How to get family on board

[gparask]

Hello guys, I have a couple of questions to ask you guys

First off, how would I go about telling my dad I am interested in joining the Army? No one in my family has ever served our country so I would be the very first. Also I am only 16 years old if that helps a bit.

My last name is 15 letters long, yes a pretty long last name, I'm wondering what will happen if I actually join the Army with that kind of last name. The reason I am worrying is because I have never seen any videos/pictures etc with members of the Canadian army with a long last name.

Thanks everyone!

 

[PMedMoe]

Hello guys, I have a couple of questions to ask you guys

First off, how would I go about telling my dad I am interested in joining the Army? No one in my family has ever served our country so I would be the very first. Also I am only 16 years old if that helps a bit.

 

How about, "Hey Dad, I'm going to apply for a great job, with full benefits and the possibility of seeing exciting places all over the world!"   

Seriously, sit down with him and tell him why you want to join.  How old are you?  I'm guessing fairly young.

My last name is 15 letters long, yes a pretty long last name, I'm wondering what will happen if I actually join the Army with that kind of last name. The reason I am worrying is because I have never seen any videos/pictures etc with members of the Canadian army with a long last name.

There have been people with long names, hyphenated names, weird names, etc.  Be prepared for mispronunciations (mine is only 5 letters long and still gets pronounced wrong) and to be called "Alphabet". 

 

[mariomike]

First off, how would I go about telling my dad I am interested in joining the Army?

Topic: "How to tell (unsupportive) family that I am joining military":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/30513.125
6 pages.

Topic: "Convincing my parents":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/13678.0
4 pages.

Topic: "Convincing the Parents - part 2":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/32082.0/nowap.html
2 pages.

Topic: "Informing Family and Friends": 
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/55398.0/nowap.html
2 pages.

Topic: "How should I persuade my parents to let me join":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/14476.0

Topic: "Negative Parents":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/66232.0/nowap.html

Topic: "I think my head is going to explode":
"My father "doesn't want his baby girl to be a grunt" but has said that he will be damn proud and will probably cry when I get sworn in.":
http://army.ca/forums/threads/19887.0.html
3 pages.

 

[gparask]

 

How about, "Hey Dad, I'm going to apply for a great job, with full benefits and the possibility of seeing exciting places all over the world!"   

Seriously, sit down with him and tell him why you want to join.  How old are you?  I'm guessing fairly young.

There have been people with long names, hyphenated names, weird names, etc.  Be prepared for mispronunciations (mine is only 5 letters long and still gets pronounced wrong) and to be called "Alphabet".

Oh jeez, everyone already calls me "Alphabet" in school haha, but I am 16 years old so I still have a couple years to talk to him, but I'd like to get it out of the way, I already told him I wanted to become a police officer but haven't told him I'd like to go into the army before I try to become one. Thanks for the reply it really helped me with the questions!

 

[aesop081]

I'm wondering what will happen if I actually join the Army with that kind of last name.

What will happen ?

People are going to call you by it. The CF will put it on a name tag. The CF will ask you to write it down on many forms.

You're not the first. case closed, you can sleep at night once again.

Of all the things to worry about....... :

 

[Teeps74]

Hello guys, I have a couple of questions to ask you guys

First off, how would I go about telling my dad I am interested in joining the Army? No one in my family has ever served our country so I would be the very first. Also I am only 16 years old if that helps a bit.

My last name is 15 letters long, yes a pretty long last name, I'm wondering what will happen if I actually join the Army with that kind of last name. The reason I am worrying is because I have never seen any videos/pictures etc with members of the Canadian army with a long last name.

Thanks everyone!

A frank talk with the parentals would be a good start. Be honest and open with them.

As to your name, fear not. The worst case scenario is someone refers to you as "alphabet". We have lots of folks with wonderful names ranging from two letters to even more then yours. We, after all, pride ourselves in being a cross-section of Canadian society. Just be thankful your last name is not Bloggins... That guy is always getting in trouble.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

People with names over 12 letters long are forced to change their name using the Can-Tri-Nucus authentication process, and then end the new last name with a silent Q. 

Seriously I read it on the CanMilGenPersComOrder site.

 

[Teeps74]

People with names over 12 letters long are forced to change their name using the Can-Tri-Nucus authentication process, and then end the new last name with a silent Q. 

Seriously I read it on the CanMilGenPersComOrder site.

ROFL!

 

[serzhe]

My family name is weird as hell for this country but I don't care. It didn't make me hesitate one second when applying. It's not about your family name, it's about you  8) 8)

 

[SentryMAn]

Have you thought about Cadets/reserves to start with?  It's all time served and will look great on your application.

 

[lzrlightshow]

Hello,
I am planing on joining the CF in the ROTP, for engineer officer. But every time i bring it up to my parents (i need their consent because i'm not 18 yet)
they tell me that they will never approve of it, because they think that the army is full of violent angry people, and that if i were to join i would get beaten
(at one point they even said i would be gang raped by 4 other gay men).
What i am hoping out of this post is for members of the CF to answer me truly if the army is made of pissed off rednecks (my parents exact words) that would beat me up.

