‘Made in Alberta’ recruiting effort looks to sign up part-time soldiers
Prospective reservists spend a day getting a taste for what the job entails
Army recruiters are hoping new rules will make it easier than ever to join the local reserves.
On Saturday, 55 prospective recruits between the ages of 16 and 57 tried being a “soldier for a day” at an open house at the Philip L. Debney Armoury at 8403 Roper Rd., learning how to march and stand in formation, navigate with a map and compass, how to deploy in a section during an assault and how to use a weapon.
“It’s one thing to read about it, to research it, but it’s something entirely different to actually get boots on the ground doing the job,” said Sgt. Daniel Pagnutti, a Canadian Armed Forces recruiter working for 41 Canadian Brigade Group, an Army reserve formation with nine units and nearly 1,200 reservists spread across Alberta and the Northwest Territories.
Pagnutti described a reservist as “a part-time soldier.”
Reservists take the same basic training and soldier training as regular members of the Canadian Forces, but serve on a part-time basis outside of their regular civilian careers.
“On time off, weekends and evenings, we decide that we want to serve our community and we want to serve our country.
“We join the reserves to help out, to do a job and make a difference,” Pagnutti said.
After standard training, reservists with 41 Canadian Brigade Group units in Edmonton meet on Wednesday evenings and one weekend a month for training for as long as they see fit, without a minimum service requirement.
Reservists can then be called upon for international deployments and domestic responses, with reservists aiding their communities during the floods in Alberta in 2013 and during the Fort McMurray Wildfire in 2016.
“That is helping people in your own community, I can’t express how good that feels,” said Pagnutti.
To aid in enlisting new reservist recruits, the Canadian Forces has localized recruitment in Alberta — so local recruits are processed by local reservists — and has removed a 30-day period between the date an applicant files their submission and when they can be enrolled.
“You will be talking to local members of your local recruiting unit, your paperwork will be held at the local level, your testing will be held at the local level, in fact, we’ve expedited the process so you are looking at getting enrolled in about a month,” Pagnutti said.
With six units within the 41 Canadian Brigade Group based in Edmonton — including artillery soldiers, a signal regiment, light reconnaissance, infantry soldiers, engineers and a service battalion — Pagnutti said there are a wide range of opportunities to participate.
“We are looking for someone who is motivated, interested and willing to serve their community and their country. Beyond that, we’ve got jobs for every different kind of skill set,” said Pagnutti.
Sarah Johnson, 17, spent the day experiencing the life of a soldier.
“As a student, it appeals to me because it is a part-time job, a salary that I would really like to acquire, and the people,” Johnson said, adding she plans on joining the reserves while she is in school before enlisting with the regular force as a medic.
Matt Hornby, 19, said his experience Saturday helped reaffirm his decision to join the Canadian Forces.
“It really helped me gain an insight into what I could do,” said Hornby, adding he has already applied.
For him, enlisting “would be a dream come true, literally.”
Pagnutti said the 41 Canadian Brigade Group is hosting an open house in Calgary soon, with plans for another open house in Edmonton sometime this year.
For more information, Pagnutti recommends checking out the 41 Canadian Brigade Group Facebook page or contacting your local recruitment office.