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Canadian/UK/Australian Militarys...Experience??

MedTechStudent

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I'm not totally sure if this topic will be allowed because it might just open up the floor to argument or country bashing.  If that's the case then delete it please by all means.  My question is to all the people who have served with the CF for extended periods. 

My mother is from the UK, my father is from Australia so I have duel citizenship in those places, and for a while was considering moving and joining the military in those countries.  Is there anyone here who has fought in or with other countries forces that can tell me pros and con's of them from a first hand account?  It's a little hard to find a tri-military comparison on "google"  I suppose in general I'm just curious if here in Canada our military system is the better of the three and if I made the right choice to stay?

Thank you for your input.
 
I thought you already applied to the CF? 

Isn't it kind of late for second thoughts?
 
Probably not of much help to you, but I gather there are a fair number of Canadians serving in the RAN (and perhaps other Australian services).  I believe Australia has been known to recruit actively in Canada.
 
I echo DD's question, however, Wesley who had commented on your styre thread is a member of the RAA and Dafandbarmy wa with the RM.
 
Yes granted there is not much of anything I can do about it now ;), nor do I want to I'm very happy with my choice.  I was just curious of any major differences in the countries military system.

Thanks, Kyle

 
major differences?
One pays in GB Pounds
One pays in Aussie Dollars
One pays in Cdn Dollars

Salary for the British military lags behind the other two
A couple of years ago, Canada & Australia were running pert much neck to neck WRT pay levels. & whoul has best paid troops in the world
 
Like the Canadian military, I would imagine the Australian Army would have similar traditions, culture and training to the British, as we were all at one time a colony.
I was in the SADF (South African Defence Force) in the early 80`s and even though SA (an ex colony) had pulled out of the commonwealth we still retained a lot of the British military traditions/training, albeit with changes, taking into account the fact that we were fighting  a COIN war in S.W.A. (now Namibia to you young `uns ).

I would have no problem serving in any of the three countries you mentioned.

The French Army...ahhh well thats another story.LOL

 
 
Let's keep this to the supposed purpose of the thread there MedTechStudent.

I have removed the last couple of posts, to salvage the integrity of it.

dileas

tess

Milnet.ca
Staff
 
Korporaal said:
SA (an ex colony) had pulled out of the commonwealth we still retained a lot of the British military traditions/training,    

Thought SA was booted for Apartied ways??

;D

Cheers,

Wes
 
Just as a heads up, the New Zealand military actively hires Canadians... might be of interest.
 
Just a Sig Op said:
Just as a heads up, the New Zealand military actively hires Canadians... might be of interest.
*If* and *when* I feel like a change someday, that sounds interesting.

Prior to joining the CF I was actively trying to get a US greencard as I have some friends and family in the USMC.  I also filled out some prelim paperwork for the Brit Army and the FFL.  At the time I had very little knowledge of the CF and honestly thought of it a little less glamourously.  The idea of of living in Pet certainly didn't seem to exotic to me (still do kinda I guess  ;D), and in the earlier years I was considering joining, the CF didn't have the renewed vigour and recognition that I think it now has.

I really feel the Cf was the right decision however and don't regret it one bit.
 
DirtyDog said:
At the time I had very little knowledge of the CF and honestly thought of it a little less glamorously. 

Lol I think that's really common actually I used to think the same, also because when I first told people it was an intrest my most common response was "The Canadian Military sucks don't it?"  Which of course is false, I just think that people (not you DD just folks in general) put the US military above others because of its years of spotlight and fame through movies, TV, and so on.  Not to mention that huge amount of money the US spends on its military.  Also, because I really don't know, all in all, DOES the US have and outstanding Military? ???.  I think Canada is as good, as well from what I've heard our military takes pride in impeccable TRAINING of our members.  So I suppose its like..."We're not as big, but we're really good at being smaller" :cdn:

Anyways, ya that's that's just my impression from what I've heard from some CF members.
 
MedTechStudent said:
I'm not totally sure if this topic will be allowed because it might just open up the floor to argument or country bashing.  If that's the case then delete it please by all means.  My question is to all the people who have served with the CF for extended periods. 

My mother is from the UK, my father is from Australia so I have duel citizenship in those places, and for a while was considering moving and joining the military in those countries.  Is there anyone here who has fought in or with other countries forces that can tell me pros and con's of them from a first hand account?  It's a little hard to find a tri-military comparison on "google"  I suppose in general I'm just curious if here in Canada our military system is the better of the three and if I made the right choice to stay?

Thank you for your input.

25 years ago I'd say give it a go (hell, I did). But with all the action and interesting opportunities, plus excellent benefits and high quality people  in today's CF (the many fine people on this forum are good examples!), I'd say that the odds are stacked heavily in favour of staying in Canada's military.

