Standing at a military checkpoint along a dirt road armed with a C7A2 assault rifle, all seems calm.
A man stands in the nearby bushes casually bumping his first in the air as another couple and a white vehicle drive by. Then suddenly things take a turn for the worse.
The man in the bushes starts to advance towards the three Canadian Armed Forces officers, which includes myself. Almost out of nowhere, six or seven people emerge on the path walking towards us, chanting.
The chanting grows louder, as they draw closer, throwing their fists violently into the air. I take the safety off my rifle. We donB次元官网网址檛 know what theyB次元官网网址檙e saying, but know it does not bode well for us.
My heart starts pounding and my palms begin to sweat. My eyes dart from one person to the next. Dozens of questions enter my mind: Are they enemies? Are they armed?
Then, one of the protesters throws something towards us. We fire our weapons, but itB次元官网网址檚 too late. ThereB次元官网网址檚 a flash of light across the screen and the scenario is over.
That scenario is one of four offered this week at the Bay Street Armoury in Victoria as part of the Experience the Canadian Armed Forces interactive event, which aims to give the public a feel for what itB次元官网网址檚 like to begin a career as a solider, sailor or aviator.
B次元官网网址淧eople wonder what we eat, what weapons we use, what a fitness test looks like and they have no idea. We describe it to them or look at the YouTube videos, they need to see it, they need it [to be] hands on,B次元官网网址� said Sgt. Gareth Elias, adding they hope more women will come out and give it a try.
B次元官网网址淧eople automatically assume there are soldiers, sailors and pilots B次元官网网址� air force, army and navy. ThereB次元官网网址檚 so many different jobs in all those organizations. We have over 100 jobs in the Canadian Armed Forces as a whole B次元官网网址� essentially we have a uniformed version of most civilian occupations.B次元官网网址�
But based on ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 experience, in which members of the media participated, itB次元官网网址檚 not easy. Fitness, motivation and a drive to succeed are the types of people the armed forces are looking for, added Sgt. David Coull.
Members of the armed forces are required to pass four fitness tests.
These are called sandbag lifts and Kendra needs to do 30 of them 馃槷 Help us cheer her on!! 馃弸馃徎B次元官网网址嶁檧锔�
B次元官网网址� Goldstream Gazette (@GoldstreamB次元官网网址)
The first includes a shuttle run, running 80 metres with breaks every 10 metres to dive to the ground, meant to simulate advancing towards an enemy position. The second is the sandbag lift, which requires participants to lift the 44-pound bags 30 times up to their waist or shoulder, depending on oneB次元官网网址檚 height. The next is the intermittent loaded shuttle, in which participants must pick up a sandbag, carry it for 20 metres, drop it at the start line and run around a second time. That must be done five times.
The final B次元官网网址� and most challenging B次元官网网址� is the sandbag drag, where participants must drag 220 pounds for 20 metres without stopping to simulate dragging a casualty.
Once participants have worked up an appetite, they can try military rations. The rations, which come in a brown box and are the equivalent of 3,000 calories, take about five to 10 minutes to cook in a pressure cooker. Breakfast options, which can also be eaten cold, include beans and wieners, breakfast sausages, and hash browns, followed by a dessert of strawberry apple sauce or peaches and cream, which are B次元官网网址渓ike moneyB次元官网网址� in the military said Coull.
Private reporting for duty! 馃嚚馃嚘
B次元官网网址� Goldstream Gazette (@GoldstreamB次元官网网址)
Up next, participants can strap on combat gear, including water, a gas mask and first-aid kit, and helmet and test out their shooting skills. Participants learn how to load an assault rifle and take aim at moving targets in a simulated shooting range.
Finally, participants can see what artillery simulations look like.
Sgt. Matt Spears joined the military when he was 17 years old after finding a pamphlet at his high school in Ladysmith and hasnB次元官网网址檛 looked back since.
B次元官网网址淔or me, itB次元官网网址檚 the camaraderie. ItB次元官网网址檚 the training. I essentially have the amount of training to be close to a masters degree in indirect fire support,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淥nce you put the green on, youB次元官网网址檙e a part of the family. You know your buddies are there no matter what.B次元官网网址�
Experience the Canadian Armed Forces takes place on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Bay Street Armoury (713 Bay St.) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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kendra.wong@goldstreamgazette.com
