# My Application Process (Started October 29th, 2014)



## Draekz (27 Nov 2015)

Hey All,

Well, its been a LONG year. I started super excited and pumped and not even considering (much) the consequences of my joining the forces. My wife FINALLY gave me permission (she happened to run into someone at work whose husband joined a few years ago) and this lady talked her into the forces being okay. I come from a military family and my wife comes from a family raised in gimli (on a farm lol) so we were from different worlds.

Anyway, enough background. I applied on Oct 29th (online) heard back probably a week or so later saying they were interested. Did all the tests that you do. Thinking I did miserably on the cfat, I was really disappointed in myself. As i saw all the other applicants come and go from the Captains office, i was thinking - wow, i must have done horribly. I was the last person to be called in and thinking I had failed my family and myself. Low and behold I had not only passed but was told I qualified for ALL NCM positions as well as most officer positions. I studied my ASS off (im 34, been away from school for years and was never terribly fond of math). I was confident on my language and spatial skills but my math i was scared of and thought I had bombed it.

Turns out I did pretty well! Super pumped very excited. I was strutting a little (until I got outside and realized people could see me lol). Anyway, then the health thing came back. I had a small issue that was compacted by the fact that my doctor couldnt fill out the forms right. There was specific information required that he kept missing and my medical officer was (thankfully) telling me that I NEED to fix this else her sending this in would just get rejected. The funny part is, everytime I took time off work to do this stuff, my doctor was on holidays lol. It took OVER A YEAR to finally get all the medical forms done (I work a full time job and I take my work seriously. I dont take sick days just to further myself if it puts my co workers behind). So suffice it to say, it took a long time to coordinate with everyone involved.

So after a year I finally get the forms as they should be (going once every two or 3 months dragging my two year old with me lol) only to find out my doc hadnt filled something out fully or correctly.

So back to the current point. I get to the Recruiters Office and find out the medical officer (the boss - sorry dont know the head medical officer term) is on holidays lol and wouldnt be back for a couple weeks. Since this had been going on for over a year already, i was like meh. This is just meant to be.

So i get that in and a couple weeks later I hear back saying everythings kosher. woot!! Then I get a call from the Captain saying I need more than my word saying i've been working where I"ve been working for the last 10 years. I should have known it'd be an issue but I didnt think (again). So i try and find a clever way of getting a form from work saying the information I need without setting off alarms. My boss takes things very personally and I could easily lose my job if he thought I was "ditching" him. So it was pretty hush hush (which made the application all that much longer). 

Anyway, long story short I get the form, hand it in and less than a week later i'm offered a job. Amazing. My son was just under a year when I applied and I was lucky enough to see him grow into the snarky 2.5 year old he is today. If things had worked out - i would have missed an important and fascinating part in my sons development. EVERYTHING happens for a reason (i believe, now). Look for reasons in your life (if its not quite panning out) that you might be missing something. Maybe theres something you should do or pay attention to. Not saying I'm superstitious or anything but if all of this hadnt happened, I would have missed watching my son grow up. Learn to be a goof and talk and use the potty (sounds dumb but if you ever have your own you'll understand). I got to hear him tell me "Love you daddy" and see the excited looks on his face when i come home from work.

I would have missed all that otherwise.

Now I start BMQ in January. Im sad to leave my son for likely almost 1.5 years but excited to start something interesting and new. Something that uses my brain a little more lol (work in a warehouse right now for industrial automation company). I look forward to the travel and just honestly everything. Its just hard to be excited when I'm leaving my boy who has been right beside me for the last 2.5 years, every day. 

Anyway, so aside from the massive delay from medical (due to improper form filling) i've had a pretty good application process.

Take care and anyone starting in January, i look forward to seeing you all! (Sorry got side tracked - in laws came over for a little lol hopefully this is all coherent lol)


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## RocketRichard (28 Nov 2015)

Good luck and enjoy the journey.


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## AllSmiles (28 Nov 2015)

Congratulations.
See you there.


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## Vell (7 Jan 2016)

Did I write this ?... no, this is someone else. Interesting read. I am a 34 year old AVS applicant from Winnipeg (my Father if from Gimli by the way, small world) with a 2 year old daughter and 4 year old son. Been in processing for more than 2 years now though because of many problems with my application and security clearance (neither through fault of my own). Just like you, while I am exited, I have no desire to leave my family behind while I am in training but understand the need to do so. Also, I was worried about the exact same thing with the CFAT as you. After so many years out of school some math skills tend to erode, but I did about as well as you after studying my *** off as well.

By the way, I heard that people with families can sometimes bring them along for the electronics training (POET) in Kingston, Ontario. Then again, your family may be better off staying where they are while you are in training. Something you may want to look into though.

Who knows, perhaps we'll meet up some day while working or even in training (My file manage told me that my file is finally all done and that the 'ball should start rolling quickly now`.

*Edit* And shortly after writing this, what do I get? I get an Email from the CAF saying I have finally been merit listed after more than two years of waiting.


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