MedTechStudent said:
I'm not totally sure if this topic will be allowed because it might just open up the floor to argument or country bashing. If that's the case then delete it please by all means. My question is to all the people who have served with the CF for extended periods.
My mother is from the UK, my father is from Australia so I have duel citizenship in those places, and for a while was considering moving and joining the military in those countries. Is there anyone here who has fought in or with other countries forces that can tell me pros and con's of them from a first hand account? It's a little hard to find a tri-military comparison on "google" I suppose in general I'm just curious if here in Canada our military system is the better of the three and if I made the right choice to stay?
Thank you for your input.
25 years ago I'd say give it a go (hell, I did). But with all the action and interesting opportunities, plus excellent benefits and high quality people in today's CF (the many fine people on this forum are good examples!), I'd say that the odds are stacked heavily in favour of staying in Canada's military.
Regardless, some questions you want to ask yourself before you decide to make the leap - to the British Army anyways:
1) Are you prepared to support the foreign policy of another country, even if it is diametrically opposed to Canada's?
2) Are you prepared to be treated differently? No matter what you do, you WILL be singled out and be severely 'razzed'. You may experience downright discrimination (not my experience, but it's possible). You will need a thick skin regardless. You will always be under pressure to do better than the others.
3) Are you prepared to be away from home for months, or years in some cases, while your mates get to go home regularly to see mummy and daddy? Could you handle up to 9 - 10 months away from your unit's home base per year?
4) Can you handle the possibility of encountering much different, and apparently ruthless and 'constitutionally unfair', physical or other selection processes which you may fail, with little or no chance of appeal?
5) Pay and benefits may be much different than you can expect in Canada. British troops get paid much less for example. Are you prepared for less pay, worse living conditions and potentially marginal benefits?
6) If you are killed or wounded (it happens, but not to me, right?), are you prepared to take the risk and put your family through the extra hassle?
7) Can you handle less attractive women, warm beer, cold showers, bad coffee, shabby quarters, awful dentists and endless cups of tea (oh, the horror)
On balance, unless you're planning on making a fortune from the book you write about your experiences, I'd hang here. The modern CF rocks, dude.
PM me if you'd like for any further discouragement or insipid, pre-publication, self-promoting war stories.
D&B
Para Regt (seconded to 3 Cdo Bde for 2 years)
Still tabbing after all these years ;D