[BeaverFever]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

Well I feel the whole thing is political anyway. But maybe those excellent leaders should have made the effort to learn French. You don't have to be a poet, when a lot of the Anglo senior brass speak French, they sound like a severely brain damged Gerard Depardieu that's also gone completely deaf. So did Harper, who spoke almost no French when he was elected. But they went and learned it. Im pretty sure the GOC provides or covers the cost the course for career track professionals.

The pace of the army from 2001 until 2014 was brutal and prevented many good leaders from attending language courses while they were busy preparing to lead troops in combat and bring them home.

All I can say is that if you want to be flagged as "career track" in any institution, then you have to make it a goal to have the necessary qualifications. People who rise to the top often do so because people above them either officially or unofficially decide to be mentors and shepherds and champions, and they help pave the road ahead for those identified as "carreer track" so they can do things like go on french immersion in Quebec for a year.

Also I don't know how much RMC snobbery plays into things (probably a lot) but my guess is that it's not the RMC grads (who are probably 'career track' by default) who are lacking in French.

[2Cdo]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

2Cdo 2Cdo:

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

Well I feel the whole thing is political anyway. But maybe those excellent leaders should have made the effort to learn French. You don't have to be a poet, when a lot of the Anglo senior brass speak French, they sound like a severely brain damged Gerard Depardieu that's also gone completely deaf. So did Harper, who spoke almost no French when he was elected. But they went and learned it. Im pretty sure the GOC provides or covers the cost the course for career track professionals.

The pace of the army from 2001 until 2014 was brutal and prevented many good leaders from attending language courses while they were busy preparing to lead troops in combat and bring them home.

All I can say is that if you want to be flagged as "career track" in any institution, then you have to make it a goal to have the necessary qualifications. People who rise to the top often do so because people above them either officially or unofficially decide to be mentors and shepherds and champions, and they help pave the road ahead for those identified as "carreer track" so they can do things like go on french immersion in Quebec for a year.

Also I don't know how much RMC snobbery plays into things (probably a lot) but my guess is that it's not the RMC grads (who are probably 'career track' by default) who are lacking in French.

Funny thing about RMC grads is that hardly any of them have ever made it right to the top. As a general rule, highly educated but very shitty leadership ability.

And you're partly right that it is good to have someone take you under their wing, provided that they themselves are good leaders. Seen an awful lot that tied their wagon to a mentor who was lacking and effectively limit their own career.

[ShepherdsDog]

Some of the best officers I've come across have spent time as an NCO. Unfortunately, there aren't too many. Actually we had one Master Seaman...rad op, who had been an officer.. ASLt. , quit and reenlisted.

[2Cdo]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Some of the best officers I've come across have spent time as an NCO. Unfortunately, there aren't too many. Actually we had one Master Seaman...rad op, who had been an officer.. ASLt. , quit and reenlisted.

In the army it became more frequent over the last 15-20 years and most of them turned out excellent. One good buddy of mine just packed it in and retired as a full colonel!
We both still laugh about his career because as a private he came dangerously close to being kicked out for constantly getting into shit.

[ShepherdsDog]

Guy I know started as a medic...went to U of M got his medical degree and spent 22 years as a doctor in the military.

[2Cdo]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Guy I know started as a medic...went to U of M got his medical degree and spent 22 years as a doctor in the military.

We had a doc like that in Kingston. Did 3 years as a grunt, got out and went to university eventually becoming a doctor and re-joined the military.

One of the best doctors I've ever seen in the military.

[Freakinoldguy]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Guy I know started as a medic...went to U of M got his medical degree and spent 22 years as a doctor in the military.

I knew a Killick Sig that did the same thing. Great Signalman, not so great a doctor.

[2Cdo]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Guy I know started as a medic...went to U of M got his medical degree and spent 22 years as a doctor in the military.

I knew a Killick Sig that did the same thing. Great Signalman, not so great a doctor.

I met a lot of signals personnel that weren't that great a signals person.

[Freakinoldguy]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

Well I feel the whole thing is political anyway. But maybe those excellent leaders should have made the effort to learn French. You don't have to be a poet, when a lot of the Anglo senior brass speak French, they sound like a severely brain damged Gerard Depardieu that's also gone completely deaf. So did Harper, who spoke almost no French when he was elected. But they went and learned it. Im pretty sure the GOC provides or covers the cost the course for career track professionals.

It is political and it's a system designed to miss out on some of the best people in order to placate political correctness.

As for making the time to go on course. You don't get to decide when and where you go on course, the military and your unit does. So if you're good at your job don't be surprised if it takes you decades to get on the language course because there isn't that much room on the courses and your unit will be remiss to let you go.

[Freakinoldguy]

2Cdo 2Cdo:

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Guy I know started as a medic...went to U of M got his medical degree and spent 22 years as a doctor in the military.

I knew a Killick Sig that did the same thing. Great Signalman, not so great a doctor.

I met a lot of signals personnel that weren't that great a signals person.

Maybe they should have remustered to MO.