Ex Military/Still Serving Thread

[Bincenzo]

stevewushu said:

Royal Marines officer training, 6 months in (10 days from pass out) before dropping out in favour of full time Olympic Team training.
They were not best pleased.
3 of my school mates who I joined up with are still in, 1 of whom was killed in action last year in Afgan.

What a terrible shame Steve, on both counts.

Heartbreaking to pull out of training at that late stage I would have thought. I assume you discussed carrying on, passing out then taking a sabatacal? The Booties are mad for their sport and I'd have thought they'd have supported you with the Olympic bid. In fact I'm pretty sure there were serving RM and Army personnel in the Olympic team. Still, all happens for a reason.

[Navyatco]

I joined the RN in 1987 (40 Flight), trained as an Observer at RNAS Culdrose 1987 - 1988, moved on to ATC in 1989, then served at:

RNAS Yeovilton (ATCO) 1989-1992
Detached to RFA ARGUS (ATCO/Ops) (1st Gulf War) 1989-90
HMS INVINCIBLE (ATCO) 1992-93
RAF Linton On Ouse (ATCO) 1993-95
RNAS Yeovilton (ATCO) 1995-1998
London Air Traffic Control Centre (ATCO) 1998-2001
HMS ILLUSTRIOUS (Senior ATCO) 2001-02
RN School of Aircraft Control (CO) Yeovilton 2002-04
RNAS Culdrose (Deputy Senior ATCO) 2004-06
RN Command HQ (Staff Officer RN ATC)2006-08
RNAS Yeovilton (Senior ATCO) 2008-09
Retired in rank of Lieut. Cdr and joined RNR 2009 - present.

(ATCO = Air Traffic Control Officer)

Bought my first Aston (1968 DB6) whilst at Yeovilton in '03 (40th birthday), and drove it to work most days there and at Culdrose. Went through Dartmouth and flying training with Florry Ford and teamed up with him again in 1st Gulf War - we were all proper nuts after that - and was with Kev Mathieson on LUSTY. Small world ain't it?

Edited by Navyatco on Tuesday 10th September 07:28

[avinalarf]

Calling navyatco,
Interested in knowing more about your DB6 or better still some pics.
I had a DB6 about 1972 ,just wondering ...

[sparks_E39]

Joining the Royal Navy next year in the CIS branch. Owning an Aston Martin and serving are two dreams of mine, but I doubt I'll be able to afford to own one on my wages! A DB7 i6 is maybe realistic perhaps as they don't seem too horrendous to run. It's a distant dream!

[Bincenzo]

sparks_E39 said:

Joining the Royal Navy next year in the CIS branch. Owning an Aston Martin and serving are two dreams of mine, but I doubt I'll be able to afford to own one on my wages! A DB7 i6 is maybe realistic perhaps as they don't seem too horrendous to run. It's a distant dream!

Good luck on joining. Now get buying!

[ecain63]

stevewushu said:

Royal Marines officer training, 6 months in (10 days from pass out) before dropping out in favour of full time Olympic Team training.
They were not best pleased.
3 of my school mates who I joined up with are still in, 1 of whom was killed in action last year in Afgan.

I dont want to shoot you down straight off, but?????? RM Officer training is not 6 months long. It was over 12 months long and is now about 15 or 16 months with all the IT and other trivial stuff on the end. Normal nod training is over 8 months, nearly 9 months now.

Also, i dont believe you can just drop out like that. In nod training you get an opt out at 4 weeks in (conveniently after a bloody good thrashing on the friday before your first weekend off). After that you can only really be kicked out. The next opt out is circa 4 years depending on your age when starting. You sure you were in? If im correct, after the opt out an officer contract runs out after 8 years and is only kept on if he is needed further up the chain.



I joined as a RN Tiff Apprentice in 98. Am son of RN Submariner who's just retired after 35+ years, finishing as WEO on V-Boats and most senior man in his field.

I started at Raliegh,
Collingrad
HMS Monmouth in the Gulf on MIOPS
Collingrad again (got bored with WE st and transferred to Bootneck world)
Lympschvitz
Commando Logs Reg
DST Leconfield
FPGRM (Faslane), various attachments and Field Gun Crew annually
Larkhill Artillery School
UKLFCSG (now 30 Commando IX Group) and more Field Gun Crew annually for Faslane / Neptune as a 'ringer'.
Royal Marines Potential Officers course. Passed but turned down as I did not want to go through that st again.
Continued at UKLFCSG

Left in 2008.

Did Gulf MIOPS, Iraq invasion, Afghan on Ops, Norway training and instructor, yadayadayada.........

Edited by ecain63 on Wednesday 11th September 20:45

[ecain63]

stevewushu said:

In the years following I was requested to return to complete training again (although I'd have had to re-do the final 4 weeks again),

Hmmm! Suspect. You'd need to do the whole lot again if you had left and returned. No chance you'd only have to do the last 4 weeks. Even fully qualified non-commissioned Royal Marines have to do the full run of Officer training when they decide to go for commission.

Sorry if this is uncomfortable reading but the story has holes.

[Bincenzo]

Just as a matter of interest, why do POC if you didn't want to become an officer?

[ecain63]

Bincenzo said:

Just as a matter of interest, why do POC if you didn't want to become an officer?

I did want to, well at least i thought i did. It wasnt until i'd been around the bottom field a few times and then got thrashed around the endurance course again that i decided that i couldnt face Lympstone for another beating. Hats off to those who did it a second time around but it was not for me. Actually it worked out really well for me as i was put into a very good role for Afghan in 2006. I'd never have gotten that experience if i'd gone to the dark side as an officer. Best job in the Coprs so we were told.

