Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
Cpl. John Rabesca has come to be known as the Tlicho Soldier, but if you ask him, the name's all wrong.

John Rabesca, originally from Behchoko, recently returned from serving six months in Afghanistan with the Canadian Forces. "I'm just a regular guy from a small town up North," he says. - photo courtesy of John Rabesca

"I'm just a regular guy from a small town up North," he said.

The 23-year-old from Behchoko joined the Canadian Forces in 2007,and recently returned home from Afghanistan after serving six months at Kandahar Airfield, where he helped Canadian Forces pack up and ship off their portion of the base.

He said military life, although he enjoys it, is different than he thought it would be like – and has made him different, too.

"I'd say, mentally, I'm stronger than I was before," Rabesca said.

"It'd be kind of hard to recognize myself when I was 18 and just got out of high school. He didn't really know much."

Rabesca said he signed up with the Canadian Forces because he wanted to experience a different life than the one he lived in Behchoko, and the one he saw forming for him after graduation.

"It wanted a change from what was going on at the time. I wanted to do something different instead of just going to the mines or just working," he said.

After enlisting, completing basic training and going on to serve in Afghanistan, Rabesca is now back working at the Edmonton Garrison. He said he always envisioned the military to be like a continuation of basic training, and was shocked to see it turn into an eight to five job.

"It's pretty routine," he said.

Every day from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. his regiment has physical training, followed by maintenance work on tanks, lunch, and then more maintenance work on tanks.

His life at Kandahar Airfield was similar, but instead of physical training and maintenance work he was packing up the base, and instead of working Monday to Friday he worked every day, save for a half day he had off each week.

"It was pretty boring. There wasn't much to do there. A lot of the guys just worked out after work all the time," he said.

One of the things he looked forward to most at the base was ball hockey, which nearly everyone played.

"I joined a team and we played against European teams, American teams and Canadian teams – half the teams were Canadian," he said.

Rabesca said his return home to Canada was one of the most difficult parts of his journey, despite never having taken part in combatd.

"My family wanted to come down to Edmonton to meet me (when I flew back from Afghanistan), but I told them not to," he said.

"Usually when soldiers come back from war they're not fully right in the head."

Rabesca said he isn't quite ready to leave the military life, but wants to return home to work in the North one day.

"I wouldn't call myself a hero. As a Canadian soldier I just want to volunteer and do my part," he said.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.