Shawn Alexander:
CLASS OF 1993
McNally Comp High SchoolClass of 1993
Edmonton, AB
Grant MacEwan Community CollegeClass of 1996
Edmonton, AB
Shawn's Story
Life
Well, not too long after finishing school I decided to go to GMCC for two years, and the U of A for one, to spend some perfectly good money on useless courses. I also joined the Army Reserves at about the same time. I've been in for about nine years now, and am still having a good enough time to stay.
I've done quite a bit with the Army. I've learned how to drive a tank, and be a tank gunner. I've been to Winnipeg to help during the flooding in 1997. I've taken leadership courses, and have taught many military courses, from basic training, to tank driving, to the Instructor's course. As well, I've become a tank commander, and greatly enjoy that! I've also already done one tour in Bosnia, in 2000, and am preparing to go again on the 1st of April 2003. I've seen a good deal of the world because of my time with the military, something I probably never would have been able to do otherwise. The only problem with being in the Army is that I've never really grown up!
Military
I joined up on March 15, 1994, pretty much right after I finished school. Almost immediately I was sent to Shilo, Manitoba for seven long weeks of basic training. That was an experience!
Within about two weeks of finishing basic I was off to Wainwright, AB for five weeks, for my Basic Armoured Crewman course. Here I learned the ins and...Expand for more
outs of life as a tanker, and how to finally drive a standard! Two weeks after that I was back in Wainwright on my Armoured Gunnery Course which, through hard work, I came in first! By this time, it was September, and I was home to go to GMCC, and join my unit, the South Alberta Light Horse.
I went back to Wainwright summer 95 and did my Armoured Vehicle Drivers course.
Upon returning to my Regiment I took the trophies for top gunner and top crew two years in a row!
In April 97 I quit University to train for a tour to Bosnia, but after all the training, I ended up not going, and instead I got a job as the driver for a General at the Western Canadian Army HQ in town. I worked there for two years, during which time I took my Junior NCO course, learning how to instruct for the Army, and how to lead an infantry section in the field. I ended up teaching a number of courses between 98 and 2000, including a tank driver's course. In Feb 2000 I deployed to Bosnia for a seven month peacekeeping tour. After I got home, I ended up teaching a few Basic Training courses, and a JNCO course, like the one I did in 1998.
In the summer of 2002, I was back in Wainwright to take my Tank Commander's Course. And shortly after that I was off to Winnipeg to prepare for another tour in Bosnia which I'm preparing to go on in April 2003.
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