Territorial army, thinking of joining, anyone here do it ?
Discussion
Hello guys, as per title really. Played rugby at a high level for 10 years, now 32 and had a year or two out. I would like to get into something again and have toyed with the idea of joining the TA before. Also thought about Navy reserves ( do they work the same as TA ?)
A few questions
How much time do you give to it ( I am used to doing two week nights, no drinking on fridays, every Saturday games and personal training on top)
Do you pick when you do it ?
What does it equate to in beer money at the end of the month?
Any recommendations for what section to join ?
When were you called up for tour ( ie how soon after joining ? ) and how long did you go on tour for ?
And any other advise or comments.
Cheers
Ben
A few questions
How much time do you give to it ( I am used to doing two week nights, no drinking on fridays, every Saturday games and personal training on top)
Do you pick when you do it ?
What does it equate to in beer money at the end of the month?
Any recommendations for what section to join ?
When were you called up for tour ( ie how soon after joining ? ) and how long did you go on tour for ?
And any other advise or comments.
Cheers
Ben
Issi said:
Have you tried the Army website?
And to be honest, I'd question your commitment to any of the forces, if you just see it as a way to make some 'beer money'.
Yeap tried that, wanted a more personal bit of feedback from people who do it.And to be honest, I'd question your commitment to any of the forces, if you just see it as a way to make some 'beer money'.
Jesus wept, you don't need to question my commitment, you can read "beer money" as you want but it was ment to convey I would see the money as a bonus or "beer money" rather than the main reason for doing it.
You in the T.A. ? or the army ?
Not any more, but served in both.
Apologies if my post came across as heavy handed, that was not my intention.
I'm well out of date but when I was in the TA, we used to have a Thursday drill night that counted as (I think), a quarter days pay - you get paid the same rate as a regular.
There were occasional weekends, for exercises, courses etc, where again you get paid for the days you do.
The job depends on what unit you join (obviously), I served in a transport unit that drove DROPS trucks and other more mundane vehicles, landies, Bedford 4 tonners, CanAm bikes etc.
There is still quite a commitment, the two weeks basic training for example, that you need to consider, you don't just rock up and be issued a uniform and weapon.
Hope this is of use to you, if you need any further (albeit very outdated advice), then let me know.
Apologies if my post came across as heavy handed, that was not my intention.
I'm well out of date but when I was in the TA, we used to have a Thursday drill night that counted as (I think), a quarter days pay - you get paid the same rate as a regular.
There were occasional weekends, for exercises, courses etc, where again you get paid for the days you do.
The job depends on what unit you join (obviously), I served in a transport unit that drove DROPS trucks and other more mundane vehicles, landies, Bedford 4 tonners, CanAm bikes etc.
There is still quite a commitment, the two weeks basic training for example, that you need to consider, you don't just rock up and be issued a uniform and weapon.
Hope this is of use to you, if you need any further (albeit very outdated advice), then let me know.
Tampon said:
A few questions
Best bet for questions is to phone your local TA centre and arrange to pop in and have a chat. They usually have a person earmarked for recruiting and all that jazz who will fill you in on all the details and will be up to date with current policy etc.In regards to money, for a drill night you receive a quarter day's pay for whatever trade/rank you are, for full days (training etc) then you get paid exactly the same as a regular soldier. Plus once you qualify you will be eligible to receive an annual bounty.
I did RNR for a while just training for basic really, I liked it so much I decided to join the regulars which will happen on the 16th september. Depending on where you live is where you go for training i.e I live in surrey so had a choice of HMS King Alfred or HMS president. You then train to be a sailor/officer then pick a trade.
Army Wise you need to check you local area via army website for what detachments are near you and that will limit you choice on what trade/regiment you can join. Then it's a case of getting in touch and arranging a presentation talk/meeting to find out more. Also it may be worth checking the websites for RN and army as I am not sure what the age limits are I think in the army they are trade dependant.
Also it will be worth having a trip down the AFCO and talking to the guys down there, they can give you leaflets etc on the different trades open to you aswell as answer your other questions sensibly. You will be called up.
