[Closed] working in the armed forces.

I did.

For 12 years..

Go for it Ollie, you'll enjoy it.

Just make sure you get a trade.

Oh, and be a Crab- they look after far better than the Army do..

Ask BJ?

I'm sure he'll give you the heads up.

Don't be a Crab. They might have a better wine list in the Officer's Mess, but everyone hates them.

Be a man and join the Army.

Haha..

Yeah, good point, I should have said, I enjoyed my time in the Army..

I'm an aircraft technician (mechanic) in the navy, not a bad life, done 10 years and plan to do another 12. Think you may have a wait on your hands if your thinking of joining up though as the latest defence review has impacted us all quite a lot with job cuts imminent, recruitment stopped/slowed down for a while.
My best bit of advice before you go to any kind of interview would be to have a good look at what you want to do career wise as there are loads of different jobs within the forces and if you want to do it long term your better off with a job that interests you.

*Waves* Come and join us...

Just a thought...if you join the Army, chances are you'll be in Afghan in two to three years time...

That said I'm really enjoying my career at the moment and my only regret is not joining earlier!

I did 4 years in the marines, great life when your young. Got to see some amazing places (and some pretty s**t ones) and meet people from all over the world.

Would say go for it if your the outdoorsy type, just be used to the idea that you'll be away for long periods of time.

If your looking at longer term you'd be best getting a trade in the RAF/Navy/Army as the jobs in the marines are pretty limited but its a great life experience. Beats a GAP year any day!

I've been in 10 years and have no plan to leave any time soon. I've had a fantastic time, travelled the world and worked with some brilliant people (the best part of it for me).

All 3 Services have both good and bad points, it depends on what you want to do. Have a look at all the trades and branches available and go from there, but be aware that the advisor at the CIO will put the "Service need" before your own - something you'll have to get used to!

Hope it goes well, shout if you need any specific gen

SC

Ive been in the RAF for the past12 and a half years as a weapons technician/bomb disposal and have had mixed feelings about it.

highlights.... 3 year tour in cypurs.

low points..... working with the army as the 2 services really dont mix.

just got back on sunday from the falklands where ive been for 4 months, the army have completely effed up my section!!

posted to another camp from jan next year and have been told i will be out to afghan by june!!

please email me if you want and honest opinion about life in the forces.

one thing though if you like thinking for yourself dont join the army!!

Im In the Army (REME Shipwright) im currently serving over in the falklands. Im quite lucky as im in very small trade group (only 24 of us in the army). I have been in for 6 years now, and im lookig to do another 6 years. The only advice i would give you is to do a job you enjoy as some times it can be sh1t. Im 23 and enjoyed most of my carrer and wouldnt change a thing!!

Shaun

Dislike for services that your not in is pretty silly IMO, i don't like the army,navy,raf etc
The thing is that you get idiots in most jobs both on civvy street and in the forces, thats life, i've worked with some morons in my time in the navy and some pretty damn decent blokes too, regardless of service, i know lads in all 3 services (4 if you count rm seperately) that break each stereotype so you can't just make sweeping statements about in entire force.

I've been in the RAF for 5 years. I enjoy the job, but you have to accept the BS that comes with it (and i get very little BS in relation to the Army/Navy). I've seen planty of the world - and be in no doubt, if you join you WILL be spending time in Afghan. Some of the RAF are doing 6 months+ of EVERY year away, such is the state of our aircraft fleet.

I've been in RAF for 13 years and have loved most of it. I specialise in servicing and repairing medical and dental equipment fantastic job but I am away a lot from home. On the plus side I did get to go to cape town for a week or 2 working. I have a 9 year old daughter and have only seen 4 of her birthdays and 1 of my 5 year olds. Afghan sucks ass big time!!
Whichever service you choose you will have a great time, life, career and opportunities.
They all have bad points but what job doesn't? I joined up at 23 used to be an electrician, and never want to go back to that life style.

Your welcome to PM me if you need more info about the different jobs in the RAF or any other details.

[url= http://www.e-goat.co.uk/ ]Check out the egoat forum too[/url]

Don't do it Oli.

Army here loving it yeah you have to go to places like afghan but thats part of the fun surely.

Its all part of the fun and our sick twisted sense of humour makes it fun to cope. I was doing the flying hospital stuff and saw some things I would rather forget, but that's the job I chose and love.

