- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 210
Hey all,
This is my first post here, but I've been perusing the boards for a while, reading stories, tips and so forth. Been quite enjoyable and quite a bit of help in getting my recruitment processes started up. Thanks ;D
Anyways, I finally landed my interview for tomorrow (December 20 / 2007 ), after applying and waiting for nearly a year, filling in this paper and that form and so forth.
My adventure began years ago when I made the stupid mistake of leaving the reserves (West Novies) to go to college. Being young at the time, not knowing where my life was heading it seemed like a great idea. I had hurt my leg pretty badly during QL3 at the time (infantry training) and it always brought me pain for the longest time. I hid if for a while in a haze of addiction to painkillers which I ended up overcoming...I never lost family or friends over it but people saw me as a pill popper. The shame is the miltary provided me these pills any time I went in to get them. I kicked habit after a couple of months, before it could become detrimental. At this point I decided to enroll into college and leave the military.
Great idea? Wrong.
I went through 2 years of college, gaining weight and losing my nice physique. I went from 185 pounds to 200, then completed my 2nd year of college. I choose Human Services with a 2nd year in Addictions Counselling. Pretty nifty eh? It helped me understand quite a bit in my life and that I'm grateful.
I left college, moved back to the Annapolis Valley with my fiance and found a few odd jobs till I landed in the educational system as a Educational Assistant (due to my experience and education I worked with kids that had issues incl. drugs). Was nice for 2 years, then my job came to a screaming halt because the new student I worked with committed suicide. My position was erased, as well as his 14 year old life. Very upsetting for a while. At this point, I had more or less given up on exercise and was 245 pounds.
After that I went to work in a furniture factory then at a call center, hating every moment of it. In that time I got married to my high school sweet heart (been together 11 years , married for 6 and not regretting a moment). I have a 3 1/2 year old son and another young one on the way. Also own a house (nice place in a nice area) and my wife got an amazing job.
I couldn't be happier, except for 1 nagging thing. I really missed the army. Every time I updated my portfolio I'd see my old cap badge, my commendation for participation in the Swissair Flight 111 recovery, and my old pictures of one of the most memorable times of my life. (note : I visited the Swissair Flight 111 memorial last summer, I suggest if anyone here did recovery and has not been there to see it please do so, I didn't realize how upset and proud it made me to see it)
A few years ago I tried to re-enlist. This was after I had lost my school job. I exercised every day, but have always had problems gaining muscle mass. I attribute this to growing up on welfare as a kid and not eating for 2-3 days at a time because of lack of money. I did the step test, sit ups, grip test and was doing the push-ups when BAM, my arm and wrist was alive with a massive pain...I had sprained my wrist badly. 2 more pushups was all I had to do but I couldn't do them at all.
So I gave up on the idea, and here I am 2 1/2 years later. My brother in law enlisted back in March and it was then I learned that they removed the physical from teh start of the recruitment process to actually being part of the Basic (the 90 days fat camp is what I call it > ). Due to sitting on my behind in a crappy call center on horrid shifts I've gained a bit of weight...evened out at 235 pounds but since I've been back in the groove I've toned up a bit and have lost some weight. I feel good.
It's been the ray of hope at the end of a tunnel. I've had to get rid of a criminal record.Let me give some advise on this. If you have one, write a letter when you're done the process detailing that you are trying to enter the Canadian Armed Forces and that your record is holding you back from being enlisted. It made my application (once completed) go from a 14-18 MONTH wait to having it in less than 3 weeks. Now I feel clean.
I guess that's my story, a bit less than some, a bit more than others. I just hope that even if I can't get into the next Basic that's going on I can at least get into the Physical Fitness training course, because I know for a fact that I'm going to end up in it anyways...my current job leaves me tired, exhausted and no time to exercise besides the walks I take at lunch (about 1km) and the weights I use in the morning and the pushups I do before I hit the hay.
Does anyone know if they'd enlist me right into the fitness training so I could get ready for the next basic training? Either way I'm going to inquire about it...it'll happen anyways but doing it that way might save some time.
Thanks for reading all.
Edit : My trade picks are Combat Eng / Weapons Tech / Intelligence. I'm going to hassle them to become a Medic when I have my interview though although Combat Engineer seems very interesting.
