Newbie here and giving serious thought to joining......

[dave77]

Hi,
I'm giving serious thought to joining the army at the ripe old age of 30 (though I will be 31 in 6 weeks)!!

I've always regretted not joining the army when I was younger. When I was at school I always wanted to join but you know what it's like, you think you should get a normal job and then 10 years have gone by before you know it! All through my life whenever I see the army ads on the TV I think to myself, "I wish I joined when I had the chance".

I now find myself single, living by myself renting with no mortgage or family etc. (I have family as in Mam, Dad etc) which has left me feeling like I don't have a plan for the future.
I'm in full time employment though (I'm a coppa) and that was a career change afew years ago. If I'm honest, joining the Police was kind of a substitute for the army. I crave action, excitment and adventure.

My main worry is my age. How many people join at my age??
And my second worry is that it seems like a bit of a mad idea!!

Some sort of advice please!!??

Dave

[Rogue Chef]

Dave,

I don't know you personally so cannot offer specific advice.
30 is at the upper age for recruitment, but do it! Try and fail is better than to have never tried at all. You'll regret it for ever if you don't.

Give it your best shot!

[London Boy]

My main worry is my age. How many people join at my age??
And my second worry is that it seems like a bit of a mad idea!!


Dave

Dave, you see right there with those two questions you're still doubting yourself. And you're goign to be kicking yourself and regretting it for the rest of your life if you don't do it now before it's too late. At least, as a first step get yourself into a TA unit. Make some contacts, find out some gen that way.

An old saying which gets worn out here, but still bears repeating again is:

"It's better to regret something you have done, than something you haven't done"

Which is why at the age of 47 I will soon be joining a Swedish TA security unit. I might think after 6 months, this is boring, but at least I will have given it a go!

[Shoulderholster]

Dave
I see that you're in Toontown,there is a way that you could have your cake and eat it.
Give the RMR lads a visit and talk things over with them,I know a couple of policemen who are in the TA,so your job shouldn't bar you from trying that route.
As I expect you know the reserve forces are seeing plenty of action abroad,and this could be the way to get it out of your system.Also consider the time you have put into the police and the chance of losing the good pension scheme that you are in.
Give it a whirl.

SH

[London Boy]

Aaagh..sorry Dave I didn't see that you said I'm a coppa. I thought it said cuppa, so I missed that bit.

Right a slight revision then, when I was in the Met, the only TA blokes were those who had joined the TA prior to joining the police and most of those were 10 Para and RMP. One bloke was on some snobby artillery or guild unit in the city.
The majority who tried to join the TA as serving police officers were turned down, from units as diverse as 10 para, RMP, and artillery.

Basically, it's all to do with "wartime postings". Certain jobs are already considered as "wartime postings" so are exlcuded from military postings during war and conscription, for example, police, fire and medical personnel, even post office and telecom personnel, transport personnel, manufacturing and process industries. Quite a long list actually.

Which is why serving police officers generally get refused entry to the TA.Or at least such was the case up to the mid 90s when I left the Met.

And why a couple of my older colleagues in the mid 80s told me how they dodged National Service in the late 50s by joining the police instead.

I only knew one guy who was successful and he got into the RMR in London, probably because he span them a line about leaving the Met soon and applying for RM - total bullshit but they bought it and he got in.

So RMR might be a soft touch for applicants from the police. They can
only say no mate. But just imagine how you're going to feel if they say "yes, can you start basic on the next intake?"....

Happiness and brown trousers all at once I'd imagine!

[Shoulderholster]

LB
Bit of a simultaneous post from us then,your typing must be quicker than mine,and the thought process!.
I think things have changed a bit since the 90s and the War Reserve aspect of things.
As you say firemen were not allowed to join the TA c@#t recently,an ex Matelot (and serving fireman) mate of mine joined the RNR last year at the age of 45 and is awaiting deployment to a hot place.
So Dave go and ask before you're 'to old'.

SH

[Tab]

Dave I would think long and hard before making the jump like this. You will be chased around by people half your age and it could take a while before you got your foot on the promotion ladder. If you want to be soldier what about the TA, then if you don't find that it suits you, then you still have your life in cvvy street to fall back on.

[Hands on]

I have a couple of policemen serving In my regiment and one firemen, they have all been deployed and as far as I am aware did not have any problems.
From what I can make out having spoken to them It Is down to the individual police force/fire service.

Dave77, you might want to seriously think about the TA at least have a good look at It. There are so many options open to the TA now days and more tours then you can keep up with, If you do find you really like it and want to go full time you can go FTRS (full time reserve service) this normally works by having a yearly contract with what ever unit you have been attached to, at the end of the year If you are happy and they are happy with you you can sign back on for another year and so on.

I have one mate he Is coming up to the end of his 3rd year like this.

[dave77]

Thanks for your replies guys. More than I expected!

As I understand it at the moment my force (Northumbria) do not allow serving officers to join the TA.
I had a good chat today with a colleague who did 22 yrs in Grenadia Gaurds and has seen alot of action and then joined the Police.
He knows of a few people who have joined the forces from the Police and then went back to Police years later.
He reckons I should go for it.

I'll give it a lot of thought over the next couple of weeks.
Like some of you said, I don't want to be regretting it for ever. I've regretted it enough for the last 10 years or so - it would be very easy to just sit on it waiting for something to happen and eventually miss out.

I'll let you know how it works out.

Cheers

[dave77]

Well I went down the Careers Office today and had a chat with a Sgt there.
I was interested in Royal Artillery and as it happened he was a gunner himself so he seemed as keen as I am!!

Got myself the application form and have filled most of it in already. I'll have a chat to my parents before I take it back though!! God only knows what my Mam will say!!

Anyone know much about the RA??
It seems that there are a lot of opportunities and not as physically demanding as Infantry - which will suit me at my age! (Careers guy said that too).

[robbo_wp]

If that fails join the legion.
I think they take people up to 40 years old.

[timex]

Ex RM myself but we had 29 Cdo as part of 3 CDO Bde, and they were bloody fit, I cannot see many gunners not being as fit as a an Infanteer theses days.