Regardless, some questions you want to ask yourself before you decide to make the leap - to the British Army anyways:

1) Are you prepared to support the foreign policy of another country, even if it is diametrically opposed to Canada's?
2) Are you prepared to be treated differently? No matter what you do, you WILL be singled out and be severely 'razzed'. You may experience downright discrimination (not my experience, but it's possible). You will need a thick skin regardless. You will always be under pressure to do better than the others.
3) Are you prepared to be away from home for months, or years in some cases, while your mates get to go home regularly to see mummy and daddy? Could you handle up to 9 - 10 months away from your unit's home base per year?
4) Can you handle the possibility of encountering much different, and apparently ruthless and 'constitutionally unfair', physical or other selection processes which you may fail, with little or no chance of appeal?
5) Pay and benefits may be much different than you can expect in Canada. British troops get paid much less for example. Are you prepared for less pay, worse living conditions and potentially marginal benefits?
6) If you are killed or wounded (it happens, but not to me, right?), are you prepared to take the risk and put your family through the extra hassle?
7) Can you handle less attractive women, warm beer, cold showers, bad coffee, shabby quarters, awful dentists and endless cups of tea (oh, the horror)

On balance, unless you're planning on making a fortune from the book you write about your experiences, I'd hang here. The modern CF rocks, dude.

PM me if you'd like for any further discouragement or insipid, pre-publication, self-promoting war stories.

D&B
Para Regt (seconded to 3 Cdo Bde for 2 years)
Still tabbing after all these years ;D
 
daftandbarmy said:
The modern CF rocks, dude.

Lol that just made me smile ;D, all this awesome input then to cap it off..."CF Rocks"

Thank you very much for your advice/information

Cheers, Kyle

PS, #7, as much as it made me drop to the floor laughing....I visited last year, the woman ARE improving ;)
 
Thought SA was booted for Apartied ways??

No...SA pulled out in 64 when it became a Republic.


 
Korporaal said:
Thought SA was booted for Apartied ways??

No...SA pulled out in 64 when it became a Republic.

From www.abc.net.au/tv/btn/stories/s1579273.htm

.....but being in the Commonwealth means you have to follow certain rules. And you can get kicked out if you don't! That happened to South Africa in 1961, because of the racist apartheid laws that denied human and political rights to people who weren't white skinned. South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth in 1994 after the first democratic elections were held and the racist laws were changed. And more recently, Zimbabwe was kicked out, after the rest of the Commonwealth didn't agree with the way the Zimbabwean elections were held.

----------------------------------

I guess there is two sides to every story, but this is how it was told outside SA.


Cheers,

Wes






 
DirtyDog said:
*If* and *when* I feel like a change someday, that sounds interesting.

I contacted them a while back about being joining their territorial (reserve) army (I've got a bit of a pipe dream in my head about going to New Zealand... long story)... the impression I got from their recruiting website is they actively recruit Americans/Canadians/ Brits, though the form reply I got said I had to be at least a permanent resident in New Zealand (Though again, I was looking towards the the territorial, not regular army).

If nothing else, not nearly as much snow to shovel in kiwi-land....
 
Just a Sig Op said:
I contacted them a while back about being joining their territorial (reserve) army (I've got a bit of a pipe dream in my head about going to New Zealand... long story)... the impression I got from their recruiting website is they actively recruit Americans/Canadians/ Brits, though the form reply I got said I had to be at least a permanent resident in New Zealand (Though again, I was looking towards the the territorial, not regular army).

If nothing else, not nearly as much snow to shovel in kiwi-land....
From what I've heard, immigrating to New Zealand is no small feat.  They are quite selective.
 
Wesley  Down Under said:
From www.abc.net.au/tv/btn/stories/s1579273.htm

.....but being in the Commonwealth means you have to follow certain rules. And you can get kicked out if you don't! That happened to South Africa in 1961, because of the racist apartheid laws that denied human and political rights to people who weren't white skinned. South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth in 1994 after the first democratic elections were held and the racist laws were changed. And more recently, Zimbabwe was kicked out, after the rest of the Commonwealth didn't agree with the way the Zimbabwean elections were held.

----------------------------------







I guess there is two sides to every story, but this is how it was told outside SA.



So let me see...your source of information is an Australian journalist, who probably like the majority of people who critized SA have never even visited the country and feel that because they watched a Discovery Channel article on SA they are emminently qualified to be taken seriously.
I can therefore assume using this same standard of journalistic knowledge/honesty , that the CBC`s recent report of the Afghan people wanting foreign troops out of the country is true.
If you are interested their is a news clip showing the SA`n foreign ministers speech announcing SA`s withdrawl.

SA`s policies were attacked, but SA voluntarily withdrew from the Commonwealth, and the news that is put out their is of course, dependent on the political leanings of the news organisation.   

As far as Mugabe goes your Australian journalist has it all wrong again, Mugabe was not thrown out of the Commonwealth due to unfair elections, as the Commonwealth in infinite wisdom accepted the SA`n President Thabo Mbekis`s statement that the elections were free and fair, in total contradiction to the European observers from non commonwealth countries (if the journalist did her research she should have known this) he was thrown out due to the fact that he has plunged his country into a famine by throwing all the white farmers off the land and giving those farms to his buddies who happen to be his political party supporters and who have no interest in farming, PLUS the 6000% inflation rate he has thrust upon his citizens, PLUS the murder and torture of political opponents.I wonder what the Commonwealth will do when they start digging up the bodies of the over 20,000 Matabele tribesman in Northern Zimbabwe murdered by Mugabes North Korean trained 5 th Battalion in the `80`s.

From enforcing a democracy point of view the Commonwealth like the UN are a waste of time.

But we are off subject here.

Regards










 
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