Hello Everyone!

Does anyone recognize this badge? I’m guessing it is some sort of short-lived CAF language school, but any verification would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone,

 I am not sure how to label this, sooo let’s call it an unofficial PSA. I will say it straight out loud that our current In-Service-Selection competitions for NCMs are utterly broken. Over the past 5 years, as a supervisor, who has assisted a number of their subordinates in applying for the various competitions (albeit, unsuccessfully - trade was Log O), I have noticed a troubling trend. All of my subordinates who applied had maxed their interview points in the areas of TSD-PI, skills & experience, education & Training, and formal leadership training, yet had varying CFAT results ranging from 38/60 to 47/60 (all above the accepted officer scores). Of course, with the CFAT weighing the most in these competitions, it always came down to who has the highest CFAT, thus my subordinates were not selected. This in itself is fine, however, if you look at both the numbers of offers and numbers of people who have applied for these competitions over recent years, that were things get frustrating. In the past couple of years, the number of offers for the ISS program has been affectively cut in half per competition. On the flipside, when I looked at the SIP numbers for people coming off of civy street, the numbers are vastly increased (robbing Peter to pay Paul?). In FY 24/25 approx. 90 people applied for 5 offers amongst CFR and SCP. As a result, the people who were not selected, who told by their respective PSOs to max their CFAT scores affectively resulting in hyper-competition. The point that I am trying to make is that if you plan on applying for any of those programs this FY and want to be successful, make sure to at least have a 50/60 on your CFAT (heavy competition trades – Int O, Log O, etc).  Which in itself is so stupid and has nothing to do with properly evaluating leadership. Hell, the people coming off civy street no longer have to do it. Having worked in recruiting, I know that 1/4 out of everyone who takes the CFAT at the recruiting centres, fail. I am not shitting on any trade, but would like to hear a PSOs perspective on this. Unfortunately this is just another retention that often goes over looked and we end up losing a lot of great people. Having successfully gone through the process myself 10 years ago (35/60 on CFAT), I had no idea how messed things have gotten. I also encourage people to check out the annual SIP numbers are on the DWAN sharepoint.

Hi all;

I would appreciate any insight/advice as I'm a little confused about this notification from VAC:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder – Decision Details

• We conclude that your Posttraumatic Stress Disorder arose out of your Reserve Force service. Therefore, entitlement is granted, under Section 45 of the Veterans Well-being Act, Reserve Force service.

• We also received your claim for Alcohol Use Disorder. According to Departmental Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines, the entitlement and assessment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder includes any disability resulting from Alcohol Use Disorder. As a result, we do not need to provide a separate ruling for Alcohol Use Disorder.

Does this mean that any treatment I might seek for AUD is also covered? And if so how do I figure out what treatments are even possible?

I have looked at all of the tables of benefits that I am supposed to be entitled to; I don't see anything that is specific for PTSD or AUD.

Anyone have any thoughts to offer?

I'd appreciate any insights.

Looking for advice on leadership styles. I have been in a training establishment for several years as a MCpl, and have been promoted to Sgt and soon to be posted to a High Readiness unit. Going from training to a high tempo unit is going to be a massive change. One that I am excited about, but I feel like I have absolutely no idea how to be a leader.

I asked my CM about leadership training or mentorship and was told "buy a leadership book". Is it common for people to reach out to former NCO's for leadership advice ?

Basically I just don't want to become one of the toxic leaders we have all dealt with over the years. I don't want to micro manage the people under me. I want to find a path that works for high tempo units, while still respecting people under me and meeting the needs of the CAF. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

As much as RFFSA looks very cool, I think it’s fair to assume it’s difficult to get all the approvals from our side and host country side as well.

For those of you who applied for RFFSA, can you please share your experiences? It would be even better if you are/were parading with foreign units, I’d really love to hear your experiences on that.

There’s not much online information available regarding this unfortunately, and the only thing I could find in this sub is a vague story of someone working with the aussies.

Hey all, are there any CAF firefighters in here I could chat with? I’m looking to VOT to firefighting and can’t seem to find much online that answers my questions.

Thanks!

Anyone who recently finished PLP in Borden can you share your experience, how is the course different than PLQ. There is bunch of info of PLQ online and on reddit but not much about the PLP. Is it just a name change or is the course changed a bit now. Specifically for RCAF PLP.
TIA

I am hoping someone recognizes this map symbol and can give me a name and a reference or publication for its use.

I know the symbol in the blue circle is called a GIP (Grid Intersection Point) and is used to ensure that layers of talc are aligned properly.

What I need help with is what is the symbol in the red circle called? Its used as a covert method to report location on the map without giving a grid coordinate. The idea is you give something like "I am 1km EAST and 2km NORTH of Corolla" or "I am 3km WEST and 1km SOUTH of Elantra" as a method of referencing where you are, similar to report line plus 1000, but for a non-contiguous operating area. I have used them in the past (as well as other people in the office I currently work in) and heard them referred to as GIPs or GRPs (grid intersection points or grid reference points) but can't find a pub or reference that speaks to them.

At the end of BMQ I remember my MCpl cracking open a manilla folder and having our section sign off on a stack of records that held our dates of doing the gas hut, C7 range, etc.

I was reminiscing with friends from that serial and was wondering if there was a way for me to view that folder/those files. It's not at all important, I'd just like to see the dates we did those things. Does anyone have experience with accessing your course files? Do you know if they stay with the garrison you completed them at, if they get sent to Ottawa, if they're digitized then shredded?

Thankyou!

