Joining the Army.

[ben_h100]

Not in the Army but have contact with them most days. Unless you are going to be an Officer I'd join the RAF. You'll be treated better and have a better quality of life and more say on your career, location of posting etc.

[98elise]

I served 8 years in the RN, and a good mate did similar time in the Army

We would both recommend the RAF (If we still have one)

[Lex Luther]

Depends what you want out of it - I wanted to get some real soldiering in so spent 7 years in the Para's (4 years in 4 PARA (TA) whilst at uni and 3 years in 2 PARA straight after uni). Forget 99% of what is in the recruitment literature, just get yourself fit, make sure you can take a joke (especially if you have a big nose / big ears / ginger hair, etc, etc) and prepare to practice being cold, wet and hungry all day every day during training and during operational build ups. When on ops get used to being on patrol, or on standby for patrol, with very little kip, 7 days a week, no days off.

Still interested??? Good - you'll meet a great bunch of lads, get stupidly drunk all over the world, see and do some rather strange (and in the main illegal) things and still have plenty of money in your pocket.

Did I mention make sure you get fit????

[RizzoTheRat]

Lex Luther said:

you'll meet a great bunch of lads, get stupidly drunk all over the world, see and do some rather strange (and in the main illegal) things

Yep, that pretty much sums up most squaddies I've worked with

[Tiggsy]

Would love to know the OP thoughts on the current conflicts.....I've never quite understood how the population seems so anti the "wars" yet we still find people happy to join up.

Serious questions, I'm neutral on war but interested in the thought process of someone that puts themselves in a war zone because their current job is boring.

[DaGuv]

Join the RAF - easiest of the three!

[Stu R]

DaGuv said:

Join the RAF - easiest of the three!

Especially as there's no flying involved anymore

[Papa Hotel]

Tiggsy said:

Would love to know the OP thoughts on the current conflicts.....I've never quite understood how the population seems so anti the "wars" yet we still find people happy to join up.

Serious questions, I'm neutral on war but interested in the thought process of someone that puts themselves in a war zone because their current job is boring.

Because the population isn't all against the war, it's a very vocal minority. Negative people will always shout louder, have more to protest about. Also, there is a difference between being pro-war and joining the army... odd as that may seem and difficult for civvies to understand.

The thought process then... either you get it or you don't, like Family Guy. Some people are happy to spend their working life in comfort and fighting vicious bugs in some badly written software, some people crave a buzz. Some people are happy for others to do the nasty business of tidying terrorists away, some people want to make a difference, whether it's peace-keeping, covering the country when the fire service can't be arsed (I know, I know, it wasn't laziness, it's because they were so badly paid... not in comparison to the squaddies doing their job though), sorting out the foot and mouth mess, building bridges when they wash away or going to the desert to get shot at, either it's for you or not. Satisfaction, money, a buzz, why would you NOT join?

[okgo]

Lex Luther said:

4 years in 4 PARA (TA) whilst at uni and 3 years in 2 PARA straight after uni). Forget 99% of what is in the recruitment literature, just get yourself fit, make sure you can take a joke (especially if you have a big nose / big ears / ginger hair, etc, etc)

don't forget black/asian/oriental.

[Tiggsy]

Papa Hotel said:

Because the population isn't all against the war, it's a very vocal minority. Negative people will always shout louder, have more to protest about. Also, there is a difference between being pro-war and joining the army... odd as that may seem and difficult for civvies to understand.

The thought process then... either you get it or you don't, like Family Guy. Some people are happy to spend their working life in comfort and fighting vicious bugs in some badly written software, some people crave a buzz. Some people are happy for others to do the nasty business of tidying terrorists away, some people want to make a difference, whether it's peace-keeping, covering the country when the fire service can't be arsed (I know, I know, it wasn't laziness, it's because they were so badly paid... not in comparison to the squaddies doing their job though), sorting out the foot and mouth mess, building bridges when they wash away or going to the desert to get shot at, either it's for you or not. Satisfaction, money, a buzz, why would you NOT join?

