View Full Version : Any Army Officers?
pencil shavings
09-09-07, 09:33 PM
I am thinking about joining once I finish uni but I want to get the grant so Im thinking about signing my life (well 3 years of it) away in the next few months.
Im looking at Logistics or Inteligence
I was in the ATC for 4 years and loved it so I kinda know what Im getting into.
Im fit and think I meet all the requirments and im a doing war, peace and international relation.
Thanks for any experiances and comments.
sorry I have too....
Army Intelligence, a contradiction in terms really....
tigersaw
09-09-07, 09:52 PM
Im looking at Logistics or Inteligence
hmmm
pencil shavings
09-09-07, 09:54 PM
sorry I have too....
Army Intelligence, a contradiction in terms really....
yep, the best Oxymoron that there is! :laughat:
Glad your not calling me that.... ;-)
Oh - I can hear the comments now, but anyway here goes...try this forum for info - there's all sorts in there...I kiddest thee not!!
http://www.arrse.co.uk/
Go on - click it - what have you got to lose?
It's the forum of the'British Army Rumour Service'.
Oh - I can hear the comments now, but anyway here goes...try this forum for info - there's all sorts in there...I kiddest thee not!!
http://www.arrse.co.uk/
Go on - click it - what have you got to lose?
It's the forum of the'British Army Rumour Service'.
Arrrrrrr I know it well.....:smt045
MiniMatt
10-09-07, 04:51 AM
Despite my liberal lefty peacenik outlook I actually came pretty close to signing up. Was about 20, had dropped out of Uni and was kind of directionless. A-levels were apparently all that was needed for Sandhurst. Had an absolutely brilliant interview with someone (can't remember rank) about joining up with the RLC. His killer question was "Whilst the logistics corp aren't necessarily a front line fighting unit, you'll still be trained to kill people with bayonets - think this'll be a problem?". At this point I squealed and went white as a sheet. I think we both realised then that I wasn't really cut out for a life in the forces :D
ASM-Forever
10-09-07, 08:21 AM
I am thinking about joining once I finish uni but I want to get the grant so Im thinking about signing my life (well 3 years of it) away in the next few months.
Im looking at Logistics or Inteligence
I was in the ATC for 4 years and loved it so I kinda know what Im getting into.
Im fit and think I meet all the requirments and im a doing war, peace and international relation.
Thanks for any experiances and comments.
Int. Corp and Logistics are a completely different kettles of fish, possibly at the opposite end of the scale, from one another.
Int.Corp is the hardest to get into, understandably really, a second language to a decent level is quite important.
Logistics is far easier to get into, its maybe the least popular.
If you havn't already, get yourself down to your local army careers office.
I'm not an army officer...its just a fair few of my friends have joined up, or are in the process of joining, in the past few years.
I'm afraid I don't have any specific advice other than to say one of my best mates has just finished his year of officer training at Sandhurst. Me and the wife went to his commissioning - very good party it was too!
Over the past year he has changed and matured a lot, not that he was particuarly immature before, but now he is kind of....grown up!
He admits there were times over the year when he thought 'what the hell am I doing', mostly when he was trying to stay awake on lookout for an enemy that was never going to show up during training and stuff like that.
He left for Germany last weekend where he is in charge of about 20 men and a couple of vehicles, they are probably going off to Afghanistan in December and he is looking forward to it.
I think he is particularly suited to the army cos his Dad is a UK foreign diplomat which meant he never lived anywhere for more than a couple of years when he was growing up and he's always been interested in foreign affairs and economics and stuff.
Bottom line is I think if you have an interest in foreign travel, don't mind living in close quarters with a lot of men and have a penchant for fighting, you'll be alright! No seriously, it can be a temporary or more permanent career which will probably be very varied, but only you can decide if it will be right for you.
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Matt
Not an oficer but am in.
Personally i would go Int corps.
Very intersting job they do and there are some excellent postings for them as well , the language is not important unless you want to do Linguest. and you can do full courses in a language once you are in.
A Logistics officer is basically a transport manager at best.
If i had my time again i would go in the RAF as an officer. At the moment i am in a tri service enviroment and they are so much more chilled out and like humans, they get treated better and looked ater better as well. Go for RAF mate.
If you do get in as an officer please dont become (like some do) an ar*e and think you are superior to everyone. Treat the lowere ranks wirh respect and they will respect you . Yes you are their boss but dont walk arounf lording it or they wont work for you.
Use and respect the experiance and wisdom of the other ranks, i.e a Cpl, Sgt an above who have been in a lot longer than you will know better in some cases what to do. Listen to them.
If you dont and think you know best because you have a degree and done sandhurst etc you will not be liked and become unstuck. Trust me pis* off the lowere ranks that work for you nad life will become so hard it will reflect badly on you.
I have met officers from both ends of the scale in my time, you can guess which ones i done my best and worked hard for??
