I'm Captain Alex Buzoiu from Montreal.
I'm an Infantry Officer currently serving at the Canadian Armed Forces Infantry School
in Gagetown.
Infantry Officers in the Canadian Armed Forces are the first boots on the ground
for military operations around the world.
From raids and ambushes, to security and stabilization missions,
Infantry Officers have an exciting job.
The role of the infantry is "to close with and destroy the enemy"
but it's much more than that.
It's the infantry that takes and holds ground on the modern battlefield,
as part of a combined arms team including Armour,
Artillery,
and Engineers.
The role of the infantry in relation to other arms,
may it be combat or not, is the centrepiece.
So around it, the infantry will provide the bulk of the ground forces,
but they are always collaborating, may it be with armoured units, artillery units,
air force units, and even logistical support non-combat units in order to achieve that.
So the infantry provides the combat presence, and often provides most of the leadership presence.
The Army has a proud heritage in Canada and abroad,
having accomplished many battle honours.
A regimental cap badge is a symbol and source of pride,
of belonging to a storied regiment that can be more than 100 years old.
This sense of history and pride is embodied in every Infantry Officer and regiment across Canada.
When I'm at the unit, my job consists of maintaining both the morale and physical fitness
of the men and women that are part of my unit,
but also preparing for the next task, next mission,
may it be combat operations here or just operations to fight fires,
to prevent floods, or even, as I did, go overseas and do capacity training
and security building in other nations.
Fitness, mental resiliency, and the will to fight are some of the top skills for Infantry Officers,
who can expect to be challenged and tested in every endeavour.
The infantry was my first choice, actually.
Because I realized that the infantry would provide me the most diverse opportunities
in terms of employment, career paths, both short-term and long-term,
within the Canadian Armed Forces, and as well, the most interesting opportunities to command
may it be at a platoon level, the company, the combat team level,
and if I'm lucky enough, to the battle group level.
Being an Infantry Officer is an adventure that can take you anywhere in the world -
be it urban, rural,
desert, forest, jungle, arctic,
or working with our allies overseas on important NATO missions.
Leadership is not just a word in this line of work -
it's a motto to live by and demonstrate every day.
Infantry Officers are excellent problem-solvers who work under demanding conditions
and tight timelines to get the job done.
So you need to be the type of person that can kind of go for the stress,
but also be able to simultaneously see the short-term and the bigger picture.
It takes capacity to be courageous in what you do and go forth,
but also humble in order to kind of realize that sometimes you may not have the solution
but there's people in your unit, in your platoon,
in your company that may be able to supplement that so you can solve that problem.
I worked in the private sector before I joined and never will you find an employer
where on day 1, once you're qualified,
you have at least 30 people that you're fully in charge of,
and you are responsible for them.
It's yours to manage and to lead,
and you're given full freedom of movement from day 1.
Upon completion of their army phase training, Infantry Officers in the Regular Force
are posted to a battalion at one of Canada's major bases
and assume command of a platoon of 30 to 40 soldiers.
Reservists return to their hometown regiment after their training
and also assume a leadership role.
The first 3 years tend to be very similar for all of us.
Afterwards, it's really what fits you
and your careers can go in many different directions.
You can be an assistant for a general; you can go to a training establishment
where you get specialties and qualifications throughout that time;
or you can go to a Reserve unit where you help train the Reserve
and occupy a lot of key senior positions;
or you can go, actually, in diverse routes, like to tech school where you get a specialty
in doing army development projects - all sorts of avenues.
I wanted to give back, primarily because I'm not born here.
I came to Canada when I was a young kid, 8 years old, in the '90s.
I got tremendous opportunities in Canada.
I think some Canadians sometimes forget how great Canada is.
It helps that people give back into it,
with their abilities, skills, knowledge or just desire.
And I felt that in this profession, I could do that.
I think I'm doing a pretty good job.