Military Advice

[Mace]

Hey, 

 

Im gonna be going to my first unit/regiment, most likely Air Defence or STA (Strategic Target Acquisition) since for Gunners that’s all the CAF wants rn..

 

I wanna ask if any other service members here have any advice or things to look out for that I can use to progress further in garrison or any tips for the field. I’ve been in the field a few times and have learned quite a bit but there’s always more.

 

I’d greatly appreciate any advice.

[Ejivis]

I don't have any military specific advice but figured I'd just say good luck on your new position.  Like any job you want to excel and/or climb the ladder at you must:

1) Adapt constantly 

2) Innovate efficiently

3) Communicate effectively

[Caution]

I have no idea how good / bad the Canadians have it in the military, so my reflections are just from my time in the Marines. Even if you don’t smoke / dip, bring tobacco to the field to trade for goodies. You will witness the most absolute desperate of people trying to feed their nicotine addiction. Bring lots of socks. Idk if they show you guys how to do the roll with your socks + underwear + shirt all tucked and rolled into one, but that’s the best. Honestly bring shit for your feet, just like they say in Forest Gump. I’d bring powder to make sure your feet are dry, spray in case you get athlete’s foot, and like a few extra pairs of socks. And usually thick ones. Even in the heat, the thicker ones are usually better cause they’ll absorb moisture better usually. And bring stuff for chaffing / jock itch (usually more or less the same things as for athlete’s foot). The shit spreads really easily, so I’d recommend bringing soap / shampoo with tea tree oil in it, cause it’s antifungal. Unless you’re only able to do baby wipe ‘showers’. And break your boots in before you take them to the field. It’s never fun having to break your boots in when you’re already uncomfortable. Idk if you can bring hand warmers and shit, but I’d bring some of the ones you can get on Amazon; the electric ones. I could go on and on about field advice lol. 
 

Other than that, do as we say in the Marines: embrace the suck. Hate and discontent will keep you warm at night. 

[Mace]

2 hours ago, Caution said:

I have no idea how good / bad the Canadians have it in the military, so my reflections are just from my time in the Marines. Even if you don’t smoke / dip, bring tobacco to the field to trade for goodies. You will witness the most absolute desperate of people trying to feed their nicotine addiction. Bring lots of socks. Idk if they show you guys how to do the roll with your socks + underwear + shirt all tucked and rolled into one, but that’s the best. Honestly bring shit for your feet, just like they say in Forest Gump. I’d bring powder to make sure your feet are dry, spray in case you get athlete’s foot, and like a few extra pairs of socks. And usually thick ones. Even in the heat, the thicker ones are usually better cause they’ll absorb moisture better usually. And bring stuff for chaffing / jock itch (usually more or less the same things as for athlete’s foot). The shit spreads really easily, so I’d recommend bringing soap / shampoo with tea tree oil in it, cause it’s antifungal. Unless you’re only able to do baby wipe ‘showers’. And break your boots in before you take them to the field. It’s never fun having to break your boots in when you’re already uncomfortable. Idk if you can bring hand warmers and shit, but I’d bring some of the ones you can get on Amazon; the electric ones. I could go on and on about field advice lol. 
 

Other than that, do as we say in the Marines: embrace the suck. Hate and discontent will keep you warm at night. 

I appreciate this Caution! Some things you’ve said I have learned and apply, definitely a lot of things in common as per your experience.
 

Wool socks for heat and moisture expelling, foot powder, nicotine (thankfully the reservation is close and Fredericton the Province capital of 50,000 people lol), long johns for chaffing and breaking in my boots. I actually went out and bought my Altima Foxhounds since everything issued sucks (basically my whole kit is aftermarket) Our gov doesn’t like to give us new equipment..

 

Ive been sticking to baby wipes but the tea tree oil shampoo is good idea I haven’t done yet, same with the space maximizing for folding. My Bombardier has 2days of clothes folded within his tunic for his ruck so I gotta learn that!

