Thinking about joining the army...

dboundy · 29 May 2006 at 00:19

I'll also be joining the Army as well upon leaving Uni. Got two years left yet though after this year but I am thinking about joining the TA or UOTC next year though come September.

pegasus1 · 29 May 2006 at 00:21

dboundy said:
I'll also be joining the Army as well upon leaving Uni. Got two years left yet though after this year but I am thinking about joining the TA or UOTC next year though come September.

Go UOTC mate, then go Para Regt

Stringy · 29 May 2006 at 00:22

pegasus, just out of interest what did you think of P Company? Did you 'enjoy' it? What was milling like?

All questions I've wanted to ask someone after watching a video about the selection process, I don't think I'd ever be able to do something like that :/

dboundy · 29 May 2006 at 00:24

pegasus1 said:
Go UOTC mate, then go Para Regt

What exactly do the Paras do then as I am not entirely sure, surely its not just jumping out of planes.

Also, how would one go about being a Para?

Violent-J · 29 May 2006 at 00:32

Anyone interested in joining the army, like I did I strongly suggest you order the free army dvd and brochure from here:

https://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/RegularArmy/Forms/RAInfoPack.htm

It is quite good and I found it usefull, I still have lots of questions though... If anyone could shed some light on my questions from my second post that would be great.

pegasus1 · 29 May 2006 at 00:38

OCdt Stringy said:
pegasus, just out of interest what did you think of P Company? Did you 'enjoy' it? What was milling like?

All questions I've wanted to ask someone after watching a video about the selection process, I don't think I'd ever be able to do something like that :/

Was it the Cutting Edge video that you watched, if so then i was there as a recruit whilst it was made.
P coy is hard, its very hard and its designed to select those poeple eligable for parachute training, and that is hard.
Even after that you have to get to the Batalion and prove yourself again.
My wife says im arrogant but for good reason, i'm a member of the best Infantry Regt in the British army because we have a strict selection process.
The British Army is very good and next to the Yanks we stand out, only the Isrealis are more battle hardened. the Yanks hold us in such high regard that on a trip to the states in 1998 we were attached to the SEALS, thats not SAS attached to the SEALS but lowely Para infantry. Grrrrr yheee baby

Stringy · 29 May 2006 at 00:40

pegasus1 said:
Was it the Cutting Edge video that you watched, if so then i was there as a recruit whilst it was made.

It was a video I watched on the BBC website (got the link off of a forum, though can't remember where), I've been using all of my googling skills to try and find the link again but I can't seem to locate it

pegasus1 · 29 May 2006 at 00:49

OCdt Stringy said:
It was a video I watched on the BBC website (got the link off of a forum, though can't remember where), I've been using all of my googling skills to try and find the link again but I can't seem to locate it

At the end of the day go for it. do what you want but if you want to do that bit more then go Para Regt, you can go SAS from any unit but from the paras ou will stand a higher chance of passing (fact).
My nephew was in Iraq with me and he is thinking of leaving, whatever he does (and he is young) he is a better person for being there, when you question your own moralityand come up smelling of roses then you know youve made the rihght choice

SoSolid · 29 May 2006 at 01:07

Are you preferred to die for your country, WELL ARE YA SON HUH HUH HUH!?

pegasus1 · 29 May 2006 at 01:19

SoSolid said:
Are you preferred to die for your country, WELL ARE YA SON HUH HUH HUH!?

Well boy, you only think about doing your job as well as you can, its not hoyiwood, its real.

Greenlizard0 · 29 May 2006 at 02:37

pegasus1 said:
At the end of the day go for it. do what you want but if you want to do that bit more then go Para Regt, you can go SAS from any unit but from the paras ou will stand a higher chance of passing (fact).
My nephew was in Iraq with me and he is thinking of leaving, whatever he does (and he is young) he is a better person for being there, when you question your own moralityand come up smelling of roses then you know youve made the rihght choice

Sorry to kind of jump in out of nowhere, but t

cheets64 · 29 May 2006 at 03:52

If im not what i am doing by 2007 i will aplly for the amry, might aswell, i can do some crazy stuff and be toughend up, I can step in my grandads footsteps and claim his POW medals with pride.

Is 23-24 a late age to join the army?

The whole aspect of the army has drawn me in, the dropping out of helicopter into the greek sea to owning allsorts of weapons and visiting Auschwitz from the beatings and the CS gasage outrage of the Sun/News of the world, I mean OMFG the beat somome up in sack but dont send these guys to kill another being, please, think of the children.

