If you see Dan MacKenzie working at a government office downtown, you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 guess heB次元官网网址檚 a veteran and long-time reservist.
By day, the 34-year-old Victoria man is the director of data insights for the Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology. But MacKenzie is also a 17-year infantry reservist, a sergeant who volunteers three hours a week and one weekend a month with the Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess MaryB次元官网网址檚), a light infantry regiment that supplements the regular armed forces.
When people learn MacKenzie is in the military, they look at him differently.
B次元官网网址淭hey will remark that I have this whole other life B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址榶ou donB次元官网网址檛 look like a soldier,B次元官网网址� or something like that,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ome people find it uncomfortable, or at least they find it surprising.
Born into a Saskatoon family with a strong military tradition, he joined as an infantry reservist when he was 16, excited at the prospect of using guns, working with tanks, and B次元官网网址渁ll kinds of masculine things.B次元官网网址� It was a good-paying summer job and he wanted to serve his country and community.
The military still plays a role in his life, but not quite in the same way as when he did a tour overseas.
In 2008 he was deployed to Afghanistan after almost two years of full-time training, putting his education at the University of Saskatchewan on hold where he was doing an honours double major degree in history and political science. He went to the province of Kandahar with a battle group to establish an operating base, to search for the Taliban and take them out.
B次元官网网址淥ur main job was to hunt the Taliban,B次元官网网址� MacKenzie said. B次元官网网址淐learingB次元官网网址� Taliban, he said, secured an area for other teams to come in and rebuild the war-torn communities.
In Afghanistan, he saw things many donB次元官网网址檛 see in their lifetime, like the Afghan father and son he befriended who worked at the base who were killed by the Taliban, their bodies left to be found by Canadian soldiers.
Coming back to Canada and adjusting after a tense and dangerous tour was difficult for him and for many others. Something as small as not recognizing pop culture references in conversation can make returning veterans feel out of place.
B次元官网网址淲hen [your tour is done], you turn in your rifle, spend a couple days in Greece in decompression where you get it out of your system, drink a lot of booze, tell a lot of stories.
B次元官网网址淲hen you get home, seeing everybody you havenB次元官网网址檛 seen in a long time, theyB次元官网网址檝e had to keep living their lives without you. Things are different,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏次元官网网址淚 lost some friends to suicide. I lost some friendships due to mental illness, but other guys are doing really well.B次元官网网址�
So MacKenzie continues working in Victoria for the provincial government, but he still volunteers for the reserves.
B次元官网网址淚 have been doing it for a long time and itB次元官网网址檚 a big part of my identity. I continue to be active in the military, itB次元官网网址檚 still a big part of my life.B次元官网网址�
