# Reasons for joining the CCO/Military



## Northalbertan (11 Aug 2009)

I'm not sure if it's good form to discuss topics of this nature or not but thought that some would not mind sharing their stories.

For myself it started last year.  
I work in the oilpatch here in Alberta.  I make a pretty good living off of it, but for the first time in a number of years the 'patch was slowing down.  I had a little time to kind of have a look at things and I realized that my family and I have it pretty good.  I had the time and finally the desire to give something back to my community and my country.  I looked at some of the community service organizations out there and found that I wanted to contribute more substantially than most of those organizations allowed.  I decided that joining the Reserves and serving my country would be where I could contribute the most.  Unfortunately there is no reserve unit closer than two and a half hours to me so the distances made working part-time for the  CF difficult.

I had been a cadet as a youth and learned a lot from that experience.  I looked for an army cadet unit in my area and placed a phone call asking if they were looking for any help.  Would you believe that by some small coincidence they were looking for help?  So I became a volunteer and then a CI.  I am going whole hog now and becoming CIC, I hope to attest this fall assuming everything goes OK with the medical.

The cadets turned out to be a perfect fit for me.  I believe I am contributing to my community and my country.  I hope I am giving something to my brethren in the Reg Force and Primary Reserves.  I hope to be helping to raise our nations future leaders.  I guess I believe that what we are doing matters.

That's my story, I hope others take the time to share their story.

Remember the Cadet!


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