Applying After Foreign Military Service

[lostrover]

tread lightly 3rdHorseman, you should remeber the original 4............................................

 

[sober_ruski]

"On a course I was on awhile ago there was a Pte who was ex Russian Army."

I did not expect to read this! Thanks for your reply.

Regards

Considering they *try* to draft every men from 18 to 27 (or 28 or 29, not sure which one), why not?

 

[Jinkersho]

Don't know how I ended up here, but thought I would throw in a quick post anyways.

Joined the British Army in 1981, Royal Corps of Signals. My career - if the word career is taken to mean spiralling downwards uncontrollably, is briefly as follows;

1981 - 1983  Basic and Trade training
1983 - 1984  206 (6 AirMob) Bde Sig Sqn, Soest, W.Germany
1984 - 1984  266 Sig Sqn, Port Stanley, Falklands, incl detachment to S. Georgia....COLD!
1984 - 1985  2 Sqn, 3 Armd Div Sig Sqn, Korbecke, Right on the Mohne Dam from the Dambusters fame!
1985 - 1987  39 Inf Bde Sig Sqn, Lisburn, N.Ireland
1987 - 1988  22 Sig Sqn, Lippstadt, W Germany
1988 - 1990  HQ 1 (BR) Corps, Bielefeld, W. Germany - oooooh the women!!
1990 - 1992  HQNI, Lisburn again and thank you, i'll leave and join the....
1994 - present....Royal Ulster Constabulary. Still doing it with the odd bit of UN work and HR contracts. Going to give it all up soon as i'm getting tooooo old for this stuff. I am hopefully, god willing, going to Canada. (Go Flames!! Ok, Ok, Oilers then.... ;D)

I have worked with the Germans, the Dutch, the Belgians, the Austrians, the French, the Canadians - Go Flames!! and of course, the Americans. During my time with the UN, I worked with 52 different nations including most of the former Eastern Bloc chaps. Without going into too much detail - not because its classified but because it is pointless - those who have done it know the stories, those that haven't, ask and I might tell!

All that remains for me to say is - to every person who has ever put on a uniform to serve his or her country in whatever capacity, you have my respect. Not just for the bravery of what you may or have faced but for putting up with all the BS that comes along with it!

Have a great day, y'all!! 

 

[K_Johnston]

I served for 18 years in the Russian Army.  I'll do my best in English when it comes to rank, any ranks in brackets are the equivalent in US army terms for ease.

Did my basic training, then was assigned to a supply unit for a short time (accidentally, I volunteered for infantry, they confused me with someone else).  After 3 weeks, I got transferred to a "B group" infantry unit, where I stayed until I made Gefreiter (PFC).  I was then transferred to an "A group" infantry unit.  When I was promoted to Junior Sergeant (Corporal), I was again transferred, this time to an "A group" motor rifle unit.
I again got transfered, and marked as a promising NCO when I made Sergeant (same equivalent).  I finally got the one transfer I was hoping for and went to the VDV Air Assault Force.  I did more training with them, managing to collect my fair share of training injuries.....once from being dropped in the wrong zone onto trees and rocks.  Spent close to 6 months in the base hospital, and at home, and then more time renewing some training and catching up.
After getting back into it, I went for my instructor qualification on the jump courses. After completing the courses, I quickly made Senior Sergeant (Sergeant First Class).  I spent time helping the Starshina to train new Para's, and jump qualify people, but got recruited for another unit.  I served a couple of years in an SF role before being able to rotate back to my original unit.
The old one retired, so I became the new Starshina (Sergeant Major) and got my transfer back to my unit.  I spent this time running excersizes, and a lot of training courses.  Also found out part of my job was to be questioned on some of the more skilled people in our unit to see if they were fit for SF service, especially after serving myself.
I finally retired at the rank of Starshina, and my family and I moved to join relatives here in Canada (I will explain before I get asked; Johnston is the name of my relatives.  My neice has always called me old uncle Johnston, and it stuck with the rest of the family.  The closest I could spell my name in English is Kulikov, hence K_Johnston; Kulikov_Johnston)
I have trained with too many units in the Russian army to run a list, and trained with a lot of units from other countries.  Soldiers from the UK, France, Germany, and Canada have been among my favorites to treat to drinks in the mess (or to have them buy me beer in their mess).

