Stuart Whyte of Bengough had always wanted to join the Canadian Armed Forces with the intent of serving his country.
鈥淗e has always been proud of being Canadian,鈥� his mother Lori Whyte said. 鈥淗e also enjoyed hearing stories of how we attained the freedoms that we have.鈥�
鈥淗e liked that he could serve while earning an education,鈥� Lori said, when clarifying why he chose the Royal Military College in Kingston above other alternatives. 鈥淭he programs that they offer weren't any different than University of Saskatchewan or the University of Regina, but this way, you are also having a purpose and working towards your goal.鈥�
Although Stuart is studying engineering, he has an interest in history 鈥� particularly military history. Stuart and his father Cameron Whyte often discussed military history and the many times when the Canadian military had intervened for the good of the nation and the world.
鈥淲e鈥檙e able to maintain our freedoms through military actions,鈥� Lori affirmed.
Yet, aside from having a longstanding interest in military history, Stuart also wanted to enroll into the military because of his desire to protect the nation鈥檚 integrity. 鈥淗e believes in honesty and doing the right thing 鈥� you support what you believe in,鈥� Lori Whyte said, as she explained some of her son鈥檚 principles.
Currently, Stuart Whyte is serving in the B division with 6 squadron, Romeo Flight at the RMC in Kingston Ontario, where he is studying mechanical engineering. Stuart鈥檚 been attracted to the discipline of engineering since high school.
鈥淚n Grade 11, he took power engineering through correspondence online options,鈥� Lori recounted. Stuart made the decision to choose mechanical engineering over robotics, as he thought engineering might provide enhanced career possibilities in the future. With this program, he took placement workshops at the mine in Coronach, where he was introduced to boiler maintenance in the autumn of 2018.
At his graduation ceremony, which was postponed to Oct. 13, only the parents were allowed to attend to public gathering restrictions. With a graduating class of eight in Bengough, this meant a handful of people were allowed to attend the event. It was arranged to have a video played with a message from Stuart to his graduating class. The Bengough School livestreamed the graduation for family and friends on Facebook.
Since his school had closed early in 2020, Stuart took on fulltime employment at the Bengough Co-op, where he鈥檇 been working as a part-time student since September 2019.聽
Stuart鈥檚 entrance into the RMC in August had also been affected by COVID-19, including a delayed response with his acceptance into the military college.
鈥淪tuart first applied and started the pre-screening process in October 2019. He did his final pre-screening interview over the phone in February,鈥� Lori said. Stuart was told he would receive a decision in March 2020, but he didn鈥檛 receive confirmation from this highly selective process until May 25 鈥� Lori further noted that May 25 is also Memorial Day in the United States, when American veterans are remembered for giving their lives to their nation.
Stuart reported on how the RMC were following strict COVID protocols and restrictions to the utmost. 鈥淎ll in all, it is the safest place to be since there isn't much outside random聽visiting or visitors allowed in, to keep the campus safe.鈥�
He said the training was intense, but affected by the pandemic. Because of COVID, Stuart started training through the MIP (Military Indoctrination Program) instead of the usual BMOQ (Basic Military Officer Qualification), which is planned for next year. Although strenuous as ever, Stuart鈥檚 physical training was condensed in 2020. 聽
Stuart has enjoyed life in Kingston, but he鈥檚 restricted from exploring many areas of the city. However, he likes inspecting the historical buildings on the RMC campus, close to where Fort Henry was established in 1812 on Lake Ontario. He鈥檚 also grateful to have met a variety of people since arriving in Kingston.
鈥淭he RMC campus is a pretty cool place with all the history displayed and the older buildings. There are so many different people that are involved with the RMC from all different walks of life that have different perspectives鈥� quite different for a small-town Saskatchewan kid.鈥澛�
Stuart hopes to succeed in becoming a EME Officer (Electrical Mechanical Engineering Officer) and complete his years of service across Canada and around the world within his field.
Stuart鈥檚 advice for those who are aspiring to join the military is direct, yet encouraging. 鈥淚f your heart is in it, go for it. It's tough, but so worth it.
鈥淵ou become a part of the family immediately, you learn to rely upon each other and support others to attain the end goal 鈥� It has been hard at times, changing over to online schooling from high school to online professors 鈥� classes that are completely new, like French, but you just keep pushing forward, because it's something that you really want to do and feel is important.鈥澛�
