Hi all,
I am 26 and 3 months old I currently work in an office job and earn 30k. I have always had the urge to join the armed forces although I suppose have worried about leaving friends and family behind.
As the cut off date for the para's is 26 years and 9 months I am under quite a lot of pressure to decide if I really want to go for it or live my life as an office person and perhaps say on my deathbed well I had a comfortable life and earned a good wage but didnt really do anything / make a difference in life or say that I was in the Para's I did this and did that and feel proud!? Like they say its better to live one day as a Lion than your whole life as a mouse.
As you can see I am pretty confused and need some advice / any advice on what life is like in the military the pluses and negatives and maybe some direction
Any advice will be gratefully accepted
Cheers
Sam
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Joining the Para's
The recruitment process is going REALLY slow. If I were you, I'd get to your nearest AFCO straight away and get things moving, or it'll be too late. Before starting, you have a couple of interviews, watch videos and go to a Recruit selection centre, so you'll pick up a bit of an idea on what it'll be like. You can change your mind at any point during the process, right up until you say your oath and enlist. And once you get to training, you can quit within the first 3 months. You'll never know if you don't try!
"Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets..."
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joshualoftus
- Member
- Posts: 194
- Joined: Tue 03 Jun, 2003 6:32 pm
- Location: Canberra, Australia & London, England
Hey Sam,
I think you should at least give it a shot mate. As Bart said you can always leave within 3 months if you find it's not for you. Or if it is and you serve for a while you could get out in about 4 years and go back to your office job at the age of 31. 31's not too late to go back to whatever career you're in now, and then you wouldn't be wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life.
Best of luck mate,
Josh.
I think you should at least give it a shot mate. As Bart said you can always leave within 3 months if you find it's not for you. Or if it is and you serve for a while you could get out in about 4 years and go back to your office job at the age of 31. 31's not too late to go back to whatever career you're in now, and then you wouldn't be wondering 'what if' for the rest of your life.
Best of luck mate,
Josh.
Check it out, Independently targetting particle-beam phalanx. VWAP! Fry half a city with this puppy. We got tactical smart-missles, phased plasma pulse-rifles, RPG's. We got sonic electronic ballbreakers, we got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks..."
I was in a similar position to you many moons ago and went for it (although not the paras). Best thing I ever did, no regrets at all. Now sat at an office desk but have a little chuckle to myself about it all sometimes. Great days, great mates, great memories - which are mine for ever 
Per Flank, Per Tank
Sam,
From the sounds of things I think you know what you really want to do. I'm in a very similar situation to yourself. The way to look at is if you don't go for it you will spend the next 30 or 40 years wishing you had.
The only other option is para TA and see if its for you. If Orpington is where I think it is then the Croydon TA centre isn't too far away.
Good luck
From the sounds of things I think you know what you really want to do. I'm in a very similar situation to yourself. The way to look at is if you don't go for it you will spend the next 30 or 40 years wishing you had.
The only other option is para TA and see if its for you. If Orpington is where I think it is then the Croydon TA centre isn't too far away.
Good luck
If you try you risk failure, if you don't you ensure it!
Thanks guys,
I know what I want to do but just I suppose not knowing anyone who has been in military life sort of leaves me a bit cautious. My only other quiery is really the fact that I have a 6k loan - 4.5K of that was spent on a Ducati Monster motorbike which I still have and could sell although I dont want to. Do you think at 250 pounds a month repayment I might struggle paying it off??
I know what I want to do but just I suppose not knowing anyone who has been in military life sort of leaves me a bit cautious. My only other quiery is really the fact that I have a 6k loan - 4.5K of that was spent on a Ducati Monster motorbike which I still have and could sell although I dont want to. Do you think at 250 pounds a month repayment I might struggle paying it off??
Cheers again big bart.
another problem I have thought about is this! and I know it sounds ridiculous but Im not sure of the sleeping arrangements and if there were someone who had a snoring problem then it would cause me massive problems and I would probably eventually flip out! How does the army deal with snoring?
another problem I have thought about is this! and I know it sounds ridiculous but Im not sure of the sleeping arrangements and if there were someone who had a snoring problem then it would cause me massive problems and I would probably eventually flip out! How does the army deal with snoring?
If you worry about lack of sleep don't even consider joining. You'll be woke up by worse things than some fat c**t oinking in the night...Sammye wrote:Cheers again big bart.
another problem I have thought about is this! and I know it sounds ridiculous but Im not sure of the sleeping arrangements and if there were someone who had a snoring problem then it would cause me massive problems and I would probably eventually flip out! How does the army deal with snoring?
"Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets..."
Cheers that I think is why I originally didnt join in the first place many years ago. Its not so much about having problems sleeping as such 'out in the field' so to speak or lack of sleep generally but say for instance when you do need a good nights sleep and some fat bloater next to you is oiking sporadically away like a f'ing pig and you have a 10mile march in the morning for instance. Is that something you have to 'lump'?? Some people's snores are really really loud
Worry about tw**s dropping bergens on your head as well. Seriously, though, they can't chuck people out for snoring.
Maybe I'm not the best person to talk to, I was never in training for the Paras. But I did about 9 weeks at Catterick for phase 2 Infantry training (Catterick is also where Paras train) and you put up with things like-
- Being dragged out of bed at 3 or 4 in the morning to go and look for a "bomb" the morning before doing bayonet training.
- Having to do stag (sentry duty) on exercise 1 hour on, 1 hour off all night, then setting off at 6 the next morning to march for miles with all kit including bergen, webbing and rifle.
- Being "bugged out" on exercise, which means at any time in the night you could have to pack all your kit and scarper, while firing blank rounds back at the "enemy."
- Having to do guard duty, which means you'll take turns guarding the gates or patrolling the perimeter fence for 24 hours. You'll get very little sleep but still be expected to carry on as normal the next day.
So as you can see, someone in the room snoring is the least of your worries. You'll be so knackered that nothing will keep you awake.
But it's all fun and games
And it IS enjoyable.
Maybe I'm not the best person to talk to, I was never in training for the Paras. But I did about 9 weeks at Catterick for phase 2 Infantry training (Catterick is also where Paras train) and you put up with things like-
- Being dragged out of bed at 3 or 4 in the morning to go and look for a "bomb" the morning before doing bayonet training.
- Having to do stag (sentry duty) on exercise 1 hour on, 1 hour off all night, then setting off at 6 the next morning to march for miles with all kit including bergen, webbing and rifle.
- Being "bugged out" on exercise, which means at any time in the night you could have to pack all your kit and scarper, while firing blank rounds back at the "enemy."
- Having to do guard duty, which means you'll take turns guarding the gates or patrolling the perimeter fence for 24 hours. You'll get very little sleep but still be expected to carry on as normal the next day.
So as you can see, someone in the room snoring is the least of your worries. You'll be so knackered that nothing will keep you awake.
But it's all fun and games
And it IS enjoyable.
"Some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets..."
Look chum at 26 years old and pushing 27 you are getting just a bit old for all this, if you want to know just what it is like then join the TA first, do your jumps and get your wings, You could even be sent out on tour in a far plung place, BUT you could keep your job and the money it pays. Take my advice ole chum and try the TA first, you can always leave that and continue with your job, but the Para's is a young mans game.
cheers Tab I appreciate your honesty looks like I left it too late. I will probably try the TA insteadTab wrote:Look chum at 26 years old and pushing 27 you are getting just a bit old for all this, if you want to know just what it is like then join the TA first, do your jumps and get your wings, You could even be sent out on tour in a far plung place, BUT you could keep your job and the money it pays. Take my advice ole chum and try the TA first, you can always leave that and continue with your job, but the Para's is a young mans game.