 

I appreciate the advice, “Embrace the suck” is a common saying in the CAF too, that and “give your balls a tug bud” haha, but that’s more the Army.

[Caution]

Lmaooo give your balls a tug, tit fucker.

 

Yeah so the ‘roll’ I’m talking about is taking the t shirt you wear (we called them skivvy shirts) and folding it inwards from the left & right, so it’s basically a strip that’s 1/3 of the width. Then you put your underwear at the bottom of the shirt, more or less folded the same way. Then your two boot socks you lay overlapping in the middle, so the openings are in line with the left / right side of the stacked shirt / underwear (and facing left / right). Then you roll them up tight, and at the top you just use one sock opening to eat the whole thing. Keep those at the top of the pack, and count how many you bring so you actually know how much clothes you have. In Afghanistan we’d have to flip shirts and underwear inside out, but i doubt you really have to do that in the field. You can bring a full week’s worth of clothes easily using no space at all. And if you wanted to condense it even more, you could get a compression bag for luggage.

[Prez]

2 hours ago, Mace said:

I appreciate this Caution! Some things you’ve said I have learned and apply, definitely a lot of things in common as per your experience.
 

Wool socks for heat and moisture expelling, foot powder, nicotine (thankfully the reservation is close and Fredericton the Province capital of 50,000 people lol), long johns for chaffing and breaking in my boots. I actually went out and bought my Altima Foxhounds since everything issued sucks (basically my whole kit is aftermarket) Our gov doesn’t like to give us new equipment..

 

Ive been sticking to baby wipes but the tea tree oil shampoo is good idea I haven’t done yet, same with the space maximizing for folding. My Bombardier has 2days of clothes folded within his tunic for his ruck so I gotta learn that!

 

I appreciate the advice, “Embrace the suck” is a common saying in the CAF too, that and “give your balls a tug bud” haha, but that’s more the Army.

good luck in Gagetown  did not do training like that there myself but it's not that bad there. When you go to Farnham QC (if you do) that's where the shit is, apparently.

 

[Mace]

6 hours ago, Prez said:

good luck in Gagetown  did not do training like that there myself but it's not that bad there. When you go to Farnham QC (if you do) that's where the shit is, apparently.

 

Thank ya, been loving NB so far! Great people, seeing a girl, and a cool ass job.
Farnham is where you do your first taste of the field during Basic. Doing section attacks, repel towers etc.. I had a blast there even though it rained 24/7 the entire week I was out there and I’ve loved going in the field every time since! 

[starbucks]

On 11/15/2023 at 12:30 AM, Caution said:

I have no idea how good / bad the Canadians have it in the military, so my reflections are just from my time in the Marines. Even if you don’t smoke / dip, bring tobacco to the field to trade for goodies. You will witness the most absolute desperate of people trying to feed their nicotine addiction. Bring lots of socks. Idk if they show you guys how to do the roll with your socks + underwear + shirt all tucked and rolled into one, but that’s the best. Honestly bring shit for your feet, just like they say in Forest Gump. I’d bring powder to make sure your feet are dry, spray in case you get athlete’s foot, and like a few extra pairs of socks. And usually thick ones. Even in the heat, the thicker ones are usually better cause they’ll absorb moisture better usually. And bring stuff for chaffing / jock itch (usually more or less the same things as for athlete’s foot). The shit spreads really easily, so I’d recommend bringing soap / shampoo with tea tree oil in it, cause it’s antifungal. Unless you’re only able to do baby wipe ‘showers’. And break your boots in before you take them to the field. It’s never fun having to break your boots in when you’re already uncomfortable. Idk if you can bring hand warmers and shit, but I’d bring some of the ones you can get on Amazon; the electric ones. I could go on and on about field advice lol. 
 

Other than that, do as we say in the Marines: embrace the suck. Hate and discontent will keep you warm at night. 

thank you for your service