never too late???

[pshoat]

am 30, 31 in may this year, still always had the forces constantly at the back of my mind and still not done anything about it.

need a reality check really to see if this really could be for me.

what i'm thinking of...
RAF Gunner
RAF Police
RAF Firefighter

Marines/Army Infantry??

i feel like i will regret not going into the forces in 3 or 4 years if i dont do it soon, but i guess i need some guidance, maybe more from the older guys here or anyone who's trained alongside others of my age!!

cheers

[Tab]

Now it depends just how much you want to put your self out and also it will depend on just how fit you are, and not how fit you think you are.
Also remember in some of the more active Regiments will you be able to keep up that pace in your later years. Most of the men that will be with you will be at least a dozen years younger and have a better chance of building a career in the forces. I am not saying don't do it, but you will need to think very hard berfore taking the plunge.

[anglo-saxon]

What Tab said, plus can you take a beasting from a Lance Jack ten years younger than you?

Prime Rock Ape candidate!

[pshoat]

being a Gunner in the RAf would definitely be my first choice but it would have to be full time. I couldn't continue working in a call centre as i do now along with being a part time gunner.....

i want to really push myself into something that is totally out of my comfort zone and experience much more in the next 10 years than i have in the past 10!!!!

i am fit enough, i train all the time. need a bit of tweeking but that can be done in a pretty short space of time!!!

i want to feel proud of the job i do, i want others to feel proud of the job i do.
my Dad was in the RAF but sadly died when i was 3. this has always felt like something i should do, but feel i've let myself down somewhat by leaving it so late!!

as for being told what to do by someone 10 years younger, that happens now anyway and in a call centre...... i think as a Gunner i'll be doing somewhat of a more worthwhile job, not just for myself but for others!!

[Snelly]

hi i'm in same boat as you 28 and always thinking about a career in the forces defo Marines or Paras, got a baby due in April so my dream seems to keep slipping away. I'm gonna keep training and just see what happens over next couple of years. 4 para and rmr seem a really good alternative. Chris

[London Boy]

am 30, 31 in may this year, still always had the forces constantly at the back of my mind and still not done anything about it.

need a reality check really to see if this really could be for me.

what i'm thinking of...
RAF Gunner
RAF Police
RAF Firefighter

Marines/Army Infantry??

i feel like i will regret not going into the forces in 3 or 4 years if i dont do it soon, but i guess i need some guidance, maybe more from the older guys here or anyone who's trained alongside others of my age!!

cheers

What Tab and A-S said. Also mate I'm guessing if you haven't done it yet, it's because you don't really sub-consciously feel that it's the right thing for you. Being a new recruit is a young man's game, fitness isn't everything though, because they build that into youngsters. But a 30 year old mentally adapting to the environment of 18 year olds would be very tough.
I knew when I was 14 that I wanted to be a soldier and later a police officer. At 15 I was a Royal Green Jackets cadet. I passed the police entrance exam at 16. I joined the RAF Regt when I was 18. I then joined the Met police when I was 22.

My recommendation would be for you to join a local TA unit first - and
pick one of the elite TA untis - that will give you more of a taste of the fitness levels required. I don't know where you live but there are quite a few Royal Marine Reserve units dotted around the country. As well as TA para units. Years ago 10 Para used to be in central London.


Hope that helps.

[gunner75]

Spot on above post! Very similar to the route I took but I started off in 4 Para from 17 to about 24 then when I was older (about 28) I went into the Regiment. I found it hard adapting to getting on with the younger blokes (at first) and had a few fallouts (nothing too serious) but all was good. Compared to 4 para fitness really wasnt an issue, thats not to say it was easy. As long as you have a good base fitness you will be fine. Id go for it before its too late . With hindsight I wish I had of gone into the regulars a lot earlier in life before the age limits limited my choice of who I could of gone into, but I was proud to serve (although briefly) with the rockapes.

[London Boy]

Hello mate, 4 para? Refresh my memory geographically.

Also Pshoat, if you feel that in later years the weight of constantly regretting never having served outweighs the job you've got now then I'd say go for it straight away. Because in my experience there's nothing worse than wanting to do something, running out of time to do it, then regretting not having done it for the rest of your life.

[Seraph]

always thinking about a career in the forces defo Marines or Paras.........my dream seems to keep slipping away.

Do it now, before it's too late and you regret it for life...

[gunner75]

I was in 12 coy 4 para, HQ based in Pudsey, Leeds.

[London Boy]

I was in 12 coy 4 para, HQ based in Pudsey, Leeds.

Leeds, right.

[Q]

pshoat, joining the Regiment, Marines, Paras or Infantry regiments at your age is a very tough decision. As has been said, you have to be physically fit for the training and the job, a lot of younger men in the units aswell as training, but saying that, some of the fitness standards of recruits are bloody appalling!!

A 21 year old lance jack or 24 year old full screw bollocking or beasting you at your age, can you take it, i know i came close to smacking a few, but self control and commonsense prevailed. If you think you can handle all this , then GO FOR IT!!! Again, as has been said, if you don't go for it, you MIGHT, regret it for the rest of your days, there are some things that i regeret not doing believe me.

[SupFAC]

Buddy why not have a look at a Recce regiment in the army.Ok we dont have the same high standard of Phys required in Para reg or RM however we do stacks of war fighting jobs,we have lots of job varity and we do have the respect of the above units.Often Recce regiments get forgotten about ,which is pretty unfair as we are deployed all the time in Iraq/Afghan.It has to be worth a look.As an older bloke you will find after training you will get more responsibility than the younger lads.You will get plenty of action and you will get treated a little better than being in SOME inf regiments.

Look up QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS,QUEENS ROYAL LANCERS,HOUSHOLD CAVALRY,LIGHT DRAGOONS and if you are really stupid 9TH/12TH LANCERS.

[London Boy]

Buddy why not have a look at a Recce regiment in the army.Ok we dont have the same high standard of Phys required in Para reg or RM however we do stacks of war fighting jobs,we have lots of job varity and we do have the respect of the above units.Often Recce regiments get forgotten about ,which is pretty unfair as we are deployed all the time in Iraq/Afghan.It has to be worth a look.As an older bloke you will find after training you will get more responsibility than the younger lads.You will get plenty of action and you will get treated a little better than being in SOME inf regiments.

Look up QUEENS DRAGOON GUARDS,QUEENS ROYAL LANCERS,HOUSHOLD CAVALRY,LIGHT DRAGOONS and if you are really stupid 9TH/12TH LANCERS.

Time for a bit of Pongo v Rockape rivalry perhaps?