Why join the army

Mr_White said:
Because you love your country and want to serve and protect it, you want to serve your Queen.

You want to better your self.

You have bravery and the heart to fight.

It's the best thing you'll ever do.

And it's a hell of a lot better than a job in civvy street.


Emma Goldman:

Patriotism ... is a superstition artificially created and maintained through a network of lies and falsehoods; a superstition that robs man of his self-respect and dignity, and increases his arrogance and conceit.
 
bakes0310 said:
Im joining the army next year and lately all im hearing is bad stuff off the tv and newspapers that the army is not what it used to be. Soilders going AWOL, extremely poor living conditions, no repect for the army anymore, no one wants to join thats why the upped the age restriction, and of course there just seen as another number :(

So i would like some reasons why i should join the army heres my personal reasons:
Ive always wanted to do its since i was very little.
To see the world
To do my part in protecting this great country
To be a better person whos disciplined and a real man :) :p

Ill be leaving a good job that pays good money, which i keep getting told is crazy that the money is really poor in the army. All i say to them is you dont join the army for the money which im right.

Anyway im just looking for some positve vibes about the army :)

Not wanting to **** on anyone's fire or anything, but perhaps you'd be advised to re-evaluate what makes you "a better person who's more disciplined and a real man" before you sign you life away for the next five years or so, bearing in mind where you'll most likely be sent to and the fact that the current climate is geared around using the armed forces as an ad hock police force rather than using your training to overwhelm an enemy combatant force in the traditional sense. This equates to waiting until you are shot at first before deciding on what course of action to deal with the situation. By which time it may well be too late for whoever had a bead drawn on them.
Also be prepared to possibly see and experience some quite terrible things which you can never expunge from your memory. A quick google search for Iraq war photos ought to give you some idea, though photos don't relay info to the other senses, like smell and touch.
Though obviously that depends on where you go and what you decide to do career wise in the forces.
Not my cup of tea, but if you're ok with all of that and can reconcile any personal views of what you'll have to do in the line of duty with the will of your political masters, who are ever a fickle bunch...
 
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Visage said:
25% of Britains homeless are ex-servicmen, according to Crisis.
I wonder why that is? As said above, in theory they should be able to leave the military with a bumper bank balance. Clearly something is going awry somewhere.
 
dirtydog said:
I wonder why that is? As said above, in theory they should be able to leave the military with a bumper bank balance. Clearly something is going awry somewhere.

If you serve 22 years then generally you leave with a golden goodbye and an immediate pension. If you leave after 12 years but before 22 years then you get 8K and a pension which you need to claim on your 60th birthday. If you leave before 12 years you get bugger all.
 
I thought about it a few years ago but too much negative press, deepcut sucides, Iraq, poor housing barracks etc. A local lad died in Iraq and it brought it home how dangerous that place is and for what? Oil and contractors. :mad:

And having Bush and Blair as you boss, no ******* thanks.
 
The Mad Rapper said:
No-one joins the Army to shoot guns and kill people, those that manage to get in usually do not last long. People join for a secure job, great travel and adventure training, to learn new skills, the opportunity to make a difference in different locations around the world, to push themselves to the limit and learn who they really are and what they're capable of, and finally to make great friends and life a good life.

I've probably missed a few things there, but hopefully my point is made. Combat is incredibly noisy, confusing and terrifying - anyone that joins to do that is retarded IMHO. It's something you do because you have to, it's not something to look forward to.

And anyone that took my post seriously is equally retarded i would say.
 
The Mad Rapper said:
If you serve 22 years then generally you leave with a golden goodbye and an immediate pension. If you leave after 12 years but before 22 years then you get 8K and a pension which you need to claim on your 60th birthday. If you leave before 12 years you get bugger all.
Is there a rule against saving up some money out of your wages for the day you leave?

I wonder if the soldiers who become homeless are those who joined the army at a young age and have little or no experience of fending for themselves in civvy street? ie. how to get a job, get a home to rent etc?
 
malc30 said:
And anyone that took my post seriously is equally retarded i would say.

Don't try and back track now.

You posted something you shouldn't of, so just man up and admit it instead of trying to slime out of it. Don't see why you are a MoH TBH - you're not worthy of the title IMHO.
 
dirtydog said:
Is there a rule against saving up some money out of your wages for the day you leave?

I wonder if the soldiers who become homeless are those who joined the army at a young age and have little or no experience of fending for themselves in civvy street? ie. how to get a job, get a home to rent etc?