This is my first post here, but I've been perusing the boards for a while, reading stories, tips and so forth. Been quite enjoyable and quite a bit of help in getting my recruitment processes started up. Thanks ;D
Anyways, I finally landed my interview for tomorrow (December 20 / 2007 ), after applying and waiting for nearly a year, filling in this paper and that form and so forth.
My adventure began years ago when I made the stupid mistake of leaving the reserves (West Novies) to go to college. Being young at the time, not knowing where my life was heading it seemed like a great idea. I had hurt my leg pretty badly during QL3 at the time (infantry training) and it always brought me pain for the longest time. I hid if for a while in a haze of addiction to painkillers which I ended up overcoming...I never lost family or friends over it but people saw me as a pill popper. The shame is the miltary provided me these pills any time I went in to get them. I kicked habit after a couple of months, before it could become detrimental. At this point I decided to enroll into college and leave the military.
Great idea? Wrong.
I went through 2 years of college, gaining weight and losing my nice physique. I went from 185 pounds to 200, then completed my 2nd year of college. I choose Human Services with a 2nd year in Addictions Counselling. Pretty nifty eh? It helped me understand quite a bit in my life and that I'm grateful.
I left college, moved back to the Annapolis Valley with my fiance and found a few odd jobs till I landed in the educational system as a Educational Assistant (due to my experience and education I worked with kids that had issues incl. drugs). Was nice for 2 years, then my job came to a screaming halt because the new student I worked with committed suicide. My position was erased, as well as his 14 year old life. Very upsetting for a while. At this point, I had more or less given up on exercise and was 245 pounds.
After that I went to work in a furniture factory then at a call center, hating every moment of it. In that time I got married to my high school sweet heart (been together 11 years , married for 6 and not regretting a moment). I have a 3 1/2 year old son and another young one on the way. Also own a house (nice place in a nice area) and my wife got an amazing job.
I couldn't be happier, except for 1 nagging thing. I really missed the army. Every time I updated my portfolio I'd see my old cap badge, my commendation for participation in the Swissair Flight 111 recovery, and my old pictures of one of the most memorable times of my life. (note : I visited the Swissair Flight 111 memorial last summer, I suggest if anyone here did recovery and has not been there to see it please do so, I didn't realize how upset and proud it made me to see it)
A few years ago I tried to re-enlist. This was after I had lost my school job. I exercised every day, but have always had problems gaining muscle mass. I attribute this to growing up on welfare as a kid and not eating for 2-3 days at a time because of lack of money. I did the step test, sit ups, grip test and was doing the push-ups when BAM, my arm and wrist was alive with a massive pain...I had sprained my wrist badly. 2 more pushups was all I had to do but I couldn't do them at all.
So I gave up on the idea, and here I am 2 1/2 years later. My brother in law enlisted back in March and it was then I learned that they removed the physical from teh start of the recruitment process to actually being part of the Basic (the 90 days fat camp is what I call it > ). Due to sitting on my behind in a crappy call center on horrid shifts I've gained a bit of weight...evened out at 235 pounds but since I've been back in the groove I've toned up a bit and have lost some weight. I feel good.
It's been the ray of hope at the end of a tunnel. I've had to get rid of a criminal record.Let me give some advise on this. If you have one, write a letter when you're done the process detailing that you are trying to enter the Canadian Armed Forces and that your record is holding you back from being enlisted. It made my application (once completed) go from a 14-18 MONTH wait to having it in less than 3 weeks. Now I feel clean.
I guess that's my story, a bit less than some, a bit more than others. I just hope that even if I can't get into the next Basic that's going on I can at least get into the Physical Fitness training course, because I know for a fact that I'm going to end up in it anyways...my current job leaves me tired, exhausted and no time to exercise besides the walks I take at lunch (about 1km) and the weights I use in the morning and the pushups I do before I hit the hay.
Does anyone know if they'd enlist me right into the fitness training so I could get ready for the next basic training? Either way I'm going to inquire about it...it'll happen anyways but doing it that way might save some time.
Thanks for reading all.
Edit : My trade picks are Combat Eng / Weapons Tech / Intelligence. I'm going to hassle them to become a Medic when I have my interview though although Combat Engineer seems very interesting.