Whats it like serving in the military?

[Deleted]

I'd rather it be re-invested, the key areas being the RN and the RAF (Sorry rich).

There was some plan in the pipeline though wasn't there of reducing the RA and bolstering the TA to support it much more than it currently is... Not sure im giving justice to the idea in question, but i can't remember the name of it.

Yes, they want to replace 30% of the regular army with reservists, I have a lot of respect for reservists but there is no way that training 1 day a week and 1 weekend a month gives you the same training as the regular forces.

[Deleted]

Yes, they want to replace 30% of the regular army with reservists, I have a lot of respect for reservists but there is no way that training 1 day a week and 1 weekend a month gives you the same training as the regular forces.

I thought it was something like that, and let's be honest there expecting the TA to expand so much - i doubt it'll happen...

Ironically enough when i looked through the branches i wanted to join, the army offered for me to join the TA instead of the RA - I ended up declining it, the navy is more my thing (The wait time though, it's surprised me)

But the attitude of recruiting has changed from constantly recruiting into the RA to the TA or would you disagree?

[Deleted]

It varies a lot depending on what you do and where you do it.

I've been in the swedish marines, coastal rangers, as a soldier, NCO and now officer the past 7 years. It's rewarding, interesting and fun, but it's tough work, here or deployed over there.

You will hear a lot of stories of people knowing people ... and they didn't do ANYTHING! Or someone knows some sort of commando/jaeger/ranger and they are the hercules of this world.

Don't trust too much what people say is all I can add really.

[Deleted]

I thought it was something like that, and let's be honest there expecting the TA to expand so much - i doubt it'll happen...

Ironically enough when i looked through the branches i wanted to join, the army offered for me to join the TA instead of the RA - I ended up declining it, the navy is more my thing (The wait time though, it's surprised me)

But the attitude of recruiting has changed from constantly recruiting into the RA to the TA or would you disagree?

Yes, its all about the TA nowadays, the Regulars are flooded with recruits while the TA is suffering, lack of Officers is especially crippling the TA. This will bite us on the arse one day, relying so much on part time soldiers with full time jobs can be potentially devastating.

[Meneldur]

Worst experience ever. Serving in the army is mandatory in my country(2 years once you hit 18). The worst years of my life. I get nightmares whenever i return to my country(currently studying in the UK)

[Deleted]

Yes, its all about the TA nowadays, the Regulars are flooded with recruits while the TA is suffering, lack of Officers is especially crippling the TA. This will bite us on the arse one day, relying so much on part time soldiers with full time jobs can be potentially devastating.

It does make me disappointed with the government - epically cocking up our forces, and shoveling money into fanciful things with little to no impact on our nation.

But the TA area is interesting, when you join the TA is there an option to move into the RA or is it just a full on re-application?

[Deleted]

It does make me disappointed with the government - epically cocking up our forces, and shoveling money into fanciful things with little to no impact on our nation.

But the TA area is interesting, when you join the TA is there an option to move into the RA or is it just a full on re-application?

Full on re-application in most cases.

[Deleted]

It does make me disappointed with the government - epically cocking up our forces, and shoveling money into fanciful things with little to no impact on our nation.

But the TA area is interesting, when you join the TA is there an option to move into the RA or is it just a full on re-application?

You have to apply as normal and in most cases redo most if not all your training. If you have deployed and have a rank then exceptions can be made, but it is not an easy path.

[Deleted]

Well that's something atleast, but i struggle to see the incentive for full-time workers - and that the government as you say is expecting them to expand on there supporting roles...

It'll lead to interesting scenarios considering the little training they do compared to full timers.

Second question, this change is only limited to the TA/ RA Right? Not any other branches?

[Deleted]

Well that's something atleast, but i struggle to see the incentive for full-time workers - and that the government as you say is expecting them to expand on there supporting roles...

It'll lead to interesting scenarios considering the little training they do compared to full timers.

Second question, this change is only limited to the TA/ RA Right? Not any other branches?

Other branches are getting cut, but Army is being hit hardest.

[Deleted]

Other branches are getting cut, but Army is being hit hardest.

