Thinking about joining the CF, What branch leads to Relief Missions?

[jundyawa]

Hi,

I am thinking about joining the CF. I am completing my second year in engineering physics and loosing motivation because I have yet to find a future career that suits my aspirations.

I have been backpacking in crisis area for the last three years (Sudan, Iraq, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, etc.) and I have seen first-hand the catastrophic consequences of terrorism, droughts and civil war. I am perfectly bilingual and can converse in Spanish. I work out everyday, and im looking for a job that needs me to maintain a good physical shape. In short, I want to know which career in the army fits the desire to help populations subject to conflicts or natural catastrophes, to participate in projects needing technical knowledge (im studying engineering), to work in unpredictable environments.

Is it possible to take a break from my theoretical studies and gain some experience on the ground before returning to university?

Waiting for your advises

Jean-Romain

 

[Pusser]

If you want to build things, then military engineering might be for you.  The Royal Canadian Engineers build bridges, roads, buildings, etc, often in areas that have been ravaged by war and/or natural disaster.  However, they also blow them up and destroy them to prevent their use by an enemy.  If all you're interested in are "relief" missions, then you may want to consider other organizations (OXFAM, Peace Corps, etc) as that is really what they do.  The main job of the Canadian Army, however, is to take the fight to an enemy.  Although we often participate in relief missions because we are a large, disciplined and capable organization (that can both build and destroy) and, therefore, very capable, our primary role is the defence of the nation and that can often mean having to fight.

As for whether to finish school or take a break:  if you want to be an engineer officer (i.e. be in charge of building projects) then stay in school and apply now for the CAF to subsidize your education (Regular Officer Training Plan - ROTP) or wait until you finish your degree and apply as a Direct Entry Officer (DEO).  However. if you want to be more hands on (e.g. swing hammers), then apply to be a non-commissioned member (NCM) and you can do that anytime.

The best thing you can do at this point is get yourself to a Recruiting Centre, where they can give you a lot more information (and even show you movies).

 

[Loachman]

And explore some of the existing threads here to get a better idea of what's available and what to expect.