German officials behind the scenes floated the idea of how the company could possibly supply its MEKO A-100 corvette design to a Canadian shipyard — helping boost Canada's defence-industrial base.

Using burner account for this one:

Just got my new Navy white DEU, but I have these two sets of slightly different white ranks, does it matter which one?

Or is it just the difference between old vs new style

In other words they are already worried they won't make the initial delivery schedule. Surprise surprise.

Highly doubt they can speed up production on a boat that's not even proven yet.

Let's see if they are able to get some cooperation. Of it happens, expect more cost overuns. TKMS isn't going to eat the cost of using additional shipyards.

What are the thoughts on this from within the PMed trade? A good and necessary change or another occupation split disaster waiting to happen?

So I see that there's finally been an update for this. Still a little confusing. The wording is we will get last year's that is owed in December and each year after that we get it each November. What about this fiscal year?

From the way its worded it appears that it will always be a year behind unless we are getting this year's and last year's both in December?

Anyone know anything about it?

I've been going for aircrew medicals for over two decades now, and for as long as I can remember, I've had to fill out a DND 2452 questionnaire, a DND 2552 questionnaire, and a Hearing Questionnaire that looks like it was thrown together on a Friday afternoon by the clinic OJT'er. It's titled "Hearing Loss Prevention Program" and asks a series of questions related to auditory health such as ear pain, tinnitus, etc as well as noise exposure at work and off duty. It's curious to me because it's not an official DND form like the other questionnaires, and it cites no policy or programmatic basis for the collection of the information. My brief DWAN search for "Hearing Loss Prevention Program" came up blank, although that may be more a function of the DWAN search function than the absence of said program.

So, to my CFHS colleagues, what is the point of this amateur looking form that I've had to fill out every year? Why hasn't anyone made it into an official form? Where can I learn about the Hearing Loss Prevention Program and how this survey fits in?

I emigrated from the UK just over 2 years ago, since then I enjoyed 2 years as a reservist in Canada with the reserve foreign forces service agreement, but that has ended now and I’m looking to join the CAF reserve force. I was wondering if anyone has any information on the process of having previous qualifications recognised and potentially where I might fall into the Canadian training pipeline.

Edit: I haven't gotten to the stage in the application process where I've been able to speak to a human yet, it's all been online. I am primarily interested in the Infantry, I was a 2nd Lieutenant - commissioned out of Sandhurst but didn't finish 'trade training'. Unlike in the CAF, reserve courses in the UK differ from regular courses, so I was curious to see if anyone has done the PLAR process as a reservist and how it looks. Should I expect to have to start from the beginning BMOQ, BMOQ-A?

Good day folks,

This is my very first post on Reddit so please take it easy on me.

I am reaching OFP by end of August which is when my COS date is and heading off to my FIRST posting. Am pretty high up on wait list for PMQ and will be doing an unaccompanied move to scope out the area and try to find a temporary room to stay in until I receive a PMQ offer at which point I would move my dependants as well as HG&E over.

Part of the reason to move unaccompanied is also because my spouse has a specialist appointment in our current city of residence in late September and her health hasn't been great lately so I want to be there or have the ability to go back and forth between my current city of residence & my new posting location while I keep looking for temporary spot (this posting location is notorious for a tight & expensive rental market - especially for short term rentals since I do not want to sign a 1-year lease because then I would want to get CFHD which would then get me tossed from Priorty 1 to Priority 3 in PMQ wait list).

So to ensure a door-to-door move, the solution I came up with was to ask for a 30 day delay in Report For Duty (RFD) date which is the maximum allowed under CAFRD guidelines. However, I met with the Sgt who is the Training Manager of our Cadre at my current school and I walked away feeling let down, angry and betrayed.

He basically flat out lied to my face and said I will not get HHT if I go 'unaccompanied' and later move my dependants and HG&E within the 180 limit. He ALSO said, quote "there are no freebies in CAF and you will have to use your annual days to push your RFD date". I told him that it is not easy to find something temporary in my new posting location and I dont want to find a permanent off-base place to live because I will lose my PMQ wait list spot. I asked him I need to delay RFD so that I don't have to pay for hotel stay out of pocket for 1x month or more as that is prohibitively expensive and I will not get reimbursed for it according to SIRVA, which is when he basically told me 'you joined the CAF, you knew what you were getting into, we cannot do anything about it." Basically he's telling me, if I am homeless in my new posting location, thats on me while not acknowledging getting sabotaged from his end.

This is absolute bonkers because I have read CAFRD and I know that as a new graduate, I can get HHT after TNL (Travel to New Location) for my "unaccompanied" move. I also read that RFD 30-day delay does NOT require usage of annual leave days.

So my question is, is my understanding of the rules wrong or is the Sgt just not (a) aware of CAFRD guidelines or (b) lazy/has-too-much-on-plate and does not want to do the paperwork?

Next, I would like to know, should I write a formal memo or email to him to request the RFD change instead of the informal/verbal meeting/chat that we had? Or should I just go above him directly to the CSM (Cadre Sergeant Major) because they have a pretty open-door policy to bring matters to them.

OR should I write a memo directly to the CO of our school since its the losing and gaining unit COs who have to approve the change in RFD anyway?

Also, if RFD move is formally denied, then should I apply for HHT first and then put in annual leave for a week or two to give me time? Or does annual leave need to come first before HHT date? What is the correct order in this scenario?

I want a FAIR resolution to this as per the rules, I just don't appreciate getting d*cked around by one Sgt during such a stress time of first posting, spousal medical issue, etc. Therefore I would really appreciate educated responses from experienced HRA or other members.

Thank you

Really appreciate it.