Would You Join The Military?

[Schilly]

I want to hear what everyone has to say and the reasons for it. I myself am still young, currently in my second year of college and looking at a variety of options. Call the post-highschool experience the metaphorical "head from ass" removal if you will. Either way the military is one of the things I've thought about.

[Michael Hardner]

It's hard for me to invision taking a job which might require me voluntarily giving up my life. Not impossible, but hard.

I have never seriously considered military service, and those that I have met that have done it have described a hard, hard life.

It sounds to me more like a calling than a career. If you feel, in your heart, that you want to give yourself away to your country in that way then maybe the military is a good choice for you.

[KrustyKidd]

I was in the army for twenty years. I specialised in communications as a radio operator, went Airborne and became a Pathfinder. I had a lot of fun, worked hard, played hard and made some damm good friends. Back around 92 it started getting really stupid with more attention on being politically correct rather than being a team effort. More people were worried about their "career" rather than their comarades. After fifteen years of soldiering, mountain climbing, parachuting, scuba diving, skiing, peacekeeping, helecoptering and travelling the world I was asked by my men how they might become like me. I told them to go Airborne but knew that those days were over as the Regiment at that time was being disbanded and budget cuts were minimizing a lot of the active postings and more adventurous activities.

My advice to you is to join the American Forces as a Combat Engineer. Not as a career but for say eight or ten years to recieve the full extent of the experience. As an Engeneer you have full exposure to the front line but actually walk away with enough experience to apply to a civillian life. Both Officer and Non Commisioned Officer can do this, why not twenty? You may find you love it and never want to leave but if I did it again I would have gotten out long before it became stale. I like to do different things and scince I left in the mid ninties I have had a full life as well.

The falicy of doing it for God and Country is a rare occurence, at best it is for personal honor and the ability to serve something greater than yourself. In times of strife you fellow soldiers are far more reason than Country or God to serve well. Remember, if you are doing it for country be prepared to be disappointed, this country changed faster than the military ever could.

[westcoast99]

Military service is about serving your country.

Join the Canadian Forces, not the US army.

We are not the United States. I find it strange that the US Army would accept non-citizens to begin with.

[KrustyKidd]

They do, a few of the guys I served with went to Viet Nam and a couple were in the French Foreign Legion (albeit AWOL from the CAR LOL). You want to serve your country serve it. Governors General Footguards or some other high level diplomatic showpiece but the question was the metaphoric removal of the

"head from ass"

and what we thought this young fellow should do. As an individual for experience, adventure and exposure I would go US. Fifteen years ago I would not consider it but being a witness to the degeneration of our forces how could any with a sound mind say 'join ours' unless of course they must be Canadian or nothing?

BTW, "Military Service is about serving your Country?"

This is true when a country remembers your service and backs you up. Witness WO Stoppford and how quick they threw him him to the wolves, Korean War Vets, WWII vets. And start calling "Warriors Day" Warriors Day. Ya, when a country is there for them the soldiers wil line up in droves to serve it. A personal one; Rememberance Day 1989 me and another close friend talked to our RSM about going to the grave of a friend who had been killed on duty in Egypt in '79 (10th year aniversary) He gave us the time but could not give us a car, hotel, meals or such. No big deal. We went anyhow, a day's travel and had his name put on the roster for the fallen. The first one in Georgetown On for UN duty. The legion gave us a honor guard at a private ceremony at the grave site but the thing that I remember was the fact that the miltiary didn't even give us a STINKING WREATH!

Don't talk to me about countries to serve.

[Schilly]

I've looked into the US Military actually, even to the extremities of the Marines and the Navy Seals (though the later don't accept non-US citizens). There's something about Canada's neglect to ours which doesn't make it as appealing as the US. I know it's pretty much well a polar opposite as far as funding is concerned. Maybe its still my youthful side that may be more inclined to want to be a part of something that does stuff quite often, or at least more often. I mean for Canada to serve in Afghanistan we're stretching it there with 1900 troops approximately and we don't even get involved much elsewhere (I can think of Bosnia off the top for current peacekeeping missions at the moment though there have been more in the past). I asked a friend of mine about my consideration of joining the military, and the US one to boot, she responded "would you enjoy killing people and destroying cultures around the world?" She wondered how I could find the possibility "fun" at all to be involved. I didn't know what to say to that, except I shot back with the possibility of peacekeeping and things of that nature and not doing it entirely for the reasons of killing people.

