How many of us are ex-military?

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by Wiltshire7

im leaving this week though think im gonna try for the marines, full time this time though.

My neighbour (R1/Blades etc) is ex Royal Marine, claims to be the youngest to do it in peace time, left school on the friday and on the train south on Sunday. He was kicked out when a change of M.O. discovered his eyesight had been damaged by a thunderflash . Still he gets a small pension as a result, but I think he would like to have his sight in both eyes.

His tails of the beasting and humiliations during training and even worse when you are assigned to a new unit would discourage me from going anywhere near such a bunch of lunatics.

BTW he has a copy of himself being bawled out by some hairy arsed NCO that fronted amatuer photographer. I don't know how anyone could keep their face straight and stand to attention when somebody is shouting at you an inch from your nose without wanting to smack em. (Perhaps thats it you just think what you are going to do to the fecker and keep quiet)

My grandad lied about his age to join (he regretted that apparently), i think he was 15, but as you say war and peace are different and I think they have better checks these days...

Stu

[Spiderman]

I was in the Army cadets for a while... till they kicked me out for not showing up frequently enough. Taught me a suprising amount in a short time. Independance mainly, which is a good thing to learn at that age imo.
Also gave me an unhealthy intrest in guns.

Grandad was a pilot way way back when they used to fly bi-planes!!! And he got shot down twice but still told me the stories years later
I wanted to join the RAF as a pilot (my dream job is to fly planes) but they wanted to much of my life back then. For pilots you had to sign up for 16yrs or until you were 38, whichever was the later but i just couldnt / wouldnt commit to that much of my life.
Wish i had sometimes... cos in a few years i'd be out and arning a bundle flyinjg for BA or someone.
But then again.... i could also have been dead by now so theres one good reason for not having joined.

Originally Posted by timwilky

I don't know how anyone could keep their face straight and stand to attention when somebody is shouting at you an inch from your nose

I do

It's called FEAR


Looking back on it, it's probably why there are age limits for joining up - anyone with a bit of age/experience would probably just laugh

Our PT instructors were the worst - your kit had to be absolutely immaculate, I used to buy new laces & white socks before every session so that they were clean enough, and would get through a whole spray can of starch on the heavy white cotton shorts - the creases were so sharp you could probably have cut yourself on them

And then when we'd all been inspected, the squad would then lay on the floor, and roll to the far end of the gym . . . just to get nice and dirty

Kids these days just don't understand . . . etc

Originally Posted by MavUK

My grandad lied about his age to join (he regretted that apparently), i think he was 15, but as you say war and peace are different and I think they have better checks these days...

I bet he had a few tails to tell

Originally Posted by timwilky

I don't know how anyone could keep their face straight and stand to attention when somebody is shouting at you an inch from your nose without wanting to smack em.

My sarge during the first 10 weeks of basic was an amatuer boxer, he loved provoking blokes into taking a swing. He was only about 5'6" so I was an inch shorter at 17, grew 3 inches befdore I finished. I reckon coz he was a shortie he liked to batter anybody over 6 feet.
One night on the way back from the NCO bar 4 conscripts set about him with tent chains. Beat him black and blue, 2 weeks in hospital.
When he came out he was meaner than ever and proved why his nickname was "rubber".
He was also the most eloquent swearer I've ever heard, in any language.

Mind you the RSM once threatened to stick his swagger stick through my ears and ride me around the parade ground like a Harley Davidson. A real gent never swore as he thought it a lazy manner of speech.

This place was where we did all of our COIN training, now a tourist destination



Been looking around the web for stories to send to a mate of mine who's writing a book.
Anybody interested can see some of the stories here. http://www.netcentral.co.uk/~cobus/32BAT.htm
Most of this happened before our time, but towards the end of the war we spent a lot of time around the 32 Battalion troops or "The terrible ones" as they were known.

Originally Posted by Gforceuk

My other halfs father was shot throught the kneecap in angola a long long time ago when he was in the portuguese army.

The story of portuguese army in Angola http://www.netcentral.co.uk/~cobus/angola.htm

Originally Posted by kinesin

I joined ATC.. but got kicked out...

Oh got kicked out of scouts too..

I stuck with the ATC and reached the dizzy heights of CWO before leaving.

[TSM]

I passed all the security & test stuff and got my paperwork to go into the navy, i then did not go.

I had signed up for Sub service doing weapons.