New applicant

[Dannyboy]

Hey lads.

I'm currently applying to join the paras. Got a couple of questions though so hopefully someone will be able to help me out.

Firstly, I've read up alot about the SFSG. Can a potential para specify which battalion they want to join or is it just randomly selected?

Secondly, I am a vegetarian. Is this going to cause any problems? I've been told that vegetarian meals are always available but can you get veggie rations too? Also, am i going to get discriminated against in any way? I know its best not to stand out in training but i don't want to get constantly ripped for being a veggie lol

Cheers for your help,

Danny

[London Boy]

Danny, genuine question, why are you a vegetarian?

[Dannyboy]

I have been my whole life mate.

My parents were so i got brought up that way.

Theres a couple of reasons why i still am. Healthy diet, grew up around animals my whole life so don't really agree with eating them and since i have the option not to then i'd rather not.

If i was in a survival situation then i wouldn't hesitate. But put a veggie meal and a meat meal infront of me and i will go for the veggie one everytime.

[Greenronnie]

Mate, the army are commited to ensuring all recruits and soldiers needs are met these days, they have to be or they will be leaving themselves open for all sorts of grief. And yes you can get veggie ration packs, although I've personally never seen one.

You might find yourself gatting plenty of micky taking for it in training, however that will be the last of your worries anyway. Everyone gets a ribbing, whether you're skinny, chubby, ginger, or any other excuse they can find. It's all part of army life, as the saying goes, "if you can't take a joke, you shouldn't have joined."

[Tab]

Most of the ration packs have meat in them as you have to keep your strength up. Now you will either have to change or give up the idea of joining the Para's. Now some thing like the RAF where you are on a well ordered base you should be in luck for a veggie meal, but the army well forget it.

[Hyperlithe]

One of my mates lived on tuna for a year and a half, as she was the only veggie in the mess, and the chefs usually forgot to cook anything for her. So it was tuna sandwiches for lunch, and tuna salad for dinner. And as a treat, dinner was sometimes tuna pasta salad...
That was an army-run base. The RAF base I'm at now always seems to have a vegetable bake on at lunchtime, but not sure about dinners cos I live out. Suspect there must be veggie ration packs, but whether or not you'll be able to get your hands on one is another matter. On your survival training be prepared to kill and eat rabbit, chicken and fish. Otherwise all you'll get is a share of one raw potato all week!

[Hawkeye]

You are really going to need that protein to get you through the days mate, and i don't know about you but tuna day in day out doesn't really appeal.
As for people taking the mick, it really is the least you have to worry about. Greenronnie's right, everyone will get ripped for anything and it's not to do with discrimination.



Hawkeye

[Greenronnie]

Most of the ration packs have meat in them as you have to keep your strength up. Now you will either have to change or give up the idea of joining the Para's. Now some thing like the RAF where you are on a well ordered base you should be in luck for a veggie meal, but the army well forget it.

Tab, I'm sorry, but that really is a load of crap. As I've already said, the armed forces have had to change, or they will be hammered for it. If you flag up the fact that you are a vegetarian to your Pl Sgt then he is obliged to do everything in his power to meet your demands, even though this makes his job harder. And as I said, there are a selection of veggie ration packs available now too.

As for eating in barracks, my personal experience in recent years is that the chefs do provide at least one vegetarian option every mealtime, and they are usually very good.

As for "survival training", I wouldn't worry about that unless you go for PF or SF. The majority of Para Regt don't do it.

Please remember that this advice is relevant, I am a serving Parachute Regiment soldier, not RAF, Navy or retired.

[Dannyboy]

Thanks for that mate.

Very much appriecated

[Tab]

I stand correct Greenronnie, the only thing can say that when I was with one Para last year we had a good look through the ration packs to see how they had changed since my spell with them, and I never saw a veggie meal amongst them

[Greenronnie]

I stand correct Greenronnie, the only thing can say that when I was with one Para last year we had a good look through the ration packs to see how they had changed since my spell with them, and I never saw a veggie meal amongst them

Maybe because they weren't the veggie versions. They aren't standard issue, you have to indent for the appropriate type. For anyone that is interested, you can also get Halal versions.

All the ration packs are undergoing an overhaul in general at the moment, to cater for the heat experienced on ops.

[Tab]

I would hate to Be a Veggie person waiting for an air drop of rations and hoping that they had remembered to pack my one in there and that I could finf it amongst all the rest. Also if another soldiers found it first did not throw it away as they did not fancy it..

[Greenronnie]

Don't know how it worked in your day Tab, but nowadays things like ration resups aren't a free for all. The Pl Sgt collects everything together and distributes them. As for throwing stuff away...generally not an option on operations.

The last airdrop we recieved at Musa Qaleh (from the Yanks) drifted off into enemy territory, plus hit the ground so hard it exploded on impact. Not funny when you have run out of food and decent water. Bit reminiscant of Arnhem!

[Tab]

Greenronnie................Arnhem, well not quite old mate, but as National serviceman we would never had the money to pay for food as we were only on half pay as the government tried to make you sign on. Once they had stopped barrack room damages every week even if you did not have a barrack room then things got even tighter. The one thing we did get was free fags and rum, and my where those stone jars of rum great, a few good swigs on that and you would fight any one. The RAF were doing food drops even in 1957 in the middle east and you fought for the the ration packs that had the Steak & Kidney Pud and the pineapple chunks. If a veggie meal had been found it would have been chucked away but I must admit I can't remember the code letter on the packs

[Greenronnie]

I was referring to our aerial resupply in Musa Qaleh mate. As in the desparately needed airdrop falling into enemy hands.

As for National Service, yeah my dad has told me all the stories, sounded like a bugger. He was in about the same time as yourself. He ended up joining the Aussie Army after that and did a tour in Vietnam. Doh!