Freedom Is A Gift...Are You Willing To Give It?

Day 728, 15:19 • Published in Canada Canada • by Acacia Mason

I returned home today from Malaysia which officially closed off my first tour of duty with the CAF Rangers Branch, 5th Platoon. I could not have been more satisfied.

As a newer citizen, I can not think of a better way to make a contribution to my country. The opportunity to serve one’s country is truly one of the highest honours and the opportunity to do that for this great nation is a very special thing indeed.

If you have never had the opportunity to pull on combat fatigues and glance the maple leaf on your shoulder epaulette then you are truly letting the best in life pass you by. There is no greater feeling than the look in the eyes of a citizen of a foreign country when they see that maple leaf. Though they can not speak the language, I have on more than one occasion felt the shiver of pride when a non-English speaking person comes up to me and through broken English, says to me, “You Canadian Peacekeeper, Thank You”. The look in the eyes of a mother, cradling her child as you protect the battered and beaten shell of the home they once occupied proudly is one that will stay with you and nourish your emotions when the homesickness sets in. The local citizen who gives you their food, even when they haven’t enough to eat themselves is all you will ever need to understand the sense of pride that comes from being a member of an armed services that is respected as a peacekeeping force, as a protector of those who can not protect themselves. Indeed, you can not understand this feeling, this honour, this sense of self-worth that can only be found in the CAF.

To the new citizen who is just trying to find their way. Trying to feed themselves. Trying to find work. Trying to make a contribution. I ask you to take a good long look at service in the CAF. Make no mistake, it is not for everyone. You will need to be patient as you wait to be assigned to a Rangers Platoon just as I had to be patient. You will need to be strong mentally when you are shipped halfway around the world to a country you don’t know anything about...a stranger in a strange land. You will need to be able to respect the chain of command and act on orders, even when you personally are not sure its the right decision. You will need to find work in a strange country and at the same time, maintain an exemplary level of conduct. If you can do these things, then you will be introduced to a network of men and women who will forever become your brothers and sisters. They will be your strength when you are tired, they will be your voice when you can not speak and they will be your friends when you feel lost.

Service in the CAF is not for everyone, but for those who have heard the call of National Service, and answered the bell, there is no greater gift than that of freedom to a nation that needs it, safety to a family that has none, and security to children who live in fear.

I have returned home today from Malaysia, closing out my first tour of duty with the 5th Platoon Rangers. I could not be more satisfied with my new extended military family.

Yours in National Unity and Full of Ranger Pride o7

Pte. Acacia Mason