Engineer Regiment Pros/ Cons?

[Manowar]

Hi all - Pretty soon I'll be done training and I'll have to choose which posting I want. I've heard various things about each engineer regiment, but I wanted to know if anyone had any pros and cons for each regiment. Right now, I'm trying to choose between 1CER, 2CER and 4ESR. Thanks!

 

[aesop081]

Do your long term career a favour and go to 5 RGC. Learn French while you are still new.

-If you don't already speak it of course.

 

[PMedMoe]

I agree with CDN Aviator.  Besides, it's not like you really get a choice. 

 

[dimsum]

And Quebec City beats Edmonton hands down (if you have French.)  If you don't have French, you will....which brings me back to CDN Aviator's point.

 

[dapaterson]

If you don't speak French, Quebec City is filled with young ladies who will be more than happy to share the French tongue with you.

Indeed, a friend of mine was posted there as a 2Lt, and ended up with an EEE profile (with a distinct Newfoundland accent), a drop-dead gorgeous wife and three bilingual kids.

 

[dimsum]

If you don't speak French, Quebec City is filled with young ladies who will be more than happy to share the French tongue with you.

I see what you did there.

 

[Manowar]

I am fluently bilingual, although I haven't gotten around to getting tested for my profile. I've heard that Quebec is a good posting with one exception: they are EXTREMELY reluctant to send you on courses. I plan on at least doing the jump course, and possibly Dive or EOD. From what I've heard, 5RGC is not the place to go if you want other qualifications. Again, this is just what I've heard from other people. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Any other pros/cons to Quebec besides the ladies (unless I end up single over the course of the next 8 months, they don't matter so much).

Does anyone have any feedback on the other regiments?

 

[392]

.... I've heard that Quebec is a good posting with one exception: they are EXTREMELY reluctant to send you on courses.

This is the biggest bunch of hooey I've heard in a while. We see just as many 5eRGC students on courses throughout the CF as we do from the other 3 regts.

I plan on at least doing the jump course, and possibly Dive or EOD.

Not to try to reduce your enthusiasm, but while you may plan on doing these, your CoC may have other ideas for you. Just keep that in mind.

Does anyone have any feedback on the other regiments?

The CERs are pretty much all the same, with the exception of a different language spoken in 5 day-to-day. 4ESR is a bit different in the fact its mission is mainly focused on general support vice close support roles of the CERs, but regardless, as a Spr you can expect to find yourself in "receive" mode for the first few years of your regimental life anyhow...

 

[cupper]

Indeed, a friend of mine was posted there as a 2Lt, and ended up with an EEE profile (with a distinct Newfoundland accent), a drop-dead gorgeous wife and three bilingual kids.

Are you trying to convince him or discourage him from going there? >

 

[GAP]

Quote from: dapaterson on July 12, 2012, 20:57:40

    Indeed, a friend of mine was posted there as a 2Lt, and ended up with an EEE profile (with a distinct Newfoundland accent), a drop-dead gorgeous wife and three bilingual kids.

They were issued?  ;D

 

[Manowar]

This is the biggest bunch of hooey I've heard in a while. We see just as many 5eRGC students on courses throughout the CF as we do from the other 3 regts.

Does this still hold true for officers? (I'm a 2Lt)

 

[392]

Does this still hold true for officers? (I'm a 2Lt)

Yes - however as an officer, you can expect less opportunity to attend "shiny" specialty courses (i.e. jump, dive, EOD) than the NCMs. The reason is quite simply that to command a troop, you don't need to be qualified (with the exception of jumping for some pretty obvious reasons), only know how to employ that particular resource and advise your supported commander appropriately. That being said, most CO's are quite clear they want their YO's who are taking command of their EOD, dive and jump capabilities to be qualified to get the best bang for the buck. As for the other specialties like BBE Op, AWS, Adv Bridging, etc., if you were to get loaded onto those, it would be an anomaly as there really is no requirement for an officer to be qualified in those skillsets.

WRT your original question, if I were in your shoes, I would request to be posted to the Regt who's surrounding areas offer the most for me and my family outside of Regimental life. But as I am sure you already know, just because you request it, doesn't mean you will go there and the CM will send you where there's a hole for you to fill.... :2c:

 

[Trick]

It was implied above, but I just wanted to confirm that you can be posted to 5CER without being officially bilingual. Having done all my pre-uni education in french immersion I'm quite interested in going there, but despite what my immersion certificate might say, 8 years after graduating I am very, very far from bilingual. Also, could anyone shed some light on what it's like serving in a francophone unit if your french is shaky? I'm only just coming up to my interview/medical now, so I'm quite a ways away from any decisions, but this is a topic I've been curious about since the beginning.

 

[dapaterson]

In my experience in the CF, Francophones are very appreciative and supportive of anglophones who make a real, dedicated effort to learn and work in French.

 

[Zam 041]

Trick.... My first posting to a Regiment was 5RGC and I only spoke english at the time. It was an interesting time but there were lots of bilingual people in  the Regt who helped with with any translation problems and at the time all the Snr Ncos  were bilingual which was good that way the troop WO or the SSM got to switch languages depending on who he was yelling at 
I had no problems cept for communicating on the radio,as the various,troop,squadron or regt nets would be french and of course all drill (Foot and Rifle) was in french.
I was also sent on a basic french course on the Base.

Hope this helps a bit


Mark