Joining the army..

[Mey]

Scouse I understand that I may have to kill folks if I join the army but the way I see it is if I have to kill folks it is probably highly likely that they were trying to kill me, so i'm fairly settled with that tbh.

In regards to my age i'm 24. Well done Gumbo for reading my first message and doing the maths. I'm thinking Royal Military Police- Officer. Or RAF Regiment Officer. Not decided yet.

I'm off Ice climbing in the alps in january so the plan is to sign up after that.

Whats the application phase like?

 

[Gumbo]

Good for you.

It can be lengthy, so go and see them now and get started. Tell them about your trip, they'll fit interviews etc around it, and it's the kind of trip that they'll like to see.

RAF Regiment will mean Cranwell, rather than Sandhurst btw.

You're best off thinking of what you want to do for the next 22years. Go with the attitude you'll do the full stint, and commit hard to what you decide. Do research into the roles, so that you can go into interviews well informed.

Everything you do is recorded and remembered, you have to be switched on constantly.

 

[Raven]

RAF will mean lots of bumsex too tbh.

 

[Gumbo]

No, that's Navy. RAF is no sex at all.

 

[Shagrat]

not a lot of room in those cockpits, bit like trying to have sex in a mini going at mach 5

 

[fettoken]

Any work becomes boring, ANY work, even tit-inspection, difference in the military is that you might die.

.

If it is work. It is boring. If it feels like work that is.

 

[Moriath]

There are far more jobs in the military that involve little or no likelihood of combat than there are front line roles. I think its something like 3 non-combatants to support every fighting soldier. Funnily enough when I was growing up recruitment for the military was almost always about learning a trade in a rear echelon role; its only in the last few years that the advertising admits joining the army is a bit more dangerous than being in the boy scouts.

but they all contribute to that end... all the support , medical etc etc

all there to make the killing machine more effective so just because your not activly putting bullets in ppl you are making it possible ... or it wouldnt be an army ..

Definition of army is somethign that kills in defense of a countries principles ... not all parts kill but there are not people there who arnt there in support of those who do .. even the clergy tbh

 

[Moriath]

Yet again you skip past the whole point, how would your perfect world with no military/police look, i will tell you how, you would probably still be in a cave slinging shit.

Then again not much different than your current situation i guess

if all countries had no military then there would b no alternative to peace .. taking ours away without the rest would be silly doesnt mean we have to agree with a force that is paid for by our tax pounds without any opt out that has been used to fight for oil and under lies from our previous government in our name.

 

[Custodian]

I thought all the armed forces were laying off thousands. Why would they be taking on newbies if they are kicking thousands out? Mental.

I agree with folks who have already said there is plenty more things to do than army. Seems to me that people that join the army are either into being in that sort of regimented environement, have some sort of belief in serving queen & country, or have given up and think that's all they are good for. The latter is rarely true and will likely lead to failing at being a soldier. But if you are up for a year of being shat on and then an ordered life of doing as you are told then I guess the armed forces are an option (I know I'd fail at doing as I am without question for that long, just isn't how I work). More importantly if you want to "serve" then good luck to you. I'd just suggest don't go in thinking it's the last gasp chance of something making your life better as I reckon you'll find it no different to any other job in that respect.

 

[Raven]

if all countries had no military then there would b no alternative to peace .. taking ours away without the rest would be silly doesnt mean we have to agree with a force that is paid for by our tax pounds without any opt out that has been used to fight for oil and under lies from our previous government in our name.

Like it or not, it's human nature to want your own group to succeed, it is hard coded into our genetics. If the most effective way of doing that is to kill others then that is what we do. It has been like that since we lived in trees and picked parasites out of each others hair. It will be like that until we find a common enemy, or kill ourselves.

 

[Moriath]

Like it or not, it's human nature to want your own group to succeed, it is hard coded into our genetics. If the most effective way of doing that is to kill others then that is what we do. It has been like that since we lived in trees and picked parasites out of each others hair. It will be like that until we find a common enemy, or kill ourselves.

Ofc that's true. .. Doesnt mean we all have to like it. Even if everyone on earth was Christian or black or something we would still kill each other .. But again we don't have to like it heh

 

[CorNokZ]

Only place left for soldiers to go is the shithole that is Afghanistan. My brother has been there twice and going for one last trip after summer. Hopefully nothing new opens up, like Somalia or some shit.

You have no idea what it does to the people closest to you, if you decide to go to war. Stop and think about that for a second before you want to do something "exciting"

 

[Raven]

On the other hand. Half my family have "gone to war" from the Falklands to Iraq to Kosovo to Ireland so Afghanistan. Some of them, it was the making of them. Some of them it was the breaking of them. You have to be absolutely sure it is what you want to do.

My dad who spent 22 years as a para is a fucked up psycho and I don't have anything to do with him, I know he has killed people and I know it has affected him, past the point of no return.

