Signal Operators?

[Gilligan]

Hmmmmm, maybe I've completely lost my mind, but when I was in Kingston this past summer, I remember hearing one of the Comms Research guys talking about how Res EW is now an actually Comms Squadron???  If anyone knows why I would have heard that, please clarify or confirm, and if confirming, add a little more info, as it has been driving me mad.

 

[Gilligan]

Being a Sig Op can be extremely rewarding.  I've been on support ex's for medics, engineers, MPs, infantry, armoured, and every time you learn something new.  Not to mention the opportunities for taskings and major ex's like Cougar Salvo, Active Edge or a big western ex is Ex Seahawk down in Fort Lewis during the summer.  And, it's true, it isn't always the most physical, but it's challenging in other ways, mentally it can really tire you out, those night shifts that seem to go on forever can really get to some people, and when you make it through one of those weekends that was just an absolute bagdrive, you know you accomplished something, whether other trades want to accept it or not, SIGNALS IS THE BEST TRADE OUT THERE!

 

[Fruss]

Gilligan: you realize that you replied to a post 3 1/2 years old right?? 

Hehe..

Cheers

Frank

 

[Carey]

As far as I knew Res EW was always a comm squadron with a specific purpose. They are getting a 70* designator though. Who knows, I wouldn't really call anything without 72 infront of it a comms unit  

 

[GDawg]

I'd like to see LCIS techs working amongst us sig ops in the comm res. I think it would be perfectly reasonable and probably achievable, all you need is a special NCM entry plan.
Model one after a reg force entry plan, take in people with specific civilian and academic experience and give them a small bonus to join, and write off POET or what have you.
Spec pay anyone?
  I just came up with that idea in 30 seconds... If there are any holes or you have ideas fire away.

 

[meni0n]

Yet LCIS was phased out of the reserves. Only sigs and linemen remain now.

 

[Gilligan]

  HAHAHA, Carey, I beg to differ, the rest of the units in 72 comm grp are below par from any in 74 comm grp!  Must be all the imbreeding, lol, jk. 
  As for the res LCIS techs, they have in fact been phased out of the reserves, and for a relatively good reason.  I know at least at my unit we had 1, and sure he fixed a lot of the little things that went wrong with equippment, but for anything big that went wrong, stuff would have to go to Edmonton anyway.  Because there was only one, there was no feasible training schedual for him and thus useless to have around.  Maybe it worked for other units....but out here we just get the run around come ATI time anyway.

 

[291er]

Wrong lads.  There are reserve 291ers now, in fact, last i heard is that all the former Sig Ops at Res EW were made reserve 291ers now.  It's still getting hashed out right now on how we'll have reserve 291ers.  About them being in Vancouver, doubtful, you will not see 291ers attached to the Comm Sqns, we do a completely different job that all the other sigs types.  Reserve 291ers will be employed in Leitrim of course, but I can't see either of the coasts or our other postings getting any.  The two main issues with having Res 291 is that our 3's usually take a year or more, and you require your clearance before completing your crse, this can take up to a year or more also. 
I think the Res 291 world will be divided into an EW side of the house and a SIGINT side.

 

[Rushrules]

291er:  How can you Occupationally transferred into a trade that doesn't exist as yet (ie.  have formal courses)?  It's coming, but only CFSTG/CFSCE can grant equivs.  As for where a R291er would work, hey when you're in the secret squirrel world, anywhere that has a large population is fair game, like Vancouver.- ie Sikhs blowing up airlines.  The trg will take time, but the ex-Reg F R291ers will make out pretty well with this, in that they won't get deployed and the only downside is that they would make 85% of the Reg F salary. 

 

[291er]

Rushrules:
Most of the R291ers are going to be ex Regs at this point, but eventually there will be the infrastructure in place to do this.
As for having 291ers in all the major cities, no chance, unless they do EW.  FYI, though the city may have an ethnically diverse population, does'nt give us the right to listen to them.  Read our trade description, we deal with FOREIGN communications, domestic comms are a no-fly zone and illegal.  Plus imagine the amount of money we'd have to spend setting up sites across Canada.....when we could easily do the same thing from Ottawa.

 

[Radop]

I'll find out more about this when I get out of this place I'm in now, and back to my home unit, but from what I've heard recently, we're supposed to be moving away from recruiting LCIS techs and starting to recruit for reserve comm research positions, even in the non-EW units of the comm reserve.   I don't personally think that makes all that much sense, but as you can imagine, I was not consulted in the decision making process.

The branch Col and CWO told us that the reserves will not recruit anymore LCIS techs and that a new reserve R291 moc has been OKed by Ottawa and will start to become a recruiting priority for reservists in Kingston.

 

[Radop]

I am a newly posted signalman at CFJSR....EW is for the Comms Rsch guys.

The whole regmnt is on SQ courses right now atually...

Is there anything you wanted to know in particular?

I am posted to 3 sqn and I was on PDT training not an SQ as I have been qualified for ohh, 18 yrs.  What sqn are you in?  If you don't want to tell me on this forum, let me know via a PM.

 

[luck881]

Check the date of that post about the SQ.   It was last summer, I know because I taught on it!  
...Just busting your b@lls, it's Ian.   Things in Pet are good, do you miss it yet?   How are you enjoying RDS (Relaxed Deployment Squadron)?  

 

[Radop]

Check the date of that post about the SQ.   It was last summer, I know because I taught on it!  
...Just busting your b@lls, it's Ian.   Things in Pet are good, do you miss it yet?   How are you enjoying RDS (Relaxed Deployment Squadron)?  

hey Ian, lol,

I wish I was working there and living here.  I have dagged so many times in the last 5 mos my head is spinning yet no deployment.

So like the 5 mos of exercises. lol

 

[marie1987]

i was wondering, after completing basic training then there is SQ whats after for SigOp...and how long does it take to complete the course and get posted?

 

[Jager]

After Basic Training (13 Weeks) SQ (4 Weeks) you have your Sig Op QL3 which is aprox 6 Months, Once you complete that you are posted to a unit. (afterwards I have no idea what the 'normal' progression is, I'm far from normal  : )

 

[MikeL]

You also have to do LSVW Driver wheel before going on your QL3.

 

[Jager]

Actually its no longer a Hard requirment, as with SQ. It has to be completed some time, but no longer before your QL3 (and I'm speaking from experence of sending people on their 3's without either course)

 

[211RadOp]

You also have to do LSVW Driver wheel before going on your QL3.

Here at the Regt, we run a couple of Dvr Wheel Crses a year and most of the pers on it are Sig Ops already done QL3, and in some cases QL5.

 

[MikeL]

Wow, things have changed since I went through. The two Pre Reqs before going on your QL3 was SQ and LSVW.  I know a few people who didn't get SQ before going on course, but I dunno how common it is or what the circumstances were. But not having LS Dvr Whl I'm surprised at.