Army Wise you need to check you local area via army website for what detachments are near you and that will limit you choice on what trade/regiment you can join. Then it's a case of getting in touch and arranging a presentation talk/meeting to find out more. Also it may be worth checking the websites for RN and army as I am not sure what the age limits are I think in the army they are trade dependant.
Also it will be worth having a trip down the AFCO and talking to the guys down there, they can give you leaflets etc on the different trades open to you aswell as answer your other questions sensibly. You will be called up.
Brillant, that is what I am looking for. No worries about the other thing, probably me being a whingey b
h.
Time wise, one night a week is no problems. I have read that some people do one weekend a month and some do one weekend every other week. Does that sound about right ? are you away the whole weekend ?( ie friday night to sunday night ?). Take it you don't go home in the evenings ? The two weeks away would be fine every year, it is the regualr time away from her she probably won;t like.
Also about tours, when called up how long is a TA tour ? can't be 6 months can it ?
I would hate to join up and not do it properly. Two whole weekends away from my wife every month not seeing her in the evenings will probably not go down well for 3+ years. Once a month and it should be fine. With the rugby it took over my whole life for those 10 years but I would always be home rather than be away alot. We would fly to the channel isles 2 a year and spend the weekend away playing but normally every Saturday I would go home ( pissed a a rat normally) and she could be involved by watching or hanging out with her friends down at the club. This would obviously be totally different.
One of the things I am really looking forward to is the actual training, not so much the running around with guns but the pushing myself physically.
I do understand that by joining there will probably be a time when I will be standing somewhere with the risk of being shot. I am taking it seriously and want to make sure if I commit I stick with it. Just figured if I walk into the recruitment office I will probably only get one side of the story.
h.Time wise, one night a week is no problems. I have read that some people do one weekend a month and some do one weekend every other week. Does that sound about right ? are you away the whole weekend ?( ie friday night to sunday night ?). Take it you don't go home in the evenings ? The two weeks away would be fine every year, it is the regualr time away from her she probably won;t like.
Also about tours, when called up how long is a TA tour ? can't be 6 months can it ?
I would hate to join up and not do it properly. Two whole weekends away from my wife every month not seeing her in the evenings will probably not go down well for 3+ years. Once a month and it should be fine. With the rugby it took over my whole life for those 10 years but I would always be home rather than be away alot. We would fly to the channel isles 2 a year and spend the weekend away playing but normally every Saturday I would go home ( pissed a a rat normally) and she could be involved by watching or hanging out with her friends down at the club. This would obviously be totally different.
One of the things I am really looking forward to is the actual training, not so much the running around with guns but the pushing myself physically.
I do understand that by joining there will probably be a time when I will be standing somewhere with the risk of being shot. I am taking it seriously and want to make sure if I commit I stick with it. Just figured if I walk into the recruitment office I will probably only get one side of the story.
Tampon said:
Brillant, that is what I am looking for. No worries about the other thing, probably me being a whingey bh.
Time wise, one night a week is no problems. I have read that some people do one weekend a month and some do one weekend every other week. Does that sound about right ? are you away the whole weekend ?( ie friday night to sunday night ?). Take it you don't go home in the evenings ? The two weeks away would be fine every year, it is the regualr time away from her she probably won;t like.
Also about tours, when called up how long is a TA tour ? can't be 6 months can it ?
I would hate to join up and not do it properly. Two whole weekends away from my wife every month not seeing her in the evenings will probably not go down well for 3+ years. Once a month and it should be fine. With the rugby it took over my whole life for those 10 years but I would always be home rather than be away alot. We would fly to the channel isles 2 a year and spend the weekend away playing but normally every Saturday I would go home ( pissed a a rat normally) and she could be involved by watching or hanging out with her friends down at the club. This would obviously be totally different.
One of the things I am really looking forward to is the actual training, not so much the running around with guns but the pushing myself physically.
I do understand that by joining there will probably be a time when I will be standing somewhere with the risk of being shot. I am taking it seriously and want to make sure if I commit I stick with it. Just figured if I walk into the recruitment office I will probably only get one side of the story.
