Looking for answers

[Jay_Dee]

Good day to everyone,

I have been following these forums for about 3 months now and have never posted until now. I am 23 and have finished college and now I manage a very successful night club, but i don‘t feel challenged. Not from the job because the job is great and challengeing but my desirer and passion is not being fulfilled. The reason why i have‘nt posted until now is because I have been trying to decide if the forces are for me. i have my testing in April and i am looking forward to it, but I still can‘t figure if the forces are for me. I love the idealisms that make the forces the forces and I have wanted to be part of this family since I was a child, the sense of belonging, the love to make a difference, the ambition to acheive greatness as a team and as a person.
But on the other hand I am concered with things like the lack of respect from our own people(friends and co-workers who say things like why would you want to join the military) and goverment(no political backbone or concern for its most essential department, through cuts and token funding just to please our allies), equipment (although it seems to make us very resourceful), and concern for my future when or if i ever leave the military (civil skills that i would have, cause i want to join the infantry, full service).

I spend everyday at work, at home, out socializing thinking about this and saying one minute yes and the next no. What I am doing is running around in circles and now i am asking for advice from people on this fourm and people that i know that serve and have served and I have and am asking questions like "what was it that made you join" and "how do you handle with these negitive aspects that i have mentioned".

So I am asking the people on this fourm what made you join and why, and how did you deal with the negitive comments and aspects, did they play a part in your enlistment in the forces. I need some clearafication to help me cause I want it but i keep questioning certain aspects that really concern me.

James

 

[Marti]

i‘ve been in the reserves for about 10 months now, so i‘m not sure how relevant my imput is. i joined mostly for the same reasons you‘re contemplating, and i plan to transfer to the reg force when i finish university. in any case, whenever someone asks me why i joined, or heckles me in uniform (it‘s only happened once) i just remind myself i joined the organization that guarantees these people have a the freedom to choose not to join, and the freedom to say what they want about me and the army, so i take comfort in knowing the system works (yeah, i‘m pretty idealistic, i wonder when that‘ll wear off). the less idealistic part of me is thinking that their taxes are going to be paying for my education reinbursment and some pretty decent summer jobs. as far as using your experience afterwards, although there aren‘t too many transferable skills in the infantry, i think a lot of employers value the personal attributes you learn in the military, like teamwork, stress management and leadership. i hope that helps.

 

[Zoomie]

James, this is a decision that you‘re going to have to make on your own. I‘m sure you know this...
It is obviously not a decision to be taken lightly.

I would not base my decision on what is happening in the civilian world. Governments come and go, public opinion changes every day, but the CF will endure. Quite frankly, the average Joe hasn‘t got a clue what is happening in the CF and what exactly we can and cannot do. If and when you go RegF Infantry you will soon find this out.

If you want a stable career, varied skills and the opportunity to travel to exotic places (Afghanistan = Exotic - I think NOT!) then why not give it a try. If it doesn‘t work out for you, do your time and then get out. At least then you will never be wondering what it would have been like!

 

[PTE Gruending]

James,
I think you would encounter quite of bit of flak from family and co-workers, etc. The fact of the matter is that they don‘t understand what being in the military entails, and thus it is alien to them. What you have to keep in mind if you, say have a buddy giving you the gears, are the reasons you joined. Basically keep your pride in mind, and remember that part of being a soldier is putting up with things which other people may not be able to (ie: harder conditions, buddy giving you the gears, etc).

You should really try joining the reserves first to get a taste for the military lifestyle before you go regs. Remember you must sign a 3 year contract if you sign up Reg force, whereas the reserves have no committement. As well; reserve training is much more compressed than that of the Reg force‘s. Thus you can get a taste much quicker by going the "fast" route.

Hope this helps...

 

[Illucigen]

1) Excellent post. You‘ve really thought this through, and its refreshing to see.

2)Nightclub eh... how do I get VIP?? ;-) The boys would love to go.. hehe

3)Are you looking at Officer or NCM ranks?

4)Marketable skills: Given that you are already a successful civie manager, that experience will never be lost. And service in the infantry will shwo that you have dedication to your country, and at the very least often opens doors into security firms and bodyguard type stuff when you leave, from what Im told. Most police forces are now realizing this and actively recruit in the forces.. Edmonton hired 40 PPCLI soldiers last year, and Ottawa hired 40 ex-JTF2 for its SRT.

5) Reserves... they are what you make them. From what I hear from people int he reserves, and people who have switched to RegF, is that the reserves can be very very very lazy/slack. And its not all their fault. Training is weekends/summers, funding isnt always there, etc. But it can be a good initiation into the forces if you are unsure, and you can always request a CT to RegF if you really like it.

6) While it matters what your friends and family think, what they think could change in a matter of days should Canada be attacked by terrorists, for example. The public is fickle, the Canadian public even more so, because as we are not a superpower, we do not have the same values of self-defence and force projection as the US does.

Most in Canada at least sympathize with CF members, if not support them. Many a time people have made jokes to me about our equipment, size, etc. But they have no idea about our training capabilities, and the down-right strenght of our serving men and women....

I think you‘ve thought it through. Give it a shot.

 

[Jay_Dee]

Well I have decided to join and have my testing at the end of april. I am ready mentally and physically.

Now just the waiting.

thanks

-james-