Any one in the navy.... Or forces

[dannyjpuk]

Hi all im at the point in my life when im starting to think what the **** are you doing with your life im nerly 26 i work in security and do stupide houres i have splitt with my ex after nerly 6 years i have a wonderfull little girl but i feel there is nothing here for me now.. years ago i used to be in the cadets and the TA i loved it i dont really have good grades and i was wondering if anyone can help me make my mind up i have been thinking about the navy for a while just to get away and see the world yes it will be hard not seing my little girl but these things happen does any one have any advice that can help me... i like the sound of the deckcrew guiding in the places ect i am going to the careers office when im next off

thanks guys

[luke4487]

I'm in the army mate. Electrical and Mechanical Engineers... joined up thinking the same as you... what am I doing.. got a trade etc. Lads are great but the Army isn't. Been 5 and half years, been promoted and on the 'HIGH' pay band after all that time I am only just breaking 25k before tax! That is of course frozen for the next 2 years...

Imagine spending most of your day doing absolutely nothing... completely inefficient... being talked to like an absolute **** by everyone. Nothing in your life no matter how important is any relevance to 80% of your hierarchy as rank erases any sense of reasoning. At the end of the day they are always right!

So you spend your hours 8-5 being paid for inefficiency and when you are working its usually because someone has told you to do something that doesnt need doing. Then you have the evenings and duties you have to do free of charge. You work when you are told to work! No overtime, no backing out. If your sick you work... unless its something serious theres no way you are getting any time off.

It can get worse when you throw in 24 hour duties guarding the barracks. 3 days on, 1 day rest for weeks on end... again no extra pay... being talked to like an your a worthless piece of crap... oh and then theres Afghanistan!

I would say civi street is a hard graft and a constant gamble... but atleast your appreciated for what you do because your making someone money... you tend to work more efficiently because again people want to make money. And you have a routine... if you have to work longer you get paid for it. You can give your boss the birdy... walk out if your mrs is seriously ill and people wouldnt charge you... and nothing works on time... if someones a complete idiot they generally wont become your boss because they worked there for 12 years, and if they were you could voice your opinion when they are wrong or even go above them if they dont listen. In the army unless they really are retarded they will be up there running some place... and they are ALWAYS right!

I would say... I dont regret my time in the army as it gets you on your own two feet. Most guys who joined up later have regretted it.

If you want a job where you can mince around not achieving much and your patient enough to work whenever your told to, doing what ever your told too with no regards to your family and social life for 'not a great' wage but knowing you will always have a job then its ideal.

If you think your worth something and want to achieve something in life then its not the place to go. That is unless your 18 years old and need to get out of your parents house etc etc...

Thats my opinion.. and I am currently saving up to sign off and get a real job

(and as for job security, the army is cutting 10% of its workforce before 2015 so thats gone out the window too )

[Aidi]

I am serving, and still got 3 1/2 years left to do. I would say its been a 70/30 for love/hate relationship from my point of view.

If you have the right attitude from the outset, put your mind to it and can accept the periods of time away in various parts of the world (ok... Afghanistan) then its not a bad life.

The only bit of advice i will give, is get to the careers office, get the litrature on all 3 services. Be totally honest with yourself and figure out what YOU would be best suited to. Look at the qualifications that you need for the various jobs and select realistically. Dont be suckered in by the pretty pictures and action.

Look at it from this point of view... (and i take nothing away from the lads who join up as infantry... they deserve to be paid a **** load of money for what they do) If you do lets say... 12 years as an infantry soldier, apart from life experience, what have you got to offer the big wide world from a skill set point of view? Not many companys out there who will need a professional marksman who can strip, clean, fire a multitude of weapons.

Dont get me wrong, lots of these guys will finish their career and get good jobs because of their military background.

Now, lets say you have done 12 years with a trade... Vehicles, Communications, IT, Radar, to mention a few, lots the defence contractors know and understand what these trades entail, and will recruit on that basis.

If you are serious about it, then go for it. But being 26 years old, think ahead of what a career in the services can not only do for you now, but what it can offer for future life.

I could go on and on, but this is probably the best immidate advice i can offer. Just to add, from my own decision i will not make the top of the career ladder, and after 20 years pull in just under £40k a year. When i get out after 24 years, ill get a nice lump sum as a golden handshake and a pretty decent pension to boot!

Rgds
Aidi

[mark1319]

Luke it sounds like you need to get yourself posted to a better unit mate, you at a Battalion by any chance.

I agree with with what your saying to an extent with the people above you, but they aren't all like that, but they do generally ''THINK'' they're always right and their ideas can be ridiculous and far fetched.

The good thing is everyday I go to work I have a great laugh even if it's **** we always make the best of it and that generally across the board. Afghan is Afghan, hence why we get paid the extra cash for it and TBH it's pretty boring most of the time.

I get some good work satisfaction where I'm based and it's a good unit although with a new train commander it's kinda heading down a broken path that's crumbling to pieces, but I'd still come back.

To be in the Army(REME) I'd say you have to have an attitude of acceptance where you accept the BS and just crack on with work, if you dwell on it you just become fed up with it all.

