CAF Story | Patrol Pathfinders: From Trainee to Trusted Mentor
Video / August 29, 2025
Transcript
There would maybe times that I felt like quitting would be a great option right now, but I like to tell myself, I'm going to quit tomorrow, and I'll tell myself that every day.
I'm Warrant Officer Jeff Valentiate. I'm currently based in Trenton, Ontario. I would have been 22 years old when I decided I'm going to join the military. Being around people that were part of it, I said, this is something I think I would excel at. I did my Patrol Pathfinder course in 2014. The day to day, it was the toughest thing that I've ever done while serving in the military. It was grueling. We started with 28 and graduated with six of us. It was the final exercise that was, the culminating exercise at the end, being assessed on everything Pathfinder... That was the hardest part.
I became a course instructor on Patrol Pathfinder by virtue of being posted to the Advanced Warfare Centre in Trenton and then put into the role of, an instructor administrator.
Experience is a is a great way of mentoring the next generation of troops. The kickoff of the Patrol Pathfinder is always exciting to see... who are we getting?... see if they can be successful. I like adventure, I've travelled the world. I'm very privileged to have had the career thus far. The military will provide you with all the adventure and all the travel, and all of the things that you could hope to do. The ability for experience… You won't be disappointed. That kind of stuff makes you feel alive.
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