[woolders]

ecain63 said:

Hmmm! Suspect. You'd need to do the whole lot again if you had left and returned. No chance you'd only have to do the last 4 weeks. Even fully qualified non-commissioned Royal Marines have to do the full run of Officer training when they decide to go for commission.

Sorry if this is uncomfortable reading but the story has holes.

My daughter's boyfriend went for a commission after two tours of Afgan as a marine and had 18 months of training, including the same initial 12 months, prior to passing out. So the full 12 months plus another 6 months.

They do have a very varied life outside Afgan with some great tours and opportunities which they thoroughly deserve

[sparks_E39]

Bincenzo said:

sparks_E39 said:

Joining the Royal Navy next year in the CIS branch. Owning an Aston Martin and serving are two dreams of mine, but I doubt I'll be able to afford to own one on my wages! A DB7 i6 is maybe realistic perhaps as they don't seem too horrendous to run. It's a distant dream!

Good luck on joining. Now get buying!

Thanks! If DB7's hover around the prices they are now it's a realistic prospect in two to three years...

[Richales]

This thread does seem to be dominated by RN - and a fair few flying types at that. On an Aston Martin thread I'm not sure I've heard a bigger cliche... less those 007 number plates!

I can't really talk though, I'm a still serving chopper pilot - albeit Army not RN. Sadly I stepped out (hopefully momentarily) from Aston ownership after selling my V8 Roadster in May in order to have some back seats for the family addition. I will be back though, especially if the Range Rover market stays as it is - just selling my new Range Rover for pretty much what I paid for it new in May in order to take delivery of a new RR Sport. I wish Aston depreciation on brand new models was so good!!

[Speculatore]

It's just that us RN folks are better with our money. Are you AAC? My good mate 'Big Bird' arranged a great photo shoot with my XKR and an Apache up at Middle Wallop. And my old friend 'Grant Meekie' (Wookie) is also AAC.

[ecain63]

stevewushu said:

Bincenzo said:

stevewushu said:

Royal Marines officer training, 6 months in (10 days from pass out) before dropping out in favour of full time Olympic Team training.
They were not best pleased.
3 of my school mates who I joined up with are still in, 1 of whom was killed in action last year in Afgan.

What a terrible shame Steve, on both counts.

Heartbreaking to pull out of training at that late stage I would have thought. I assume you discussed carrying on, passing out then taking a sabatacal? The Booties are mad for their sport and I'd have thought they'd have supported you with the Olympic bid. In fact I'm pretty sure there were serving RM and Army personnel in the Olympic team. Still, all happens for a reason.

Yes it was a long and difficult decision. Especially after going through so much. The GB Team were not very supportive to say the least. They stipulated one or the other, where as the RM were trying to find as many ways as possible for a mutually beneficial solution.
In the years following I was requested to return to complete training again (although I'd have had to re-do the final 4 weeks again), but by then I was getting older (26). Now at 32 I do often wonder how life would've been different.

As for my mate Russ, sadly he was just one of many casualties of war. My other mate Andy, who was with him, was physically and emotionally scarred, had almost a year off and although spent another year in Hunter Troupe trying to rehabilitate to get back, never really got back to normal. He now works as a PTI for the Royal Anglians (and just recently bought a C63 AMG - what a monster car!).
Then Tyrone is still with 42 Commando. Doing well on his 3rd tour in Afgan.

For the record, I know of no Royal Marines officers called Russ killed in Afghanistan.

Is it Hunter Troupe or Hunter Troop?

A Royal Marines officer working as a PTI for the Army?? Doing what you say??

26 is also not old for a Royal Marines officer in training. Thats about an average age I'd say. They normally suggest over 20's for training as the time 'outside' gives much needed life experience. Even normal Nod training consists mainly of over 18s (actually many more in their 20s) due to the more mature nature of the training. The really young guys often cannot hack the punishment and many leave only to go back after a couple of years of 'growing'.

Its not that you've said you were a RM Officer in training that bothers me, many people say they did this that or the other to inflate their image (which going by your FB page, website etc you seem to love). Hell, I've even seen people with RM and Para tatoos who've never even set foot in a military establishment, let alone do something so involving as becoming a member of an elite regiment or service. Its the claiming to know and have worked with people who died in the job that gets me..... and the weak background story about the others. The good thing is that there aren't that many RM officers on the list of Afghan casualties so its easy to find out if the person is genuine or not.

Any come backs or proof of the claims made? If you are genuine I'll eat my hat and apologise. But.......




Oh, and as its an Aston forum i suppose i should contribute to that effect: My dad may buy an AMV8 once his XF goes back to Jag next spring.

Edited by ecain63 on Sunday 15th September 18:53

[Jockman]

Crikey, this thread's turning into a warzone !!!!

[ecain63]

And the target seems to have gone into hiding.

[Neil1300R]

ecain63 said:

And the target seems to have gone into hiding.

Well that proves he did do the Camouflage part of the training

[notsaV8V]

Neil1300R said:

ecain63 said:

And the target seems to have gone into hiding.

Well that proves he did do the Camouflage part of the training

and the escape and evasion part

I spent a bit of time in the RAF - just under 33 years

[AdamV12V]

I was in the RAF cadets at school - does this count?

[ecain63]

I think it may count for more than Steves Royal Marines officer training he didn't do.

And some info on what real RM Officers do:
http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/Careers/Royal-Marines/...

Edited by ecain63 on Monday 16th September 19:15