Royal Navy

MRLAZY

hello all, im after applying for the irish navy, did the physcometic test last fridays,there is 4000 applying and just 40 spaces so looking doubtful on being successful.

i just want to know if anyone on here know much bout the royal navy? if so could you answer a few questions please;

-would it be strange for an irish lad to join?
-would irish lads be treated ok in the royal navy?
-how hard is it to get in?
-how long would the tours be?
- would i be mad joining with a girlfriend and young child?
- how dangerous would it be?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

oglaigh

http://www.navy-net.co.uk/
Navy version of arrse. much bet place to ask than this site.The anti british trolls will prob be in this thread abusing you soon.

elius

MRLAZY wrote: »

hello all, im after applying for the irish navy, did the physcometic test last fridays,there is 4000 applying and just 40 spaces so looking doubtful on being successful.

i just want to know if anyone on here know much bout the royal navy? if so could you answer a few questions please;

-would it be strange for an irish lad to join?
-would irish lads be treated ok in the royal navy?
-how hard is it to get in?
-how long would the tours be?
- would i be mad joining with a girlfriend and young child?
- how dangerous would it be?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

Is it the irish navy or british navy?

MRLAZY

BRITISH NAVY

elius

MRLAZY wrote: »

hello all, im after applying for the irish navy, did the physcometic test last fridays,there is 4000 applying and just 40 spaces so looking doubtful on being successful.

I cant help thinking you went for the irish navy lad. Where did you do the tests?
There hell more than 40 spaces available in the ROYAL NAVY.. Ireland does have a navy ya no?

Delancey

elius wrote: »

Is it the irish navy or british navy?

Royal Navy (a.k.a. British Navy )

sdanseo

I think you're confuse elius.

OP has applied for and sat tests for the Irish Naval Service. They are only recruiting 40 people, he says, and so he is not confident of getting in.

Thus he is enquiring about joining the UK Navy.

elius

sdonn wrote: »

I think you're confuse elius.

OP has applied for and sat tests for the Irish Naval Service. They are only recruiting 40 people, he says, and so he is not confident of getting in.

Thus he is enquiring about joining the UK Navy.

O my bad sorry op. :o

MRLAZY

sdonn wrote: »

I think you're confuse elius.

OP has applied for and sat tests for the Irish Naval Service. They are only recruiting 40 people, he says, and so he is not confident of getting in.

Thus he is enquiring about joining the UK Navy.

Exactly, Anybody know muchabout the Royal Navy??

Fratton Fred

MRLAZY wrote: »

hello all, im after applying for the irish navy, did the physcometic test last fridays,there is 4000 applying and just 40 spaces so looking doubtful on being successful.

i just want to know if anyone on here know much bout the royal navy? if so could you answer a few questions please;

-would it be strange for an irish lad to join?
-would irish lads be treated ok in the royal navy?
-how hard is it to get in?
-how long would the tours be?
- would i be mad joining with a girlfriend and young child?
- how dangerous would it be?

Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

I can only really give observations from what I have seen ut, I think the answers to your questions aren't that black and white.

I don't know about Irishmen in the RN, but i was talking to a Doorman in Dun Laoghaire a while back who had just left the RN and he really enjoyed his time, so i guess it can't be all that bad.

In terms of tours, it's not that simple. you may or may not be attached to a ship, if you aren't then it is a 9 to 5 job, if you are and it is in harbour, again, you will be home for your tea every night (more or less). If your ship gets told to go Pirate hunting off the cost of Somalia, you could be away for a few months, but will get plenty of shore leave in places like Dubai. I think that families quite often go out and meet the ships as well, but you might want to confirm that.

My God Father did a six month stint with the Australian navy and was over there for six months, coming home only once or twice, but he loved it. He is from what i would call a navy family, he is about the fifth or sixth generation in the RN. his son is in and his son in law. his father in law was a sailor, as was his father. You will find that a lot in the navy.

If you have a family, then you would probably need to move them to where you are based, most likely either Portsmouth or Plymouth. unlike army families, navy families tend to be part of the local community, rather than living in army accomodation. There is a big support network for families though.

In terms of danger, there isn't much, as long as you stay away from the flight deck of a carrier, but even that isn't as dangerous as a US carrier would be. Your biggest danger is picking up something nasty in Phuket:D

If you volunteer for submarines, then it is a different kettle of fish entirely, those buggers stay underwater for about three months at a time, but you then get plenty of home leave when you are back. the pay is better in submarines as well.

