thinking about paras

[Charlie Boy]

Hi,
Currently looking into joining the forces as an officer and thinking of paras cos i skydive regulary. Careers advisor i saw said not to bother with the paras because they were difficult to get into(not in a physical sense) and prob wouldnt even consider most. Is this typical of them and would my skydiving experience stand me in good stead??
Any help would be apprieciated

[joe]

The skydiving won't make you any different to anyone else joining, but at least you know what it takes to actually make a jump. Bear in mind it's different jumping so low, and of course, it's static line not skydiving (did you learn via AFF or were you a static line progression?).

My recruiter didn't mention anything about being harder to get a slot for the Para's than other units, and I saw him last week.

[Sven]

Recruiter proberly meant that Para Reg wont sponser people through the RCB process, but that doesn`t matter. Just get any unit, (154 Mess Tin Repair Battalion ) to sponser you through, then once you`ve passed RCB, and completed the Commissioning course at Sandhurst, swap to the Para`s !

[Charlie Boy]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, i am going to persue the paras as my mind is set on joining. Hopefully going to Warminster in the summer will help me a bit.
By the way it was a static line progression course

[ABI]

Charlie Boy

Go for it, if your lucky enough to get in you will never regret it.

[theparamancan]

Go for the fam visit and if you're good enough the POC but realise they have so many applicants they can fail you for anything. Don't get down about it.


2 months til my P company!

[wOoKiE]

I think what the recruiting guy wanted to say is that since the Paras are such a small unit and have such a massive amount of applicants (plus theyre overstrength at the moment) that no matter how good you are, the 'numbers game' might mean you're not needed.

I got told this by the PSO at the end of recruit selection, since she said I had 'officer potential' but warned me not to get my hopes up of staying with the regiment if I get commissioned.



4para...good luck Mine's in about 30weeks, I keep trying to forget

[wOoKiE]

My recruiter didn't mention anything about being harder to get a slot for the Para's than other units, and I saw him last week.

But it is
On P Coy, the officers have to shine amongst the men and the Para Reg Officers have to shine within the officers (i'm quoting a DS from a documentary I've seen)
It makes sense too.
Plus, like i said before,they're overstrength right now.