My granded always said "Cherish your index finger" Hey saw guys get there indec finger cut, in Japan and when the japs moved them about the Brits bombed the ships, thanked god they missed.

neoboy · 29 May 2006 at 04:05

cheets64 said:
If im not what i am doing by 2007 i will aplly for the amry, might aswell, i can do some crazy stuff and be toughend up, I can step in my grandads footsteps and claim his POW medals with pride.

Is 23-24 a late age to join the army?

Not according to the Army website.

I'm considering to join the army myself as I've now finished college with 3 A levels and didn't go to uni. With my college results I've enough marks to apply as an officer but concerned about the amount of paperwork they have to do if any. Reason I want to join the army is that so I can be "out there". I don't mean running around rambo style and pretending to be in a hollywood movie but just do stuff beyond writing reports (since why I want to be in the army rather than some civvy officer job). Also wondering what the relationships are like between ordinary soldiers and officers, heard they are regarded by some as some posh folk who are afraid to get their hands dirty.

If I go down officer route was thinking something along the lines of engineering or possibly logistics. If go soldier route Combat enginner and Aviation groundcrew specialist (looks like you get quite a few qualifications you can use after the army with this).

dboundy · 29 May 2006 at 09:08

neoboy said:
Not according to the Army website.

I'm considering to join the army myself as I've now finished college with 3 A levels and didn't go to uni. With my college results I've enough marks to apply as an officer but concerned about the amount of paperwork they have to do if any. Reason I want to join the army is that so I can be "out there". I don't mean running around rambo style and pretending to be in a hollywood movie but just do stuff beyond writing reports (since why I want to be in the army rather than some civvy officer job). Also wondering what the relationships are like between ordinary soldiers and officers, heard they are regarded by some as some posh folk who are afraid to get their hands dirty.

If I go down officer route was thinking something along the lines of engineering or possibly logistics. If go soldier route Combat enginner and Aviation groundcrew specialist (looks like you get quite a few qualifications you can use after the army with this).

I also factored in the trades you can learn when deciding some of the possible things to do in the Army as someone mentioned earleir go into it looking at life after the Army as well.

Leaning towards IT / Communications Specialist or a Signals Specialist.

Zip · 29 May 2006 at 10:14

pegasus1 said:
Well its WO2 on posting and there are two other ranks above that, RQMS and RSM.
You cant equate (no idea how to spell that) it to a commissioned rank, You have to get to Major in order to earn my wages, its more complicated than that. My OC (major) calls me by my 1st name but in work he is SIR to me.

How long does it take to get to Major?
Im thinking about joining the Army too

Nix · 29 May 2006 at 10:26

Zip said:
How long does it take to get to Major?
Im thinking about joining the Army too

About 8-10 years recognised service from luitenant IIRC.

Raumarik · 29 May 2006 at 10:40

My dads best mate was in the SBS for years, only recently retired. Some of the places he's been to are amazing, I still remember how amazed I was as a kid seeing pictures of him at the ice camps near the south pole, utterly amazing under water pictures :eek:

If you want to see the world the army, air force or navy seem to be a great choice, I would have joined if I wasn't a completely unfit coward

atpbx · 29 May 2006 at 10:44

pegasus1 said:
At the end of the day go for it. do what you want but if you want to do that bit more then go Para Regt, you can go SAS from any unit but from the paras ou will stand a higher chance of passing (fact).

My old man was in 21 SAS.

My uncle was a Para as were his friends, and i'm sorry but they were a complete waste of space, ignorant, arogant...

They all came out and pushed the self destruct button, drugs, drink, fighting and petty crime.

I watched my old man kick the living daylights out of "uncle" steve one evening for selling stolen goods out of one of our vans..

I wouldnt go near the army myself, poor pay (and it is poor pay, i earn more than you just driving a van for 5 days a week) and it does nothing for you when you leave, it leaves you with the kind of attitude you have about things, you may be a good soldier, but when you come out, you are nothing and Para's especially find this very hard to accept.

kkelly · 29 May 2006 at 11:37

Joining the army was my back up plan if i failed school/uni

i didnt tho

i think it would be a very good choice in life instead of being in a office all week like me

. One of my best friends at school joined the marines and is loving it, another one paid to get him self out

cleanbluesky · 29 May 2006 at 13:08

atpbx said:
My old man was in 21 SAS.

Was he in 21 after he left the paras?

Also, did he have a job outside of 21?