It's a good life for a young man, I did 8 years mostly at a commando unit.
I found that it changed me quite a lot for life, they instill morals, pride, confidence and discipline. I am in no doubt that I am a better man for it and looking at some of my old friends, would not like to think where I would be in life had I not joined.
There are many choices open to you, the most important thing I could tell you is; [b]don't be led by the recruiter[/b].
What you need to know is the RAF have the best looking women BUT they have standards. The navy the next best looking women BUT they also standards and smell of fish. The army have absolutely gopping trogs with huge arses BUT have no standards whatsoever. 😀

Strange nobodys mentioned getting shot at 😯 Just remember what exactly your signing up for.

i was in the navy as a OM(minewarfare),not a bad life for a single young lad,if you like drinking and cleaning you won't go too far wrong as that's about all you'll do.

backhander-i never once met a wren with standards and they weren't that good looking either,unless at the end of the night at joanna's! very correct about pongo women though!

I'm a Marine Engineer Officer in the RN. Been in 7 years now and love it. Been deployed a couple of times and worked on frigates and aircraft carriers. Now working on a new ship in build which is a rare opportunity.

Job is a mix of engineering, HR, training, project planning, Resource management and fire and flood fighting (not as rare as you might think). Pay is good, good people (generally) and a fun life with a good chance to do sport and outdoor stuff in work time (job permitting obviously)!

*makes mental note of people that are commandos and marines in case of online arguments*

Go for it spent 5 years as an aircraft mechanic in the Navy on a commando squadron, got pensioned out after a climbing accident. Got to say best 5 years of my life, made great mates, saw a lot of the world and experiences too many to recall. You'll get the bullshit with all the forces just remember.... Basic training - just get through it any way you can (lots of bullshit) - trade training (a little less bullshit) - doing the job a great laugh and hard work, long hours but lots of laughs and a great life.

Go for it

backhander-i never once met a wren with standards and they weren't that good looking either,

Great jobs available for fascists.

Did you go? If you really want some advice it would help if you posted your age/education/interests.

It really could be the best thing you ever do. Or the worst if you choose unwisely.

I never joined up but sometimes I wish I had, as friends who joined up really enjoyed their time, even the scarey bits by all accounts.

Good luck with what you decide and be safe wherever you get put in the world after your basic training.

RAF here 20 years so far 10 to go. Avionincs techniain more commonaly known as a fairy, spent 5 Years ish a pan trash doing flight servicings, Best 5 years of my career had lots of fun, granted there was a fair amount of BS but in general all good. spent 5 years in a bay, before getting back on aircraft, now training AMMs how to Carry out flight servincings, hardly a day goes by with out me thinking what a cool job I have usually when walking along the Pan with various aircraft around me, although not a spotter so to speak I just love being and working around aircraft.

Like has already been said CIO go for the needs of the service not individual, when i first applied to join I was told I could only join as a driver, my reply was whats the point of joining the RAF if I can't work on aircraft I can be a driver anywhere

Bear in mind each service has there fair share of Horror/feel good stories. Plus what has been said about Basic and trade training there is a lot of BS just grin and bare it and you'll be fine as my grandad told me the day before I left "Keep you mouth shut and your Bowels open" and also bare in mind that depending on your choice you will be put in harms way.

Good luck in any decision you make.

Spent 6 years in the army, infantry, but have been out for 10 years now, some of the best years of my life but definitely a young single man's job. If your thinking long term then go for a trade, if your just looking to do a few years then i can highly reccomend it but you will be away alot if not on ops then on exercises. You could do alot worse in these uncertain economic times.

Another thread that should be in the chat forum.

Er, it is in the chat forum.

Been in the Army for 12 years.

Highlights

Been to some great place eg Canada for 2 years which was just great.
Fortunately I've not had to work with the RAF (I'm looking at you Rents)although raced against them frequently at Mountain Mayhem and SITS and they seem like a nice bunch.

Low points - Can't really think of any to be honest. Our current Married Quarter is a bit ropey though.

If you are thinking long term don't join the RAF as it's days are number IMHO, especially when the carrier(s) arrive. 🙂

And discuss.

It wasn't 😉

Mrs Scamper is a nurse in the RAF and in response to above comments I can confirm she has extremely high standards. 🙂 She does get confused by wednesday, unsure if its the start of or the end of the weekend. Generally uncontactable after 4pm the RAF is a great life especially if you like champagne and nice hotels while the less than sharp Army rough it.

But seriously, she enjoys it, apart from some of the usual military bullshit.

Navy:

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Army

[img] [/img]

Our US brethren admittedly.

Put anyone from the RAF (including the short range desert group) in a fire trench and there would be tears, they're just not made for it.

Backhander that inter service dig will be lost on most of this audience, best you try it on e-goat or ARRSE

Put anyone from the RAF (including the short range desert group) in a fire trench and there would be tears, they're just not made for it.

Nope, we're just not daft enough to be there in the first place 😀

If you are thinking long term don't join the RAF as it's days are number IMHO, especially when the carrier(s) arrive.

