32 year old wants to join the British Army.

ArtyBoy

As the thread title says, I'm 32 and trying to find out info on the possibility of getting into the BA before I turn 33 in a few months.

Are there any of you in a similar position? Are there any Irish army who have made the move?

pablomakaveli

ArtyBoy wrote: »

As the thread title says, I'm 32 and trying to find out info on the possibility of getting into the BA before I turn 33 in a few months.

Are there any of you in a similar position? Are there any Irish army who have made the move?

When do you turn 33? The application process can take a few months and possibly longer if you don't pass pre- selection or selection so you could be cutting it a bit close.

ArtyBoy

pablomakaveli wrote: »

When do you turn 33? The application process can take a few months and possibly longer if you don't pass pre- selection or selection so you could be cutting it a bit close.

In a few months, I was hoping for the RMP but that looks like a non runner as does my second choice due to not having GCSE's.

I would like to do something a bit different to the usual Irish Guards / RIR if at all possible. Not that there's anything wrong with them, both good units by all accounts.

pablomakaveli

ArtyBoy wrote: »

In a few months, I was hoping for the RMP but that looks like a non runner as does my second choice due to not having GCSE's.

I would like to do something a bit different to the usual Irish Guards / RIR if at all possible. Not that there's anything wrong with them, both good units by all accounts.

What jobs are open to you will depend on your BARB test score? You'd probably want to get moving on the application process if your turning 33 soon though. If you fail the fitness test or get medically deferred during the process you could find you run out of time.

ArtyBoy

I've got my application in as of last week, just waiting to hear back. Fitness shouldn't be a problem, I've kept myself fairly fit. And have been practicing the BARB on the website and getting almost perfect scores on those.....I'm hoping the actual BARB is not completly different.

Would you have any suggestions for good Regiments with good career prospects or are they all basically the same in regard to promtion etc. ?

All advice on this is greatly aporeciated.

discus

My advice - stay away from the Artillery.

ArtyBoy

discus wrote: »

My advice - stay away from the Artillery.

Can you elaborate on this, why stay away from the Artillery?

discus

I reckon there are better jobs in the army than the artillery can offer. You join as a RA crewman, and only get your job once you get to regiment. And the jobs are ****.

pablomakaveli

I'd stay away from artillery as well. There's a variety of jobs but it can sometimes be hard to get the artillery regiment you want since they might be full when you go to phase 2.

I'd recommend engineers or reme. The signal corps and intelligence corps won't be open to you if you haven't lived in the uk for 5 years.

ArtyBoy

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It's a pity the Int Corps is not open to Irish citizens, it looks like an interesting career.
Is there a major difference between the Royal Engineers and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers?

It looks like I'll have to come up with three new unit preferences as all the units I specified seem to be out of reach.
I haven't got any GCSE's but I do have a degree in business which I presume is of a higher level than GCSE / Junior cert.
From what I've seen on other forums the British Army can be very pedantic when it comes to requirements for army trades, if it say's you need GCSE's then that is all they'll accept regardless of any qualifications persons may have that are of a higher level.

iceage

I'm sorry, did someone just Dis the Royal Artillery! Que Fas et Gloria and all that..

pablomakaveli

ArtyBoy wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It's a pity the Int Corps is not open to Irish citizens, it looks like an interesting career.
Is there a major difference between the Royal Engineers and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers?

It looks like I'll have to come up with three new unit preferences as all the units I specified seem to be out of reach.
I haven't got any GCSE's but I do have a degree in business which I presume is of a higher level than GCSE / Junior cert.
From what I've seen on other forums the British Army can be very pedantic when it comes to requirements for army trades, if it say's you need GCSE's then that is all they'll accept regardless of any qualifications persons may have that are of a higher level.

No a degree will work in your favour if it suitable for your job type. Though since its a business degree it mightn't really help with a job in the engineers for example.

Even still having a degree at least shows your some bit intelligent and can work hard which is a positive.

discus

iceage wrote: »

I'm sorry, did someone just Dis the Royal Artillery! Que Fas et Gloria and all that..

I should probably clear up a few things: While I'm not massive fan of the Royal Artillery and it's limited range of jobs, I love my Regt and Bty... If you were joining the RA I'd suggest coming to my regt, as lads I know who've gone elsewhere don't have great things to say about their bosses or jobs, whereas I'm quite happy in mine.

Though since its a business degree it mightn't really help with a job in the engineers for example.

Well, considering the amount of admin and paperwork that goes into some aspects of the job, I reckon he'll be in the right frame of mind to deal with it!

pablomakaveli

discus wrote: »

Well, considering the amount of admin and paperwork that goes into some aspects of the job, I reckon he'll be in the right frame of mind to deal with it!

Thats true i suppose. A business degree would be probably most useful for being a clerk in the AGC if the OP might be interested in that.

ArtyBoy

I hadn't intended to put the degree to use in the military but it is from a well regarded University in Ireland and is internationally accredited, covering subjects such as business management, HRM, financial accounting, business law, economics and a few other core subjects. Would these subjects actually be applicable to the role of Clerk?

discus

Mate, a lot of people in the AGC have trouble printing a document double sided so you'll do quite well, quite quickly. On top of that, you choose your posting (to an extent) so you go where the regiment goes.

ArtyBoy

The AGC seems to attract a lot of flack for being mainly office based and useless, would they get to do any soldiering at all?
I'm still quite fit and enjoy getting up into the hills with a bit of weight on my back so wouldn't mind doing a bit of soldiering either.

