Joining the Canadian Forces

Well I have back up plans, but I was hoping that they would not be necessary. It`s not over yet - my file manager explained that most people don`t make the first couple of MPACs. So really nothing out of the ordinary is happening here. I just thought I would be among the lucky ones. I thought wrong. They`re still hiring, just not in droves, and only a few occupations.

We`ve had wars come and go before, so I must expect that there is hope.

All the P's ginger.

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Well I tried calling a general recruiting line today, and they were very uninformative, and quite unwilling to talk. Perhaps because their position as recruiters is coming to a close?

I got an email from the Officer that interviewed me, as I had asked my file manager what I could do to better my chances and make my file more attractive. She suggested a re-interview, and told me the points that I was weak on when I did my original interview back in August. It was essentially knowing the occupation, which seemed odd, as I knew a lot about MPs, but I guess I could always learn more. She also suggested more "aptitude" towards policing, such as gaining experience. I thought this was odd, as it's hard to gain policing experience without actually becoming a police officer. I am active in the community, but not a volunteer with an actual police service. Anyway, she has yet to get back to me on when I can do this re-interview and get more points. Frustrating.

Well in any case, I hope my chances increase after the next fiscal year starts. Hopefully then there will be more opportunity.

Does anyone know what the ROTP is? What it entails, when it happens, etc? I am interested in becoming an Officer, but I already have a degree. But I will do almost anything at this point to eventually be able to serve. I'm actually looking into going to RMC for graduate studies. I guess this is all to pass the time until the next fiscal year.

Well officer in waiting you can practice your investigation skills via Google :wink:

http://www.rmcc.forces.gc.ca/adm/rotpre ... fi-eng.asp

Aptitude towards policing? Hmm, that is a bit of a strange thing to ask you to get more of. I mean aptitude for policing to me is more inherent I thought than taught, or at least a good part inherent. Maybe finding work of volunteer stuff in an area that requires a lot of public interaction and communication (not just taking food orders communication) and one that allows practice conflict resolution or problem solving from time to time. Something that gives your memory a work out, I don't know, I'm just drawing from the police aptitude tests I've taken.

Do a co-op with your local cop det, or do one of the community programs most services do, etc.

Showing initiative is always seen as a good thing.

I just applied for a Masters at RMC. I wish they paid for your graduate degree the same way they pay for your undergrad before joining the services. I always wanted a Masters, but was hoping to get it while with the Canadian Forces, but oh well. It gives me another option, and hopefully makes my application more attractive.

I've just heard that they have too many civilians employed right now, and will have to "re-shuffle" those who work in national defense. Just wondering if the cuts to the civilians will have a huge impact on regular force recruiting? Any ideas?

From what I heard, only in the media though, is that they had a target ceiling of Civis they should have on in force but had exceeded that so just want to get it back down to the ceiling number. They said via attrition but I know many civis are on contract there so maybe they will just not renew contracts. To answer your question I don't see how this would hurt regular member recruiting. But I have no inside scoop on these things so..

Well Ginger, I just joined this site to answer your question. First there is a shortage of MPO's and it is still a red circled occupation but they still may not be recruiting yet. Money for training is the issue not the manpower requirements.

This time last year my son went to officer basics in St. Jean's, then did his infantry officer basic in Nova Scotia. Today is his first day of MP and MPO training in Borden. I was Regular Force many decades ago in the Navy as an officer and have been in the CIC (senior Captain in the Cadeting program) for around 20 years so I do know the "system" somewhat.

As others have pointed out, being an MPO is not being an MP. First lets review civilian police which rely on Non-commissioned members to enter the officer cadre. The first officer rank in the police is "Inspector" and that roughly is where you enter the MP organization, as an officer. The CF is the only police force where you can become an "inspector" (that is, at the officer level) without going through the whole constable, corporal, etc.... thing. At the officer level you become a cop administrator/manager.

My son was posted to Edmonton as part of 1 MPU during his interim posting waiting for his MP course. There he was told he has a reasonable chance, upon graduation, of being the only MP officer in Shilo Manitoba beginning in June or July of this New Year. There he will roughly have 20 cops (MP's) and 5 civilians under him. This posting is kind of a "training bra" of future larger command.

Upon graduation you may not have a command situation, instead you could be a staff officer for your first three years upon MP graduation, or be given further training and used elsewhere.

Now how to get in, which is not easy. First needless to say you have to have decent grades from university, which sounds like you might have. But the next requirement is also a necessity, an indication in your life's experience that you have strong leadership potential, and if you are an administrator nerd, all the better.

Most Canadians have had zero leadership training and experience, note this is separate from managing people. Its one thing to set up a work schedule for the personnel you manage, but to lead the troops over the top of the bunker into enemy fire is another skill altogether.

So how to get leadership experience and training? Why not join your local reserves, best one to join is infantry based or close to it at the officer level. You will be given training in leadership and provided with leadership positions. Your assessments, assuming they are good, will go a long way to differentiating you from other candidates who are civilian without any leadership skills. If you can't get into your local reserves, then consider being an officer in your local army cadets, you will be given some leadership training and experience. Leadership for the great majority is a learned thing. It will take you some time to get into the regular force, first they need to be recruiting so it might be around two years, might as well take advantage of that time to better yourself. Don't tell the reserves or cadeting organization you want to go reg force, they might pass you by - why train you only to lose you.

Competition is heavy and not easy so work on all facets of yourself including being in shape and at proper weight. When the officers showed up for their "basic" training at St. Jean's, three were sent home the next day because they couldn't meet basic physical standards. At St. Jean's, you will live between the 7th and 9th floor and you won't be allowed to take the elevator; you will need to go to your room roughly 4 or 5 times a day. So build basic cardio vascular qualities and do some strength training, you will need to be able to do push ups.

Welcome to the CF!

Thank you so much for your response and all of the info. I am actually not applying as an MPO, but rather a NCM as an MP, with the hope of becoming an Officer once within the CF (I did not have the required degree to become an MPO). Anyway, So I am hoping to begin the MPAC within the next couple of months. Can you offer any insight into the MPAC?

I am in pretty good shape (although I have really been slacking over the holidays). Even though they gave me an outline of fitness expectations, it is really hard to determine what is considered to be great shape, and what is bad. I have passed several civilian police fitness tests, so hopefully that is somewhat of a benchmark. I have to tell you though, as a female, push-ups are challenging, but I have come a long way. Running and sit-ups, however, have not been a challenge.

Again, thank you very much for the information that you have provided. I really appreciate it. I really hope to become a member of the CF really soon! Seems to be the best career you could possibly ask for.

Exactly. I have a Communications and Business French degree with honours, but to become a direct entry MPO you need a degree in Criminology, Psych, Sociology, Political Science, etc. I mean, really? I took criminology courses in University, but chose not to major in it because I wanted a degree that kept my options open. I know that my degree is in no way inferior to the particular liberal arts degrees that they ask for, but oh well, I just grin and bear it. I think it's ridiculous. It's not like they know more about law than I do necessarily. Even more, for an Intelligence Officer, they want a journalism degree. Communications and Journalism are the same thing! But not according to the CF! To become an MP, you must have a Police Foundations diploma. My degree was sufficient for that, since it was higher education. Yet for a civilian police service, all you need is a High School Diploma, AND get far less training. Makes no sense to me, but like I said, I just go with the flow, and hope to become an Officer eventually. The only downside is that, since I am applying as a NCM, I will have to do basic training if I am lucky to get accepted. One downside.