When Rodrigue Temfack first came to Canada from Cameroon he liked the idea of joining the army. He went to Canada Place, but he did not have permanent residency at the time, and the army was not recruiting.
It seemed like it wasn’t going to happen. But a few years later, he met a friend, also from Cameroon, who was wearing an army uniform.
“So I asked if he was in the army, he said yes. And I asked if he quit his civilian job, and he said no,” says Temfack.
His friend explained he was a Canadian military reservist — he was a police officer but, if the military required help during a crisis, he could leave his job to help. Reservists can hold both military and civilian positions.
It was the first time Temfack had heard of the opportunity, but it seemed like a good match for his situation. He wanted to be a teacher, but he still had the army in the back of his mind. Being a reservist meant that he could hold a full-time job, provide for his family, and also gain some of the skills that he found really appealing about the army.
He wanted to push himself physically and mentally. After working as a school teacher for a few years, he went through his basic training (Basic Military Qualification) last year from mid-September to early December.
The course was held every week on Fridays, along with every other weekend. He’d arrive after a full day of teaching on Fridays and train at Debney Armoury until Sunday evenings. Some reservists can also choose to do the course in one 30-day block.
Some days there would not be time to eat. He thought he was mentally and physically prepared, but the training was gruelling and challenging in ways he had not expected.
“But, we’re told, as a soldier, we need to be prepared to be exhausted, prepared to go through stress. And how do you get prepared to go through stress if your training is easy and no challenge?” says Temfack.
Temfack uses the word cozy to describe that initial training as compared to his basic military officer training completed in early May of this year where he learned how to give and receive orders, run ranges, shoot and use combat equipment. He took a leave of absence in order to complete the 10-day course in Winnipeg; he was one of 24 out of 48 to complete the course.
He also began Basic Military Officer Qualification training but has yet to complete it. After the completion of this course, junior officers can lead platoons, give orders, lead section attacks, among other duties. Temfack is currently an Officer Cadet — a rank for new recruits with a Bachelor’s degree completed or on the way — but once the Basic Military Officer Qualification-Army is completed he’ll be promoted to Second Lieutenant.
Those who have the qualifications and availability for a deployment are required to help. If there are some skills that can easily be gained, the military may help the soldier meet the qualifications through a quick training session.
Temfack’s first deployment was to Jasper during the wildfires this summer. Prior to the start, he was given some extra training: he learned to use a fire extinguisher, a compass, how to build a trench to stop a fire from spreading, along with various other skills.
He spent eight days walking up and down mountains, extinguishing fires, while wearing a gas mask. A few times, his colleagues spotted bears, and the whole platoon was alerted to be aware of wildlife, and work together in groups to extinguish as many fires as possible.
Shortly after, Temfack was called to go to High Level, where he says the fire was three times the size of what they’d seen in Jasper. And the living conditions were much more difficult. In Jasper, the group slept in an arena and had showers; but in High Level, they camped in tents and did not have running water.
There were mosquitoes constantly biting, rocks under their tents, and dust everywhere.
“For the first time since I joined, I felt I’m doing something. I was happy to be in Jasper; I was happy to be up north in High Level. And people were so thankful,” says Temfack.
The military reserves, he admits, are not for everyone; but for this stage in his life, it’s an interesting experience that provides him with skills he could not acquire any other way.
