Hey guys, I'm new to the forums. I swear to you all I have UTFSEd, but I can't seem to find a straight answer. For instance, in this thread, dapaterson and mysteriousmind seem to contradict each other. In this thread:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/17456.0.html
Nobody seemed to answer the OP's original question.
This thread was very useful:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/32962.0.html
But I still have a couple questions/uncertainties.
I'm a 21 year old student. I'm majoring in economics and philosophy, and plan on attending law school once I finish my undergraduate degree.
I have met people in the reserves, and they seem to think of it as a summer job. I don't know how accurate this is. If I did join, it would definately mess with my education plans if I got sent off to Kabul or Bosnia or someplace. So barring a major defensive war, would a reservist be required to deploy?
It seems like it's hinted at on the government sites that you don't have to deploy if you don't want to, but I can't see it stated explicitly anywhere. And my friends all tell me that recruiters will say anything they think will make you join.
I've read that int'l deployments are optional. But I've also read that people in the Supplementary Reserve can be called up by a Parliamentary order. Is this legislation required to make (read: non-voluntarily) reserve units deploy? Or is there a lower threshold for mandatory deployment?
There is an infantry unit where I live, and I would love to join. I would love the challenge, and have a definate interest in small section-level tactics. But I want to make sure I'm not locking myself into anything I'll seriously regret down the road.
Also, I've read that if you want to sign up for summer training, you should do it in the spring. Is there a cut-off date? Are they constantly starting training, or is there certain days that new classes begin, with a set exit time? How can I find the applicable dates? The thing is, I've been planning a vacation with friends for some time now, and I've locked myself in for August. I've already spent money on it I've been saving for years (10 grand!- we're going to climb Kilamunjaro). I know it sounds kind of stupid to say "will training get in the way of my holiday?", but $10,000 isn't amount a student can take lightly.