Seriously considering joining the Army

**syberia** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 2:31am

Have you considered applying for an Undergraduate position, and going in as someone with a qualification? It means a Uni degree and it's an extra few years before you get there, true, but you get paid while you study, your HECS funded and all insurance benefits.
Just my 2c

Your aptitute testing will give you a list of jobs you qualify to be able to apply for. There's litterally a list, and if you're not going in with a clear idea of what you're applying for a recruiter sits you down and discusses your options, chances and what you should focus on.
As Steve0 said, you are just a number, but if you're an enthusiastic number who's willing to take the initiative then you'll be a step ahead.

Alot of cadets want to go to RAINF and "lead men into battle"and win themselves a VC

Urgh.

**ChuckWepner** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 4:07am

battlefields, No doubt this has crossed your mind, but you are a man with a very assertive personality and no lack of self-confidence. You should think seriously about whether it is going to be acceptable for you to take and follow orders, often orders that are arbitrary or counter-productive, from people that you know you are smarter and better informed than, including not just job-related orders but also orders about how, when, and where you do things that are none of their business, and that will sometimes be given to you in a disrespectful, degrading, abusive manner, while you have to maintain a deferential tone and demeanor.

I just enjoy reading your posts here, and I would hate to hear that you were residing in Supermax at Goulburn because a Drill Sergeant wouldn't stop riding you.

**Cullion** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 4:40am

Another thing to consider Battlefields, and obviously I'm not up to date on australian law about this;

It sounds like your debts are really making your life miserable. There are all kinds of things you can do about that. Declaring bankruptcy can be the right option for some people. In the UK there would be other less extreme options, like getting into a voluntary arrangement with your creditors.

Look, it's not ideal, but sometimes people get into debts they just can't realistically pay back. It doesn't have to become like a life-long prison sentence. Big corporations and governments **** around with their creditors all the time.

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 7:12am

No qualifications. Aged 30. Debtor. Limited military cadet experience. Single. Limited BJJ experience. Ambitious. Salesman. Resents Office work. Reads SAS books and thinks it's for him.

Is that fair? It's what comes across to me; so how will it seem to an Army Recruiter?

Provocative: Do you want to kill? Are you prepared to be killed?

More provocative: .....to clear a debt?

Ok, more seriously, do you think that the ADF will beat a path to your door to sign you up? You don't really have much to offer. Not much Transferable skill (unless you hold a Driver's Licence). Frustrated and aimless with no foundation and looking for an easy way out of debt. What do you really want to do? Can you do it? Will you do it?

Mil organisations assess their candidates. They spend a huge amount of money on developing skill-sets to best fit their personnel to available jobs. Combat Engineers and others have to develop Character and cost a lot to train. Not much point in training someone not prepared to see it through; it wastes Public Money and denies someone more likely to see it through.

You could go to the SAS. Consider: Chef, Armourer, Vehicle Mechanic, Clerk, Medic, Driver, Electrician, IT, Dentist, Nurse, Postman (US Mailman). Get the idea? All are needed to support them.

Can you get on with people you may not like and still support them when necessary? Can you admit a mistake? Can you accept Responsibility? Can you prove it?

In the UK, there is a Mil Forum, which might provide you with more answers (and questions). It's called ARRSE, you can google it.

Perhaps you're looking for something to join that will give you a sense of belonging and add meaning to your Life. The mil could be it provided you are motivated by a sense of selflessness. The Mil can be Terrific people but being people in close contact with each other, they can be the Worst. That's Life but it can be amplified.

Why not speak to an ADF Recruiter and find out what they think?

If it's the making of you; fantastic. If not, it might help you to better think what you want to do and provide a path toward achieving it.

Don't take me too seriously. I could all too easily be talking through my arse.

Good luck.

**cualltaigh** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 7:17am

Originally Posted by battlefields

In the meantime I'll hope that the gym does take off and that I can take a job there so I can do what I love. That is the only civvie scenario that I wouldn't care if the bank went collector on me. What's to collect? hahahaha.

If you need it mate, my brother's a mortgage broker and can help with refinancing options/dent consolidations.