What I meant about the idea of removing my head from my ass since I grad'ed from highschool is that before I was convinced I was going to be an English teacher, now that is far from the case. You're looking at a person who couldn't really give a shit about the world and on the advent of his graduating year, as cliche as it sounds, a week in a couple planes hit some famous buildings in the states which suddenly had me interested in the state of the world. Yet I don't think we're all that politically contrived at that age.

How does this tie in to me considering the military? Well it's to with what I want out of life. Since the aforementioned slap in the face to the reality I've been quite interested in any and all knowledge I can consume (mostly being politics and world affairs). Right now in school I'm pretty interested in my political science courses and if I were to pursue a career with that in mind I'd want to take it far (I'm talking into Parliament down the road). I'm finishing up general studies requirements before having to make the choice to ladder into a degree, drop the program, or move on to something else completely. Nonetheless, I look at that too and wonder if I'd be wasting myself as being young and athletic then confining my existence to an office job of sorts.

People tell me the choice will hit me one day out of the blue and not to make any hasty decisions.

[KrustyKidd]

First off, get your friend off your back with this comeback; Do you think that firemen hope for a devastating fire they can risk their lives on? Do you think that a policeman with a family just itches at the beginning of each shift change for a chance to meet up with a shotgun toting madman? Of course not. Then why would an intelligent human think that a soldier wishes to be thrust into harms way?

If it is comaderie you are looking for there are a variety of ways to acheive this without joining the military. Most are better paying for a fit, energetic and motivated youngster like yourself as well. Tree planting and Siesmic are two and working as a laborer or minimum wager in the NWT is another. All pay well, give a good slap in the face to wake you up, provide many excellent adventures and memories as well as diversify you into a realm that 99% of Canadians don't see or understand.

It you are stuck on the military and don't want to leave home in order to test the waters then you can join up with your local Reserve Unit. Just about every town has one in some way, shape or form. Look in the yellow pages under recruiting and they will tell you what and where the nearest one is. It's part time but has one big attraction and that is the intrest factor. They have to keep youngsters like yourself interested otherwise you will go someplace else. Some of these Militia Units may seem pretentious but don't forget, when we had half a million guys in uniform during the War they all came from these units. They are their history and ours. These units also have opportunity to enhance overtasked Regular Force Units as well on UN missions as well as what is going on in Afganistan. Hope this helped. Good luck!

[Schilly]

The local reserves are only a 20 min drive away or so...one of the numerous things I've toiled over.

[KrustyKidd]

They are harmless. I joined one when I got out for about six months before I started my next adventure. Worked with a couple of ex Airborne guys I knew, they were just as motivated as they were in the Borne but showed the humanity that a true instructor understood. They were instructors not pain givers (although some would think that was their mission) and we all knew that the object was to motivate and instill idealology and a certain amount of militarism in the young people comming in the door without being an asshole. Gone are the days of the old Bristish Boot Camp. Power trippers are a thing of the past or will be if they go too far as It does not wash with the knowledgable recruit these days. It is hard yet rewarding to deal with a thinking human X 30 but that is where disipline comes in. As a reservist you get exposed to it but not in the extreme. It's phased in as you are ready. I would make the call, good time of year, there are lots of kids in the same boat as you right now and the training year has just started so you won't be too far behind. What is the function of the unit or it's name?

[Schilly]

This one in question is the Royal Westminster Regiment, located in Aldergrove, BC.

here

[KrustyKidd]

I don't know them well but do know a very good friend of mine was from that Regiment. Larry Hartinger. He was on my Airborne Indoctrination Course. He was with the Skyhawks and died in 89 after getting hit with the tail of a Dakota during a demonstration jump. Good enough for him, good enough for me. He was a good soldier.

[Schilly]

I'll definitely look into it. Balancing that with classes, a part-time job and such will also be tough. No social life at all, though hey I've become accustomed to it already lol.

[Black Dog]

You could join the U.S. armed forces. In fact, there's new openings every day.

[Lost in Manitoba]

That's harsh BD.

[Black Dog]

True, Lost, but something for our young friend to consider should he decide to traipse off and join another country's armed forces.

[Schilly]

I don't know if I want to move to the States to get a Green Card however.

[Communist_boy]

Personally myself i am getting in when i get out of high school. It is actually a pretty good place to go if your not sure what to do. But if your really not sure talk to a recruter or such, they may try and really sell the idea but they do have the information.

[Schilly]

Personally myself i am getting in when i get out of high school. It is actually a pretty good place to go if your not sure what to do. But if your really not sure talk to a recruter or such, they may try and really sell the idea but they do have the information.

I'm trying to hit up that local reserve this weekend.