Once upon a time, I was an idealistic young undergrad Commerce student with an idea: The military appeals to me, but I don't want to get blown up.
So.. I decided to join the reserves. A great concept! This way I would be able to test the waters (if you will) of the murky military life style without actually getting myself into something that I can't handle. I lived in Hamilton at the time, so I marched down the the Main Street recruiting center and got the deal started. A gigantic Army sergeant opened my file and told me I needed to get in touch with a reserve unit directly (as I wanted to go officer).
When I told my friends and family what I was doing. Their response was simple: "What? Are you retarded? If you join the military, you'll get blow up!" I laughed at the time. I figured that no one in the reserves ever gets blown up, so off I went.
There were no Army positions open in any of the Hamilton reserve units at the time.. so I joined HMCS STAR. For some reason, about 12 other guys also wanted to join that year, so they had to jockey around the billets a bit. During my unit interview, my future CO asked if I wouldn't mind taking a trade called NCS. He ensured me that there was little chance of getting blown up in that trade... so I said 'giddy-up' and away my file went.
Four successful summers went by, I didn't get blown up, and I liked it all so much that I even went to RMC for an MA in War Studies. The War Studies degree has had a bit of a common theme to it: These days, lots of dudes get blown up... and it sucks. We can think about it in class rooms. We can try to work against it while on deployment. We can even come up with new ways to protect ourselves.. but these days.. getting blown up is a very real risk in the military. No other job in the country is quite like it. From my perspective, the CF is quite possibly one of the most important organizations in our country... but man... this stuff is getting scary.. isn't it?
So.. this year... I'm looking for a job. I want to join the reg. force. Based upon advice from officers at RMC, and colleagues of mine.. I have been advised to stay away from MARS... but the Armour Corps rocks. So.. I told the recruiting office that I'd like to be considered for the Armour corps. Interestingly, my experience in the Naval reserves really hasn't given me any insight into what army life is like.. so despite some military experience, I feel like I'm entering something as a brand-spank'n new member. (so the great 'testing the waters' theory achieved nothing!)
I've recently told my friends and family about my potential to end up in the Army as early as this summer: Again.. my parents, brother, and sister regularly reinforce the fact that guys in the army get blown up. I've been told by family and friends that I'll get blown up so many times, that I'm starting to believe that if I walk to the store to get milk, there is a real chance that I might step on a bouncing betty along the way.
So I ask: Was anyone else worried about this before they joined the army? Am I nuts?
So.. I decided to join the reserves. A great concept! This way I would be able to test the waters (if you will) of the murky military life style without actually getting myself into something that I can't handle. I lived in Hamilton at the time, so I marched down the the Main Street recruiting center and got the deal started. A gigantic Army sergeant opened my file and told me I needed to get in touch with a reserve unit directly (as I wanted to go officer).
When I told my friends and family what I was doing. Their response was simple: "What? Are you retarded? If you join the military, you'll get blow up!" I laughed at the time. I figured that no one in the reserves ever gets blown up, so off I went.
There were no Army positions open in any of the Hamilton reserve units at the time.. so I joined HMCS STAR. For some reason, about 12 other guys also wanted to join that year, so they had to jockey around the billets a bit. During my unit interview, my future CO asked if I wouldn't mind taking a trade called NCS. He ensured me that there was little chance of getting blown up in that trade... so I said 'giddy-up' and away my file went.
Four successful summers went by, I didn't get blown up, and I liked it all so much that I even went to RMC for an MA in War Studies. The War Studies degree has had a bit of a common theme to it: These days, lots of dudes get blown up... and it sucks. We can think about it in class rooms. We can try to work against it while on deployment. We can even come up with new ways to protect ourselves.. but these days.. getting blown up is a very real risk in the military. No other job in the country is quite like it. From my perspective, the CF is quite possibly one of the most important organizations in our country... but man... this stuff is getting scary.. isn't it?
So.. this year... I'm looking for a job. I want to join the reg. force. Based upon advice from officers at RMC, and colleagues of mine.. I have been advised to stay away from MARS... but the Armour Corps rocks. So.. I told the recruiting office that I'd like to be considered for the Armour corps. Interestingly, my experience in the Naval reserves really hasn't given me any insight into what army life is like.. so despite some military experience, I feel like I'm entering something as a brand-spank'n new member. (so the great 'testing the waters' theory achieved nothing!)
I've recently told my friends and family about my potential to end up in the Army as early as this summer: Again.. my parents, brother, and sister regularly reinforce the fact that guys in the army get blown up. I've been told by family and friends that I'll get blown up so many times, that I'm starting to believe that if I walk to the store to get milk, there is a real chance that I might step on a bouncing betty along the way.
So I ask: Was anyone else worried about this before they joined the army? Am I nuts?
