Howdy,
First off, I am 22 year old male. I have a dead end job making under $20,000 full benefits a year with a company that is looking at making me the ad designer, which would not be that bad at all. $25,000 a year benefits and some vacation time.
Now I have recently been looking in to the armed forces as a new career mainly because I know I am not the type of person who can sit in front of a computer from 8-5 5 days a week 52 weeks a year. I started going to the gym this month to try and tone up to beable to pass the physical. I also need to write my GED exam to get the high school requirements. I have been almost 3 years clean from hard drugs as of September 2008, and about 13 months clean from pot. I also got an assault charge, almost a month ago but since then it looks like the case in the courts will be stayed, meaning no conviction. I also on my own will signed my self up for anger management courses because of the assault charge. So since I have been working on what I need to do to get passed the basic requirements.
Second off, I have a 14 month old son, who was the best thing to ever happen to me since I quit competitive sports almost 5 years ago, he already looks up to me, trying to copy everything thing I do, which is hard when your only just over a year old. I have decent job that will have room for me to grab promotions in the future, I have a decent on and off again relationship with my son’s mother. One day if we can continue relationship counseling there maybe be room to get married because she is the girl I do want to be with, and she feels the same about me, When I talk to my friends about me joining I get a lot of mixed signals of how much they would miss me. I can’t rely on any of them for anything. My family only wants the best for me and thinks I won’t actually go through with it because they don’t believe I can handle the demanding work.
So I get the “why would you want to do that”, “That’s a stupid choice”, “that’s a wrong decision to leave your son and girlfriend behind” almost every person I speak to says that to me, the only people who actually is support me is my Mother, and girlfriend who would move herself our son to anywhere in Canada to be with me.
I know that I have the mental attitude to join the forces; I am one of those people who have been beating down but still gets up and takes another hit. I don’t know if that matters at all in the army or what you may think of it being a lot of people must say that. I know my shit don’t stink and I know it will not be a walk in the part. I want to do this to prove to myself that I can do something that not a lot of people can do. I am starting to work outs at the gym for the physical challenges of basic training. I want to beable to join the forces to start a career that will give me opportunities to do amazing things for myself, my family aswell as Canada.
I believe in what Canada is doing around the world. And I would not want to join the army if I did not believe.
I have been thinking about doing full-time combat arms, which ever one I was able to slide into, or at least give it a shot with the reserve to see what my current job brings me. Although I was speaking with a co-worker who said there would be no way in hell that my boss/owner would let me go away for the summer to complete my full reserve training. I think it’s bizarre and it’s the main reasons I want to go straight to full-time. If the court goes well and I get my GED and beable to pass the self easement test for the physical I plan on applying right after my sons second birthday late October.
I guess my question is what is your opinion?
Has anyone else ever had to make a decision like this?
Or have any tips or pointers on what I should do?
Recruiter’s advice?