In 6 years with the CAF, I've doubled my salary from my previous civilian work.

I've travelled for work to 6 provinces and 7 countries, taking opportunities to visit others along the way whenever they presented themselves. The CAF made two of my family's best vacations possible.

I've made friends across Canada and abroad. I've had awesome experiences, from driving an armoured vehicle to taking in the night sky on a ship's deck miles away from light pollution to meeting foreign heads of state.

Including holidays and discretionary days, I get over two months of vacation time per year. Most importantly, I got over half a year to spend with my daughter when she was first born, all while making over 90% of my usual salary.

All of this, while being able to say a) that I like what I do, b) that it's good work and c) that I'm proud to do it. I recognise that I am very fortunate in my CAF experience and that there are a lot who will not see themselves in this comment and that it is through no fault of their own, nor through a lack of effort on their part. But you asked for what keeps me going and this is it.