So you are a young Canadian man or woman and have wanted to join the army all your life. Well, the first thing you will want to do is to look up the army’s website and understand what they are, their military training processes, their salaries, associated careers and how your life will be when you retire from the forces. It is the right thing to do but in this article, we will look summarize these details and explain how it is to be in the Canadian Army
First things first, the Canadian Army is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It is the land component of the Canadian Armed Forces, tasked with the duty to train and provide forces to protect and defend Canada. It is a highly capable force, that consists of full-time Regular soldiers, Canadian Rangers from remote locations in the country and part-time Reservists who serve in the communities. According to a quote on the Army’s website by Captain Carl Homer, “All you need to do is show up with an attitude to learn and realize you are part of a team, not just an individual.”
Secondly, it is important to note that the Canadian Army was formed hundreds of years ago, although it started as a militia. The British Army, after Confederation in 1867 was majorly responsible for forming what we now know as the Canadian Army. In the 20th Century, the armed forces were present in both World Wars, the Korean War in 1950, were committed to the NATO presence in West Germany during the Cold War and were present in the Gulf War in 1991. They were also present in the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 in the 21st century, as well as peacekeeping operations under the United Nation all over the world. Surprisingly, despite Canada’s support of both British and American initiatives, the Canadian land forces were not present in the Suez Crisis, the Iraq War and the Vietnam War.
Now that you know where the Canadian Army started and how they have participated in global issues, and now that you know a bit of who they are, let us now look into how they operate today. First, once you join the Army as a private, your salary starts at over $39,000 every year, after Basic training. The salary will continue to grow with time, and of course, as you go higher up in the ranks. If you start as a reservist or Private, you can earn about $100 daily, which increases to $140 per day for a Corporal and even higher for a member higher in rank. Overall, payments are based on the pay group, rank and time in rank of a member and all service personnel, men and women, married or single, are paid on the same scale. Once the private graduates to a Corporal, their basic pay is $72,000 per year.
Secondly, you can choose from about 100 occupations, all whose salaries vary, meaning you can earn more from a specific occupation that requires extra expertise. Their most famous careers are available here, although some of them include Aerospace Telecommunication and Information Systems Technician, Armour Officer, Information Systems Technician, Marine Technician, Medical Officer and Naval Communicator. Other careers include Musician, Legal Officer, Infantry Soldier, Pharmacy Officer, Steward, Weapons Technician (land), Pilot, and Physiotherapy Officer among many others. For these jobs, you undergo training similar to real operations that challenge both the physical and mental abilities of an officer.
Thirdly, there is a sense of community within the Army. Be it in the close-knit groups of families living on bases, or 100% financial compensation for moving and relocation, you are always at home and taken care of by the Armed Forces. Within the Army, you also enjoy healthy living through nutrition, physical and mental fitness, stress management programs, physiotherapy and sports medicine specialist programs. Wait, did I mention you have medical, dental and vision care for both you, the member and your family? Well, you do! You are guaranteed that you will be well, both mentally and physically, both you and your family.
Fourthly, let’s talk about travel while you are in the army. Members of the Army can be moved or posted to a variety of locations within Canada. As a member, you also have the opportunity to live and work internationally in countries such as Belgium, Germany, The United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, and The United States of America. If you will be in Canada, you can choose to serve your country from your community as a Reservist. As of the time of this writing, there are 122 Reserve units present in 117 communities. You are also entitled to at least 20 days of paid vacation per year, enjoying up to 30 of these vacation days, which can be scheduled around training and operational requirements. For part-time members, you get a paid vacation day for each 15 consecutive calendar days. You also get maternity and parental leave with about 93% of your normal salary, and a pension plan that covers you and your family for years to come.
A day in the Canadian Army does not look and feel like you are in the army, rather, you feel like you are in a brotherhood (apologies for using a non-gender-neutral term), and not only are you covered but your family is protected. You get to continue with your classes and work in a field of your choosing, meaning you do not always have to be at the forefront in the line of fire. For those young ones who have been wishing to join the military, the Canadian Army is the best of them all. Please share my article and website: https://www.mianairforce.com/
Also, visit these Social media links
https://twitter.com/MianAirforce
https://www.pinterest.ca/MianAirforce/
https://www.instagram.com/mianairforce