June 13, 2000

PHOTO BY MIKE SLAUGHTER/TORONTO STAR

WEEKEND WARRIORS: Young members of the Canadian army reserves, among them Pte. Kay Cheng, above, are trained to step in to active combat in a crisis, an occasion that hasn't arisen since World War II.

Young people are looking to the army reserves as a summer job. But it's not for everyone

IT WAS A hot summer night when the soldiers began crawling toward their goal. On their hands and knees they approached a dark trench, the only cover from the enemy.

No one in the platoon had slept for several days and after hours in the field they were all struggling to get their heavy equipment into place without being detected.

One young private, dizzy from lack of sleep, pulled out his gun and began searching for their elusive opponent. After several minutes he felt a tap on his shoulder. Glancing up into the camouflaged face of his commanding officer, the private realized why he couldn't find the enemy. He was facing the wrong way.

Lindsay Bruyea can laugh about his misdirection in the field. The gruelling night manoeuvres were part of Bruyea's basic training and he says the mistakes were an important part of becoming a soldier.

Fresh from college, Bruyea packed his bags and headed to Meaford, Ont., where he spent an entire summer learning to march, shoot and survive in the military.

But it was no surprise at the end of training when Bruyea was told not to quit his day job. The same was true for the rest of his platoon.

As members of Canada's reserve forces, crawling through mud-filled trenches and going on 20-kilometre marches are things you do in your spare time.

``It was just something I'd always thought about doing,'' says Bruyea, now 26.

After finishing college he wasn't sure what to do. ``I couldn't find a well-paying job and I wasn't ready to leave school. I'm really interested in military history and I figured I needed a challenge.''

I can sympathize with Bruyea's lack of direction. As I was wrapping up my time in university, panic set in. What was I going to do with my life? Didn't I owe society something? I had a number of friends and relatives who marched off to boot camp each summer, so perhaps the army was worth exploring. And the reserves seem to fit my schedule.

The Canadian reserves are made up of people trained for military operations when needed. Unlike many employers, the reserves are ready to take students as young as 17 and give them full-time summer jobs, no experience necessary. The training is geared toward high school and university students and done mainly during summer vacations.

``We know students have other commitments,'' says Capt. Stephen Roberts, the unit information officer for the Toronto Scottish Regiment.

 

PHOTO BY MIKE SLAUGHTER/TORONTO STAR

GETTING REAL : Reservists quickly discover that true army life is not how it's portrayed in the movies. To survive, you have to learn to like being told what to do -- and you may feel like crying when you phone home.

``The reserves are for people looking for a challenge but who may not be interested or able to have a full-time career in the regular forces,'' Roberts says.

Lingering over a recruitment poster a little voice in my head suggested that the rush of watching Tom Cruise save the world can be made real. I'll just have to be prepared to go days without sleeping or bathing. Ten-kilometre runs loaded with a 40-pound back pack will also be part of the routine. As usual the reality of life in the army isn't anything like the movies.

``When I joined up, I really didn't expect it to be that hard,'' says Bruyea, who adds any illusions he had about his physical fitness level were quickly shattered.

``I would cry every other night when I phoned my family and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Anyone who says they don't feel like crying is deluding themselves . . . To survive, I'll also need to learn to like being told what to do.''

``We want people to succeed,'' says Roberts. ``But we also let potential recruits know the harsh reality of life in the trenches. We try to lay all the cards on the table.''

Recent ad campaigns and job fairs are aimed at letting interested high school and university students know about military employment options. Cutbacks since 1994 have reduced both the size of and spending in all branches of the armed forces.

At the moment, only about 12,000 people serve in the reserves across Canada. Looking to attract even more students, many recruitment efforts are aimed at women.

However, the military culture can be a shock. ``Are you kidding? It's way harder to be a woman in the army,'' says Master Corporal Catherine Bergeron, who makes no secret of the struggles she's faced in the reserves. She looks forward to joining the regular forces but she's had her ups and downs.

``You always have to give 200 per cent. You have to prove yourself over and over. When I started in Ottawa, my sister and I were the only two girls and we were treated very differently,'' Bergeron says.

The number of women in the reserves is growing and Bergeron says she's seen improvements since coming to Ontario. Women are respected in the army, as long as they work within the military culture, she says.

``It's not about acting like one of the guys. I see it as acting like a soldier.''

Bergeron takes a look at me with my highlighted hair and four-inch heels. ``No offence, but you civilians have no idea how easy you have it.''

Actually I'm beginning to understand that maybe my talents would be put to better use elsewhere. I can't stand taking orders and I enjoy sleeping too much to be a good soldier.

But I do appreciate the dedication real soldiers share. It would take an act of Parliament to force reserve troops into action, something that hasn't happened since World War II.

But as regular soldiers are sent on long tours of duty, calls for men and women willing to volunteer overseas are coming with increasing frequency.

Stretched to the max, the reserves are often used in homegrown disaster relief such as ice storms, flooding or Operation: Snow Shovel.

``It was the weekend of the Toronto blizzard. We were on winter warfare training when we heard the mayor was calling the army in to deal with the snow. We bunked at the Fort York Armoury and then headed to the streets and started shovelling,'' Bruyea says.

Not exactly what he had in mind when he joined up. But, he feels, it really was worth it.

``You know, as corny and stupid as I felt, we had a lot of people driving by and honking and thanking us. It was silly, but it was what everyone needed. Most of us really didn't mind.''

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