Are they the ones with no planes? 😉

Now, now Jazz. There's no call for that. Besides, the Navy are getting those two lovely carriers to play with, and the very capable new air defense frigates. They also have that lovely new Astute sub floating about as well.

Oh, hang on.

Army here 22yrs, left in 2005, enjoyed every minute of it, would do it again, missed family birthdays etc etc but thats the job, I always tell kids who are thinking of joining up to look at the trade side of life so airframe techs etc the stuff you could use outside and i also tell them to look at the officer route, i know some are knobbers of the highest order but it does help you move on later. Not a bad life altogether and not as BS as it once was.

I get miffed with comments like mansonsouls above about good job for facist, because of people who serve you are able to say things like that without comeback, remember if WW 2 had not been won you would yourself be walking around in jackboots, for those that knew Aldershot in the day he is the sort of bloke that would have died on Flagstaff, Miles Hill and the Tanktracks on Long Valley. Lest we Forget.

But maybe if as a world we decided it wasn't acceptable to slaughter millions to solve an argument between two arbitrarily constructed countries we'd be better off?

Don't waste your breath anokdale, he obviously has a very loose grip on reality and what the armed forces do.
I can honestly say that I've done my absolute and very best in difficult places to improve the lives of some of the poorest and vulnerable people on the planet at that time. Can you say that mansonsoul?

mansonsoul, you're either trolling, high or incredibly naive...

That World you want is what we all want but it is not going to happen, Backhander and fuzzywuzzy thanks, i allways say the Army i served in saved more lives than it took.

Work in the armed forces 😉 if you call it that lol apart from a few rough conflicts that were fun anyway I had a great time I was a signallar and mountain leader, did loads of skiing ice and rock climbing lots of time in Norway and bavaria also two long stints in sardegna to rock climb and drink.

Left and walked straight into a guiding job in the alps so it was good for that too. shame I decided the fire service was a good move and Left 🙁

Short term I'd recommend royal marines , long term I'd say royal signals then post to a commando unit best of both worlds

Echo above the do what you want not what careers office want you to do

My mate who is still in was goin to get out about three years ago but asked about flying and now he's a helicopter pilot , admittedly he went straight out to afgan but he's having fun. So lots of possibilities mate

Whilst I don't agree with Mansonsouls' comments I fully support his right to make them and to express such opinions; I served 18yrs in the Royal Marines and spent years of my life deployed on Operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Iraq in order to allow people like him to express such views in other countries not as stable and liberal as ours.
So crack on Mansonsoul because everytime I hear a statement expressed in the manner of yours it reminds me that the sacrifices I made (and thousands of others like me) were valuable and worthwhile. One day you'll hopefully be able to see through the politics and media spin and appreciate the freedoms you have.

Firestarter - You have just said the Marines did not do much work 😆 As Ex Para Reg you have made my day. 😉

into de void, I'm ex-59 and was on some of those tours!

into de_void - Agree with what you said.

That World you want is what we all want but it is not going to happen

Call it naivety, that's fine. It's wishful, without a doubt. This attitude perhaps explains why it always will be nothing more than wishful thinking.

Backhander, I support some of Britain's most vulnerable people every working day, and I do it without a gun in my hand, or billions of pounds of military hardware 'helping' them.

I stand by my assertion that it is soldiers, politicians and their ilk that cause the problems, not solve them.

Anokdale I wasn't being specific I was covering all the forces in general its all relative depends on your version of work getting beasted on the hills and in snow is hard but fun digging in again hard but fun on reflection but its not the same as a real job in civvy street is it more a vocation

Ive done forces and mountain guiding and rigging and now fire service and rigging was real work but still not a dreary nine to five lol

That's probably because you don't [i]need[/i] a weapon to do your job in the UK. I assure it was required in places like Sierra Leone and Bosnia. Maybe we should have sent social workers over instead?
I'm also quite happy for you to blame the politicians, but the voters should not escape blame either.

Nice one Firestarter good back track, now theres a word not to be used in jest "beasted" ouch !

Backhander like you said pal dont waste your breath.

Anokdale, you're former Para Reg and yet you've just agreed with a Royal Marine...you've made MY day!

Backhander, please tell me you weren't one of those loons who nearly killed half of Zulu Coy 45 Cdo when you set off an avalanche demo with way too much explosive up near Bardufoss in 94...if you are you owe me a beer and some replacement keks!

yep, smoke popped and BH bugged out.
into de void; not me honest 😀

into de void in all fairness i think he was not badged Royal, i : maybe wrong but just shows you i have lost my edge and become all civvy and fluffy and nice to folk. 😉

I stand by my assertion that it is [s]soldiers[/s] politicians and their ilk that cause the problems, not solve them.

