I never joined and I am glad I didn't

[gash-hand]

At 18 years old I left school and applied for a career in the Royal Marines. Like many people of that age the iconic image of the green beret was the biggest draw. This coupled with the opportunity to make life long friends and travel the globe had me on a train to Lympstone.

I attended at the Lympstone and undertook the PRMC course. During the course the officer in charge explained the terms and conditions of appointment such as wages, lifestyle and life when you leave.

It was at this point that I realised that a career as a marine wasn't for me. I was not prepared to work for £12,000 a year, not see my friends of family or have the opportunity to buy a house or a car or form any sort of meaningful relationship.

On my return I applied for the police and was accepted. I now earn £30,000 per year and live in a lovely house with my finance in a great part of our town.

I have the upmost respect for members of the armed forces however the job just wasn't for me and to be honest I'm glad.

Does anyone have any views on this?

Haven't been here for a while .

I left the Corps in 2000 on the promise of more money, better conditions and more opportunity for advancement in the fast track world of IT

Needless to say (Being ex-RM) I have achieved all of these ambitions and more and now reside in the nice house, drive a nice car and have a generally very civilised existence

I am also f*cking bored to tears on a daily basis As much as I achieved since I left I would gladly swap the lot to be be back with the lads in the grot. In the long run you probably made the right decision not to join the Corps, but to base that decision on mainly monetary terms was a mistake; you can't even begin to imagine what you (and I) have given up for the sake of looking good in front of the neighbours

[woof]

Nice one, gash hand.

[Sully]

Haven't been here for a while

No shit sherlock That bog roll is definitely missed.

Heyup groover , hope all's well with you and Mrs gash-hand. I don't look in too much these days...not too much to say really. Is the cabbage head dist list still knocking about?

Similarly bored, similarly missing a more authentic existence where you fight the tribe over the hill but such is modern life and modern man in search of a soul. I think people have written books about this stuff.

Give us a hoy mate - we can compare cars, investment portfolios and tax mitigation strategies...or just get mahooted and have a chuckle about happy days

[gash-hand]

Hi Mate. Yes, been busy...... I'm off to the A&N game this year, if you need a ticket let me know and I'll forward the request.

If I get up toen I'll drop you a line to see if your about.

[harry hackedoff]

You two will be swapping spit in the moonlight next

Heyup Gash, long time no see mate
Sull`s gone all "corporate legal eagle" since you were here last.
Fcuk the plebs, show me the money

I blame it on those Armani braces he wears,

[gash-hand]

Ahoy there Harry. Yes it's been too long admitedly, what can I say? been worshiping the God of filthy lucre - what a b*stard he turned out to be

Will hopefully be back around now that I finally have my head removed from up my own ar*s

It's unfortunate to hear that Sully has morphed into the UK version of 'LA Law' (what would we call that? MK Law?) but I've had enough experience of being in the sh*t to know it's better to know any lawyer than to know no lawyer at all

Stay lucky everyone.

[Sully]

I've had enough experience of being in the sh*t to know it's better to know any lawyer than to know no lawyer at all

What is it this time mucker?

What H is trying to say is that I work for a firm of builders - at least it keeps me in chocolate hobnobs. I'm not too different from the last time you saw me mate (but much more sober ).

Is it the same crowd going to the match? I might ask my perce mate along if you can spare the tickets - he was duly impressed by the pph (pints per hour) rate last year. If I don't go then regards to Harry and Jase and (if he's still alive) to our favourite Baghdad resident.

[London Boy]

I am also f*cking bored to tears on a daily basis As much as I achieved since I left I would gladly swap the lot to be be back with the lads in the grot.

Tell me about it! I've also got a very respectable middle class life as a civil servant in Sweden, big house, nice car, good money. But bored out of my skull!

[London Boy]

however the job just wasn't for me and to be honest I'm glad.

Something has been nagging me that I couldn't quite put my finger on about this thread since I first read it. I now realise what it is.

It is that illogical statement above.

Bztvng, you can't possibly be glad about something you never did when you have nothing negative to measure and appreciate that gladness against. In other words, you have never experienced anything negative during your time in the armed forces, because YOU'VE NEVER SERVED in the armed forces.

[gash-hand]

Not in the sh*t at the moment, could just be a matter of time though, you know how nights out can 'develop'

Should be same crowd, Jack is jacking things up at the mo, and needs ticket numbers - let me know if you want any.

LB - Yep agree. Strange statement / question all round really - it's almost as if he feels he's missed out but can't admit it and wants confirmation he made the right decision.

[Sully]

On my return I applied for the police and was accepted. I now earn £30,000 per year and live in a lovely house with my finance in a great part of our town.

At the risk of sounding like an arse it sounds like his missus has got a good job Fair play to him, that's the way to go I've never been able to form any sort of "meaningful relationship" with anybody so maybe I did the right thing

Agreed though - I hope the original poster has a full, happy and contented life...but reading this post...I doubt it somehow. That 'what if' monkey on his shoulder seems to be chattering away . I'd hate to be in that position now.

gash - I'll give you a shout about the tickets on another means as soon as I can mate but I'd guess the deadline is looming. Is the guy-with-the-girly-name going?

[London Boy]

That 'what if' monkey on his shoulder seems to be chattering away . I'd hate to be in that position now.

I compleltey agree. I'd hate to be in that position of not having done what I wanted to do as a young man, then sitting there 30 years later regretting not having done it and trying to find reasons to be glad for not having done it.

[Bored Civvy]

Im in that position at the moment.
I had my chance and threw it away but still want to be a soldier and have had the "what if?" shadow over my shoulder for ages now...
Its horrible,I keep trying to decide whether to try again (I do want to) but then think should I (am I right for the forces?).
At the end of the day I dont want to be sitting in my mid thirties regretting not doing anything with my life.Being one of the people who got too comfortable and stayed in the same dead end job for 20 years.

[Holger Danske]

Im in that position at the moment.
I had my chance and threw it away but still want to be a soldier and have had the "what if?" shadow over my shoulder for ages now...
Its horrible,I keep trying to decide whether to try again (I do want to) but then think should I (am I right for the forces?).
At the end of the day I dont want to be sitting in my mid thirties regretting not doing anything with my life.Being one of the people who got too comfortable and stayed in the same dead end job for 20 years.

Well said mate

[Wholley]

Being shot at most every day for weeks on end

Sorry,just saw this.
What a ridiculous comparison.
I will reiterate in case there has been some mis-understanding.
You guy's are out there with a squad,platoon and a whole bunch of back-up.
We are alone,no back up likely for a good long while.
When you hear the dreaded 10-19 followed by 10-22 at this 20 you know one of your own is down.
Not for weeks on end,but for months at a time,shift in and out.
As to my Military service,I am still liable.
NCNG(V)JAG(R)And I'd go in a heart beat.
This thread has degenerated into a"whose better than who?"Which belongs with the juveniles.