I am thinking about joining once I finish uni but I want to get the grant so Im thinking about signing my life (well 3 years of it) away in the next few months.
Im looking at Logistics or Inteligence
I was in the ATC for 4 years and loved it so I kinda know what Im getting into.
Im fit and think I meet all the requirments and im a doing war, peace and international relation.
Thanks for any experiances and comments.
ATC, do you mean air training cadets ? if so , why join the army if you,ve spent 4 yrs with an AIR FORCE cadet squadron ? go for the air force mate, you know it makes sense ;)
ThEGr33k
10-09-07, 12:43 PM
RAF is the better one tbh. Safer for a start and you get a nice blue uniform and have Green's to play in.
Im in the RAF but im no officer. Glad of it tbh, seems 90% of 'em come out of Cranwell as ******s.
But if you go into any force dont let the 'power' get to your head you'll do fine. (Just because we arnt officers doesnt mean we are stupid).
Even better advice for you, go police! Heh, they get best pay and pension and the easiest job of all the Forces.
RAF is the better one tbh. Safer for a start and you get a nice blue uniform and have Green's to play in.
Im in the RAF but im no officer. Glad of it tbh, seems 90% of 'em come out of Cranwell as ******s.
But if you go into any force dont let the 'power' get to your head you'll do fine. (Just because we arnt officers doesnt mean we are stupid).
Even better advice for you, go police! Heh, they get best pay and pension and the easiest job of all the Forces.
I think if I was going back in I,d head for the navy carreers office
pencil shavings
10-09-07, 04:00 PM
thanks for the replies, I work in Keogh Barracks atm and I fully respect that the newly commisioned officers often walk around with their heads up their.. well you know. I would definatly not want to be one of those people, I dont think I am at risk of that anyway, its a personality thing when it comes down to it.
I have never really thought about the RAF, no particular reason, and i know 'you dont have to be a pilot to fly in the RAF (cue sounds of jet engines)' I will look into it.
The Intelligence Corp was my first choice and logistics seemed interesting. Is there an RAF equivalent? (Im going to do some reading now)
thanks for the replies
pencil shavings
10-09-07, 04:09 PM
Maybe they dont want me to fly in the RAF, I was told that there was no information for me and I should contact them again once I had finished my degree.
I said no.
Send me information now.
They said ok.
:confused:
ASM-Forever
10-09-07, 04:14 PM
Maybe they dont want me to fly in the RAF, I was told that there was no information for me and I should contact them again once I had finished my degree.
I said no.
Send me information now.
They said ok.
:confused:
Thats because they assume that once you have a degree, you are a different candidate, and will pigeon hole you accordingly.
You will also probably find that the careers centres are run by a bunch of old/incompetent men, as thats the only place left to put them!
I'm not 100% sure on the RAF intelligence equivalent, but firstly the RAF Police are heavily involved in this area and you will also find that a lot of intelligence is combined services now anyway.
pencil shavings
10-09-07, 04:25 PM
I'm not 100% sure on the RAF intelligence equivalent, but firstly the RAF Police are heavily involved in this area and you will also find that a lot of intelligence is combined services now anyway.
they do, the job title is Intelligence Officer (http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/intelligenceofficer.cfm)
see what they have to say in the information booklet.
ThEGr33k
10-09-07, 05:07 PM
Well glad ive opened another option for you :D Maybe we can have an RAF Sv club if you get in HA HA.
I'll let you decide what you want to join:
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m241/gazman_07/n832810561_547418_78561.jpg?t=1189958697 (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0);)
It would be funny if it wasn't bloody true. :D
Gaz
Pedrosa
16-09-07, 04:38 PM
Salvation Army Lead Bugler,any good to yer?:rolleyes:
Sideshow#36
16-09-07, 05:53 PM
I'm in the RAF but we work with the Army most of the time. We are the RAF's poor relation that they like to forget about.... I'm not bitter, lol. But the Army are a good bunch of guys. Work a lot with the REME lads. In my 5 years in ive seen and done a lot of things I didnt even know I could do. Its a good life in my opinion.
RAF is the better one tbh. Safer for a start and you get a nice blue uniform and have Green's to play in.
Im in the RAF but im no officer. Glad of it tbh, seems 90% of 'em come out of Cranwell as ******s.
But if you go into any force dont let the 'power' get to your head you'll do fine. (Just because we arnt officers doesnt mean we are stupid).
Even better advice for you, go police! Heh, they get best pay and pension and the easiest job of all the Forces.