 

[mariomike]

But every time i bring it up to my parents (i need their consent because i'm not 18 yet) they tell me that they will never approve of it, because they think that the army is full of violent angry people, and that if i were to join i would get beaten (at one point they even said i would be gang raped by 4 other gay men).

Some discussion of "How to get family on board" here:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/13678.0
"Are there any suggestions on what I can say to my parents to persuade them to let me join the reserves?"

 

[Eaglelord17]

No offence to your parents but it amazes me how uninformed some people can be about the military. Show them the CF website it has a for parents section, the link to which is right here.
http://www.forces.ca/en/parents/home-133
Good luck convincing them

 

[dcs]

I hope that you proceed and are successful particularly with the unfounded and, sorry but I have to say, ignorant comments of your parents.  Having four children, the oldest of which went/go to civilian universities for undergrad and graduate studies (Mt Allison, York,  McMaster and University of Windsor) and the youngest two currently at RMC, I can honestly say that there are much fewer concerns at RMC.  I have absolutely no worries or concerns with the two (one in first and one in fourth year) at RMC.  I don't know what media you parents have formed this from or individuals  and comments that they talk to and are basing it on.

While I am sure not all perfect, I am consistently impressed by the Officer Cadets and their maturity and abilities.  Cannot certainly say similar for when I visited the civi universities.

Take a good look at the links indicated earlier and the comments.  To say that your parents are very uninformed is an understatement.  It is not though regretfully uncommon. I have had numerous comments made to me about how I could let my children join the military.    Take them down to RMC and let them see and visit, and talk to some cadets. I am confident there concerns will be considerably reduced if not eliminated.

Please don't let their misinformed and beliefs sway you in any way from the opportunity.

 

[Maxadia]

All good suggestions above, but then again, you might just have one of those obstinate set of parents that against all arguments will still not give their permission.  You might have to wait until you are 18.

In NO WAY does that mean that if you really want to do this, that you should let their opinion influence your desire to join. In many ways, it should only strengthen your resolve to prove them wrong, and prove to them that you really can do this.

 

[George Wallace]

............
they tell me that they will never approve of it, because they think that the army is full of violent angry people, and that if i were to join i would get beaten
(at one point they even said i would be gang raped by 4 other gay men).

WOW!  Where were your parents brought up?  That is one of the most bizarre statements I have ever heard.  Not only bizarre, but totally ignorant of any reasonable concepts of what the CF are. 

 

[GAP]

I wonder if they are associating RMC with the hollywood version West Point and some of the crap that has been published about there and other private schools..... :

 

[Jarnhamar]

At least his parents realize that we allow gay men in the CF and it's not just straight men running around raping other men.

Seriously kid if you're not a troll then your parents are pretty clueless. Instead of you talking to them you should send them here so we can educate them.

 

[brihard]

Hello,
I am planing on joining the CF in the ROTP, for engineer officer. But every time i bring it up to my parents (i need their consent because i'm not 18 yet)
they tell me that they will never approve of it, because they think that the army is full of violent angry people, and that if i were to join i would get beaten
(at one point they even said i would be gang raped by 4 other gay men).
What i am hoping out of this post is for members of the CF to answer me truly if the army is made of pissed off rednecks (my parents exact words) that would beat me up.

Your parents are completely out to lunch.

RMC is a university. Actually a bloody good one, and a damned hard one on the student. It takes a dedicated person to get in, and you'll be surrounded by, for the most part, pretty excellent people. Principled, dedicated people who have no less ethical awareness than anyone else in the country, who DO NOT put up with abuse or assault, and who understand that only by treating people as mature, professional, adult volunteers can a volunteer army be crafted into an organization worthy of our country.

Your folks are more than welcome to stop by here and to ask any questions of us they might wish. Frankly they need it, because their ignorance on this is beyond simply being unaware and betrays an apparently poisonous attitude towards an institution which is, regrettably, a necessary part of any free society.

Why is it, really, that they think those of us in uniform are any less principled than you are? Or than they are?

 

[Maxadia]

WOW!  Where were your parents brought up?  That is one of the most bizarre statements I have ever heard.  Not only bizarre, but totally ignorant of any reasonable concepts of what the CF are.

Unfortunately George, and I mean this with the greatest respect, you're probably "out to lunch" on this one.  Their opinion is, unfortunately, not really all that bizarre.  There's a fairly sizable segment of the population out there that has been sheltered, and their only exposure to the CF that they can recall, concerns some not so respectable incidents from the early 90's.

Sad, really, but some people still think that we're dealing with the same issues from 20 years ago, and have let their imagination run with it.  :dunno:

My suggestion would be to visit the local recruiting center and let them know what you're dealing with, and then see if they have a senior recruiter who would be willing to meet with your parents about their concerns.