musso2010

Are there any serving members of the British Army on here?

I am looking at a possible change in direction after losing my job in 2010 and having no luck finding any reliable work since.

What is life really like? In particular for the wife and kids that get left behind. I want to hear true facts, from serving members or recently served.

I have been to the local careers office, been promised a life of travel and sun shine but i don't want to hear a sales pitch, just truth. Its a big step to take and get wrong.

Pm me if you prefer. Thanks

krisando

iTrader: (2)

You have pm

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

Will reply in more detail when I get on my desktop if I don't please pm me

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

There is slot dependent on what trade/unit/corps you want to go for, this will dictate the sort of travel you will do.
For instance, getting posted/attached to a unit in a division (like 1 armoured div) means your going to be hitting those tours quite regulary, where as some units have other operational roles in different parts of the world (Cyprus and NI as examples) and you will do a full tour there (3-4 years).
My final posting before leaving was with the "green" spearhead unit for the British army, and even though they were based in the UK I spent more time out of the UK lol, for example, 6 month tour in Bosnia, back for 1 month on leave, back to work Monday, flying out to Swaziland on Friday!

Tony

musso2010

Back at you mate, thanks

Looking forward to it, thanks.

Yeah, moving my kids around is my biggest concern. I am not keen on the idea of the having to move schools every few years. I am toying with the idea of the RAC, particularly the armoured reconnaissance side of it.

DYK

I am looking at a possible change in direction after losing my job in 2010 and having no luck finding any reliable work since.


Did you ever have any ambition to join the Forces before you lost your job and couldn't find reliable work.Before you even step foot through the careers door you need to be totally honest with yourself.When i joined it was because i wanted to join from a young age it was in me to want to do it.I left some time ago but still have mates etc.What i'm saying is if someone offered you a permanent reliable job tomorrow,would this thought of joining the Forces totally disappear from your mind,or is it something that you would still want to do...

tony de wonderful

How old are you? Personally if I think if you are older than maybe 23/24 it will be too much of a shock to the system this sort of life.

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

I'm with the REME and we move around ever 2-3 years and to be honest, my kids love it and the idea of it. Somewhere new every few years it a great way to get around.

Units like the RAC as you say don't tend to move, but they do at times.

I'll be totally honest as a REME VM (A) - Tank Mechanic i've got a pretty easy life. There is the usual bull**** you'd expect from any job, like turning up with pressed uniform and on time, but over all its a great life. In the last 5 years, i've been to Canada twice, once for a 6week exercise and a 2nd time for a 4month attachment as temp staff. I've been snowboarding in Austria and France. I've not been on tour, i got part way through the Pre-deployment training and dislocated my knee.

I wanted to join the RAF, but failed the entry exams, i didn't want to join from a young age, i joined up because i'd lost my job, and needed something, and everyone said i wouldn't last 5 minutes.

Looking back, losing my job and joining the army was a damn good thing.

Basis training is totally bollocks but worth it for the army to break you down and rebuild you as they need you.

Once you've got to the field army, things do improve (trust me) and most days it is like working a 8am-5pm job, turn up, do your thing and go home. Its only exercises, doing physical training, doing on tour and adventure training that makes it different to every other job.

I personally say get a trade, get a job you can relate to back in Civvy life, get as many things as you can from the Army, like courses and stuff so you can use them yourself when you leave. Once i've done my time, i'll be a full qualified mechanic, with hopefully a HND in Mechanical Engineering.

Hope this helps somehow, anything else you wanna know, please feel free to ask, or pm me.

Will

My brother in law is a REME. He was based in Germany and their first born were born there. They came to the UK and hated it, they had 2 more kids. They are now back in Germany and loving it, so does the kids.

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

I'm based in Germany n my little girl was born here 19months ago. My wife, her kids n our girl all love it out here.

musso2010

Thanks for all the input guys.

Yeah i have always been interested in the military ever since i was little, and i do regret not giving it a go when i left school. Once i left school i found a good job, then met my misses and had kids, the rest is history as they say. But i world always find myself thinking 'what if'.

I am now 25 and i have decided its now or never. There is nothing on civvy street, and i want the best for my family. I was worried i might be a bit too old now, what do you guys think?

I am a fit guy, regularly use the gym etc...

SinnerBugEye

iTrader: (3)

I second that its easy work when not on tours

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

my mate joined up at 25, he's 30now and loving it, being older does make a difference imo when going through training, staff seem to respect the age a little more.

musso2010

Now that suprises me. I would have thought me being older, more on par with the training staffs age would have made things a little harder for me...

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I guess you're not some snotty nosed kid looking to take on the world .. you've thought out your life, tried a few things and decided to serve ..

Good on you for considering it, I've often thought about it, but my poor health stops me applying .. If I could find a technical UK role, I'd apply.

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

As above mate said pretty much what I was gonna say.

mervil

iTrader: (5)

The older guys in Basic Training got some more respect than the ypunger ones as they tend to organise things a little better, getting the blokes out on parade on time and ensuring block jobs are done correctly for room inspections etc!

Im ex RE and was in Hameln in Germany for 6 years, loved it! Grafted when we were on tour or Ex and then chillout time when back in Camp! I signed off in 2006 and they posted me to Cyprus, gutted eh

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

I'm after Hameln for my next posting. Amphibious Engineers just sounds cool

musso2010

Right, I have decided that i am going to do it. I will wait for the Easter break to finish then i will hand my application forms into the careers office. Now all i have got to do is decide what type of job i want to do...

astra_dave

iTrader: (1)

as said, i'd go for something that you use in civvy street. My brother is with the Royal Signals as a Driver/Linesman, once he gets out he'll be fully qualified to walk into any job involving communications and setting up communications, like working for Sky, BT, Virgin or anyone like that. I'm hoping to have a full HND in Mechanical Engineering.

What did you do beforehand? as you know there are a million and one jobs to do in the Army.

mervil

iTrader: (5)

I was in 23 AES when I first went to Hameln in 2000, went back in to 42 Fd Sqn when I returned after my Plumbing course in 2001! Hameln is a great posting!

fatherpierre

Have you checked how much, or little you'll be paid?

When you're 17/18 it's not bad money, but at 25 it'll seem like slave labour, unless you were in a low paid job before.

Also, what qualifications do you have? You might make the grade to be commissioned which is a whole new world - and pays more.

DYK

Its a good point if you already have a skill,i was sometimes pushed to go into the Engineers because i had Qualifications in construction(you would be good in Bosnia comments i got etc),the old man wouldn't sign me up at 16 so i went to college and learned a trade..I guess the old mans brother being in the sas i wanted to make into the special forces.Is more advertising now about learning a trade in the Army it wasn't so advertised when i joined....Good luck

Leslie

Join the RAF. Less BS they say, that why I joined anyway!

Les

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Ahhhh a liney telemech is more useful though they did a reorg in the trades in the signals a while back, basically your linesman did all the over ground work whilst your telemech (also better paid) did your underground/fibre work (though if your bro can get his riggers course out of it, its a good qualification to have in civvy street).
When I left everyone wanted to do the fibre optics course, they use to pay like 50 quid per splice, no where near that now, telecoms has dropped in the market since the mid 90's

Tony

PS, Dave, why did you go for VM(A) over a VM(B) which seem to have more opportunities?

musso2010

Are you serving now Les?

andythejock01wrx

Think Les has already done his bit for Queen & country.

andythejock01wrx

I'm guessing that Cyprus is the most popular posting in the British Army!

Leslie

No I did my time and would not have missed it for anything.

Les