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The Gagetown Thread- Merged

Spandex is a privilege, not a right.

No screw tops on the milk?  Odd, I've lived in Alberta since 96, and never had a problem finding that level of technology in my local dairy section.  I can get a loaf of bread at the Tags store (like Irving, only not owned by the Maritime Mafia) for $1.25.  Maybe you need to look around.  When I came here it was an automatic 7% pay raise.
 
armyvern said:
;D Gee thanks...I'm always nice!! No favourites here. If you're entitled you get it. That much less for us to count!! I'm a firm believer in the old better on someone's back than my shelf philosophy....
Not to many of these guy's on the far side of the counter.
 
I meant on the cartons. Like on the juice they have the caps instead of having to open the carton. Perhaps they do have them here but not at my local convenience store. I still think it's more expensive for groceries here. Although you can get a better variety, especially if you like ethnic foods. >:D
 
Don't forget to get your hands on a pick any time you haft to dig in, I remember Blue mountain as having the toughest dirt in the world.
 
NB will always be where I am from(Comox is my home) and I have had so many friends go through Gagetown it will always be close to my heart. Maybe that's what makes me a little biased. My hometown in Quispamsis(outside Saint John) and though SJ smells, I still love it there. I was just back there and noticed all the changes and upgrades, WOW. Don't get me wrong, I love the west coast. I am thrilled with never having to shovel snow and the coldest is gets here(daytime) is like 10 degrees. Can't really complain about that. There is lots to do if you looks(sometimes you have to look hard) but things are more expensive.....groceries, etc. And maybe being on the island factors into that. I love both coasts to death and could live on either. I am lucky to have friends here, friends from home visit, and some people I just met out here that are from home. Hopefully I can talk her into a visit soon.  ;) So, that's my rant. And the same goes for Freddy, you just have to look for stuff and be willing to make some sacrifices if you want to do them.  ;D
 
my72jeep said:
Not to many of these guy's on the far side of the counter.

That's debateable, problem doesn't usually lie with the guy working the counter. It's usually a problem with the scales of entitlement that are determined by each trade and their ECSs. A little interesting example for you:

IAW the scales of entitlement, pers are not entitled to Gerbers until "successful completion of QL3s or Phase training." Also, IAW Scales there is no entitlement to "Safety Boots" until "successful completion of QL3s or Phase training."

Try being on our side of the counter to explain that to endless QL3 engineers (and their Pl WOs) time after time that they are not entitled to the gerber or safety boots until they have finished their course!! I agree that this is wrong, however; it is what their trade and ECSs decided. It was not decided by the Sup Tech who only gets to work the counter and enforce the rules. But instead of writing it up properly and submitting their request for change of entitlement through their trade to the ECS, I guess it's easier to blame the guy working the counter who tells them they're not entitled.

And it is the MOCs job to address these scale problems, I as a Supply Tech totally agree that the scale is not on; However, I, as a Supply Tech, can not write up the justification for Engineer entitlement to these items, only they can substantiate with concrete examples of why they should be entitled. I go through this with every QL3 Engineer course that has come through Clothing Stores in the 2 years I have been it's supervisor, and they have yet to staff it up. Instead we get a hard time each and every course.

Try telling an Infantry guy that he really isn't entitled to a gerber until he has completed Battle School. Make sense? No. But again, they need to address the issue and fix it, I can't.

4ESR here on base wasn't originally entitled to the SOG. Didn't make much sense with them being engineers and it being an engineering knife. I advised their RQ when the PIP came out that they had been neglected on the entitlement list, he staffed it up to the 4ESR RSM, who substantiated entitlement in writing and sent it off to NDHQ. Guess what happened? 3 days (that's 3 days) later the scale was ammended to include them. The system works, and scales change all the time, but only if the users who believe they should be entitled do their job to correct the situation. It's no point calling me about it in my office, as I will explain that I can not change a scale, only Ottawa can, with substantiation from the MOC itself.

