Quitting the Forces

[mainerjohnthomas]

    It would be hard to argue that serving allied militaries is dishonourable, when my own family history is full of officers who served the Indian Teritorial Infantry, and Bengal Lancers.  Proffessional British trained officers were in demand in the world, and given a military education, and the need to make your way in the world, it was expected you would follow your profession and seek your fortune.  My own father served as a mercenary in Angola when service in the Congo for the UN (arguably also mercenary service) left him feeling less than welcome by civilian Canada.  Several soldiers that I served with went on to US or UK service.  They had done their service to their country, and wished to follow their profession in forces where they would have the opportunity to use their skills and training in warfighting, rather than scorekeeping (as UN peacekeeping was known to us).  UN service exposes our personel to risk, with little chance of making a difference.  It is also the most common reason my fellow soldiers gave for what made them think fighting for someone else was a good idea.  The only thing worse than a warzone, is a warzone your ROE forbid you to change.  The US and UK offer the chance to finish the job.  As a soldier that is profoundly attractive.  If the CF is deployed and fought like a "real army" not a glorified referee, then we will keep more personel.  We have a real army, we just don't have the political will to let it prove it.  Give the army missions it can take real pride in, like Afghanistan rather than Kosovo, and we will keep more troops.  Let our soldiers see their actions lead to real change, and we will regain the pride in our colours that our grandfathers had.  Until then, many of our best will follow their profession into other armies that see more agressive deployment.

 

[Victor]

I had enough.   3 bases had closed on me. I returned fm Golan to my base in Nanaimo only to find I'm on a posting msg origniating fm CFS Esquimalt telling me I'm now on my way to a base in AB (which closed in 97).   I'm army not a navy lad.
No one seemed to know how to spell my last name.   2 yrs without a proper PER. So when I went to my new posting which closed in '97, my Chief Comm Officer advised me that since all my previous bosses have retired & that he's retiring I should redress my PER concerns.   He told me it won't help me but it may help someone else.  
When my release was in I was denied SCAN because I was in the field when the BPSO was running her semi annual seminars.   She was later reassigned.  She had done this to many others. 
Mail lost, pays lost, PERs lost or confused for someone else. Posted to a French Tank Recce Pl because everyone thought I was Francophone.   I had to instruct the ops of new eqpt but was repremanded because I couldn't comm well enough.....I'm english w/Irish backgrd.   On & on.
I realized I shouldn't have spent as long as I did.   I was middle of the road in knowledge & was witnessing solders much better than me being denied promotions.
Then our base closed.   A huge base. With a huge civilian following. A politioans pen ink caused most of this disturbance.
This is the bad stuff.   No way does this even come close the the Great stuff. But you asked.
VVV

 

[Alien1]

Sort answer? I've done my time, that's all. 20 year for my country was enough. The exact magic number to get you pension and choke your chicken the rest of your life. I know, I know, I'm kidding because this low pension in Canada give you the chance to please yourself for a few weeks only. Unless you do like me! Don't put all your eggs in the same bucket. A soon you join, prepare your own pension plan. Don't be used by the army but use the army to achieve a next step. My first five years in the army I was working 80 hours a week and I liked it. I once realised that why should I have the same salary than my co-worker who works 30 hours a week? I stopped being a fool and limit my working time for the army at 40 hours a week. What should I do after being so hyperactive with leadership?? Found another job on weekend? Yes, why not. I had a lot of job that gave me more responsibility in few weeks than my army job after 15 years. The bad part of it, I lost so many jobs at $20 an hour to leave on training or for the UN but it's OK, it's the part of the game. I realised then that I need my own company to be able to leave anytime for the army and keep my job. Then real estate came. When I got retired at 37, I had so many buildings that my monthly income was higher that any general in this army. Thanks god that their poor knowledge of human relation and personnel management made me realise that there is life outside army. Now I can choke my chicken in Hawaii the rest of my life. The secret. Be independent. Don't depend of the army. Always learn new thing, go back to school, have other jobs to increase you competency and your independence, have a social and professional life outside, have the power on your side to say ''I quit''. That's how they can control you. They are keeping you dependant of ''the family''.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Spending that money well in the Ukraine? :

Hey KevinB, I have need of your BS flag.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I myself walked into the CO's office and laid it out for him: " lissen here, Steve-O," I sez. "this going on exercise and working all day crap has got to stop" I sez.  " All this army crap is putting a severe cramp into my syncronized swimming carreer, so I'll only be showing up 3 days a week, capisce?"

It's just that easy, I recommend it for anyone who's tired of long hours... ;D

CHIMO, Kat

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

YOU' RE a syncronized swimmer?....... like OMG ,I thought I was the only one.........
Thanks for the hoot.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Yeah, but the one piece just doesn't look that great any more...

CHIMO,  Kat

 

[1feral1]

I did not quit, but discharged from the CF, and enlisted in another country's army within 30 days, where since that country is a Commonwealth country, it was then classed as a re-enlistment.

I view the term quitting as giving up, and although I have moved on for a better life here I am no quitter by any means.

In every walk of like there are quitters including the Defence Force. So maybe the word should be ammended from 'quitting' to 'discharging'.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[1feral1]

I would not call them mercenaries or disloyal.  

Good post Mate! I know exactly where you are coming from.

Cheers,

Wes

 

[kincanucks]

All of a sudden I have this urge to learn to play The Battle Hymn of The Republic on my electric guitar.

 

[Infanteer]

All of a sudden I have this urge to learn to play The Battle Hymn of The Republic on my electric guitar.

I tried to learn it on my Fiddle - it's pretty hard....