.  BTW not to sound funny but do you use the username Cry on other messageboards by chance?

 

[Skinny]

That's too bad about the leave, he is under the impression he will be able to fly home for a week, but I have become a bit more jaded in the past 8 weeks, and don't believe everything he has been told.
yes, I just joined another group and use that name.  Interesting....  It sure has helped me having an outlet to get some answers from very knowledgeable people.

 

[Shadow Cat]

I thought that that migh have been you.  I go by Marsbull over on the other site.  Welcome there and here. 

I have learned that you are todl alot of things and until you have it in writing dont beleive everything that you hear.  In our situation.  My Dh graduated from BMQ went to Borden for a week and than started SQ.  He was than at that point granted two weeks leave.  Now of course you have XMAS in there so that will work in your favour.  He can put in for a LTA (which amounts to $380 something dollars) so make sure that you book his flight early.

Hope that this helps you some and if you ever have any questions, please look at these two great resources.  (Army.ca and themilitarylife.ca)

 

[Skinny]

Thank-you both on this site and the other one!

For this LTA, I should be booking the trip home for Christmas, and then submitting for the amount?  How would I know what date to book his ticket for?  I would be upset if i booked a trip home, and he couldn't make the flight.  I see that the base closes down on about the 16th or 18th of Dec, and goes back in the new year.  I just want to be sure about the dates.
Also, how do I get this LTA?  Is it something he has to apply for?

 

[Shadow Cat]

He will have to fill out the forms for the LTA.  We are actually using our LTA this weekend.  YAY DH is coming home for a week.

Back on topic.  Once he gets to Meaford they will give himhis course schedule.  If he does start SQ in November once he starts it he will find out what his XMAS leave is.  When he finds this out I am unsure as I haven't hit this part yet of the whole training thing. 

My DH starts his QL3 on December 1st so I am hoping that he will find out shortly after he starts so that I can make the appropriate arrangements to get him home and hopefully not that expensively.  I booked my DH flight on the weekend before we got the LTA and I was able to secure the flight one way for $183.  Went and looked at the flight cost the day he got his LTA just out of curiosity and the flight was $433.  The $350. wouldn't have even come anywhere near the cost of one way.  YIKES!!!

 

[Skinny]

So we will just be booking a one way ticket as soon as we find out his Christmas dates.  Will they be paying the other one-way ticket to get him back there? Is that how it goes?

 

[Shadow Cat]

They will give you $380 and you are responsible for both ways.  My DH is actually taking his car back with him so that is why I only booked it one way.

 

[Benoit]

Hey skinny if you want to pm me and let me know your BF/s name because I will be in Meaford around the same time he will be there. Iv been to the place lots of times so I can help him out a bit.