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Comparing the Regiments (PPCLI, RCR, and R22eR) and thier bases

  • Thread starter Thread starter brad_dennis
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Both the PPCLI and the RCR have light battalions - 3PPCLI and 3RCR.

Both the first and second battalions of these regiments are Mechanized.
 
I know it's been asked a million times, but for every time asked there is a different answer....   Is there any way to ensure/boost the chances of being posted to a Light Infantry Battalion?   I'm dying to go 3RCR and have been since they disbanded the CAR.   I'm just not as interested in being driven around, maybe I'm ignorant, but if I wanted to play in vehicles, I'd have gone Armoured.

Edit: Not that there is anything wrong with the Armoured Corps.
 
Ye I have no interest in mech infantry as well.

Does mechanized not practice such things as parachuting, mountain ops and amphibious ops as well?
 
In my opinion, Mechanized Infantry as it stands now is in a flux, as its traditional role of high-intensity battle within an Armoured Combat team is now all but gone in the CF.

Guys, in the end, the Infantry will do what has to be done to accomplish the mission.  Remember, those were "mech infantry" of 2 PPCLI that deployed to Afghanistan as part of OP APOLLO with their brothers from 3 PPCLI to fight Al Qaeda in the mountains.
 
QY Rang said:
Is there any way to ensure/boost the chances of being posted to a Light Infantry Battalion?   I'm dying to go 3RCR and have been since they disbanded the CAR.

Were you regs at one time?  You are aware the CAR was disbanded 10 years ago.  That's an awful long time to be dying to do something.  One way to boost your chances would be to get through the recruiting process.  Secondly, tell the recruiter what you want.

There are no guarantees in the army.  It is not even guaranteed that if you start in one Battalion that you won't end up in another by some twist of fate.
 
Are you serious?  No really, I'm more than aware that it's been ten years.. some kids dream to be astronauts, I wanted to be a Paratrooper.  I'm through the recruiting process now and will be sworn in soon.. but thanks for the tip anyway.
 
hmmm well heres my synopsis of the regiments as a reservist

PPCLI (i went on tour with 2)- work hard, play harder attitude, when i was with them from oct 2002 til oct of 2003 (first six months in winnipeg, last in bosnia oviously) the first six months were spent doing work up training, after hours well Winnipeg has a pretty good bar scene (not as great as Edmontons, Ottawas or Montreal mind you but certainly better than Pet) but the bad part IT IS FREKKIN COLDER N HELL we frequently reached temperatures of -40, and it even dipped as far as minus 60 a few times so during the winter it is cold, during the summer its a fair weather but lots of mosquitos (not as much as my regiments back yard Burwash mind you), as well the training areas are really flat, Shilo and Wainwright dont offer much in difference of terrain, Nav is hard as there is barely any prominant features, but mountaineering courses would be easy to get done as the rockies are close by

RCR- have never really worked with them too much other than seeing the RSS staff at my unit, but they are very professional and i saw someone say they are very slow to adopt new tactics, i find this a bit true, though they too party hard though have to travel to do so, the good thing about their training areas, is Pet is one big area that has plenty of different terrain so you can do a lot more withouit traveling

the Van Doos -dont piss them off thats all i know :D
 
There really isn't a right answer to the question that you are asking.  What you are going to get is other peoples interpitaions of their own or other units/regt.  For us to truly be able to answer this question, a question of the ages, who is better, you'd have to allow us to step into your shoes and actually understand you.  So with that not being possible and you're need to make a choice look at it this way.  You want to choose a Regt, because as it has been stated already you don't have a choice in Batt, unless you have previous service and know someone who knows someone.  So your choices are down to 3 rather than 9, so look at region. So based on region where whould you rather live? I can further make it easier for you and that is unless you speak fluent french your choice has now been broken down to 2.  So between the two of them the PPCLI and RCR where whould you rather live? If you like small towns then choose the RCR because there is a 100% chance that you will end up in a town of less than 50 000.  If you are a city boy and would like to stay that way then choose the PPCLI because there is a 66% chance that you will end up in Edmonton.  All told comparing Regt is truly unnecessary in making your decision as all will make for what you truly are rather than what you belive yourself to be.  Good luck and concentrate less on what you want and more on what you have to give. :cdn:
 
Well I read the first two pages of threads,  and couldn't stomach reading more. 

Myself, I'm a C9 Gunner in 3RCR, recently made it on the Cambrian Patrol team this year.  I dedicate my efforts in honour of Sgt. Steve Daniels, who thundered in just before Canada day in Pet.  on his Free Fall instructors course and broke his back.  He was on last years Gold winning Patrol in England, and he was one of the most switched on and fit Infantryman that I have ever met. 