Now, you go to the pay office. The RMS clerk pays you based on your pay entitlement scale (which is also determined by Ottawa and the Trades for spec pay etc), you ask for an extra dollar and she says no, you're not entitled to it. I'm willing to bet she doesn't get yelled at, cursed at etc (and her trade blamed for the lack of entitlement to that extra dollar) or that whoever gets told no, doesn't immediately run to their supervisor crying because they couldn't get the little something extra on their pay. Their supervisor doesn't, in turn, call the MPSS supervisor to complain that his soldier couldn't get something he wasn't entitled to in the first place.

I really don't understand why people continue to blame the guy at the Clothing counter instead of fixing the problem, after all he is just enforcing the scale of entitlement too. The RMS clerk who decides to give out unsubstantiated extra money outside of what is entitled is subject to charge (and it's happened), so is the Supply Tech (and it's happened too!!).

 
oh no, i dont think i  can make it through my course without my gerber :P  Hey, this means i wont have to sit and watch 60 of my course mates flicking the damn thing in and out all day  :rage:
 
So an Engineer, that deals with Heavy Equipment does not get safety boots or gerbers? Now thats the system. Only in the Army. If the Navy and Airforce can issue them, we can. I have also found Gagetown rules are not the same as the rest of Canada. You cannot order Danners, just those Cocarrans. I had to get those to replace my danners, I cannot even wear them in the field. They have no insole. But the rest of Canada gets Danners? Even the res. get them.
 
Recce41 said:
So an Engineer, that deals with Heavy Equipment does not get safety boots or gerbers? Now thats the system. Only in the Army. If the Navy and Airforce can issue them, we can. I have also found Gagetown rules are not the same as the rest of Canada. You cannot order Danners, just those Cocarrans. I had to get those to replace my danners, I cannot even wear them in the field. They have no insole. But the rest of Canada gets Danners? Even the res. get them.

Well the scales are the same for the AF and the Navy. Basic scales. That's not the system once again, it's the trades and the ECSs (Enviornmental Chiefs of Staff), address it and it will get fixed. Perhaps the Army (or the trade) should address it then? I've been holding my breath for two years waiting already. Scales of entitlement are based on many many things, such as location, trade, trade level qualification, etc etc. Like it or not Gagetown is considered a Training Base, therefore even our entitlements within the Army itself are different, as I am sure you have already experienced with the CTS ICE and our current lack of entitlement to it.
Boots are a local contract, not national therefore there are not any national specs they meet when purchased downtown (for those of you with appropriate medical documentation that allow you to wear civilian boots in uniform). The only standard is that it must be black, appropriate for wear in uniform and resemble an issued, clothing stocked boot.
The lack of standard LPO footwear is currently being addressed by the Army Dress Committee because they are tired of watching each base purchased whatever kind of LPO footwear. Boots that you are allowed to wear on this Base may not necessarily be approved for wear on other Bases and vice versa. Ultimately, the Base CWO decides what purchased civilian footwear is acceptable for wear by the soldiers on his Base. We have a couple styles that we used to purchase here that the troops loved, but were canned after the CDS' visit last year when he sent back word to Gagetown that we were no longer to purchase those particular styles. One big one is the mesh-sided boots the troops liked to buy...no more unless the chit specifically states that they require a "mesh-sided boot for medical reasons" as the Dress Regs point out that mesh sided boots are only authorized for wear out of country (those being desert boots) and for certified medical reasons.

The dress Regs are applicable to all CF Units, unfortunately many bases do not comply with them therefore the lack of a standard across the CF. Even personnel themselves choose to dress how they feel appropraite. IE buy themselves some kind of footwear, cadpat accoutrements and napsacks of the civilian type, gloves etc and wear it around in uniform. Unless the leadership within the Bases that allow that to continue happening does something about it, there will never be a standard of dress.