Being a Civvi is a different kettle of fish, full days all week(No half day Wed or Fri or late starts) you have to work for your money where as in the Army you can mince around and generally not bother too much until work does come in in which case you do work through until the jobs done. So it has it's Pro's and Con's but overall it's an easy life IMO.

TBH Not many Arms are recruiting ATM to the best of my knowledge, but if you are serious get to the careers office and see what information is available and what interests you.

BUT IF I COULD DO IT AGAIN I'D PROBABLY TRY AND JOIN THE RAF IT'S AN EASIER LIFE THAN THE ARMY.

[Grumpy1954]

I was in the same state as you, advancement in my shop was by backstabbing rivals, various relatives and my father had done time in RAF, so I went up recruiting office, found out a bit more, and had a brilliant 12 years. Only came out as my ex hated it, and with a young child felt I should give in to her - bad idea, should have stayed in and dumped her, she walked out on me and the oldest and youngest after an affair that everyone but me knew about.
It would show you what you're capable of, what you're not, and how to turn "I can't do that" to "how can I". The RAF, Army and Navy are all very different to serve in, you get a bit more leeway and individual responsibility, still get higher rank numpty's and overnight extra duties. If you're thinking of it, ask around, make sure you go for right service and right career - you'll get an aptitude test to see what they think you'll do well at, it works, I had no idea I was going to be good at my trade.

[dannyjpuk]

seriouse guys i really do take in all your comments im just sick ov working 12 hour shifts for £7.20 a hour i work 7shifts then have 3 off and at the moment i am out gritting when contractors are getting £10 a hour where stupide security are on basic wage i really to feel like im having a midlife crises @ 26 lol its gone to ****e with my lass i dnt think we will every get sorted and at the moment i just cant see my self stuck doing what im doing i hardly see my little girl and i know if i do join that will be worse but i just want a job that i can be proud of when i was in the pioneers i loved it and when i was 13 i used to be in the air cadets loved it got my blue wings for gliding ect then i just seemed to loose interest i mean after tax im nerly hitting £17k but i really do haft to put the hours in for that where as im looking at a trade which is £13k rising to £16k would i get taxed on that if so id be on say close to £10k which isnt good but god i dont know lol i just need to getaway

[snowball1]

I'm in the army mate. Electrical and Mechanical Engineers... joined up thinking the same as you... what am I doing.. got a trade etc. Lads are great but the Army isn't. Been 5 and half years, been promoted and on the 'HIGH' pay band after all that time I am only just breaking 25k before tax! That is of course frozen for the next 2 years...

Imagine spending most of your day doing absolutely nothing... completely inefficient... being talked to like an absolute **** by everyone. Nothing in your life no matter how important is any relevance to 80% of your hierarchy as rank erases any sense of reasoning. At the end of the day they are always right!

So you spend your hours 8-5 being paid for inefficiency and when you are working its usually because someone has told you to do something that doesnt need doing. Then you have the evenings and duties you have to do free of charge. You work when you are told to work! No overtime, no backing out. If your sick you work... unless its something serious theres no way you are getting any time off.

It can get worse when you throw in 24 hour duties guarding the barracks. 3 days on, 1 day rest for weeks on end... again no extra pay... being talked to like an your a worthless piece of crap... oh and then theres Afghanistan!

I would say civi street is a hard graft and a constant gamble... but atleast your appreciated for what you do because your making someone money... you tend to work more efficiently because again people want to make money. And you have a routine... if you have to work longer you get paid for it. You can give your boss the birdy... walk out if your mrs is seriously ill and people wouldnt charge you... and nothing works on time... if someones a complete idiot they generally wont become your boss because they worked there for 12 years, and if they were you could voice your opinion when they are wrong or even go above them if they dont listen. In the army unless they really are retarded they will be up there running some place... and they are ALWAYS right!

I would say... I dont regret my time in the army as it gets you on your own two feet. Most guys who joined up later have regretted it.

If you want a job where you can mince around not achieving much and your patient enough to work whenever your told to, doing what ever your told too with no regards to your family and social life for 'not a great' wage but knowing you will always have a job then its ideal.

If you think your worth something and want to achieve something in life then its not the place to go. That is unless your 18 years old and need to get out of your parents house etc etc...

Thats my opinion.. and I am currently saving up to sign off and get a real job

(and as for job security, the army is cutting 10% of its workforce before 2015 so thats gone out the window too )

Should have joined the RAF, far less bull**** and on the whole treated like an adult.

[luke4487]

Haha I know I should of joined the ****** RAF dont rub it in okay :P And no I'm in a first line unit and have been for 4 long and painful years lol. I would have a battalion anyday

[JagRigger]

Came out 4 years ago after 22 years in the RAF as an engineer. Loved most of it - if you can switch off for the lousy bits like guard duty, it's a good life.

Nothing outside will ever compare, but the time was right to leave.

Whether things will get worse with the latest round of cuts...... ?

[Steve01]

I was in the RAF for 9 years as a chef but got fed up with the trade and came out. Have done a few different things since and now work offshore doing PAT testing. Life was great and would recommend it to anyone. Have been out for 10 years now and still think about it a lot as the best years of my life!
Good luck and hope you make the right decision!