As for your questions concerning where you want to go.  I say you don't have much of a choice, like many others have said you'll be given what your given entirely based upon where they need fresh new young officers in Battalion.

I rarely make offhand comments to individuals, especially since I don't really know you.  However, your attitude seems very flippant and uncaring.  And that may just be the way you come off on the net, at least to me.  But I'll tell you one thing, if you end up in Pet.  we will sort you out really quickly.  The 1st, or 3rd.  Either or and you'll learn really quickly how to actually be respectful.

As for pro's and con's, I can only talk of Petawawa.  It is what you make of it.  If you are active, and want to be active, there are lots of opportunities to do just that.  Dundonald hall is quite a nice facility that will give you a whole range of sports and activities to occupy yourself with outside of work.

Best of luck to you.
 
Just to give you a little background about myself so you can a gage what i have to say.
I joined always wanting to be an RCR. I've served full time with 1RCR(8 YRS) and 3RCR(3 YRS). I've also had the pleasure of working with 2RCR just not on a full time basis. All the other regiments have their opinions about the others. Each battalion of those regiments are different and have different idiocyncracies. PPCLI are seen as cowboys and renegades(maybe thats because they are from the prairies?), the Vandoos are seen as being untouchable because some of their pers do things that would get any other unit in trouble. These are just some peoples observations and opinions. Let the units actions speak for them and weight what you've heard with a grain of salt.

Some members on the post have given you alot to digest in your quest. take it with a grain of salt and weed out the useless stuff from the good advice.

All the regiments have loads of history and traditions. Each regiment has recruits from all over Canada. Their bases are more regionalized though. RCR- east coast(Gagetown,NB) and central Canada(Petawawa,ON)
            PPCLI- west coast(Edmonton,AB/ Shilo,MAN)
            R22eR- Quebec(Valcartier/Quebec City,QC)

RCR- Are seen as the more traditionalists. They are more rigid in their conduct and appearance. Some would say anal about the rules and regulations.

Just my two cents.

Cheers!
 
I have lived near Petawawa most of my  life, witha  few years away and I always come back to the area.  Petawawa might not be the best base in the world or in the Canadian Forces, but I am sure there are worse places to live and work.

with a few hours in any  direction you can find a lot of things to do in your off time. Ottawa, Montreal  are not far, travel time is getting faster with the 4 laning of highway 17 going more and more west with every budget in Ontario.

RCR has 100 plus years of history  to live up to, and that  means they  will use the history  to instill pride in yourself and the unit, and the regiment.  Go RCR you  will be in eastern Canadian for most of your career, you will see the west on training  and exercises.

PPCLI  getting to the 100 year mark soon, another 10 years or less,  less history to live up to, but just as good history. GO PPCLI and you will see mostly western Canada, and you will see eastern Canada on courses, training, etc.

To an outsider looking  in, i see it in another fashion, RCR made history and has to live up to the past standards, PPCLI has to make history to have something to live up to.  Give the PPCLI a few more years and they  will have jsut as much History  to fall back on to use as away  of building pride and corp values.  If i was a young guy  looking to get in again, i would be honored to go either unit, I could not go  Vandoos because of my  lack of french understanding.

A private working his way  up in the ranks will still pull all the dumb jobs,  no matter what base, what  unit he / she is posted to. Jr Officer will be the same way.  I am not sure if you get a choice in units you want to join in the Reg Force, mostly  they  put you where they  need you, and you hope for the best outcome, in the Res Force you get the choice due to where you live and what  is around you.

If i was given a choice i would pick RCR  just because I have 50/50 chance of being posted close to home, no other reason.  If i was sent west I would make the best of it and  do the best job I could .

  With cut backs and base closings I think they  may have done the regiments a favour, bring the soldiers closer to gether, more  soldiers training at the same time, less transport time,  means more time doing training and learning the job. I am looking at it from the res froce side.  So bare with me. Nothing is worse then spending hours on a bus going from a small base , like Toronto to Base Petawawa for training, 4 to 6 hours on the bus,  I am guessing  it was the same thing for the guys from Base London to Petawawa, long drives to train.

I know there are some ugly  holes to train at on all bases,  Ontario has Meaford, Petawawa, Borden. I feel if you seen one training area you have seen them all. Just different locations, you know you are not going to disney land, you are going to work.

I have worked with OFFICERS, and NCOs from almost every  Reg Force Line regiment, RCD, PPCLI, Vandoo, RCR, 12 RBC, Strats, even CAR,  they are mostly the same, all good soldiers and good people, hated some of them and enjoyed working with some of them ore then others. I would never bad mouth one unit over the other, good way  to get teeth knocked out.

