Various questions about daily army life.

[DETRITUS]

I have a lot of questions, if any serving soldiers can answer any then please do.

What is daily life really like in the army?
Do you all get a communal wake up call and yelled at in your face when you get up everyday? Or is that a bootcamp type thing?

Do you always get 3 meals a day? are they ok?

How is the sleeping and living arrangement set up?
-Do lots of guys have to sleep in teh same big room?
- do any (soldiers) get their own room?
-do you have any private space or time?
- is it showers every morning (no private baths ever??) is it private shower or some communal type thing?

what do you do if you really don`t get on well with some of the peopel you have to live with?

if you get married you get your own house right?- can you get your own house without being married or having kids?

What clothes do you wear usually? both on duty and off (any limitations?)
how does laundry work- liek you send your clothes off and linen to eb washed communally or something and tehy all come back and get handed out to rightful owners, or collected? Or do you do it all yourself?

what are toilets like on operations and on base?

I have many more questions,
I am not soft nor weak, I can take care of myself and am capable of dealing with likely situations.
BUT, I am 25 and have lived on my own in my own place since I was 18 so EVERYTHING is private or done by me, like bills and shopping and food preparation and everything. I am used to my own private personal space and am curious how much one gets in the army proper. Like do you have to sleep everynight in a room with 1 or 4 or 12 other guys everynight??
When can family and girlfriends be seen ect?

What are the majority of peopel like in the army? Is there a genuine mix like civvies or are they meaner or more like those that pour out of pubs and clubs of a saturday night looking fora fight?
I am capable of dealing with thugs and such, I am part thug myself but only part..and even so not thoughtless and bullying-I HATE bullies. I am also a deep thinker and diplomatic and territorial.

Yet though I value my private space and time very highly- having my own bath when I want, having my own toilet and bedroom, not having to care if my place gets messy or dirty everyday (I switch between very messy and stuff to very clean and tidy- mostly messy..) and I don`t have to feel threataened if peopel are being jerks (since I rent my own home if anyone comes in with bad intentions I am not going to be "dishcharged" from my home for hitting them with a metal bar in self defense).
yeah, so although I really love my freedoms i also am terribly bored and lonely in general since I used to eb extremley social. When travveling Australia the most fun was when I hooked up with a group of guys my age. I guess I am looking for many things;

A career, self discipline, structure, something to accomplish day to day, good trustworthy friends who I can look upon as brothers (and sisters) and care about and who care about me. Respect, for my own time (since god knows Iv`e wasted about 9 years doing nothing much but being bored and lonely...)

I guess I want a happy medium.

I am currently trying to see if my knee will heal because I am trying to enlist in army as Air Corps. Personal spacein the shape of one bedroom with small basic ensuites for each soldier I heard would eventually be the norm, that would be graet (on base obviously..operations I guess anything goes). But I realise that it would probably be 12 man rooms with communal washing and stuff. But I want to hear it from you guys, what is it Really like??




DETRITUS.

[Tab]

Sounds like the Army would not be the place for you, ever thought of the Air Force. If you are worried about toilet just what are you going to do when you are in the field and there is not toilet for miles, well you take a shovel dig a hole and crap in it, with all your mates cheering you on, or complaining it is a stinker.

[Dogwatch]

Interesting profile!!

[Doc]

Go have a bath and put down the thoughts of Army life to a bad dream fella.

Oh and change your profile before you find yourself removed.

Doc

[DETRITUS]

Ok, altered profile- I didn`t realise it was important.
Maybe I have misrepresented myself; I don`t care about shitting in a hole in the ground or in a western style toilet, I can handle rough and ready, I can handle showers, I was simply asking what everyday life really is like, particularly the details, just because I am curious. Thats it.

DETRITUS.

[Dave_n]

If you want to be a solider, like have the burning desire to join Her Majesty's Forces then you wont give a shit where you live and what you do and why. If your another one of those.. I dont wanna be a solider, its an 'easy' life types, then think again!

