Lieutenant (Lt.) Johnny Lau

Johnny Lau grew up in a family that settled in Canada when he was very young. His parents encouraged him and his brother to join the Reserves as a summer job. They felt it would help the brothers gain valuable skills like discipline and have memorable life experiences. After two years in the Reserves, Johnny joined the military full-time through the Regular Officer Training Program (ROTP). He was able to get his degree in Electrical Engineering paid for by the Forces.

Ultimately, the Forces turned out to be very different then Lt. Lau had expected. “People assume the military is like what they see on TV: people yelling, living outdoors all the time with extreme physical training regiments.” This was not the reality.

The camaraderie in the Forces is something you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere. You develop special bonds with people you go through training or operations with.

Throughout his career Johnny has been able to help out in his community, most notably in 2013 during Operation Lentus, when floods hit Alberta. These experiences have shown him the team work present in the military “the camaraderie in the Forces is something you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere. You develop special bonds with people you go through training or operations with."

He is excited for the future because it’s hard to decide where his career may take him with so many great possibilities available.