I joined the armed forces in 1991 because I wanted to go to Iraq. I wanted to do my patriotic duty. I hadn't finished school, so from 1991 to 1993, I was initially a reservist with the Fusiliers Mont-Royal.
In 1993, I was transferred to the Royal 22e Régiment. As a reservist, my military abilities were such that in less than two years, I trained to become a master corporal and came in second. So normally I would be promoted within a year.
I then took, infantry soldier classes in the regular forces, with merit. I was at the top of the class. When I underwent physical testing, my level was high. I was the third fastest 10k runner in the country. I was a serious athlete. I was training to be a good soldier. I didn't do anything halfway. When I got to the battalion, my master warrant officer was an incredibly impressive guy. His nickname was “the Viking”. When I was just a young soldier on the parade square, he told me that I would do biathlons. In a biathlon, you cross-country ski and you shoot a rifle. I'd never skied in my life. But off I went to compete in biathlons.
My first few years in the army were wonderful. I competed in international contests all over the world. I did all kinds of competitions, shooting, running, skiing and so on. Anytime a sporting event was being held, I was there. If you have access to the newspaper Adsum, you'll see that I won a lot of medals. I earned them with much confidence.
Unfortunately, when I was skiing, I would watch my colleagues training to go to war, and it made me jealous. When my unit was about to leave for Bosnia, my assistant told me they needed snipers. I was tested and I can tell you that, with a precision rifle up to a distance of 1.8 kilometres, my margin of error was 4 inches. So I was quite valuable in the theatre of operations.
I am under oath, so I can say anything, is that right? I am asking.