The first member of the Prince George Rocky Mountain Rangers reserve unit has been hired.
The name of the soldier cannot be disclosed, but Lt. Seth Hunter in charge of recruiting for the militia unit said the one and only member so far is a Vancouver man who will be attending UNBC in September.
He also said there is quite a stack of applications on his desk with plenty of room for more.
"It is a great opportunity for the City of Prince George," said Hunter. "There is nothing military, beyond Kamloops, in the rest of northern B.C. This new unit creates an opportunity for Prince George in terms of employment, but also offers the chance for Prince George to possibly be a staging ground for other initiatives by the military."
Hunter and his recruiting aidEs have held three awareness sessions at the Pine Centre Mall, and they will have a recruiting and awareness booth at the Prince George Exhibition.
"We do not have a full-time footprint on the ground but the welcome we have had from the citizens of Prince George has been amazing. Everything has been positive. Each time we set up at the Pine Centre Mall we had hundreds of people come up to shake our hands and some even apply," said Hunter.
"Our presence is not just about getting people to join the military, it is also about connecting with Canadians to let the general person out there understand a bit more about the job we do."
One of the groups that needs no such introduction is the Royal Canadian Legion. Legion representative John Scott told The Citizen that the Rocky Mountain Rangers would be a big benefit for their own activities in the community.
"We hope to be involved with them, or course," Scott said. "It is a lot of potential members and a great asset to our branch. I hope we can be an asset to them, too, for dances and functions and a place to sit and talk."
Other community organizations also stand to benefit, to say nothing of what the Rocky Mountain Rangers are expected to stir into the local economy.
The cadet corps is a natural fit, said Scott, for some mentorship and information sharing.
Another was touched on by Cpt. Chris Poulton, Public Affairs Officer - 39 Canadian Brigade Group, who was in Prince George this week doing some of the groundwork for the militia's arrival.
"We want to foster relationships like that," said Poulton. "Petty Officer (2) Daryl Mellquist has been on the ground here, and he is personally tied into the Search And Rescue group in Prince George already. You are serving the nation, as a reservist, but you are also serving your community. Everybody in the reserve unit has a regular job or they are students, they have a life in the community, and they train part-time with the military to serve their country."
The Rocky Mountain Rangers are also interested in anyone from within approximately an hour's drive, as long as they can commit to the militia's schedule. Anyone with interest is invited to make preliminary contact for that information.
The reserve platoon in Prince George will pay a starting rate of $87 per day when they are called upon to work. There are also regular raises, pension, health and dental incentives depending on the situation, and significant cost coverage for some kinds of education. Some full-time employment is available, and options for some inclusion in regular army missions.
The two main jobs needed in Prince George are infantry personnel (combat soldiers) and clerks (internal communications and administration). Reservist soldiers work part-time and are not locked into long-term commitments to the military.
For information, call 250-552-3417.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
- Canadian citizen (landed immigrants have options)
- Ages 16 to 57 (those under 18 must have parent/guardian consent)
- Completion of six or more Grade 10 courses (high school completion for officers)
- No outstanding legal obligations
- Application process takes about six months, but varies according to individual
A LOCAL HUNTER FOR THE ARMY
When Lt. Seth Hunter leaves his base office in Kamloops at Rocky Mountain Rangers headquarters, and travels to Prince George to lead the army unit's recruiting efforts in B.C.'s northern capital, he knows exactly where to position himself. Hunter was born and raised just a couple hours down the highway at Francois Lake.
"It's been amazing to come closer to home, see people around that I know. It's a nice change," said the full-time reservist who joined the Canadian army about six years ago. He was a student at Thompson Rivers University, he wanted some interesting recreation and some additional career options, so he applied for a part-time position with the Rocky Mountain Rangers.
"I have travelled around the country and had a lot of great experiences with the military," he said. "I got to do a lot of my training on the east coast. I was a platoon commander for Operation Podium doing winter Olympics security, and I am now in charge of recruiting for Kamloops as well as Prince George."
Many of his family members, and those of his wife Carri, still live in the area so his more frequent visits to the region, since the Rocky Mountain Rangers announced expansion to Prince George, give him unprecedented touches of home.