I can change you're funding woes, instead of rations give a box of these bad boys to every soldier.

[Deleted]

I can change you're funding woes, instead of rations give a box of these bad boys to every soldier.

Who needs rations when you have a box of very small sponge cakes?

[Kalis]

My National Service in Cyprus was quite gruelling, I had to sit in my cousins office* and drink Johnny Walkers' Red Label...Red Label! Not even Black Label! So don't believe anyone that tells you military life is a bed of roses.


*My cousin is a Colonel in the Cypriot Military, and responsible for recuitment in the district...Cyprus, it's not what you know, it's who you're related too.

[smelltheglove]

Who needs rations when you have a box of very small sponge cakes?

let them eat cake!

[Raidboss]

I can't speak for anywhere but the US military and here is my opinion/expierence.

Depending on what service you pick depends on the quality of life you will have while in the service. If I had to rank services overall it would go:
Best: Air Force
Good: Navy / Coast Guard
Ok: Army
Fair: Marines

Now in order to get a very accurate picture you'd really have drilled it down to which job (MOS, Rating, Career Field, etc) you have in that service and also where you’re stationed. My primary knowledge is in the Navy since that was the service I was in, but I am a civilian now and work in joint command where we have people from every US military branch as well as forces from Australia, UK, and Canada.

If you’re an undesignated Sailor in the Navy...you pretty much have one of the worst jobs possible. Undesignated means you left boot camp without a "Job" so now you’re getting sent to ship for "needs of the Navy". "Needs of the Navy" basically means you'll be doing all the crap work on the ship with no chance of shore duty until you get a "Rating" or job. Now if you’re a computer guy and pick up a computer/networking type job (IT, CTN, etc) you could be sent to a shore duty assignment working a 9-5 job just in a uniform. The opposite side of those jobs is going to a ship. If you aren't married or don't have rank your obligated to live on the ship (floating prison). Some ships you get your own "rack" or bed, but on some you have to "hot rack" which means sharing a bed with someone when deployed. If it's your first time being sent to a ship and you don't have rank you'll be sent around the ship to work various jobs that have nothing to do with what you signed up for like working in the kitchen for 3-6 months. Maybe you want to be a SEAL ... You go to boot camp like every other sailor then off to BUDS. I believe BUDS is still 6 months of ass kicking which you can be dropped from at any point. So say you got 5 1/2 months of being wet, yelled at, and tired to only be kicked from the program you joined the Navy to be in..now what? Basically the Navy assigns you to a random job that needs to be filled.

TL/DR: Overall every job in every service at every base is vastly different. You could be down range getting shot at every day or you could work a 9-5 in Hawaii. Everyone’s time in the military is so different that you can't judge it off of one person’s perspective especially because things in the military change every day.

[Adam Jensen]

I can change you're funding woes, instead of rations give a box of these bad boys to every soldier.

So when the soldiers get fat, we just roll them towards the enemy?

[Deleted]

So when the soldiers get fat, we just roll them towards the enemy?

Don't laugh, it happened with the Scottish!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk...umbers-1032776

I believe the guilty party was the Black watch, they were put on a junk food ban.

[Raidboss]

Don't laugh, it happened with the Scottish!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk...umbers-1032776

I believe the guilty party was the Black watch, they were put on a junk food ban.

I've seen it happen as well...a senior enlisted person was a little on the hefty side and when we were going through a hatch on the ship during an emergency drill he got stuck...it was very hard to explain with a straight face...

[Deleted]

Don't laugh, it happened with the Scottish!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk...umbers-1032776

I believe the guilty party was the Black watch, they were put on a junk food ban.

They RIP'ed in for us on the back end of H9. Utter, utter disgrace. I had yet to work with the Army en masse, even more so I was quite up for working with Army Infantry for the first time then that shower-of-shit showed up and all I could do was despair. I could go on all day about the horrors that I witnessed in that evolution alone, but I'll save that one.

[Deleted]

Don't laugh, it happened with the Scottish!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk...umbers-1032776

I believe the guilty party was the Black watch, they were put on a junk food ban.

Whilst I won't argue our... ahem 'questionable' diet. That article mentions the base is in Wiltshire, England.