It is a good life, but you can't compare the Irish and British navies. the Irish navy is designed to patrol Irish waters, whereas the Royal Navy will take you literally all over the world. Only you can decide if you would be mad joining with a young family, it is a navy and if you are told you are heading off to Kuwait, then off you go.

As for getting in, that depends on what you want to do. Each ship is pretty much a self contained fighting unit, so the number of skills you can pick up are enormous, anything from Telecomms engineer, weapons enineer, chef, doctor, you name it, they have it. The more skills and qualifications you currently have, the higher your chance of getting in.

Navy Days is on at the end of this month, you could pop over to Potsmouth and see what you think, it is a very impressive day out.

petergfiffin

In my foggy memory I seem to remember meeting an officer on a RN frigate once who was Irish and loved it...that's going to bother me all day now...maybe I dreamed it. :rolleyes:

Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about the whole Irish thing, from what I've seen British forces attract a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds and I'm sure that if you're up to the job then people on a ship (especially a ship) won't give a damn where you're from!!

I think the one you would need to seriously consider is the gf & baby thing, I mean is she going to move to England? If so she's going to be on her own in a strange place for months on end, if she's going to stay here are you only going to be able to see them when you have some decent leave? It's important stuff to consider before you go any further because you'll have enough to deal with at the start aside from all that.

Having said that the RN definitely offers a HUGE variety and I'm sure if it worked out for you then you'd have a pretty interesting time of it!

Delancey

I have known 4 men who served in the Royal Navy - all in submarines. Only 1 was Irish but he served as a sub commander ! Interestingly they all spoke with great affection of their time in the navy which I found a change from guys who had served in the British Army and seemed to have negative or mixed feelings about it.
There were parts of Cork that had a long tradition of lads joining the RN though I guess that has changed over the years.
I understand the training is fantastic and the opportunities are great but echoing what has been posted in numerous threads before - The British Forces are inundated with applications given the economic downturn and can afford to be very choosy right now.

The guys I knew told me that in their time if on a long patrol ( Polaris boats ) word was received by their Captain that a member of their family was ill/dead it was solely at the Captains discretion whether they were told - maybe that has changed but it gives an idea of the pressures on personal/family life.

If being around to see your childs first steps, be there for every birthday , Christmas , etc is important to you then I would have to say the Royal Navy is not the place for you.

MRLAZY

Thanks for the replys lads. I rang the RN today, and there sending me out information and afew forms. It could take 2 or 3years before I get a start date if im successfull on getting in because theres a long waiting list on each job, and the ones im considering are, Engineers, Aircraft Handler or Chef and the waiting list is pretty long.
The RN will dif be alot more exciting than the irish navy but Id much rather have the irish flag flying high over my head than the British flag.

If I do get accepted and decide to go for it, my gf and daughter will move over with me once iv completed all training and im settled.

But hopefuly some how I can get into the irish navy, or even Irish army or gards when they start recruiting. I say the competition for the Irish Forces will be crazy in the next few years,

rua327

Any update on your progress?

tac foley

'The RN will dif be alot more exciting than the irish navy but Id much rather have the irish flag flying high over my head than the British flag.'

With that in mind it is my belief that you should stay on your own side of the Irish sea.

The routine flag and flag ceremonies carried out during every 24 hours onboard an RN vessel would drive you nuts.

'Sunrise! Sunrise! All hands face aft and salute!' starts your day, and it goes on from there....

The flag and everything it represents are a vital part of RN life. That white ensign has the union flag as part of it.

tac

Fratton Fred

tac foley wrote: »

'The RN will dif be alot more exciting than the irish navy but Id much rather have the irish flag flying high over my head than the British flag.'

With that in mind it is my belief that you should stay on your own side of the Irish sea.

The routine flag and flag ceremonies carried out during every 24 hours onboard an RN vessel would drive you nuts.

'Sunrise! Sunrise! All hands face aft and salute!' starts your day, and it goes on from there....

The flag and everything it represents are a vital part of RN life. That white ensign has the union flag as part of it.

tac

and is the only place you will see a Union "Jack".

OP, when i was in the sea scouts, our leader was an ex navy commander and a true hero (He was awarded the George Cross for pulling several guys out from a burning gun, but as it was not in the face of the enemy, only qualified for the GC and not the VC).

I remember him obce giving a speach to a load of army cadets and he was asked why the RN wear blue uniforms and not the traditional red of the british Military.

His response was that the army wear red so that blood from wounds will not show up on their tunics.....the navy wear blue for the same reason:D