Joining the Army

Captain_Slick

Captain_Slick

Captain_Slick

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Joined
30 Nov 2003
Posts
2,211
So, I'm 19. Don't have many qualifications, currently work part time in retail (been there for 3 years), looking at options.

One is to go back to college and pay to study for an NVQ/BTEC/etc in something vaguely interesting, and then attempt to get a job in that area or a better one with my current employer.

Second is to join the Army/RAF/RN. Would be interested in IT/Intelligence/Comms. I'm fairly good with computers (build them, solve problems with them, etc) and pretty level headed. Never get angry or stressed, even when chasing after shoplifters. ¬_¬

Any advice from anyone who's serving now?

I've got two cousins in the forces, and my sisters boyfriend, and they seem to enjoy it. One cousin and the boyfriend are Royal Marines, other cousin joined the RAF about a year ago. Plenty of ex-forces too.
 
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I'd prefer the RAF over the RN. Not because I can't swim, I can, just not very well. Got a slight phobia of vast expanses of deep, open water too.

Plus the actual job I want to do isn't on the RN website. It's Intelligence Analyst in the RAF or Operator Military Intelligence in the Army.

RAF then? Cousins in the RAF as a gunner I think, and he seems to enjoy it.

Dunker, I don't understand what you mean? How is taking up a sport/hobby going to get me a better job?
 
Is there much difference between the RAF and Army in terms of the basic training?

Also, why the is nearest RAF office in Manchester yet the Navy and Army ones are in St Helens and Warrington? FFS. H8 Manchester. >_<
 
etom said:
If your actually intrested in soldiering as opposed to just wearing green then go for the army. Royal signals why not just join marines and put in for a signals course :P. RAF and navy basic is a joke.
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Captain_Slick said:
Plus the actual job I want to do isn't on the RN website. It's Intelligence Analyst in the RAF or Operator Military Intelligence in the Army.
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:o
 
Begbie said:
Check out the massive thread on here already as a starting point.
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Where?

I was going to join one of the forces about a year ago. Just seems like I don't have much purpose at the moment, or prospects. Joining the forces would give me both along with a routine. Seems like the best option for me at the moment.
 
Hmm. That massive thread isn't particularly helpful. Just seems like a list of websites that I already know about and lots of people using acronyms that I don't understand.

What's the basic application process? The RAF/Army website isn't particularly clear or concise. How often am I likely to be sent to Iraq in the Army/RAF?
 
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lolz. I did mean Afghanistan.

I'll pop to the AFCO in Warrington on Monday. Think the Army will be a better option for me. Their OPMI role seems a bit more involved and interesting than the RAF's Intelligence Analyst role.
 
Do you guys have any idea of where I'd go for basic training?

I'm 19 and I want to join the Intelligence Corps as a OPMI. Assuming I'm successful, would it be a random ATR for 12 weeks and then to DISC at Chicksands in Bedfordshire?
 
Begbie said:
As said, especially with the Army. You HAVE to WANT this, not as a backup my life aint going anywhere job. The Army isn't for everyone, and if it is not what you want you will struggle you need a clear mindset its for you!

IMO, the RAF is slightly different (trade dependant) and is more of a 9-5 job for a lot of the time.
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That doesn't really make sense. Surely if your life isn't going anywhere it's time to look at other options and opportunities? Why would that be a backup? A backup job would be one to have whilst you wait for something (university place, business opportunity, whatever).

As it stands, the only options I have other than joining the forces are:

A) Stay where I am working part time in retail and hope that an opportunity arises... and become slowly depressed by the reality that my life will inevitably become. I mean, yeah, managers in my store get paid a decent wage, but it's fairly obvious that they hate their jobs.

B) Go to college and pay to study for a BTEC/Diploma/whatever in something that I'm not particularly interested in. Seriously, nothing on offer interests me. Computers? Nah, I like playing with them in my spare time and to be stuck on them whilst at work would depress me even more than retail. The only courses open to me are those for people with next to no qualifications or only GCSEs.

I want a job that's going to give me purpose, a real reason to get up in the morning (whether it be for a 9-5 job or a phone call in the middle of the night or whatever) and structure.

I've spent the past 3 years trying to figure out what I want to do, I've contemplated joining the army before but never went anywhere with it and I've been to college once before too and given up on that because it bored the hell out of me and didn't offer any guarantee of getting a better job. I've tried other part time jobs along side my current one and they were **** too.

The way I see it, I've got nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain. I'm fairly fit (that comes with spending 4 hours a day lifting lawnmowers and compost - though I'll have to get running again) and although I don't wish to blow my own trumpet, pretty smart too.

Cheers lemonkettaz, it didn't say Pirbright specifically on the careers website, but I found it out on the Wiki for the intelligence corps.
 
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See?

I'll just stay where I am. My employer is one of the best if you want to work in retail anyway and the pay isn't bad. I've just applied for a permanent nightcrew job at my store anyway, which is relatively easy and fairly well paid for what it is. £5.93ph + nightcrew bonus, although I was supposed to be moving up the levels to £6.50ph basic pay. Works out at about £15k a year and I've been told by quite a few managers that my name is high up on the list of people to go into a management position as soon as one pops up. I've been there 3 years nearly, know what I'm doing and how everything works like the back of my hand.
 
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