text: The United Nations do not keep a standing miltiary force.  All the soldiers deployed under the UN flag are put forward by member countries.\n\nTo be on a UN deployment, first of all you must join the military of a member nation.  \n\nThen, you have to either volunteer or be selected for UN duty by your chain of command, however high that winds up on going.  Only then do you get to wear the sky-blue helmet, beret, ball cap or what have you and be kept under the most stringent rules of engagement you can imagine. \n\nMost deployments are either humanitarian in nature or unarmed observers.  High-profile missions like Rwanda are a rarity and no one really wants those.  I have afriend who served in Rwanda under Canadian General Romeo Dallaire (upon whom the 'Canadian Colonel' in Hotel Rwanda is based).  Like the good General, he came back pretty messed up.  \n\nAnd note that UN duty is hard work in very dangerous situations, in which you might not even have a weapon to defend yourself with.