 

[ExSarge]

Joined U.S. Army 1969. Assigned infantry (11B). Airborne training December 69. Assigned 82 Abn.
Viet Nam 71/72 (I tour). Assigned 173 Abn Bde and then 1st Air Cav (when 173rd stood down). Went over as a brand new "buck Sgt" scared to death that (1) something I did would get someone killed and (2) I would get killed. Scared my whole tour but also enjoyed the whole tour, a contradiction I know but true!
Returned to conus assigned to 4th Inf. at Ft Carson. First time working with Mech. First assigned to 1/61 Inf as a squad leader later transferred to 1/10 Cav. Crossed trained as a Armored Vehicle Crewman (11E) at that time.
1974 transferred to Panama 3/5 Inf (A Co. Abn) Ft. Kobe. Panama at that time as the best kept secret in the Army. The best duty station I ever served at. Cheap booze, women, gambling, hunting, fishing, diving... the list goes on. Once got drunk with one of Jauque Cousteau son (Phillippe?) not sure...hey I was drinking at the time! Also made my first jump in a few years. Refresher training consisted of the jump master saying "Remember your last jump from a 130? Well nothings changed!" Promoted to Staff Sergeant.
1975 Panama tour cut short returned to 82 Abn due to Division staffing shortages. Assigned to 1st Bde 1/504 as Plt Sgt. Remained with 82nd for the rest of my service. ETS 1979. That is the bare bones of my record. I also attended numerous service schools and served on a few TDY (Secondments) during my carrier. Jump Master qualified, trained as unit Armorer, Qualified Vehicle Comander M551 Sheridan and yes there was a Abn Armored unit assigned to the 82nd although I never served with it. Did my qual's and never saw the inside of a Sheridan again! TDY to Infantry School at Ft. Benning - Instructor Armored Vehicle Recognition and Tatics of small unit anti-armor warfare.
TDY to Dover AFB. Spent the days jumping out of airplanes for the Air Force to qualify air crews in para drops. Good duty that! That about sums it up except to say that I enjoyed every minute of my service. I met some of the greatest men in the world and had the honour and privilege to serve along side of them.

 

[Red 6]

1980-84 US Navy Hospital Corpsman I spent most of my service after Corps school and FMSS with Golf Co,  2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. I spent about three years or so at Camp Pendleton, CA. We took part in Operation Gallant Eagle 82 at 29 Palms. (That was when I found out the desert is colder than heck in the winter!) Deployed to Okinawa for six months in 82-83. We did the jungle warfare course at Fort Sherman, Panama, in October-November of 1983. Toward the end of my tour, I was transferred to H & S 2nd Bn, 5th Marines because 2/9 was getting ready for a float and I was short. I can't remember anymore whether it was the summer of 83 or 84, but Co A, 2 PPCLI came down to Camp Pendleton for a month of exchange training and I and a radio operator were attached to them for support. We humped everywhere with them and it was an outstanding experience. Maj Goodspeed, MCpl Waugh, Doc Spinney, if you're floating around, drop me a line. I left the Navy in August of 84 as a Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class.

I enlisted in the US Army as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle Cavalry Scout in May of 85 and was assigned to E Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bad Kissingen, Germany. We did all the same stuff as every other unit, gunnery at Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels, Wildflecken, gunnery at Grafenwoehr, gunnery at Grafenwoehr. But our primary mission was the border. Each troop rotated to our border camp at Wollbach for 30-45 day border tours about 4 times per year. I came to Germany as a Specialist 4 and left as a staff sergeant. My final assignment was as a scout section leader.

From 89-92 I served with the Scout Platoon, 4th Bn, 37th Armor, 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, KS. In Kansas we breathed all the dust that blew down from Alberta through Nebraska. We deployed to Saudi Arabia in December of 90 and were in Desert Storm. we stayed in the desert until May of 91 and made it as far north as Nasiriyah during the cease fire. My battalion won the Valorous Unit Award in the war, one of only three battalion-sized units so distinguished.

I got DA-selected for recruiting duty while we were in the desert. I served in the Recruiting Station, Oceanside, CA,  from 92-95. I spent 38 months on numbers and never missed mission once. My first wife and I went through a rough divorce and I decided to leave active duty. I transferred into the Oregon National Guard straight from active duty.

I spent six years in the National Guard in Co C, 2nd Bn, 162nd Infantry, 41st Infantry Brigade from 95-2001. We did North Wind 96 in Hokkaido, Japan, wild land firefighting AND flood control duty the same year. In 97 I went to JRTC, Fort Polk as an augment Observer/Controller and the next year we went into the box there as part of the biggest National Guard rotation to Fort Polk in history. In 1999 my company was activated for Operation Southern Watch and we spent six months in Kuwait in 2000. I put in my retirement papers not long after we got home and retired in May of 2001. I served for a short while as a squad leader, was a platoon sergeant for about four years and finished up my service as a rifle company first sergeant.

 

[Trooper Hale]

I'm an Australian Army Reservist (i joined up while i was still in school, yr 11 2004) and am currently on exchange with RCD over here in Canada before i head home and try to transfer full-time to 2/14LH back home (I'll be seeing you one of these days Wes!). I havent done much training with French Commando's or British SAS guys in Austria but I am thoroughly enjoying myself at RCD and its a great opportunity for a young bloke like me.
And thats about all i've got, except that as the bloke who just walked into my room showed me, while mumbling through a heavy hang over and dark glasses, we create a bond with others that you dont get in any other job, you know that the guy next to you will do anything for you, not because he likes you but because he's another digger and he knows what its like. We do something and achieve something that you cant do in any other job. Sure we sometimes (hopefully!) finish work at 12 or sit around drinking tea and coffee all day, but there are other times when we work harder then hell and like a few have already said you got to have respect for people in the forces.
I wish i was more articulate and could say it better, but yeah, you all know what i'm trying to say.
Cheers chaps,
Hales

 

[V.Fickle]

Hello, all.

