Do you get to do anything interesting and somewhat relevant to your trade in those 2 years of waiting for clearance, or is it plainly 2 years of waiting before you could starting training for anything trade related?
You are going to hear a variety of answers on this one, and as the old saying goes: your time between your initial Phase I training and your Phase II training is largely what you make of it. There are some who are more than content to sit around day-in and day-out and do very little. However, there are a plethora of different possibilities.
Many Comm Rsch PATs (personnel awaiting trg) are attach-posted to 21 Electronic Warfare Regiment in a variety of capacities. I have seen everything from people working in the training cell developing the unclassified training, to a former Sig Op reprising his role and deploying up north on Op Nannook with the infantry. There are courses available (i.e. driver wheel -- learning to drive a variety of military and civilian vehicles), and training or development opportunities. Some of these might not be readily apparent, but there are always things that need to be done, and a similarly regular lack of people to do them.
A few PATs are also attach posted to CFS Leitrim -- though this typically requires you to have family (either a wife/children or parents) in the area -- though that is not a hard-and-fast rule. In Leitrim, there have been PATs employed in the training cell -- probably one of the better opportunities as you get to maintain proficiency in a number of things that often fall by the wayside while a PAT (i.e. PWT 1/2 [weapons' trg], pistol trg, the opportunity to participate in BFT (a 13km forced ruck march), first aid and many others. Other PATs are posted to supply where they assist the supply personnel with the routine there.
Other PATs can be tasked out to a variety of other units, both in Kingston and across Canada on short-term and longer-term taskings. Port security on the coasts, working with the SOAC (which I believe stands for the Special Operations Assaulter Course -- i.e. Special Forces), or I have even seen a handful of PATs deploy with JTFX (now called the Mission Support Unit) to 29 Palms in California. There have also been people who were attach posted to other units around Kingston unrelated to Comm Rsch but this seems to be an exception and not the rule.
Another exceptional opportunity that you get as a PAT is an abundance of free time. This doesn't mean you have to sit idle. While I was in Kingston, I applied for an ILP (individualized leaning plan -- subsidized education) and attended Queen's University at night. Likewise, you can complete OPME courses (Officer Professional Military Education -- courses that help for promotion once you reach the rank of Corporal or if you choose to commission). I also know of at least one individual who applied directly to RMC, was accepted, and proceeded to finish his degree, full time. What other job gives you a benefit like that, and pays you to do it?
Also, fitness is another possibility. Again, I know of one individual who, with his free time and the consent of his chain of command started a directed running programme. He eventually went on to participate in 100+ km land races.
There are a lot of people who will extol the hardships they endured on PAT, but it really is what you make of it. There will always be less than stellar moments -- and no shortage of them -- but then again that is life in general.