Fixed that for you. You are trolling; nothing more, and that line was designed to provoke, making it a very weak statement indeed.

I support some of Britain's most vulnerable people every working day, and I do it without a gun in my hand

Do you effect change? If so, good. Are decisions made above your pay grade that fail to reflect the situation on the ground, by people with no understanding of what you have to deal with on a day to day basis? And does that frustrate you? I think you'll find that your position parallels that of the regulars in our armed forces.

For the record, I don't agree in reasons behind the conflicts we as a nation have participated in during the last twenty years, but I support every member of the armed forces that has done so.

Petesgaff, now theres a fellow who can battle.

Lol no not badged royal but a jumped up scaleyback 😉

The next question will be what is a scaleyback, i will let you explain that one.

Do it. iv'e been in the infantry 14 years and its the best thing i ever did. iv'e been to some great places and some real sh17 holes. (have just got back from afgan a few weeks ago). you'll work with some of the best people in the country. cant reccomend it enough.

Lol I'll leave that one mate 😉

I served in the Army for 12 years, best years of my youth. Was gutted when they disbanded 5 years ago, but we'd been doing much less by then anyway. But i agree with the sentiments, if it hadn't been for the old guard giving all that they gave we wouldn't have the freedom that we have now.

Been out a while now, (well 15 years), still miss it at times. Agree with what has been said about getting a trade, whichever service you join. Plus as said, just get through basic training and trade training, the real forces are nothing like that at all!
PS for those that want to extract the urine, I was a craphat medic, but met my wife who was a QARANC....Quick and Ready and Never Caught 😳

Hey all. Cheers for all the info. Quick update and the details as requested, Im 21 next month. Got 2 highers abduction 9 credit level standard grades.
To be honest the marines appeal more. The physical and mental challenges sound rather good. Took a trip to the careers office yesterday.
They didn't suggest any roles! said to be a long waiting list for raf/navy trades. And having a proper look at various jobs I've realised the number of qualifications you can gain in the marines are also useful.

nice one mate you'll not regret the forces what ever way you go 😉

Commando and para careers are available in other regt/corps than the para reg and RM. You can do both in various corps plus be an army diver in the RE and still get a trade (and blow up a lot of stuff). I'm not saying anything negative about the paras or marines, just explaining that you can still do the ally stuff and get a trade.

as back hander says too lots avail hence my recommendation of r.sigs for trades/pay if you plan on staying in a while as once trained lots of doors open up to you. my mate is still royal signals but is actually a cmdo trained helicopter pilot now 😉 lots avail once in its all down to you and what you aspire to. good luck fella

ah i see. I thought you meant you were a signaller in the marines! I'll look at signals too.

ah no hence the scaleyback comment 😉 carrying far too much kit and a radioset on your back wreck it lol

depends really on what you fancy doing and what skills you have to offer as most regiments do trades that are good and most offer cmdo/para/sf unit options and all offer lots of outdoor pursuits courses too

you could work in mobile secure comms for instance but do it in a commando unit as a trained commando and also be an outdoor pursuits instructor , the world is your oyster as they say . lots of options

Fair play mate, get in see what you fancy and go for it, at least the banter will be good and most of us who were in will admit to missing that on the outside. Good luck, 21 you sprog, i had 58 pattern webbing, puttees, dms and an SLR at that age, gortex was a thing of the future and GPS, you dont need them the stars dont need batteries. 😉

anokdale did you ever get mess tins back into wet 58 webbing it was like a magic trick lol

firestarter - Member
anokdale did you ever get mess tins back into wet 58 webbing it was like a magic trick lol

Nope, me neither...

😐

im sure they were like those magic tent bags that once open no longer fit. a bit like sport billy's bag in reverse 😉

Only got them in for bone inspections, you know the standby kit stuff, other than that used a Yank steel mug and a racing spoon 😉 did you ever have to have 6 six inch nails in your standby kit, never sussed what they were for, mind you most of your bootie kit would have consisted of female evening wear 😉

nowt wrong with wearing womens clothes lol. or as it happens getting naked on cue

I knew it, i spent some time with Royals doing stuff so yeah, maybe you should brief up the new guy, you know hard wearing tights and the like so he can be prepared.

i went out a few months back with some mates all ex 45 and i was the only one who thought they shouldnt still be wearing dresses 😉

And i bet you never went to Thailand on leave either, got to go another bone civvy H and S meeting, i jest not. Out !

lol my mate married a thai and always gets the third degree no one believes it when he says he met her there rather than the web 😉

enjoy the meeting