Training is upto you in your own time you don't get many PT sessions unless you go for Gucci branches Royal Marines/Para's etc h.Time wise, one night a week is no problems. I have read that some people do one weekend a month and some do one weekend every other week. Does that sound about right ? are you away the whole weekend ?( ie friday night to sunday night ?). Take it you don't go home in the evenings ? The two weeks away would be fine every year, it is the regualr time away from her she probably won;t like.
Also about tours, when called up how long is a TA tour ? can't be 6 months can it ?
I would hate to join up and not do it properly. Two whole weekends away from my wife every month not seeing her in the evenings will probably not go down well for 3+ years. Once a month and it should be fine. With the rugby it took over my whole life for those 10 years but I would always be home rather than be away alot. We would fly to the channel isles 2 a year and spend the weekend away playing but normally every Saturday I would go home ( pissed a a rat normally) and she could be involved by watching or hanging out with her friends down at the club. This would obviously be totally different.
One of the things I am really looking forward to is the actual training, not so much the running around with guns but the pushing myself physically.
I do understand that by joining there will probably be a time when I will be standing somewhere with the risk of being shot. I am taking it seriously and want to make sure if I commit I stick with it. Just figured if I walk into the recruitment office I will probably only get one side of the story.
Most training nights are used for military training that you can't do yourself.
TA tours are generally the same length as regular army tours upto 9 months sometimes less. You will also need to gain consent from your current employer to join the TA/RNR.
You have to go to a training camp two weeks a year and there may be the odd weekend here and there aswell as one drill night a week.
Merlin28 said:
I did RNR for a while just training for basic really, I liked it so much I decided to join the regulars which will happen on the 16th september. Depending on where you live is where you go for training i.e I live in surrey so had a choice of HMS King Alfred or HMS president. You then train to be a sailor/officer then pick a trade.
Army Wise you need to check you local area via army website for what detachments are near you and that will limit you choice on what trade/regiment you can join. Then it's a case of getting in touch and arranging a presentation talk/meeting to find out more. Also it may be worth checking the websites for RN and army as I am not sure what the age limits are I think in the army they are trade dependant.
Also it will be worth having a trip down the AFCO and talking to the guys down there, they can give you leaflets etc on the different trades open to you aswell as answer your other questions sensibly. You will be called up.
You are the first person I have spoken to who has done the RNR, I am in Egham in Surrey. Did you go to either of those ship for your weeknight parade ? The central London one looks much easier for me to get to. What did you learn training to be a sailor ? I have basic sailing qualifications and would love to learn more ( obviously they won;t teach me how to sail a yacht) navigation ? boat handling ?Army Wise you need to check you local area via army website for what detachments are near you and that will limit you choice on what trade/regiment you can join. Then it's a case of getting in touch and arranging a presentation talk/meeting to find out more. Also it may be worth checking the websites for RN and army as I am not sure what the age limits are I think in the army they are trade dependant.
Also it will be worth having a trip down the AFCO and talking to the guys down there, they can give you leaflets etc on the different trades open to you aswell as answer your other questions sensibly. You will be called up.
Is the RNR set up similarly to the TA ? one night a week, weekend a month two weeks a year ?
Would being called up in the RNR be "safer" than the TA, can;t imagine how they would be involved too closely with Iraq or Afghanistan
Merlin28 said:
Training is upto you in your own time you don't get many PT sessions unless you go for Gucci branches Royal Marines/Para's etc
Most training nights are used for military training that you can't do yourself.
TA tours are generally the same length as regular army tours upto 9 months sometimes less. You will also need to gain consent from your current employer to join the TA/RNR.
You have to go to a training camp two weeks a year and there may be the odd weekend here and there aswell as one drill night a week.
Wow, 9 months away, I didn't realise that. That could be a deal breaker I think.Most training nights are used for military training that you can't do yourself.
TA tours are generally the same length as regular army tours upto 9 months sometimes less. You will also need to gain consent from your current employer to join the TA/RNR.
You have to go to a training camp two weeks a year and there may be the odd weekend here and there aswell as one drill night a week.