No offence. and as a Royal Marine Recruit i used to get up 10 minutes before everyone else, just so I could have a bath.

dave

[Tab]

I went for nearly a year with out a bath or shower to get cleaned of we would bath in any river we came across.

[DETRITUS]

you wont give a shit where you live and what you do and why

Don`t you think that could be construed an insult to some of the military personell? Why wouldn`t any "real soldiers" want to know where they might go, or why?

I hope I don`t come across as someone whos looking for an easy life, I work hard and run my own life.

As a Royal Marine Recruit you got up 10 minutes before everyone else so you could get a bath?- Now we`re getting somewhere, so baths are not completley impossible, or is this just a recruit luxury..provided they get up before everyone else?
What do you mean "no offence"? I can stay awake for days at a time, focused, patient. I took no offence, but thankyou for being teh very first person to actually begin to answer some of my basic questions, though indirectly.

This notion that the military is just about doing what you are told and not caring where or why or what is ridiculous. I deeply respect the military and the sacrifices and dangers and likely occasional boredom many face in day to day military life. I also understand the sentiment behind this "wherever, whatever, whenever" and agree that it is part of the military way, to just DO and not dither around wondering why, but if one doesn`t care why then they can be used and abused and not even know it. I would have to believe taht most soldiers are thinking soldiers and questions must form in their minds even if they say nothing about them and just do as they are told.

DETRITUS.

[Tab]

As a soldier you do obey orders, even if they send you into places you would not normally go. If you are told to fix bayonets and charge, this is not open to debate, even if you don't like the idea and it put you in mortal danger, that is what you have agreed to do when you signed up.

[DETRITUS]

Yeah, I understand that.
I just want to know what normal day to day living is like in the army in current day.

[Johnny5]

Go to the British army official website, there is bound to be some information there for you, order the information pack in fact and watch the accompanying DVD, there is a section in it dedicated to “daily life” My nephew ordered it just in case some of you think I was trying to moonlight as a squaddie! I never did like getting my boots muddy.
Just a small afterthought, my advice to you, if you ask for advice and someone gives it be grateful and do not post back in such a way that can be construed as patronising. Now understand that I am not having a go this is just something to think about, these men that are trying to help you have been in the job you are hoping to do. In the military or and of the services you will have to learn to be less lippy.
Like I said, go to the website I believe they know have online career advisors also.
Johnny

[rebel]

I havent joined the army yet but, i do know this.

[quote="DETRITUS"]I have a lot of questions, if any serving soldiers can answer any then please do.

Do you always get 3 meals a day? are they ok?
really nice food and 3 meals a day.



- is it showers every morning (no private baths ever??) is it private shower or some communal type thing?


i think it is communial,

what do you do if you really don`t get on well with some of the peopel you have to live with?

I think you adjust but not sure.




how does laundry work- liek you send your clothes off and linen to eb washed communally or something and tehy all come back and get handed out to rightful owners, or collected

you send it off to cleaners. your own clothes i think you do yourself

thats all i know

[BigStevie]

Much as I am in favour of helping people who are gen in their thirst for knowledge....where have you been living all your life? In a cupboard?

Here are a few questions for you...do you read the papers? do you surf the net? did your parents serve? have you an imagination? weren't you interested in the army as a kid?

It is impossible for anyone to answer the questions you ask - some things you have to work out for yourself. Or just get out there and do the biz.

I came here (NI) knowing the basics about the war - but joining the UDR was something that no-one could prepare me for, and it took the next two years before i was any use to myself or anyone else. I just shut the f**k up and listened and learned, watched and learned, did the job and learned.

It's called growing up. Your questions are those of someone who has not yet learned how to learn, and only you can do that for yourself.

As already said here, go and join and find out - and then come back with proper questions. But somehow i doubt it.

[Tam527]

Is the correct answer. Excellent post big yin. Wish I could be that articulate.

[BigStevie]

Cheers Tam, just hope some of it sinks in.