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Hi,

Just joined this forum this afternoon after having had it recommended by a mate who is trying to talk me out of joining the TA. He reckons that I am wasting my time, and that there's no place for people like me (University graduate/City worker).

I think he is talking sh*t but judging from some of the posts on this website I can see his point (seems like I would get seriously beasted). Physically my fitness is 100% (I've run a couple of marathons and loads of half marathons) and I'm really keen to give it a go (I almost applied for officer training at uni but didn't because of injury), but I'm wondering whether he has a point about fitting in.

I would be interested to know other peoples thoughts on this. Any constructive comments would be appreciated

Cheers

Dont join the OTC, i have and wish i had gone for PWRR or something infantry based, its just a drinking club and had caused me to put on a beer belly, not worth it, now i have to beast myself 5 times a week to try and get my fitness back. Dont get me wrong, i enjoy it but im left wanting something more enjoyable at times (but coming from an ex cadet background i was told this was to be expected.)

Boredatwork,
Don't worry about fitting in mate, generally the TA is full of all sorts of people, from the highly educated to the painfully think. I've just joined a TA Infantry unit to cure some boredom and make some money whilst I’m at Uni and yea if you act special you'll get stick for it, but if you put the effort in and keep your head down then you'll be ok. There is a new Direct entry officer scheme which has just started up, so you could go through that way if you feel too well educated, (The officer route interests me but I think it’s to late for me to transfer). This way you train alongside the other ranks at the weekends but do some different officer stuff after phase 1, there are some blokes in my Cadre who are doing this and they're switched on blokes.
But, if you want true variety and a quite often better standard of fellow recruit (Both Mentally and physically) then join the RMR, there are millionaires, politicians and business tycoons alongside road sweepers, bus drivers and cleaners. You defiantly won’t have a problem fitting in background wise with them, and I gotta say, from what I’ve experienced, generally they are a better calibre of person IQ and Common sense wise. The only thing there is you have gotta be committed and good i.e, fit, healthy and switched on.
There’s nothing wrong with the TA though

JZ.

Thanks, that's what I was looking to hear- basically it doesn't matter who you are, if you are lazy or a bit of a w*nker you get stick (fair enough).

Tell your mate to get to fu** and see for yourself!

You'll never know unless you go....

Students are generally full of sh** anyway... Join your local battalion/corps and live a little..

Set your owm limits, dont let others set them for you.

As has already been said, go and have a look see, if you don’t like it then just walk away, my bit of advice is this, join the infantry or a specialist unit, don’t join logs or sigs, I seem to spend most of my time maintaining some beat up old radio or sweeping the det, which is NOT why I joined.

Make sure you are doing it for the right reasons though as you will more than likely be called up if you stick it out for the full 3 years.

Also have a look at this site, www.reserveforces.com its the same type of idea as this, but for the TA, (and its not as good )

lew

I'll join in as well then shall I

Why not go and see? What do you lose by giving it a go? Your mate is the kind of person the TA don't want anyway, someone who is all "f@#k this, f@#k that".

I'm in infantry signals. It's good fun, the lessons are intresting and need you to switch on, and then you have the aggressive infantry side as well. In our cadre we have a wide spread of people, some thick as shit but willing to dig out, and others who could probably crack on and do it if they stopped whinging. Everyone in our section has been accepted, and some pretty tight groups of friends are becoming apparent, including people ten years the others senior, others with kids, and some who had to get their parents to co-sign their docs and so on.

Don't worry about your background, everyone gets cold and wet together

Correct. You'll get an awful lot out of it and will enhance your life a great deal. You'll get fitter, and being in tight situations on a regular basis will improve your ability to deal with them in civilian life. Don't listen to your friend. I've got several who just laugh at me. I let it pass over me.

Just go and find out more. If it's not for you, then fair enough. At least you'll have had a go, and you won't know till you try.

a lot depends on what unit you get into, how slack they are, what their roles are etc...

The mates you make in TA/RMR/RNR/RAF Aux, whatever,.. they'll last a lot longer, and you'll go through a hell of a lot of better times together, than the ar*e who reckons it's a load of sh**. He's the type who won't even give it a go, but you're interested so don't let some toss pot put you off.

Nicking traffic cones and putting them on statues heads,... or live firing a GPMG in sustained fire mode and then getting trashed in the NAAFI later on..? (before going to town and nicking a traffic cone and putting it on a statues head..)

It's your choice mate, don't want to sway you!!!

Boredatwork,

Consider going along to the Honourable Artillery Company on City Road. It should be conveniently located for you. I doubt you'll be bored.

Gonker.

Thanks a lot everyone for all the positive replies- wish i'd found out about this forum before!

Was thinking of RMR or RGJ (they are the closest to me I think). Just need to keep the fitness up and shake off a few injuries. Living in Central London and being forced to run on concrete everyday seems to have knackered my knees completely......

do it...otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life thinking ''what if i had done it''....if you do it and dont like it..do your time then leave...at least you'll know you gave it a shot

beardo wrote:do it...otherwise you'll spend the rest of your life thinking ''what if i had done it''....if you do it and dont like it..do your time then leave...at least you'll know you gave it a shot

That is so true. I always wanted to join the Royal Marines, but was lured into the IT industry. I was always wanting to join the Marines even when in IT, and finally decided to quit my job and join the Marines. I've just turned 25, so obviously I will be one of the older recruits, but that doesnt bother me.

Like Beardo said mate, try it. At elast if you dont like it you can at least say that you tried.