Going Nowhere

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

SOTWA would you recommend that these young people join Her Majesties Armed Forces to see the world or is it not all its cracked up to be?

We'll I've been to The Gulf (first one, six months) Germany- Belfield and Ryandarlin (four years) Northern Ireland (four and a half years) Cyprus (Two years) Bicester (three year) of which spent in Kosovo (six months) Bosnia (four months) Siera Leone (six months) Wiltshire (three years) and back to Bicester.

Plus exercise’s in Norway, France, Baleze, etc

I spent huge chunks of the year either playing football or cricket for the Regiment or around Britain and Germany in various shooting competitions. We work half day on Wednesdays and half day on Fridays, and if the squadron have nothing on, or in my case I have no prisoners we knock it on the head for the day a lot of the time, not to mention a ten day break at Christmas, a week in Easter and three weeks in the summer.

That is not to say we don't work for your taxes. If we are on exercise, we could work up to 18 hour days for weeks at a time for up to a month, and on operations (war/conflicts) 12 to 14 hour days, seven days a week for up to six months.

We work hard, fight harder, and play hardest. It's never black and white in the army, when it's good it's the best a person could wish to live, great mates, plenty of organised sports and bops (bops is squaddie for a disco and piss up‘s).

There are also nameless amounts of courses you are able to take from English 'A' level to rock climbing instructor. The Army has changed as of late though (the last five years) since we have introduced the common wealth into it. The professionalism seams to have disappeared as we have had to adjust to different cultures (were they should have adjusted to us).

All in all, the army is what you make it. You have to sign on for three years, after that you can give a years notice and get out. The maximum you can serve is twenty two years, after which you receive a huge pension (thirty to fifty thousand in hand lump sum, plus five to eight hundred a month for life, depending on rank) Only a few more years to push

It’s a very good wage to, I’m on eighty one pounds a day at the moment, and only pay sixty pounds a month for my quarter (house) less council tax.

The army is the army. You will break bones, lose friends, dodge death and shrink your liver. Make the greatest mates who when leaving the army will only shake your hand, slap a pint in front of you and wink before leaving your side to continue the rest of their life (this is something that cannot be explained on a message board)

You will see the world (and digs bloody big holes all over it) drink different countries dry and stand staring into space for hours on end as you stand in the freezing cold carrying out your guard duty (stag)

Is the army worth it? That can only be decided by the individual, but shxt!! I've done a lot and risked more, in the end I go home to my quarter (home) and describe to my wife how different today was from yesterday!!

[burnden58]

You recruiting? It sounds likes a life I could have enjoyed but you seem a little sad in your discription?

[Batman]

I would never knock someone for what they do, I respect SOTWA for his sacrifice to commit his life to the army, but it's not for me, I've been to the recruitment days with the army before and I just don't think it would suit. The travel intrigues me, but the whole 'death' issue kind of puts me off.

If I could do anything I reckon I would love to perhaps be a sports writer or a journalist - maybe a basic journalism course might help.............................see how I find it......

[Batman]

oh, and the bumming in the army.

[plodder]

I thought the bumming was the best part.....................

My two pence worth.

Been out the Army now for ten years, don't miss it for a second but miss the troops, buddies, friends with a passion...I married into Army girls.................twice

It is not the job you miss but the people. I'm still in touch with a lot of them now regular visits and drinks and still the odd fight.

Speaking of jobs, finally I move on from Millets. Who are going down the slippery slope to oblivion onto MFI who are dragging themselves out of the deepest pile of sheeiite they could find. Will take a while but should be smelling of roses in a few years.

If you don't mind face to face contact and selling retail ain't a bad world.