I understand that - I just get the impression (perhaps wrongly) that when soldiers get killed there are often relatives (certainly media) saying "what a waste, we shouldnt even be there" .... I can only assume it's not a sentiment shared by the solider who thought we should (and went to help)

To answer your question "why would I not join"...because the pay is poor and you are told what to do. Deal breakers for me! (and I hate sand)

[Papa Hotel]

Tiggsy said:

I understand that - I just get the impression (perhaps wrongly) that when soldiers get killed there are often relatives (certainly media) saying "what a waste, we shouldnt even be there" .... I can only assume it's not a sentiment shared by the solider who thought we should (and went to help)

To answer your question "why would I not join"...because the pay is poor and you are told what to do. Deal breakers for me! (and I hate sand)

Yes, there are often relatives that say it's a waste, all that sort of stuff, it's natural when your son dies. There are a quieter bunch that are proud of their son, that he did what the majority are too afraid to do and that is stand up and be counted amongst those who would make the ultimate sacrifice while trying to make the world a better place. You'd be hard-pushed to find a British soldier that doesn't believe in what he is doing. The friendship is unlike any you'll have ever had in civilian life too, you know that the guy standing next to you might one day die to save your life and you'd do it for him too. Like I said, you either get it or you don't. You don't.

I don't get this insistence that the pay is poor... I don't really know where that comes from. Sure, the average squaddie is very unlikely to get to 100k/year but when I left I was getting 30k/year and paying the grand sum of 85 quid per month for a 3-bed house, I was hardy living the lifestyle of a pauper, neither were any of my colleagues. And that doesn't even count money for working in Germany or Cyprus or for going on exercise or for going to the desert.

[Tiggsy]

I get it...I just dont get it!

And by "poor" I meant it has no real potential if a high salary is what you are after (and are capable of achieving in "normal" job land) - I'm sure for someone who has limited opertunities to make a large salary then the pay is fine. And, as you say, living costs are low (though thats reflected in the living standard....my costs would drop if I ditched Sky HD and spent more nights in a tent )

[RizzoTheRat]

Tiggsy said:

I understand that - I just get the impression (perhaps wrongly) that when soldiers get killed there are often relatives (certainly media) saying "what a waste, we shouldnt even be there" .... I can only assume it's not a sentiment shared by the solider who thought we should (and went to help)

The few of the families isn't always the same as the view of the lads, not suprisingly some of the time as already pointed out above. Talking to a signaler a while back who'd lost one of his best mates on thier previous tour, he was actually quite angry with his mates parents who were apparently saying how it was all wrong and thier son hadn't wanted to be there. He'd spoken to his mate a couple of days before he was killed and he was having the time of his life.

The thing a lot of us civvies don't understand is the military isn't a job, it's a complete lifestyle.

[jdbecks]

Join the Royal Engineers, you will not regret it one bit.

[Lex Luther]

okgo said:

don't forget black/asian/oriental.

Had a lot of lads from the Gurkha's come across from 2 and 3 RGR to form C Coy, 2 PARA in 1996 and for some reason people suddenly became very careful about mouthing off!!!!!

Edited by Lex Luther on Thursday 12th May 14:35

[okgo]

I have not served, but my best mate went through marines training and he recalled how the people in charge would call the black/chinese people by racial slurs!

Still, its not like they gave a st, but just saying its probaby not seen to be as much of a problem in that situation as it would be on the street.

[Ranger 6]

RizzoTheRat said:

....the military isn't a job, it's a complete lifestyle.

This...

OP - research as much as possible, it can be a great life. I saw both sides, grunt and rupert and enjoyed all of it, like Tuscan Rat I played with big guns too. Find out what you can do that may translate into post military life - REME is good for trades, etc

[Frenchda]

Spent all of my twenties in the Army (now 40), great time, great friends, some amazing experiences. Some close friends still serving who served with me say that it is different but still challenging and very rewarding.

[xe mini]

Finished last year after 22. Ensure you go for something with a trade, that is paramount. I know as I am struggling for work due to the lack of one.
Army life can be fantastic , lots of hard work and lots of play , periods of absoloute boredom and times when you just don't stop, times when you could , times when you just .
You meet lots of people from all walks of life and can have some fantastic opportunities for adventure training, sports and travel and not always to places where you are being shot at.
The money is good despite what you read in the press as is equipment and training.
Do it, just do lots of background work and get something out of it for yourself and not just for Queen and Country.
Theres not a great deal of work in civvy street for this

[Old Merc]

Papa Hotel said:

Yes. Do it, you will never have so much fun and earn so much money so easily.

Don't believe it when they tell you you'll go windsurfing in the Caribbean.

Oh, join a trade that'll be useful on the outside. REME, Royal Signals, something like that.

I 2nd the above.My son did 11yrs in the Royal Signals incl` 1st Gulf War.He now travels the world,earning huge sums,working on mobile phone networks as a radio frequency planner.All the companies rate ex signal chaps very high, infact allmost all the staff my son comes in contact with,no matter where he is,are ex British forces.Just remember a soldier`s job!!and what they have to do and what can happen??and you will get the respect of the nation!Go on BE THE BEST!