PS...we purchase other styles of boot than corcorans here at Gagetown I might add, including Danners. It depends upon what your chit states. And best of all, you get what you have tried on and chosen. We give you the paperwork, you go to Mark's or Pro-Am, try on boots, choose which ones you want, they fill in the model, size and price, you bring me back the paperwork and I buy them (If they're black, resemble an issued boot etc). So if someone chooses a style with no insoles in them etc there's not much I can do about that. You are certainly NOT restrcited to picking the corcoran. I highly recommend that if you are finding the corcorans unsuitable, you come over to D9 (get a new chit from physio if it's been more than 2 years) with your chit and we will send you back downtown to try on other boots as yours are obviously not suitable if you can't wear them in the field. I guarantee this will not be a problem. We are not monsters.

It has been my experience that the Res F tend to purchase and issue kit well outside the guidelines. They are not within my CoC, so there is not much I can do about that either. We do our best, but hey scales change daily, like I said and we have upwards of 50 different scales of entitlement we deal with daily.....no one will ever memorize them all.

Edited to add:

In my two years here, I, and my CoC, have received many many many e-mails and letters from across Canada and Units on this Base, from Officers and men alike, Air, Navy, and Army, advisiing that they believed we provided outstanding service to them and that we were the best and most professional Clothing Stores they had ever had the pleasure of dealing with. So from my experience, I'll back up my troops here at Clothing Stores any day. I have them all printed off and they are kept in our O Gp room on 2 whirl board files. that is how my troops manage to maintain their morale at the front counter despite some of the situations they are faced with on a daily basis. I could not ask for a better crew. I am very proud of them and the work they do!!
 
Hey Gagetown isn't bad for night life. The pub on base (Griffins) has okay food and is always a good starting point for a fun evening. Most of the good places are in Freddy town. Check out Hill top on Tues, other places in town that I thought were fun are; The James Joyce pub, Sweet waters and the Rockin rodeo and if you are looking for cougars check out the 20/20. There are a bunch of other pubs in town and one or two in Ormucto. Don't pass up a chance to visit Moncton or Halifax either. However if you are going there on course you may not have as much time off as you would like.

Cheers.

Bloggins
:cdn:
 
Oromocto is what you make of it. And if you think it sucks then you've never been to Shilo,

Screw the roomate literally by. Geting a car. Getting an appartment in F'ton rent the room to some UNB hottie.

Or some fattie, that way when you marry her you will fit right into PMQ's, she can eat your field/tour pay away at McD's with kids that may or may not hold some of your DNA.
 
Mover, you definitely have the gift of gab. I'm still laughing at your comments, but then I realized that you weren't joking and were speaking from a personal viewpoint!  :o :'(

Have a nice day! ;D
 
2 Cdo
Experience goes a long way.

And for all you young dudes who are into a deep commited relationship. I have a word of advice.

Look at her mom. If she is ugly then your woman will turn ugly. :-* +  :rage: =  :crybaby:

For all you guys doing the one night stand. Always Alway Always take the ugly looking chick with the deformity. That way it makes a better story to tell your buddies on Monday at PT.  :dontpanic:
 
The gift of gab and a good healthy dose of common sense!(Not the other dose!) Mover you have made my day again. ;D :salute:
 
mover1 said:
For all you guys doing the one night stand. Always Alway Always take the ugly looking chick with the deformity.

Mover, Should us gals start resorting to always taking the ugly guys too?? Or does it depend on their deformity?  ???

Vern
 
I will be posted to Gagetown after BMQ finishes in January, if everything goes good *crossing fingers and toes*.  I have a very nervous Golden Retriever.  This may be a silly question but I have to ask. When living in PMQ's in Gagetown can you hear gun fire or explosions. If so then I may have to look at medicating the dog.
 
No,
When I lived there I had a Husky that was terrified of loud noises and the only time he really panicked, [and just about pulled my arm out] was one night when Oromocto had fireworks....
 
Ah yes Fireworks.  A specialty of our dog, she becomes a 65lb lap dog.
Thanks Bruce.
 
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