Far as I know and remember postings have very little to do with personal choices, you go where the Forces need you, unless you are a special trade, then you are  going to be restricted as to where that  trade is needed.  Want strange postiings and out of country  postings  to see the world , be support trade. Want to see Canada and visit strange lands and live in the mud and enjoy life join a combat unit.
Want to be a combat soldier and get choice assigments, and postings , work, hard, train hard, get  noticed, pass your courses,  play hard and you will get them in time,  get promoted and stay in a long time and you will see the world.
Good luck in your choices
 
Each Regiment has it's personality.....
While R22R, RCR and PPCLI are all "infantry" they don't necessarily do things in quite the same way. They're all professional, they represent their regiments well but..............IMHO of course:
RCR always seem to be too serious and ???? (constipated/anal?)
PPCLI a product of western Canada - a little more "cowboy"?
R22R a little bit more laid back - constantly switches back & forth from Fr to Eng & back
 
geo said:
PPCLI a product of western Canada - a little more "cowboy"?

Ok, being a product of the regt. where exactly does this come from?  What exactly does being cowboy mean? This would have to go to those old dogs of the other regt. In the time that I've been in, I've heard it a lot from those posted out east, I've never heard anyone out west refer to us as 'cowboys'.  But it would be interesting to hear from someone who could maybe be a bit more specific when refering to us as 'cowboys' but I can't see how that discription could in anyway help someone make a comparision.

FormerHorseGuard said:
PPCLI   getting to the 100 year mark soon, another 10 years or less,   less history to live up to, but just as good history.

I appriciate the kind words, but if you recheck your regt history in the last 90 years you would quickly come to the conclusion that the PPCLI has been the most decorated regt, specific examples since WWII are US presdential citation (Korea), UN unit citation (Medak),and CIC Unit Citations (Medak and Afghanistan).  To discribe us as a young unit is quite true but to describe us as having less history to live up to is in fact not accurate.  I think a more appropriate way of putting it is the RCR and Van Doo's have a lot of old history to live up too and the PPCLI has a lot of new histroy to live up too.  What makes us successful as a regt is our ability to honor our history but recognize the significance of youth and the importance of basing capabilities on the new rather than the old. Now if that makes us 'cowboys' then so be it but history doesn't lie and in the past 2 decades the Army's goto regt for specific operations has been the PPCLI so they must be doing something right.

'That's me'
 
I've never heard anyone out west refer to us as 'cowboys'.

Oh Contraire! Comd 1 CMBG, on a visit to the BN late last year in fact said that the rest of the Bde views 2 PPCLI as a bunch of COWBOYS
 
Blakey said:


Oh Contraire! Comd 1 CMBG, on a visit to the BN late last year in fact said that the rest of the Bde views 2 PPCLI as a bunch of COWBOYS

Well that's news to us around here, but what makes you so sure that the Comd is orriginally from the brigade?  It still does not answer the question of what the heck it is supposed to imply about the PPCLI as a whole.  As for anyone in the brigade refering to the 2 BN as 'cowboy's' I think you'll find the general concensis is that you are 'MIA'!

'totally out there!'
 
Unknown Factor said:
Well that's news to us around here, but what makes you so sure that the Comd is orriginally from the brigade?  It still does not answer the question of what the heck it is supposed to imply about the PPCLI as a whole.  As for anyone in the brigade refering to the 2 BN as 'cowboy's' I think you'll find the general concensis is that you are 'MIA'!

'totally out there!'
Originally for the Bde, what do you mean?, was his whole career spent with 1 Bde?..I have no idea.
In the context he was using it in, to me it sounded like he was saying that we (the 2nd BN) were a bunch of loose cannons.
As well, what do you mean by "MIA, totally out there"?, not with the rest of the Bde? totally devoid of all intelligence? please explain?

Out of curiosity sake, are you with the 1st or 3rd?
 
FormerHorseGuard said:
To an outsider looking   in, i see it in another fashion, RCR made history and has to live up to the past standards, PPCLI has to make history to have something to live up to.
Pardon? Not as many years, and no South Africa, perhaps, but the Patricias have a boatload of battle honours and history in the relatively few years they've existed, compared to other Regiments. May not be 100 years of square-bashing in Ontario and Quebec, but there's a fighting history there that is second to none.

The Patricia's earned their place as one of the few Regiments that has always been Regular Force.

Acorn
(Ex-Pat)
 
2 VP (my old battalion) may only be about 50 years old, but ask any Kapyong vet and they will tell you. The patricias have made their bones.  They have history and traditions to live up to. 
 
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