Originally Posted by syberia

Have you considered applying for an Undergraduate position, and going in as someone with a qualification? It means a Uni degree and it's an extra few years before you get there, true, but you get paid while you study, your HECS funded and all insurance benefits.

The downside being you're surrounded by fresh out of school RMC/ADFA cadets that have a high proportion of, well, that guy (although maybe I'm biased as I only crossed their paths in rugby matches and nightclubs).

**syberia** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 7:31am

Originally Posted by WranBoy

The downside being you're surrounded by fresh out of school RMC/ADFA cadets that have a high proportion of, well, that guy (although maybe I'm biased as I only crossed their paths in rugby matches and nightclubs).

...
I'm going to RMC for my SSO's in a couple years.

But this reads like you're based in Canberra?

**cualltaigh** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 5:05pm

Originally Posted by syberia

...
I'm going to RMC for my SSO's in a couple years.

But this reads like you're based in Canberra?

Not anymore, moved to sunny qld a few years ago.

**syberia** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 5:13pm

Good choice. I'm not looking foward to acclimatising to Canberra winters.

**Steve0** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 5:51pm

Just another point, why not consider general entry? You sound like you want to get amongst it a bit more rather than be behind a desk, and it's a bit easier to get into, so if for some reason the OSB knock you back, it's always a thought. Some form of trade. VM's do **** all. Even cooks in the army don't have a bad gig, and they come out after 4 or more years highly sought after because they can run large scale operations to feed an assload of people, all in a short amount of time.
Other thing to remember is DFR don't really give a **** what you want, they only fill positions, and get commisions/bonuses if they fill enough. They will try and put you into jobs you may or may not want, and the biggest thing to remember is alot of them are civilians. alot. and they know no more than whats written on the defence jobs website. I cant personally comment on the OSB, but i know for general entry this is the case.
If you get kncoked back for the things you want, dont let them push you into a turds job in buttfuck central.

***battlefields*** · Posted On: 12/19/2012 6:59pm

Originally Posted by Steve0

Just another point, why not consider general entry? You sound like you want to get amongst it a bit more rather than be behind a desk, and it's a bit easier to get into, so if for some reason the OSB knock you back, it's always a thought. Some form of trade. VM's do **** all. Even cooks in the army don't have a bad gig, and they come out after 4 or more years highly sought after because they can run large scale operations to feed an assload of people, all in a short amount of time.
Other thing to remember is DFR don't really give a **** what you want, they only fill positions, and get commisions/bonuses if they fill enough. They will try and put you into jobs you may or may not want, and the biggest thing to remember is alot of them are civilians. alot. and they know no more than whats written on the defence jobs website. I cant personally comment on the OSB, but i know for general entry this is the case.
If you get kncoked back for the things you want, dont let them push you into a turds job in buttfuck central.

I have an idea of what I want to do. It just comes down to whether they look at my test results and offer a position in the areas I am interested in. If not, well, what have I lost?

In reply to a few things from Eddie Hardon:

1. I read SAS books as a teenager. Andy McNab was a hero to me as a kid, until I found out he was a detail tweaker.

2. It is highly amusing to me that the "would I kill... or possibly be killed... over a debt" provocative question was raised. I've been in that situation before. No, I didn't kill and obviously I wasn't killed, but the threat was very real.

3. So the Army doesn't accept me as an Officer Recruit because I bring little to the table? Okay. Damn. How am I ever going to live in the civilian world? I've literally nothing to fall back on except my extensive sales skill set in two of the hardest sectors, NFP and insurance, as well as being highly recommended by nigh on all my previous employers who would gladly give me glowing references.

Chuck, yes, those things crossed my mind. I get that **** at my current job. Granted, I am not being shot at, but I am able to successfully be deferential while still giving my opinion.

Guys, please, if you are going to address the thread, please do not isolate and address one issue as if it is the only deciding factor. It is the sum of the factors that has lead me to explore the option. I appreciate your comments and advice, but please try and keep it in context. I am not joining JUST to get out of debt. I am not joining JUST to get qualifications. I am not joining to enact some childhood fantasy about the SAS. I am not joining because I feel backed into a corner. I am exploring the option for the opportunity it presents that I wouldn't otherwise have.