DOH!!!!! But Future is sorted!!!

[dan]

Sully, that quote is outstanding, a really motivating piece! And to all potential officers, think through your course of action thoroughly...I've met a few guys who are going through university and intend to apply as a recruit (be it RM or the military in general) because they see it as an opportunity to be 'part of the lads' and to 'earn' their respect. Doubtless there is some truth to this train of thought, but don't forget how long and tough officer training really is, the finished product is a highly intelligent and physically robust individual. If you are of good character there is no reason why you should not be one of the few very good officers which Sully and El Prez have described.

[Maverick00]

It's good to hear something positive about officers for a change, so far negative comments seem to predominate opinions of them, so much so a lot of the comments have made my doubt my plans! However id say if i ever i need a boost of motivation for any reason sully's quote should do the trick...

[rabby]

Is there any serving/Ex officers out there who can give their side of things?

[BenP]

Thanks for replying Sully. Cheers for being honest. I am not trying to be arguementative (especially with guys who know a world more than me) but was curious as to what I was getting myself into or what I may turn into. I did not wish to annoy you. I have been having concerns over the Officer route myself and heard a rumour that they are cutting the YO intake down for Sept 03 (not sure why they would but it makes life harder). That said, I have been talking to a YO (currently in the last two weeks before he gets his beret!) and it sounds like I would enjoy the life. Should this not turn out like I wish, what are is the likelihood of a Corps commision, i.e how many do they put through and how much of a hoofing bloke do you need to be. Thanks for the advice and encouragement.

[Sully]

Don't hold your breath Rabby - I'd like to be proved wrong though.

Anyway, I'm on a roll and my next quote from Sully's motivational extravaganza comes from (I think) Theodore Roosevelt. Our troop boss in training (hardest man in the troop and one of a kind - although I got neat sh*t from him for having a degree - he didn't) pinned this up on the troop notice board and it got me through some very hard times:

"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood. Who knows great enthusiasm, great devotion and the triumph of achievement. And who, at the worst, if he fails at least fails whilst daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."

[voodoo sprout]

Thanks Sully - a superb quote if ever there was one, I've just printed it out .

[Maverick00]

Have just cut n pasted both those lil beauties, ill have to learn off by heart just in case i get my officer commission and need some wise words...

[Sully]

And my next offering comes from Simon Murray in the classic book 'Legionnaire'. He joined the Legion as a grunt in 1960 and got his wanderlust out of his system before settling down as a businessmen. He worked for Jardines in SE Asia and then Deutsche Bank and eventually set up Orange and Hutchinson Whampoa - so he's not short of a few bob.

This, given his life story, should appeal to those who (like me) don't really see the Corps as a career (although, for a spell, having joined I did) but as something to fill a few years and sort a few priorities out. Waffle over, here's the quote:

"They were rough days and we saw some hard times, but looking back on it now I do not regret a single second. It was a magnificent experience, we had a camaraderie that was unparalleled and the world was a much freer place in which to move than it is today. There was more time to wander off the path then, so that a boy of nineteen could run off and climb a mountain if he wanted to. The corridors of life today seem narrow by comparison and the materialistic ends we seek require constant progression along the path from the moment we take our first examination. There is no allowance for time out.

But there is. And to those that totter on the brink, my advice is go, and do so while you are young, and you will be happy at forty."

I'm glad you all seem to enjoy the quotes - they have meant a lot to me but I had assumed that the youth of today are more cynical. Inspiration and passion are everything - all things are possible for him that believeth

[BenP]

Legionnaire is an excellent book that I would recommend the anyone. It is written very candidly and sometimes you really have to think about what he is going through to realise the gravity of the situation, as his narrative makes light of the conditions in which he lived. Its a cracker