Need some important advice.

[BIG E]

Hey everyone how's it going?
Yesterday, I passed all of my tests. Medical, interview, etc. (They didin't take my urine however, but I still passed the medical?)
Im in a bind. I know that choices are up to me but its getting hard to decide. I passed all of my tests for the reserves. Im in a choice for Infantry Reserve, Infranty Reg force, and Navy reg force (Boatswain). Ive talked to some Infantry soldiers and reservists.
Im 18 years old, the recruiters said that it would be a great choice to go reg because of my age. Im not going to college. Others tell my to try out the reserves to get a feel for it. But I will have to wait untill the fall to get into a reserve division...
Is there anyone here who is a Boatswain in the navy?Do you fire many small arms weapons?
Im stuck, if I join the reserves in the fall I might have wanted to go reg earlier on. By the time I switch to the Regs from reserve I will most likely be 19-20.
Thank you.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

You brought urine to your test???       

So what advice is it you want.  The title of the thread indicates you are looking for advice.

From what I read, only YOU can decide if you want Reg or Res, or Army or Navy.  Very different worlds, and only you can decide which one is for you.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I think you answered your own question. As far as I can see you have no pressing reason not to jump directly into the regular force.

If it (the CF) is really, really not for you they (the same CF) will weed you out fairly early on. If you just don’t like it very much, well, three or five years goes by pretty quickly, even when you’re not having fun. But, my experience and my own memories, faded as they may be, is that most 18 year olds like the military life. Some, a minority, I think, are actually bloody good at the job and make good, satisfying careers for themselves – growing, maturing, advancing and so on. Others enjoy their three to five years of service but change their minds – they leave the military and grow, mature and advance on civvie street. A small minority fail – in the military and, later, on civvie street – as that small minority always does.

I don’t know much about bosns – but there are some here, serving and former who will tell you what their life is like. An infantry soldier’s life can be very rough and tough, dangerous, too, every now and again; but it may be the most satisfying experience that anyone can ever have anywhere. But for days, weeks and even months on end it can be dull as dishwater, too. There are quite a few serving infantry soldiers here who can tell you more.

There are risks; members of this family, the Army.ca family, who were/are friends of ours, have been killed or badly wounded in battle. It, the military, is not just any job.

Give it (the CF) a good try. If you’re a good soldier or sailor you will often have to make quick, rational decisions. Start now. Make up your own mind.

 

[mellian]

Then maybe some of the questions to consider if there anything else in life you would like to achieve/do in the next while, before and during Reserve? If there is no other plans or commitments, then joining Regular now instead of a year or two makes sense.

3-5 years not bad, as you would still have majority of your 20s to still do some of the more youthful stuff of life, and have experience, training, and some real life preparation under your belt.