As I walked into the D.V. Currie V.C. Armoury Friday morning to attend the Canadian Forces and Emergency Services Career Fair, I had no idea what I was in for.
There were guns and vehicles everywhere.
Now being the girlie girl I am, these things were not really appealing to me.
However, also being the sport I am, I decided to get a crash course in army and navy 101.
My first task was to navigate myself through a pitch black room using NVGs, which to those unfamiliar with army lingo, means night vision goggles.
Being that this was my first assigned army mission, ever, I would have to say the fact that I made it in and out of the room without running into any walls, tables or people, it was a success.
Next I moved on to the guns and rifles.
The first rifle I was introduced to was the C-7 assault riffle.
Although the rifle was quite large, Cpl. John Miller assured me it wasn't at all that heavy. I have to say Cpl. Miller was wrong.
I found this gun good for about 30 seconds and then I was ready to put it down.
Along with the 36 kilograms the soldiers already have to wear while out on patrol, they must also carry a rifle, which is most commonly the C7.
The next gun I found myself holding was the C-9, known as a light machine gun.
Due to its weight and size and the fact it kind of reminded me of a gun I had seen in Rambo, I thought it was held like a bazooka.
This was wrong. As I placed the gun on my shoulder, the surrounding soldiers proceeded to laugh.
So I too laughed, removed the gun from my shoulder and pretended like it never happened.
After this slightly embarrassing moment I decided to abandon the mission and move on to something new while I still had a bit of dignity.
I moved on to the navy.
My mission at this booth to put on a full fire rescue suit in less then six minutes.
The record for this challenge, I was told, was set by a whole ship who got geared up in 3 1/2 minutes.
I did it in two minutes flat.
OK, so I had a little help - OK a lot of help - but at least I did it, which completed my training.
I am now a certified Canadian Forces and Emergency Services Career Fair vet and proud of it.
Reservists recount time in Afghanistan
For seven months, Cpl. John Miller, 24, and Bombardier Kevin Weir, 21, were living a life many of us have only experienced through the news or on the big screen.
The two Canadian Forces reservists agreed although life in Afghanistan is a 180 from that in Canada, they would have no reservations if asked to return.
They spoke about their experiences while they worked at a Canadian Forces reserves booth at the Canadian Forces and Emergency Services Career Fair at the D.V. Currie V.C. Armoury on Friday.
"I think as a reservist you want to go over (to Afghanistan) because it is what you are trained to do and if you didn't (want to go) you wouldn't have joined in the first place," said Miller.
"I really enjoyed the opportunity to go over and just help people. . . and help them to live normal lives and (gain) the freedoms we have here (in Canada)."
Both men, who are from Regina, agreed when they stepped off the plane and onto Afghani soil, it was like stepping back in time.
"I felt like I had taken a time machine back 2,000 years," said Weir.
He said there was no electricity, people were using donkeys as transportation and they used wheelbarrows to carry their belongings wherever they went.
"You would sometimes see a horse being used but not (often) because they are too expensive. It really is hard to believe the (poverty)."
Weir said although the Afghani people were unsure at first, once they realized who the reservists were and what they were there to do, they slowly dropped their guard and were quite friendly.
Miller explained: "These people have to be this way (on their guard) because they never know who is watching them."
During the seven-month tour, Miller said although things are different, you learn to adapt.
He said having bullets flying over your head becomes second nature.
He said even when everyone is trying to relax they are still ready for anything.
He recalled something that happened while he was serving in Cyprus to illustrate his point.
"One night . . . a bunch of us were in a pool relaxing and goofing around.
"And it was funny because none of us realized there was a wedding was going on behind the hotel. Anyway, all of the sudden they let some fireworks go and let me tell you, you have never seen so many people jump out of a pool so fast. It took us a second to remember where we were."
Miller said when he was in Afghanistan it was seven months of go, go, go, but when he returned home it didn't take him long to get back into the scheme of things.
"When you get back and everyone is so happy to see you it really helps."
