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A sense of pride

I was sitting in a pizza place the other night after a parade night waiting for my pizza and some guy went out of his way and walked in and offered to buy my pizza and thanked me for doing what we are doing...I refused and thanked him anyway...I never know what to say in situations like that because it's not like I'm overseas or anything so I don't really feel like it is me he should be thanking...
 
tannerthehammer said:
I never know what to say in situations like that because it's not like I'm overseas or anything so I don't really feel like it is me he should be thanking...

You are doing your part, just like the rest of us.  Defending Canada's interests does not only happen overseas.
 
cdnaviator said:
You are doing your part, just like the rest of us.  Defending Canada's interests does not only happen overseas.

I suppose so but I guess since I have never had the feeling of being in combat that I can't really identify with me being a defender of this country.
 
tannerthehammer said:
I suppose so but I guess since I have never had the feeling of being in combat that I can't really identify with me being a defender of this country.

Tanner.....i dont do combat on a daily basis either.  What i do is monitor shipping in canadian waters, looking for drug smugglers, illigal imigration, illegal fisheries, polluters and suspicious activities. None of this involves being in combat but is vital to canadian national interest.  Don't seel yourself short
 
For every person in the field there is 7 to 9 people in the background....take those away, and suddenly we are not as efficient in the field anymore after a short period of time. Support staff are not only in Kandahar, etc, but in every province in this country.
 
I was waiting for a bus on my university campus to go to an ROTP briefing in Sept. I was in Cadpat, with cornflake and all. I lady I had never met walked up to me and shook my hand and offered to pay my fare. I declined (I have a bus pass) but thanked her kindly. On that same bus ride a child and his father came on the bus and the kid stared at me for a bit and then asked his dad... "daddy, is that an enemy?" His dad set him straight and gave me a wink.
 
cdnaviator said:
Tanner.....i dont do combat on a daily basis either.  What i do is monitor shipping in canadian waters, looking for drug smugglers, illigal imigration, illegal fisheries, polluters and suspicious activities. None of this involves being in combat but is vital to canadian national interest.  Don't seel yourself short

I guess it is just the trade I am in (Artillery)  We fire rounds at nothing and never do anything other than train.  I never get to apply the skills I have learned is what I'm saying.  I find this kind of frustrating.  I also find it frustrating when there are guys in my unit just begging to go to A-stan and they get passed over.  We can't be in all that much need of troops over there if that is the case.
 
Tanner,
When I was a Tfc Tech, I felt left behind, and when people came up to me and said "Great job " etc I felt embarrassed. It wasn't until I got heavily involved in disaster response as a civy, that I realized, how vital the support trades are to an operation. In Katrina it was nice to know that someone who wasn't there was coordinating resupply of the team, return travel back to Canada and helping my family out!! And on that note I would like to use to use Gaps words.

"For every person in the field there is 7 to 9 people in the background....take those away, and suddenly we are not as efficient in the field anymore after a short period of time. "

Believe it man! You ain't being shot at, but you are a true defender of the country!
 
tannerthehammer said:
I guess it is just the trade I am in (Artillery)  We fire rounds at nothing and never do anything other than train.  I never get to apply the skills I have learned is what I'm saying.  I find this kind of frustrating.  I also find it frustrating when there are guys in my unit just begging to go to A-stan and they get passed over.  We can't be in all that much need of troops over there if that is the case.

We don't shoot at nothing, I guarantee they are not shooting at nothing in A-Stan.  Every time you go on exercise you are applying the skills you have learned granted not in theater but potentualy in preperation for it.  As for being passed over for A-Stan perhaps it is because your unit doesn't feel that they are mature enough or have a good enough head on there shoulders to keep themselves and there fellow gunners over there from getting killed or injured, my unit has been told that anyone they submit for tour will go, not newsgirl with the unit they want but they will go, sometimes there is more to the story then what you see...
 
For me personally, I just find the artillery to have very low job satisfaction.  I don't have much other choice to do another trade yet I want to stay in the reserves while doing university until I am done university and apply to the reg force for a different trade.

241 said:
We don't shoot at nothing, I guarantee they are not shooting at nothing in A-Stan.  Every time you go on exercise you are applying the skills you have learned granted not in theater but potentualy in preperation for it.  As for being passed over for A-Stan perhaps it is because your unit doesn't feel that they are mature enough or have a good enough head on there shoulders to keep themselves and there fellow gunners over there from getting killed or injured, my unit has been told that anyone they submit for tour will go, not newsgirl with the unit they want but they will go, sometimes there is more to the story then what you see...
 
tannerthehammer said:
I guess it is just the trade I am in (Artillery)  We fire rounds at nothing and never do anything other than train.  I never get to apply the skills I have learned is what I'm saying.  I find this kind of frustrating.  I also find it frustrating when there are guys in my unit just begging to go to A-stan and they get passed over.  We can't be in all that much need of troops over there if that is the case.

Tanner....i'm in the same boat.  The task i described in my previous post are not the only ones i do.  I spend a large amount of time doing just the same as you: Training. How many times do you think i have actualy got to kill submarines ?  That is my purpose in the military.  I have never done an actual Over-the-horizon" tagetiting mission where an actual enemy ship was attacked.  But yet i train to do it because opne day it may be required and that capability keeps Canada secure.  You are an artilleryman....same applies to you.  You may never go to Afghanistan, but what if you get a callout to Shilo to replace an instructor that is going to the Sandbox......your training has enabled you to contribute to operations over there none the less......have they not ? You see what i am getting at ?
 
I agree with cdnnavigator. Your time will come. Keep a positive attitude especially with those who see you in public in uniform. It's like the police....my brother in law drew his weapon twice in his 35 yr career with the OPP....but his role was vital in serving the public and his country.
Arty is playing a big role in the sand box right now....we're going to need more folks over there and we're there for the long haul me thinks......your time will come if you keep the faith and soldier on.  :)
 
cdnaviator said:
I cant beleive you just called me a Navigator...........check again  :threat:

Sorry about that...my bad  :-X AVIATOR!!!!! AVIATOR AVIATOR!!!!  ;D
 
Gents and Ladies
I am grateful there are men and women that feel so much pride in not only their country but also in the jobs they do, for without you folks to stand up and pledge allegiance to the flag and country where would we be? Stand proud men and women of our forces no matter what job you do or if you have been sent to the sandbox. I as a military mom am damn proud of all of you. :salute:
 
Tanner: I've been practicing my trade for over 20 years. I have never deployed - one reason or another, it just never happened. That said, I have trained - whether formally on course, or informally at the unit - almost every person my regiment has sent overseas in the past 15 years. Have I contributed? Quite honestly, some days I wonder...

She Who Must Be Obeyed and I sat down the other night, and had a heart-to-heart. With her blessing, I'll be putting my name in for the ResArmdTp for TF3-08. Time to see if a fat old tanker recce CC (dammit) can get in shape in time for work-up training...  :p
 
IN HOC SIGNO said:
Sorry about that...my bad  :-X AVIATOR!!!!! AVIATOR AVIATOR!!!!  ;D

uhhhh....isn't that just a failed navigator?  ;D
 
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