Anyone in or served in the armed forces?

simon_xazza

Just wondering If anyone on here is in the armed forces and what their experiences are of it.

Eyepopper

I was in the cubs when I was small if thats any use......

solvista

I once watched saving private ryan.

PJ

I've played a call of duty demo.

Was shit at it though.

iSparky

yeah i went on a sniping mission in chernobyl once, just the two of us where there but i pulled off a great sniper shot from the top of an abandoned hotel, blew the chaps arm clean off

esmufc10

My cousin is a captain in the army, and he loves it. If you're thinking of joining then it is fantastic and rewarding career to go into.

rednev

I lost a leg during the Iraq war.

A table leg, that is. When the news that we would invade broke and interupted my favourite programme I jumped up and knocked the coffee table over. A damn fine table it was, too.

iSparky

jesus that must be tough to live with, i respect people who have to go through these things

Dr. Dwayne

I've got a few guns. It's fun as feck to shoot them. In the armed forces they pay for the ammunition, apparently. This would be reason enough to sign up.

iSparky

a few guns? doc i have a feeling you are planning to start an army of your own would i be correct?

Eyepopper

If onky you weren't a well known queen!

Dr. Dwayne

Me and solvista might start a covert ops team but other than that, no.

Don't ask, don't tell, 'Popper.

Eyepopper

First hunting outing this saturday looking forward to it.....

Selling one of my own guns, just dont have time for clays anymore

solvista

I prefer overt, i'm an exhibitionist.

Dr. Dwayne

Dr. Dwayne

Did I mention that standard uniform is a pretty sun dress?

solvista

Plenty of buyers in the north still. You'll have no probs seeling that.

solvista

I'm in.

simon_xazza

Had an application in for a while passed all selection with top grade but had been told I would have to wait till atleast april.

However I got a call today saying someone had dropped out and I could go on the 16th of this month. Looks like im going!.

Grinner

Make sure you choose a regiment you really like. I'd suggest you get a trade rather than join summat like infantry. Start working on your fitness now, get up at 6am, I hope you can put up with stupid bullshite and being told what to do.

Set up your pay so some goes into a long-term investment otherwise you'll just piss it all away. Make sure you don't act the cunt when you are on leave and with your mates and family. You'll swear more and pickup loads of army slang and acronyms. It's hard to drop all that when you're at home.

narnar

what trade are you gonna do, if any?

simon_xazza

Military police, I looked at plenty of trades in the Royal engineers but just couldn’t find anything I could see myself doing day to day. I went on a aptitude course for the Geo Tech engineers which would be a great path career wise as you earn half a degree and lots of other qualifications but after the week was over I never wanted to see another map again in my life.

There’s some other trades that look good but as Royal Engineer you spend very little time doing your actual trade it seems.

I have gone for military police, looks like a good job with variety. They take some stick from the rest of the lads but that’s what you would expect I suppose, same as a civilian police officer.

You promoted to lance corporal after you complete your police training and im looking to get posted in Germany for a few years

Merman

Congrats Simon

Rams

I bet most of you fought in the Bore War.

narnar

I had my BARB test a few weeks ago and it said that there were no positions available yet in the MP and I would be on a waiting list more than likely, as it was one I had wanted to go for too. Changed my mind on it however after speaking to a few people, as you said, you'll be instantly disliked.

Chef would be piss easy to get at the moment lol.

simon_xazza

Thank you been waiting a while, was fairly hard to get into aswell. Particulary at the moment. Only thing im going to miss is United games during training, I havent missed more than one or two games for a couple of years now!

simon_xazza

You would of been on the waiting list yeah, looking at around april. I scored quite high on my Selection so I got called up for a drop out in this months intake

What are you thinking now NarNar? You may be instantly disliked but you will be doing an interesting job and earning about 6k more than the people that dislike you.

Grinner

One of the jobs I originally looked at was avionics tech in the RAF regiment. They didn't have an opening though so I missed out.

narnar

It certainly seemed an interesting job. My first choice was military intelligence (yes, any oxymoron before anyone points it out). But the intake for that starts in January, too soon for me apparently and most of the positions are filled. So I'm thinking of Comms at the minute.

However I have applications in with the RAF and Navy, and I would prefer to join one of them, however they are taking longer to process things.

How was your ADSC thing by the way? Some sort of pre-joining fitness test I think, I've got it soon.

simon_xazza

You do the pre fitness then if they think your fit enough you get passed on to ADSC. The pre fitness is a mile and half run, carry some jerry cans over a distance and see how many heaves you can do. Easy enough if your a fit young lad.

ADSC is abit more tricky. You turn up have a extensive medical then you do an icebreaker infront of people to say what and why you want to join. Then you do a PT session and a grenade lesson. They wake you up the next morning at 6 am and you have to run a mile and a half then the team tasks then final interview.

If you do go down the army route make sure you give it your all in the team tasks as if you arent vocal enough they will fail you and youll get defered.

I have a friend who is just starting his phase two in the navy as a clerance diver. Says its very hard PT wise but hes very into diving so I think its a good job, pays well when hes finished aswell.

narnar

I've been running and doing gym work recently but haven't been able to the last two weeks due to personal stuff. I'm not even sure if I can make it next week, though I can do the mile and a half in around 10 and a half minutes and am strong enough.

As I said, would rather do RAF or Navy. I'd say your mate finds the PT hard as a clearance diver would be very physically demanding.

Anyways, good luck with your career and I hope you enjoy it! Keep us updated sure.

UnofficialDevil

I was in the army for 18 months in 1996.

Tank division.

Dresilved

I once watched Shaving Ryans Privates

UBERScholes

Longest year of your life, '96?

Grinner

I see what you did there.

Stanley Road

I was in the SAS but not with Bear Grillllllls

Grinner

Get some ironing practice in too. The cunting army loves a good crease.

narnar

narnar

ah. bringing my mum along isn't an option?

Grinner

One of the blokes in my unit had a crease sewn into one pair of greens so he always had a parade-ready pair. I always kep a uniform just for parade that I changed out of straight away to save on ironing.

Then again, you haven't got much else to do in the evening.