The Parachute Regiment - The Gen

[df2inaus]

alex4013,

Sounds familiar, an IT student I knew from Leeds University shunned the UOTC as well and was happy at being a private in the TA Signals, like me. I thought he was crazy at first, now I understand full well why he made his choice.

I shouldn't have over-generalised about the UOTC, but I much preferred the company of the TA soldiers overall.

alex4013, next time just write directly to me instead of "that Canadian bod" if its not too much trouble.

df2

[Worst]

Its these idiots that are in thier early to mid 20s who join thier local infantry unit and think they are 'in'. They work in a factory or equally boring job, but spend there whole time talking about guns and weapons, they buy all the kit and refer to 'Civvies' and 'Civvy St' - they are bloody civvies! Are army cadets 'in' as well then?

Why don't they join up for real if their job is a coach driver or a clerk they are hardly throwing away a wonderful promising career are they?

But if you were to give them a typical year in the reg - 2 x 4 month emergency tours in Ireland with f@#k-all time off and no leave (unless someone died in the family), working constantly, wet & cold or sleeping. Then the promise of a 2 week sunshine tour in Cyrus, only to be canceled due to training budget shortage and replaced with a 15 night exercise in Sennybridge for the new OC. Then a planned 3 year tour in ...(some where nice? like the poster in the careers office?) no, Ireland.

I wonder how keen they would be then? The fact of the matter is that TA is fun, if it wasn't the MOD would have sod all staying in and even fewer joining.


I would be pleased to hear from any TA bods as to why they choose not to join the regular army but opt to have a 'TA career' ?

Chapps - it sounds like you resent members of the TA as they have their chosen career and also make up a part of the British Army. And I would like to emphasise the fact that they make up a quarter of the British Army. FACT
I appreciate your frustration with those TA members who may consider themselves not a civillian and refer to civvy street, when that is really what they are ( but lets face facts you get knobheads in all wakes of life even in the regulars ). However, TA soldiers do train bloody hard in particular regiments and are required to reach the same standard as regulars to receive their beret. These people volunteer to join the TA and work full time and maintain a marraige and bring up the kids, and can be deployed when required (if up to standard). This may seem easy in contrast to being a regular - having emergency tours with no leave, shit conditions etc, but you decided to join the Army just like us civvies chose our careers.
I can not speak for other members of the TA but the fact that I decided to join the TA was not for FUN. I did not join the regular Army as I had other intentions to do what I wanted when I left college, and so 9 years down the line when I suddenly realised how bad this f@#k world is and the fact the British Armed forces is absolutely overstretched and lacking serious numbers. To suddenly jack in my career that has been hard work to get and ditch the missus who I've been with for many years was not possible to join the Army when the TA is avaiable for people of like.
So I say to you - you may not like us and you may think we are crap, but the fact is the TA exists to support the regulars in maintaining this Nations security and when there are TA members being deployed to support the regulars, and being killed in carrying out their duty, It is no more that complete disrespect that you treat them with such contempt. Remember we are all on the same side.

[COMBAT WOMBAT]

The only reason he dislikes the TA is cause he's miserable. I'm in the TA, i don't pretend to be as good as a regular, but that's cause i do it part-time, not cause i'm rubbish. I don't have anything to prove to regulars, if u put me or any member of my company in a room with regulars, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I think the thread on changing light bulbs in the general section of the forum shows what people think about the more stuck up ex-regulars on the site.

[RobT]

Thats why they call 'em ARAB's Combat Wombat!

[Maroon]

I'm am ex regular, and had no trouble with STAB's (I say that with indearment)(SP?) They all knew their stuff, got stuck in and proved themselves to be excellent soldiers..

Chapps your view on the rest of the Army seems very blinkered, I'd suggest you didn't serve very long and obviously didn't get much out of the short time you served, you sound bitter mate!

As previously mentioned you get good and bad soldiering where ever you go, even in Para Regt....

[lew]

I'm am ex regular, and had no trouble with STAB's (I say that with indearment)(SP?) They all knew their stuff, got stuck in and proved themselves to be excellent soldiers.

We had an ex Para on my range weekend, he was well alright, although I sometimes got the impression he was annoyed with the training team as he knew more than they did.