You can save whatever you like. The problem is that the military pays you enough to be comfortable, but not enough to really save loads. You could save a lot I suppose, but the lifestyle is very social, and as we all know, being social generally costs ;)

When it's time to leave, there is an organisation called the Army Resttlement Service who assist you with retraining, finding a home if neccessary, and providing advice and support.

I'd say that generally, the support available to Armed Forces personnel is as good now as it's ever been. That said, you only need to look to the media for some shocking lapses recently :(
 
The Mad Rapper said:
But that's not why soldiers fight, nor is it for 'Queen and Country' - it's simply for your oppos, the man beside you, the friends you've known and served with for years.
If you weren't fighting foreigners, you could always support a football team and fight the opposing teams' fans.

SGCWill said:
The point I think should be taken into consideration is that, our brothers, fathers, mothers and daughters are over there now, we have to support them, let them know they are respected and appreciated.
Why should we support people who we believe are doing wrong? Just because they happen to be British :confused:

FTM said:
I dont think anybody who hasn't been in the army will know how much of a friend your mates become when they will be willing to die to help you and you for them
Thanke heavens for "civil partnerships" then.

-|ScottFree|- said:
Emma Goldman:

Patriotism ... is a superstition artificially created and maintained through a network of lies and falsehoods; a superstition that robs man of his self-respect and dignity, and increases his arrogance and conceit.
Excellent! I hadn't heard this one, I will remember it.


If you really want to do something challenging and to be a better person who is a real man, join VSO - they don't kill people.
 
My uncle served in the Army. He did 22 years. Started as a grunt and worked his way up. They even paid for his Open University course. For him, it was the best job in the world. I remember visiting him when I was a teenager on his barracks in Germany in the 80's. I planned on joining in 1990, however the year before the poll tax came out and I missed paying it - but they wouldn't let me join until I paid it. By the time I had paid it - I was into clubbing and everything else. Looking back I really regret joining the army. It would only be 7 years until I retire... :(

Personally I think a good spell in the Army for everyone in the UK would be a good thing. It would put an end to hoodies who have no respect for anyone or anything. It would instil some sense of patriotism (which is actually a good thing - there is nothing wrong in being proud of your nation) and perhaps unite us where multiculturalism has failed us miserably. Ignorance breeds contempt.

And finally, let's not forget that wars are nasty things. But its great to hear the negative comments about the UK government, the army and our foreign policy. It means the army and the UK government is doing its job and you are lucky to live in a democracy where you have the freedom to say such things without the secret police coming knocking on your door to take you away. And let's not compare freedom of speech to what those hate preachers that used Islam and those London mosques to sanction murder.

If you lived in Iraq and said the same thing about Saddam or his government during his reign like you do Bush or Blair you would be taken in the night and have electrodes placed on your genitals. Let's not forget that eh. And lets not forget the majority of the world is like that.

On a lighter note, aren't you at more risk of being attacked and suffer an injury as an NHS nurse or a Teacher than a squaddie these days? :D
 
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the-void said:
Personally I think a good spell in the Army for everyone in the UK would be a good thing. It would put an end to hoodies who have no respect for anyone or anything. It would instil some sense of patriotism (which is actually a good thing - there is nothing wrong in being proud of your nation) and perhaps unite us where multiculturalism has failed us miserably. Ignorance breeds contempt.
:D


Totally agree !
 
the-void said:
. . . it's great to hear the negative comments about the UK government, the army and our foreign policy. It means the army and the UK government is doing its job and you are lucky to live in a democracy where you have the freedom to say such things without the secret police coming knocking on your door to take you away.
Based on that, I guess that if we were to say nice things about the government, the only possible explanation would be that they were not doing their jobs properly?

Sounds like an easy fix - all the government has to do in order to do their job properly is to lower speed limits and raise income tax :D


the-void said:
If you lived in Iraq and said the same thing about Saddam or his government during his reign like you do Bush or Blair you would be taken in the night and have electrodes placed on your genitals. Let's not forget that eh. And lets not forget the majority of the world is like that.
So that makes anything that Bush and Bliar choose to do alright does it? They're not as bad as Saddam Hussein - great!


the-void said:
On a lighter note, aren't you at more risk of being attacked and suffering an injury as an NHS nurse or a Teacher than a squaddie these days? :D
On a lighter note, I guess that that distinction must come as an enormous source of satisfaction to the families of Matty Hull and the other 133 soldiers killed in Iraq :(
 
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