No offence to any RAF coppers in or ex but when I was in they were pretty well despised by everyone, go aircrew, wish I had done :(
Despite my liberal lefty peacenik outlook I actually came pretty close to signing up. Was about 20, had dropped out of Uni and was kind of directionless. A-levels were apparently all that was needed for Sandhurst. Had an absolutely brilliant interview with someone (can't remember rank) about joining up with the RLC. His killer question was "Whilst the logistics corp aren't necessarily a front line fighting unit, you'll still be trained to kill people with bayonets - think this'll be a problem?". At this point I squealed and went white as a sheet. I think we both realised then that I wasn't really cut out for a life in the forces :D
your seriously saying that if someone was shooting at you ,you wouldn't shoot back thats all its about ive seen young lads absolutely so sh!t scared that they'll fire at anything then deal with the consequences afterwards your conscience is whats the killer
pencil shavings
19-09-07, 05:33 PM
yep, i defo think living with having killed is much harder than actually doing it, IMHO.
but not having done it, im hardly in a possition to have a vilid oppinion.
Cloggsy
19-09-07, 08:38 PM
No offence to any RAF coppers in or ex but when I was in they were pretty well despised by everyone
Yup, everyone hated us, unless they'd had something nicked or they'd had their heads kicked in... We were like Millwall Football Club; No-one liked us, but we didn't care :!: :plod:
My Mrs was a monkey (MP) thats how we met she knicked me in Dortmund and i fell for her instantly
Cloggsy
20-09-07, 08:35 AM
My Mrs was a monkey (MP) thats how we met she knicked me in Dortmund and i fell for her instantly
Love @ first nick... Cool 8)
grh1904
20-09-07, 10:36 AM
Go for the RAF,
I was in for 12 years, not commissioned, but as others have posted the officers who turn into KN*B's just get treated with contempt, those who actually talked to you like humans got the respect.
Example, I was fulfilling Acting Sergeant duties as mine was in the Falklands, when one of my young WRAF clerks came to me in floods of tears, an officer had phoned up about a pay query and said his name then spelt it out like a 5 year old, treating her like SH*T, with all his jolly hockey sticks types in the background laughing loudly. Unkown to him this girls boyfriend was an engine mech on the same squadron who just happened to be in the crew room at the time and heard the comments made about her after the telephone call ended.
I tried to call this bloke and discuss the situation but got shot down on flames, to cut a long story short my boss the Chief Clerk (Warrant Officer) SUMMONSED him to the office, took him to one side and to this day I still don't know what was said but the officer returned before the end of the day with flowers, some of his fellow officers from the squadron and a very public apology.
Not sure if the above has any great relevance in your quest to find info on the Army, but it might help in your treatment of lower ranks.
Also, have you considered AIRMAN AIRCREW in the RAF, I applied for this but failed on medical grounds. It's where you train as aircrew (ie loadmasters on hercules or helicopters etc, flight deck engineers etc), you hold minimum rank of Sergeant, and get flying pay on top of basic Sgt's pay.
I have alway wished to this day that I served in one of the forces, as it stands I have to many commitments and the missus would not be happy.
If anything ever happened between her and I which ended in a break up I would definately apply for some frontline service.
Yup, everyone hated us, unless they'd had something nicked or they'd had their heads kicked in... We were like Millwall Football Club; No-one liked us, but we didn't care :!: :plod:
I wouldnt have hated YOU cloggsy ;)
Sideshow#36
20-09-07, 02:15 PM
Just noticed how many RAF current or ex there actually is on this site. So where ar we all based then???
76, swinderby, 77, saints, 77-80 Kinloss, 80-84 Wildenrath, 84-85 Cranwell 85-86 Molesworth 86..... oblivion;) was in MT for 10 yrs.
76, swinderby, 77, saints, 77-80 Kinloss, 80-84 Wildenrath, 84-85 Cranwell 85-86 Molesworth 86..... oblivion;) was in MT for 10 yrs.
Actually shouldnt say oblivion cos I moved reading in 86 for two years, decent place but couldnt afford to buy a place so moved back ooop north
Sideshow#36
20-09-07, 02:21 PM
Been around a bit then Stewie... ;-) Quite a few differing trades too then.
I'm in Reading now, as you say prices are rediculous. In quarters luckily.
Quarters in Reading ? Where ?
Sideshow#36
20-09-07, 02:25 PM
Burghfield. Based at Odiham so its about 20miles away from camp.
Course, forgot about Odiham, what trade ?
Sideshow#36
20-09-07, 02:30 PM
Plumber.
Cool, I actaually joined as a rigger, but dur to my complete lack of engineering skills became a driver instead, along with about 90% of othere drivers I reckon :D
Sideshow#36
20-09-07, 02:35 PM
LOL must admit most of the MT drivers are re-trades. Most failed plumbers end up as squippers. Oh and dont worry about forgetting about Odiahm..... the RAF does it too! ;-)
Do we still have any bases in gremany btw ? heard they were all gone, wildenrath is now a siemens trains test track
Sideshow#36
20-09-07, 02:43 PM
Yeah theres a few still around but only open to Scuffers, Drivers, squippers and movers I think. Shame really.
We used to have wildenrath, bruggen, laarbruch, gutersloh and gatow in berlin, couldnt speak much german but could order beer in various sizes, what more do you need ? Eine grosse bier bitte, mmm vielen danke ;) :D
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