With 33 years of service, I have served in the Canadian Armed Forces as both a Non-Commissioned Member and a Commissioned Officer. I have served within both the Regular and Reserve Force. I have served within Army, Navy, Air Force and Joint Environments. I have worked at the Tactical, Operational and Strategic levels and have both Domestic and Internationally Deployed experience. I have buried comrades, as part of their Honour Guard; I have sent Soldiers to their death, then had to be the Assisting Officer to the Wife and Children during the repatriation and funeral; I have spoken with colleagues and they be killed days later; I have had Enemy soldiers killed on my information; I have been shot at, with the rounds landing in the ground just ahead of my feet; I have had weapons pointed at my head and told I was going to die; and I have had a weapon pointed at my head, cocked, taken of safe and the trigger pulled, (Empty Magazine).

I have no regrets for joining the military. I have seen a good part of the world. Both the good and the bad. I have done and seen so much and I have a good pension. Top that off with an awesome Family who have had to deal with so much, but have always provided love and support. I am very lucky to have them. Try to imagine your Wife or Husband, and your Father or Mother writing poems about wanting to die, and meaning it. My "Soldier's Book of Poems" is filled with very dark poetry. That is just a small piece of what my Family has had to deal with.