Tampon said:
You are the first person I have spoken to who has done the RNR, I am in Egham in Surrey. Did you go to either of those ship for your weeknight parade ? The central London one looks much easier for me to get to. What did you learn training to be a sailor ? I have basic sailing qualifications and would love to learn more ( obviously they won;t teach me how to sail a yacht) navigation ? boat handling ?
Is the RNR set up similarly to the TA ? one night a week, weekend a month two weeks a year ?
Would being called up in the RNR be "safer" than the TA, can;t imagine how they would be involved too closely with Iraq or Afghanistan
60% of personnel in Afghanistan are Royal Navy/Royal Marines.The navy Provide frontline medics who go out with various army aswell as royal marine patrols. The RN also provide logistical support, aviation, electrical and marine engineers, intelligence gathering, counter mine clearence aswell as IED disposal and quite a few more.Is the RNR set up similarly to the TA ? one night a week, weekend a month two weeks a year ?
Would being called up in the RNR be "safer" than the TA, can;t imagine how they would be involved too closely with Iraq or Afghanistan
RNR is similar to the TA with regards to time commitment. I went to HMS King Alfred on Whale island as I could go to London but prefered the drive rather than being cramped and hot on the tube.
With regards to what I learnt as a sailor it was in no particular order:
Drill, Bends and Hitches, Uniform history, Ranks and Rates, Weapon handling, ships protection, RAS, Fire fighting, Watch system, Naval history, Parts of the ship, Sea survival, basic boat handling (nothing special MOB etc), a bit of Jackspeak and ceremony i.e colours and evening colours.
Your sailing quals won't mean much unless you want to join the sailing team, being RNR I am not sure what courses are open to you to learn more.
My friend, I think you'll find that running around with guns is pretty physical, section attacks are absolutely knackering.
With regards to the tours,and I'm more than happy to be corrected, but I would think that it depends on what unit you eventually join.
You'd have a much higher chance of a tour if you were infantry rather than Royal Signals for example.
Do you know what units are close to you?
PS. I wouldn't entertain the idea of RNR if I were you, have you seen their uniforms?
With regards to the tours,and I'm more than happy to be corrected, but I would think that it depends on what unit you eventually join.
You'd have a much higher chance of a tour if you were infantry rather than Royal Signals for example.
Do you know what units are close to you?
PS. I wouldn't entertain the idea of RNR if I were you, have you seen their uniforms?
In the TA at the moment tours are on a voluntary basis.
You can be compulsory mobilized but this is rare. I never compulsory mobilized anyone as the Operations Officer of a mixed Regiment.
In the future there is a very strong chance this will change. The future structures will depend on the TA/Reserve, many branches will only able to operate entirely regular for a limited period before the reserve comes online. If we did Iraq again we would need lots reserves within the year.
I am in no way questioning your potential commitment but you need to think very long and hard about whether you would deploy, a soldier who joins the TA who won't deploy is useless, a waste of time money and training.
The TA nowadays is a lot less about skiing and adventurous training, and as it grows/remoulds must change. With that employment protection and volunteer ethos must change. The aspiration is to become more like the US national guard.
You can be compulsory mobilized but this is rare. I never compulsory mobilized anyone as the Operations Officer of a mixed Regiment.
In the future there is a very strong chance this will change. The future structures will depend on the TA/Reserve, many branches will only able to operate entirely regular for a limited period before the reserve comes online. If we did Iraq again we would need lots reserves within the year.
I am in no way questioning your potential commitment but you need to think very long and hard about whether you would deploy, a soldier who joins the TA who won't deploy is useless, a waste of time money and training.
The TA nowadays is a lot less about skiing and adventurous training, and as it grows/remoulds must change. With that employment protection and volunteer ethos must change. The aspiration is to become more like the US national guard.
JD84 said:
In the TA at the moment tours are on a voluntary basis.
You can be compulsory mobilized but this is rare. I never compulsory mobilized anyone as the Operations Officer of a mixed Regiment.
In the future there is a very strong chance this will change. The future structures will depend on the TA/Reserve, many branches will only able to operate entirely regular for a limited period before the reserve comes online. If we did Iraq again we would need lots reserves within the year.