He was quiet and polite to everyone, and full of useful information, there was none of this I’m a Para and you lot of crap hat stabs.

He was a really nice bloke.

lew

[alex4013]

df2 mate, sorry bout that!! I've had a couple of well maybe a couple more .. heh heh.. going to stop the beer for awhile coz I've rejoined TA and need to sort myself out.

[df2inaus]

alex4013,

Apology accepted, thanks for being so prompt !

df2

[bryanhickman7777]

Im sensing alot of bad vibes towards the paras.
I want to be a paratrooper, i dont know a para or pretend to but i can honestly say im not stuck up, or disrespectful and i hope other paras treat me with respect....or ill have to beat them to death, with my craphat..LOLOL.
I really hope that its not full of a bunch of tossers as i respect all other regiments and just want to find my place in the army.

[Tab]

7777 You earn respect in the Army, it does not arrive with the rations. What I can say that they are grand bunch in the Para's and life is what you make it in the Forces.

[Boxingmad]

Indeed. These fat civvy TA Tossers are fighting with the regulars..they have a job to do and are doing it with professionalism and enthusiasm. 4 TA soldiers so far lost their lives in Iraq.

I have no problem with professionals who have joined the TA to carry over thier civvy qualifications and skills, which can then be called upon for army service.

Its these idiots that are in thier early to mid 20s who join thier local infantry unit and think they are 'in'. They work in a factory or equally boring job, but spend there whole time talking about guns and weapons, they buy all the kit and refer to 'Civvies' and 'Civvy St' - they are bloody civvies! Are army cadets 'in' as well then?

Why don't they join up for real if their job is a coach driver or a clerk they are hardly throwing away a wonderful promising career are they?

The thing I dislike most about this type is the fact that they think TA life is what goes on in the real world.

Enthusiasm ... Keen? these guys are so keen you never see them take their green kit off, because they have had nice rests between TA life such as time with the family, watching TV summer holidays, where the army doesn't own you and if you really didn't want to go, well you just phone up and say your sick/busy/to tired.

But if you were to give them a typical year in the reg - 2 x 4 month emergency tours in Ireland with f@#k-all time off and no leave (unless someone died in the family), working constantly, wet & cold or sleeping. Then the promise of a 2 week sunshine tour in Cyrus, only to be canceled due to training budget shortage and replaced with a 15 night exercise in Sennybridge for the new OC. Then a planned 3 year tour in ...(some where nice? like the poster in the careers office?) no, Ireland.

I wonder how keen they would be then? The fact of the matter is that TA is fun, if it wasn't the MOD would have sod all staying in and even fewer joining.

The fact that so many blokes with 3 to 12 years service in were PVRing goes to show that there is no 'keen' in real life just professional.


I would be pleased to hear from any TA bods as to why they choose not to join the regular army but opt to have a 'TA career' ?

I'm having a crack at the TA Paras for two reasons:

a) I had a go at the regulars in 1998. I was unfit, very naive in that they would get me fit when in reality you had to be at a high level to start with. I left because I knew I didn't have what it took at that time. I was a very immature 22 years old, and i don't mind admitting it

b) I'm too old for the regular Paras, so the TA is my next option. I find that in my Coy (10 Coy) they are motivated, well prepared and keen to do the jobs. They have the air of professional soldiers, and there's no gobbing off. When they send you to Catterick for P Coy, they expect you to be ready and fit, as they don't want to embarrass themselves in front of the regular training staff. The guys they sent to Iraq, by all accounts, acquitted themselves very well.

I certainly have no intention of gobbing off and telling all and sundry that "yeah, I'm in the Paras". I'm still in training, so that would make me look a twat. I would also be very careful about dissrespecting the older members there, whether I'm TA or if I go to a regular battalion. The first thing they said when I arrived in 4 Para was "anyone who is not prepared to go on operations, f***k off." That told me that 4 Para is a fighting unit, not some bloody weekend toy soldier gang.

My own personal opinion is that we in the British Army, either regular or TA, have a very high standard of conducting business. I can't think of a better trained army on the planet. The Yanks, Israelis, whoever they are, just don't measure up in quality. I have no intention of dissing any of our boys, even if they are non-Paras. Soldiers are soldiers. End of story.