I have couple questions about, as said in title, applying to become an Officer in Canadian Forces after foreign military service. (In this case, French Foreign Legion.)

I am a Canadian citizen and I do meet all the standards to become an officer, so let's skip that part.

My questions are

A) Will I face any special discrimination (doesn't neccesarily need be extreme discrimination) during recruiting/selection process due to my foreign services? (I understand that background/security/reliability check is going to be an absoulete pain)

B) Will my history in foreign services affect my career in negative manner, especially in matters such as not being able to get certain postings or positions or passed up for promotions.

C) Will I be going through exactly same basic and everything whatnot as everybody or will something be arranged? I don't particularly relish the idea of having to live through another basic, since I will probably be learning much of what's already well learned and field tested.

(On a side note, I have talked/discussed more comprehensive list with both local and online recruiter, and on some questions they differed slightly. Now, with CF being relatively small community, I just wanted sort of honest, non-recruiter biased second opinion from the members who are already in and what they make of it.)

 

[scriptox]

I'll leave questions A and B to more experienced members of the community... however I will give my take on question C.

Basically you cannot assume that what you were taught and what you did such as drill and other commands is exactly what they teach you at Basic Training. Every military has their own way of delivering ethics and training, and the content differs (that should be a no-brainer). Personally if I was a recruiter or something of the sort, I wouldn't care if you went through basic training in 5 different countries' military, but in Canada, if you want to join OUR military, you go through OUR training.

My  :2c:

 

[MikeL]

If you truely are a ex FFL Soldier..

No, you will not be discriminated against in any way because of prior service.  Yes living in another country and serving a foriegn military may make the background/security check take longer.

Ref skipping basic, my guess would be no, you will not be able to skip courses,  FFL service doesn't teach you Canadian ranks, drill, weapons, and everything else taught on BMOQ, etc.  And they will not arrange anything special for you.  You would do the exact same BMOQ course as every other OCdt. 

Will prior service effect the postings and promotions? No, your work ethic, trade knowledge, leadership skills, etc will though.


You are not the first person to join the CF with prior service in another nations armed forces.  I've worked with guys who have served in the US, Australian, Russian and Polish Armed Forces.

 

[Danjanou]

I realize it's Wikipedia but

Countries that allow post Foreign Legion contract

....In the British Commonwealth countries, its collective provisions provide for nationals to commute between armies in training or other purposes. Moreover, this 'blanket provision' between Member-States cannot exclude others for it would seem inappropriate to single out individual countries, that is, France in relation to the FFL. For example, Australia and New Zealand may allow post-FFL enlistment providing the national has commonwealth citizenship. Britain allows post-FFL enlistment. Canada allows post-FFL enlistment in its ranks with a completed 5 year contract.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_foreign_legion#Countries_that_allow_post_Foreign_Legion_contract

As noted by others yes you will do our training. When you went through training. When you wnt through your initial training with the 4e Régiment Étrangère I'm sure there were others who had prior military service, did they skip any training? Why would things differ here?

As to how it will affect your advancement in the CF. As others have noted this will be based on your own performance. Naturally  your previous service should assist in this. It shows a the least you have the proper aptitude for military service right? This would be noted. My last unit many of my soldiers had previous foreign serivce and I always took it into account  for things such as taskings, who went on leadership courses etc, presuming of course thay had all the prerequisite Canadian quals.

 

[PuckChaser]

C) Will I be going through exactly same basic and everything whatnot as everybody or will something be arranged? I don't particularly relish the idea of having to live through another basic, since I will probably be learning much of what's already well learned and field tested.

Your basic training here probably won't be as hard as some of the stuff you did in the FFL.

 

[V.Fickle]

Thanks for your inputs.

The third question, as rude as it might have been of me, was my attempt at guaging what kind of person would be answering my two questions. I do apologize if it made anyone be offended or go "Is this guy retarded?".

But that's not the whole point here.

I am still apprehensive about the "good guy" (For lack of better term in my head right now) going through. By no means, do I completely understand how Canadian Forces handles internally, nor do I mean to challenge you guys, but people like you would know better than most that the most "competent one" doesn't necessarily get the position/promotion. Perhaps something like that is against the official doctrine or motto, but it does happen. The concern is how much.

Frankly, as you should know, officers' positions' are influenced so much by politics once you get to certain stage. (As would some NCO spots) Maybe it's just I and my friends who have only too much exprience in matters related to what's said above, but I would like some more personal views.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Ummmm.....precisely, what was the question?