I am in no way questioning your potential commitment but you need to think very long and hard about whether you would deploy, a soldier who joins the TA who won't deploy is useless, a waste of time money and training.
The TA nowadays is a lot less about skiing and adventurous training, and as it grows/remoulds must change. With that employment protection and volunteer ethos must change. The aspiration is to become more like the US national guard.
I don't have a problem with being deployed, I think the idea of being away for 9 months is the killer. I certainly wouldn't be able to be away for that long so I don't think it is going to be a go'er for me.You can be compulsory mobilized but this is rare. I never compulsory mobilized anyone as the Operations Officer of a mixed Regiment.
In the future there is a very strong chance this will change. The future structures will depend on the TA/Reserve, many branches will only able to operate entirely regular for a limited period before the reserve comes online. If we did Iraq again we would need lots reserves within the year.
I am in no way questioning your potential commitment but you need to think very long and hard about whether you would deploy, a soldier who joins the TA who won't deploy is useless, a waste of time money and training.
The TA nowadays is a lot less about skiing and adventurous training, and as it grows/remoulds must change. With that employment protection and volunteer ethos must change. The aspiration is to become more like the US national guard.
Shame, I really like the idea of it, serve the country in a small way, better to not join than waste the Army's/Navy's time and money.
Tampon said:
I don;t have a problem with being deployed, I think the idea of being away for 9 months is the killer. I certainly wouldn't be able to be away for that long so I don;t think it is going to be a go'er for me.
Shame, I really like the idea of it, better to not join than waste the Army's/Navy's time and money.
Just in case you are not aware you would get 2 weeks back home during that length of deployment at some point less travelling time. Shame, I really like the idea of it, better to not join than waste the Army's/Navy's time and money.
JD84 said:
In the TA at the moment tours are on a voluntary basis.
You can be compulsory mobilized but this is rare. I never compulsory mobilized anyone as the Operations Officer of a mixed Regiment.
In the future there is a very strong chance this will change. The future structures will depend on the TA/Reserve, many branches will only able to operate entirely regular for a limited period before the reserve comes online. If we did Iraq again we would need lots reserves within the year.
I am in no way questioning your potential commitment but you need to think very long and hard about whether you would deploy, a soldier who joins the TA who won't deploy is useless, a waste of time money and training.
The TA nowadays is a lot less about skiing and adventurous training, and as it grows/remoulds must change. With that employment protection and volunteer ethos must change. The aspiration is to become more like the US national guard.
Cheers, and very relevant; I was a STAB a few years ago but my experience is fairly irrelevant considering the change in emphasis in use both now and in the future.You can be compulsory mobilized but this is rare. I never compulsory mobilized anyone as the Operations Officer of a mixed Regiment.
In the future there is a very strong chance this will change. The future structures will depend on the TA/Reserve, many branches will only able to operate entirely regular for a limited period before the reserve comes online. If we did Iraq again we would need lots reserves within the year.
I am in no way questioning your potential commitment but you need to think very long and hard about whether you would deploy, a soldier who joins the TA who won't deploy is useless, a waste of time money and training.
The TA nowadays is a lot less about skiing and adventurous training, and as it grows/remoulds must change. With that employment protection and volunteer ethos must change. The aspiration is to become more like the US national guard.
It's harsh to say that anyone who isn't deployable is an oxygen thief - much as I agree - it must be difficult trying to balance 'real world' life/career/family and doing your bit in the forces. A lot depends on employers of course, and what they say on the glossy brochure does not always translate well in practise.
My stint was mostly 'dole patrol', so fairly full-time, but at that stage you are thinking that you either need to s
t or get off the pot - go regular or get another career. Merlin28 said:
Just in case you are not aware you would get 2 weeks back home during that length of deployment at some point less travelling time.
No that doesn't really change things, I was totally unaware it would be anywhere near that length of time.I think with the change in the nature of the reserves and the very strong likelyhood I would be called up I would feel like a fraud knowing that I wouldn't go for 9 months if asked. I would love for it to be a grown up adventure scouts but understand that a tour is the whole reason you do it, but I can't honestly say that I would go away from my life for 9 months.
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