My cousins on the other hand came out the other end much better people.

 

[throdgrain]

If I was of that age now I would have thought of joining the army, and I surely have nothing but respect and gratitude for those that do.

 

[Gumbo]

There was no other way for my other halves lad to get the training he has already got. He didn't join up to kill people, he didn't join up to serve Queen and country, he joined up to better himself. He couldn't do Uni, and couldn't afford to do an apprenticeship. He's been in for under 2 years and is qualified in Arc, MiG, TiG and Oxy Acetylene welding. Foundry work, sheet metal work, and has his HGV license.

He has bettered himself at the Army's expense. He is also fitter than a dog, polite, respectful, focused and happy.

The other route for him, realistically, was probably dead end work, getting a bird up the duff, then hoping for a council house.

The Army does serve another purpose, he pretty much volunteered for what before would be called National Service, and besides contributing to keeping us safe in our beds at night, he can contribute positively to society.

It's a GOOD THING.

 

[old.Tohtori]

If it is work. It is boring. If it feels like work that is.

Well in game dev myself and it sure doesn't feel lke work, but it's boring and annoying as hell at times

 

[fettoken]

YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

 

[Scouse]

Scouse I understand that I may have to kill folks if I join the army but the way I see it is if I have to kill folks it is probably highly likely that they were trying to kill me, so i'm fairly settled with that tbh.

I'd counter that by saying you would get sent to a part of the world to achieve an objective that our politicians want to happen.

Sometimes the locals won't like that - and will fight to stop it. You would be instructed to kill them, in their own home.


I don't see many people coming over from other countries trying to kill me...

 

[throdgrain]

I don't see many people coming over from other countries trying to kill me...

Why's that I wonder ?? Is it because all foreign people are really nice?!? oH NO.

It's because we have a bloody good army, thats why

 

[Gumbo]

Why's that I wonder ?? Is it because all foreign people are really nice?!? oH NO.

It's because we have a bloody good army, thats why

I was going to post almost exactly that, but I'm trying to give up arguing with idiots until after Christmas.

 

[Scouse]

I'd remind both of you that it's called a "defence" budget, not an "invasion" budget...

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

I've got immense respect for those in the army. Yes, it might happen that they are expected to kill. The flip side of that is they are expected to put themselves in harm's way.

I've got more respect for a real hero than a keyboard hero.

 

[Scouse]

I've got more respect for a real hero than a keyboard hero.

Lol. "Hero"

Yeah. They're all heroes. Just for being there. It's just so fucking heroic! I'm in awe of their heroism.

Jebus tittyfucking christ Roo, you sound like a tabloid newspaper.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Lol. "Hero"

Yeah. They're all heroes. Just for being there. It's just so fucking heroic! I'm in awe of their heroism.

Jebus tittyfucking christ Roo, you sound like a tabloid newspaper.

Figured that might set you off. You just got trolled

Though I do have a lot of respect for the squaddies but not so much for keyboard heroes

 

[old.Tohtori]

Liked for troll

 

[Job]

Well the first thing they do in the Army is spend a year breaking your spirit, and notion of self interest or independent thinking, you don't want any of that in your robot army. That's for the Generals in the red leather armchairs..shit needs to be done, unfortunately this involves sending other people loved one's to die.
Though of course these days you're safer in the Army from 18-30 than you would be driving a car at home, far more young lives are lost on the roads per head than fighting the Taliban.

 

[Scouse]

Figured that might set you off. You just got trolled

And you amused, not annoyed me.

So, thankyou for the trolling. It made me laugh

Well the first thing they do in the Army is spend a year breaking your spirit, and notion of self interest or independent thinking, you don't want any of that in your robot army.

Aye. You're less likely to pull the trigger and more likely to go "fuck you, I don't want to kill this human" without indoctrination.

 

[throdgrain]

Pft, most of the people I've known who join the infantry do so because they like a row, and good luck to 'em

 

[Gwadien]

Wish there was a middle ground, there's so many people that are out there arselicking the Government and believing everything papers say, but then there's the people who hate everything that's associated with the Government, including the Army and such, and seem to have a personal vendetta for people that join the Army.

End of the day, I don't agree with what the Government are using the Army for, it's wrong, to a certain extent, but then, it's also brought some good, yeah, fair enough, but I cannot stand people who slag off the individuals that join the Army, because when it comes down to it, they're the ones that will be protecting YOU.

It's either OMFG TERRORISTS ARE EVIL, ALL OF THEM, THE GOVERNMENTS DOING THE RIGHT THING, or, OMFG THE GOVERNMENT IS EVIL, THEY SENT PLANES INTO THE TWIN TOWERS TO START A WAR (sorry for the off-topicness)

My two cents are do it, but keep your own brain, don't do anything you wouldn't do naturally.

 

[CorNokZ]