Mobile Support Equipment Operator

Overview

As a member of the military, Mobile Support Equipment Operators operate military vehicles ranging in size from standard automobiles to snow removal equipment and all-terrain vehicles.

The primary responsibilities of the Mobile Support Equipment Operator are to:

• Operate buses, automobiles, trucks and tractor-trailers
• Operate specialized mobile equipment such as fuelling tankers, snowplows, tractors and all-terrain vehicles
• Receive, load, secure and unload materiel and equipment transported by road
• Provide transportation support for combat and field operations
• Maintain equipment in serviceable condition by cleaning, inspecting and correcting minor faults
• Prepare dispatch schedules and coordinate user requirements for vehicles and equipment
• Prepare and maintain job-related forms, records and reports
  
  
  

Work environment


Mobile Support Equipment Operators encounter a variety of employment and environmental conditions as they are required to operate a broad range of mobile support equipment. Conditions may vary from working indoors on bases to working outdoors, especially during field operations and while on missions abroad.

If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

Entry plans

• Direct Entry Options
  
  

No previous work experience or career related skills are required. CAF recruiters can help you decide if your personal interests and attributes match the criteria for this occupation.

The minimum required education to apply for this occupation is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondary 4 in Quebec.

Foreign education may be accepted.

Training

The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. A goal of this course is to ensure that all recruits maintain the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding.

Mobile Support Equipment Operators attend training at the Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre in Borden, Ontario, for approximately 87 days of training in the following areas:

• Operation of both standard and automatic shift vehicles including Standard Military Pattern vehicles
• Field operations, camouflage, re-supply techniques
• Tactical/Administrative Road moves
• Operation of vehicle systems and components
• Vehicle recovery
• Use of military maps
• Basic knowledge of Air Field Operations
• Dangerous Goods
• Dangerous Goods Instructor
  
  

Mobile Support Equipment Operators may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and on-the-job training, including:

• Safety Supervisor
• Evasive Anti-terrorist Driver
• Evasive Anti-terrorist Driver Instructor
• Tractor-trailer Instructor
• Bus Instructor
• Instructional Techniques
• Air Brake Systems Instructor
• Master Driver
  
  

As they progress in their career, Mobile Support Equipment Operators who demonstrate the required ability and potential will be offered advanced training. Available courses include:

• Dispatcher
• Section Commander training
• Middle management
• Fleet management
  
  

Part time options

This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada. Reserve Force members usually serve part time in their community, and may serve while going to school or working at a civilian job. They are paid during their training. They are not posted or required to do a military move. However, they can volunteer to move to another base. They may also volunteer for deployment on a military mission within or outside Canada.

Mobile Support Equipment Operators may serve with the Canadian Army or the Royal Canadian Air Force. They are employed to operate military vehicles supporting Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) training and operations. Those employed on a part-time or casual full-time basis usually serve at a military base, wing or unit located within Canada.

Find a Recruiting Centre

Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. They usually begin training with their home unit to ensure that they meet the required basic professional military standards. Following basic military training, occupational training for Mobile Support Equipment Operators requires about 70 days and is conducted at Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre in Borden, Ontario.

Reserve Force members usually serve part-time with their home unit for scheduled evenings and weekends, although they may also serve in full-time positions at some units for fixed terms, depending on the type of work that they do. They are paid 92.8% of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.

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