Thinking of joining the army

Dean820

Just failed my college exams and it seems like the only other real option besides a trade. What do I do to join up? What do I need to know before joining?

I'm based in Cork, would that mean my training will be done in Cork? I wouldn't want to be up the country for months without seeing my family.

Two Stripes

To enlist you need to contact a man power office. You can get the contact details from Military.ie. Just because you are from Cork doesn't mean that you will do your training in Cork. Everything you need to know you will be able to find on Military.ie

jd83

If your only reason for joining is because you failed exams and feel there nothing better to do i wouldnt join, you should ask yourself if this is what you want to do, if your worried about spending time away from family is the army really for you. Consider all your options first or else you could be making a big mistake.

Dean820

Thanks for the replies.

I want to join the army, its not like I'm being forced or anything. I like to test myself, take myself to the limits. The army just feels like its right for me.

There's one other thing. I have bad eyesight, in the past I know this might of been a problem. Has that changed nowadays?

Flying

You want to join the army expect to be away from home and also when oversea's again away for 6 months +.

It's the army not summer camp, so thread carefully as it is the real deal and also is quite hard at the start if you have the wrong frame of mind/.

kowloon

Never heard of repeating?
If you like the course you should stick with it.
The way the post comes across it sounds like youre not all that motivated, not a good start in any career plan.

Dean820

Repeating is not a option, I don't have the funds to repeat, the goverment give me a grant to do this year but they won't give me one to repeat.

dame

You could ask the college about repeating the exams you failed externally next year. That way you could work all year, studying a bit, then take a couple of weeks off before the exams to study full time and fly through them next year.

You're just feeling down in the dumps now, understandably enough. Contact your tutor or someone in your college department and explore your options there before you go making any decisions.

arybvtcw0eolkf

If repeating your exam's isn't an option, and you really do want to join the army you can persue the same degree throught the Defence Forces.

But getting the 'nod won't be easy, but if you can show that your degree will benefit the Defence Forces you should be re-embursed for your course expense's.

But don't go into the army with that in mind, as you'll have to fight your corner for it.

There's a host of threads here relating to life in the army, all are pretty accurate and all spell out the pro's and con's of life in the D.F.

Your first few weeks will be very disorientating. The transition from civilian to soldier is very hard for the recruit. Then after recruit training you'll most likely be posted to a battlion or regiment (unless you really push for a corp unit).

After recruit training and being posted you'll be expected to do the donkey work for awhile. Indeed in your first 3 or 4 year's you'll wonder why you ever joined because you'll feel lost and all the sh*t from above rolls down hill, and your at the bottom.

But in time you'll be one of the 'old sweats' and life gets pretty peachy.

But do expect it to be tough for a few years. Not phyically, but just finding your place.

Go in with a bad attitude and I promise you won't last. You'll be back on here bitching and crying about what a bad organisation the D.F. is. But myself and a few of the lads here on this forum will see right through that.

Best of luck with whatever decision you make.

Dean820

Mairt wrote:

If repeating your exam's isn't an option, and you really do want to join the army you can persue the same degree throught the Defence Forces.

But getting the 'nod won't be easy, but if you can show that your degree will benefit the Defence Forces you should be re-embursed for your course expense's.

But don't go into the army with that in mind, as you'll have to fight your corner for it.

There's a host of threads here relating to life in the army, all are pretty accurate and all spell out the pro's and con's of life in the D.F.

Your first few weeks will be very disorientating. The transition from civilian to soldier is very hard for the recruit. Then after recruit training you'll most likely be posted to a battlion or regiment (unless you really push for a corp unit).

After recruit training and being posted you'll be expected to do the donkey work for awhile. Indeed in your first 3 or 4 year's you'll wonder why you ever joined because you'll feel lost and all the sh*t from above rolls down hill, and your at the bottom.

But in time you'll be one of the 'old sweats' and life gets pretty peachy.

But do expect it to be tough for a few years. Not phyically, but just finding your place.

Go in with a bad attitude and I promise you won't last. You'll be back on here bitching and crying about what a bad organisation the D.F. is. But myself and a few of the lads here on this forum will see right through that.

Best of luck with whatever decision you make.

Thanks for the helpful responses. After reading on here and on several other military sites I really want to give it a go. I couldn't find anything on what the wages were like, I could survive on minimum wage if that was the case.

Catcher86

Hey Dean, are you sure that repeating the entire year is your only option. Most colleges have repeat exams in september and october. As well as that you might also be able to carry some credits with you into next year.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Dean820 wrote:

Thanks for the helpful responses. After reading on here and on several other military sites I really want to give it a go. I couldn't find anything on what the wages were like, I could survive on minimum wage if that was the case.

I'm not sure what a soldier earn's in recruit training. But its not awhole lot, probably near basic wage. But having said that during training you won't have much time off to spend your money, and you won't be allowed anywhere near the mess (bar's) in the barracks. But you will have access to the shop (canteen) because you will be hungry as the training is hard. And while the food is usually very good (these days) in the barracks you'll need those ex-cals to get you through some evenings.

Another positive. You'll make some of the best life long friends in the Defence Forces, particularly in recruit training.

Flying

Dean820 wrote:

Thanks for the helpful responses. After reading on here and on several other military sites I really want to give it a go. I couldn't find anything on what the wages were like, I could survive on minimum wage if that was the case.

In recruits the wage is low but soon as you finish your 3 star course it gets okay.

You'll never be rich but neither poor it in my opinion is a decent wage for a single man not commited to anyone or anything.


http://pdforra.ie/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=46

NoQuarter

i thinks its 120 euro for the first 6 weeks or so then it goes up to like 232 or somethin then after 1 year its 279, after 2 years its 371 and afer 3 its 444 which is what the PDFORRA diary says but all i can remember is gettin 120 in trainin for a while(and nope ya wont even get to spend it) then it gradually goin up to 510 after 3 years...

*cough*dont do it*cough*

haha only jokin i wont start this again!

ex_infantry man

its actually €320 before deductions for rations,tax,prsi and when you pass out as two star you won,t get your pay increase at all until you reach 3star but it will be back dated to when you passed out as two star which is,nt so bad coz it be couple grand for ya! the only bad thing about being on such low wage is that the army only supply you with basic kit, uniforms,boots,all stuff for the ground i.e. cemo,cefo! but any of the things that you need for the ground you have to buy out of your own pocket like silva compass which retails for good one you would pay €60-70 not to mention knife, camo cream(as the issued one is ****e burns the face of ya) mosquito net, and believe me none of the stuff your told to get for the ground is cheap either

Two Stripes

Lads I went hardcore and joined as an Apprentice. There I was wondering why the Captain and the Corporal I think were laughing at me when I signed the dotted line. In first year I got something like €120 into my hands.

I find also that there is no point in telling someone that he is joining for the wrong reasons whether it's he failed his exams or he doesn't want to go to college. If he wants to join let him Recruit Training will weed out the people who are there for the wrong reasons and it will make soldiers out of the people who are there for the right.