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What They Do
Infantry soldiers are the Army’s primary combat fighters and are responsible for closing with and engaging the enemy. They are the core members of the Combat Arms team, which includes Artillery and Armoured Soldiers.
Infantry Soldiers are capable of operating anywhere in the world in any environment — Arctic tundra, mountains, jungle or desert — and in any combination of arms, including airmobile and amphibious operations. The primary duties of an Infantry Soldiers are to:
- Expertly operate and maintain a wide range of weapons, including rifle, hand-grenades, light, medium and heavy machine-guns, and anti-tank weapons
- Use sophisticated equipment for field communications, navigation and night-vision surveillance
- Inspect and maintain weapon systems, vehicles, survival gear and personal defensive equipment
- Participate in airborne operations
- Operate with support elements such as fighter aircraft, tactical and artillery
- Engage in unarmed combat
- Employ camouflage and concealment, patrol, assault, defence, and escape-and-evasion tactics.
Working Environment
Infantry Soldiers normally work outdoors. Both in training and on operations they live and work in conditions that would resemble those in the field. Infantry Soldiers will be posted to a battalion in Canada, but there are employment opportunities across Canada and on deployed operations around the world.
Career Development
The starting salary for a fully-trained Infantry Soldier is $49,400 per year; however, depending on previous experience and training the starting salary may be higher. Infantry Soldiers who demonstrate the required ability, dedication and potential are selected for opportunities for career progression, promotion and advanced training, including Paratrooper 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 Forces physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding.
After Basic Training, Army recruits go to a Military Training centre for the Soldier Qualification course for approximately one month, which covers the following topics:
- Army Physical Fitness
- Dismounted Offensive and Defensive Operations
- Reconnaissance Patrolling
- Advanced Weapons Handling
- Individual Field Craft
Infantry Soldiers attend one of three Military Training Centres: The Royal Canadian Regiment in Meaford, Ontario; Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Wainwright, Alberta; and The Royal 22e Régiment in Valcartier, Quebec. The training takes 17 weeks and includes the following topics:
- Use and care of personal and section-level weapons, including rifles, machine guns and anti-tank weapons
- Field-craft, including personal hygiene and meal preparation, camouflage, sentry duties, signalling, selecting firing positions, tactical movements and lines of advance
- Construction of field defences, such as trenches and roadblocks, and laying and marking of minefields
- Navigation by day and by night
- Patrolling operations
- Infantry section and platoon tactics, including offensive, defensive and transitional operations
Infantry Soldiers may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and on-the-job training, including:
- Basic Parachutist
- Parachute Jumpmaster
- Para Instructor
- Mountain Warfare
- Instructional Techniques
- First Aid Instructor
- Rappelmaster
- Unarmed Combat Instructor
- Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defence Instructor
- Urban Operations
As they progress in their career, Infantry Soldiers who demonstrate the required ability and potential will be offered advanced training. Available courses include:
- Instructional Techniques
- Primary Army Leadership
- Infantry Soldier Section Commander
- Infantry Soldier Platoon Second-in-Command
- Infantry Soldier Company Sergeant-Major
- Communicator
- Reconnaissance Patrolling
- Anti-Armour Gunner
- Sniper
- Section Commander
- Eryx Gunner
- Machinegunner (Heavy and General Purpose)
- Small Arms Coach
- 25mm Gunner and light armoured vehicle Crew Commander
- Winter (Arctic) and Jungle Operations
- Patrol Pathfinder
- Tactical Intelligence Operator
The minimum required education to apply for this position is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Canada. Foreign education may be accepted.
This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada. Reserve Force members usually serve part time at an Air Force Wing 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.
Infantry Soldiers serve with the Canadian Army. They are the Army’s primary combat fighters, are responsible for engaging the enemy and are the core members of the Combat Arms team, which includes Artillery and Armoured Soldiers. When they are employed on a part-time or casual full-time basis they usually serve at a Canadian Armed Forces Infantry unit located within Canada.
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 training, Army recruits train for the Soldier qualification for approximately one month and then Infantry Soldiers attend one of three Canadian Armed Force training centres for 17 weeks of Infantry training.
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 85% of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.
Find a unit in your area and start the application process for part-time employment now.
