As a routine aspect of ongoing recruitment efforts, the Canadian Armed Forces is opening the D.V. Currie VC Armoury from April 22 – 28 to join several other armouries across Canada to attract new service members and showcase the military’s role in the community.
In Moose Jaw, the 38 Canadian Brigade Group’s Saskatchewan Dragoons are offering an open house with interactive weapon and equipment displays, and everyone’s welcome to stop by and ask questions.
There’s no pressure to join, and the open house is intended to be an information-based event.
“Everything’s easier when you have more personnel. (It helps) to issue the crew the right (number) of vehicles to exercise effectively, (and) even something as easy as shooting at a rifle range (is improved with more personnel),” said Warrant Officer Edgar Tryhorn.
An increase in personnel also improves efficiency, training, regular duties, and overall safety.
The event explores field rations and infantry weapons including an assault rifle, grenade launcher, and the new, lighter handguns that are replacing older models. The pièce de resistance could arguably be the interactive armoured TAPV vehicle.
“This is really a good job,” Tryhorn said. “It’s part-time, one day a week, (and involves) one or two weekends a month during the school year.”
Tryhorn said the military offers benefits that include tuition reimbursement and even offers a debt-free graduation incentive for new recruits.
Recruits can continue their university or college studies without interruption through a four-month, full-time summer employment program running from May to September.
A private recruit’s pay starts at $3,844 per month (before taxes), and Tryhorn said recruits can typically expect a promotion to corporal in around two years’ time.
“So, if you join in Grade 10 and you’re going to university, by the time you hit first year university, (you can expect to reach the rank of) corporal… so you’re making $5,611 (monthly),” he said.
“(If you’re) doing four months (each summer) at $5,611, you should graduate debt-free.”
One active service member, Cpl. Jerry Heilman, said he joined 17 years ago and was inspired by his earlier experience as a cadet. At the time, which was in the late '80s, cadets were still permitted to join field exercises with reservists, and he enjoyed the new bonds that he formed while being able to try something a bit different.
His duties as a reservist now range from field exercises and training to domestic operations that include fighting floods and forest fires in locations from Gagetown, N.B. to Williams Lake, B.C.
“Those are all voluntary, but they’re (also) paid positions,” he said, noting that the military routinely posts voluntary taskings that qualified reservists can participate in.
Heilman said he still encounters a lot of people who don’t know what reservists do, and this is part of the idea behind the open house event.
“We’re trying to be open… so people can come in and see the different aspects… with regards to the opportunities that (new recruits) might have – and to be present. We’re part of the community… (and) we try to partake in events within the community. That’s an asset,” he explained.
“And the more people there are (within our ranks), the grander those opportunities (are),” he added.
One guiding principle of the reservists is “service before self,” and as Heilman explained, this principle goes beyond the line of duty to help you become a better citizen overall.
The Lieutenant-Colonel D.V. Currie VC Armoury is located at 1215 Main Street North. Anyone can stop by on April 22, 23, 25, and 26 from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., on April 24 from 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., on April 27 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and on April 28 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
For more information about the Canadian Armed Forces and the Saskatchewan Dragoons, visit Canada.ca/en/army.html.