But as I'm no spring chicken I have to start thinking about gaining transferable skills too in case I find myself out on civvy street in a few years.

discus

Tbh, out of everyone I went to basic with, most of the AGC guys went to Afghan.

ArtyBoy

That's interesting considering the stick they get for being office boys.
I hear Ammo Tech is a good career but again GC bloody SE's are needed, it's looking like it'll probably be a cannon fodder (infantry) regiment for me, if I'm lucky.

discus

Nothing wrong with that really mate, life in the forces is what you make of it. Give the artillery a look if you think that inf isn't for you, but as with every brochure, take it with a pinch of salt.

the_syco

ArtyBoy wrote: »

I hear Ammo Tech is a good career but again GC bloody SE's are needed, it's looking like it'll probably be a cannon fodder (infantry) regiment for me, if I'm lucky.

Did you ring and ask if the GCSE equivalent (the LC) would do?

http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/cds/shortcourses/ammotechnicians.html

Entry requirements: These are laid down by the Defence College of Logistics and equate to at least GCSE level standard in the sciences

Looks like it pretty much depends on how good or bad you did in the LC.

pablomakaveli

ArtyBoy wrote: »

That's interesting considering the stick they get for being office boys.
I hear Ammo Tech is a good career but again GC bloody SE's are needed, it's looking like it'll probably be a cannon fodder (infantry) regiment for me, if I'm lucky.

You don't have to have GCSE's if your from Ireland. They'll take your leaving cert as the equivalent.

ArtyBoy

Ah but that's also a problem, I don't have a leaving cert either, or a junior cert.
I do have a degree in business studies which is ranked higher than a leaving cert on the national qualifications framework.
But I've heard they are very particular about the GCSE thing. Apparently some guy applying in a similar position was told that GCSE's are ranked higher than degrees in the British Military for the purposes of trades.

pablomakaveli

ArtyBoy wrote: »

Ah but that's also a problem, I don't have a leaving cert either, or a junior cert.
I do have a degree in business studies which is ranked higher than a leaving cert on the national qualifications framework.
But I've heard they are very particular about the GCSE thing. Apparently some guy applying in a similar position was told that GCSE's are ranked higher than degrees in the British Military for the purposes of trades.

You'd probably be better off contacting your recruitment office and finding out as they would be able to tell if thats true. I haven't heard that myself but cant say that it isn't the case either.

the_syco

ArtyBoy wrote: »

Ah but that's also a problem, I don't have a leaving cert either, or a junior cert.
I do have a degree in business studies which is ranked higher than a leaving cert on the national qualifications framework.

I find it hard to believe that you waltz into the degree without some sort of prior qualifications, such as the LC, Applied LC, or a FETAC award (the level 5 FETAC is the LC equivalent). If you did, fair enough.

ArtyBoy

the_syco wrote: »

I find it hard to believe that you waltz into the degree without some sort of prior qualifications, such as the LC, Applied LC, or a FETAC award (the level 5 FETAC is the LC equivalent). If you did, fair enough.

I didn't "waltz" in, I had to demonstrate my aptitude through an interview and demonstrate to them examples of prior learning. I suppose the course director was intelligent enough to realise that lack of formal educational qualifications did not automatically mean someone was not intelligent.

I did get more than half way through an apprenticeship before the building bust and all of my results from the exams in the apprenticeship such as maths, technical drawing and trade knowledge were graded at distinction level, so perhaps this helped too. A trade cert is considered a level 6 on the FETAC NFQ.

Although I would have been at qualified tradesman level I never got any formal qualifications due to my employer making me redundant and the need to have an employer to enter the last phases of the apprenticeship.

the_syco

ArtyBoy wrote: »

I did get more than half way through an apprenticeship before the building bust and all of my results from the exams in the apprenticeship such as maths, technical drawing and trade knowledge were graded at distinction level, so perhaps this helped too. A trade cert is considered a level 6 on the FETAC NFQ.

Check if you can somehow get this clarified by the FETAC people? I'm assuming the GCSE level thing is to ensure that everyone who enters the course has been educated to X level, and thus will understand what goes on in the classroom, esp with regards to the maths. Check if you can get paper saying you are at X level; it may help strengthen your position?

On a side note, FAS did some sort of thing that allowed people like yourself to complete the trade via some internal process, but not sure what level of the course you had to be in to be allowed do it?

tac foley

Just a small point, but one, I feel, is much-needed on this thread. I object very strongly to the use of the term 'cannon fodder' being used to describe ANYBODY in the British Army of the late 20th century, let alone the 21st century.

Sure, you can give me a kick up the ass for being offended, but at MY time of life, my don't-give-a-sh!t-ometer doesn't even flicker.

ANY soldier in the British Army is far too valued to be used simply to stop enemy ammunition going any further, as the term implies, so please let's use another, less offensive term, agreed?

tac, currently in Bandon, Oregon.

ArtyBoy

Tac,

I think you are being a little over sensitive.
Surely you realise that there is a lot of banter between different units in any military and as an ex artillery soldier myself, it was common practice for this sort of banter, Artillery winding up Infantry and vice versa.

There was no ill will in that statement at all, just tongue in cheek banter. So chill out and try not to be so sensitive before you understand the background.

Cheers.

tac foley

I certainly DO understand the background. And as a former soldier and officer in the British Army, I bleeve that I AM entitled to be mite peeved about a comment from somebody who is not yet even in it.

A few points to check out -

1. EOD, as far as I recall, and please correct me if I'm wrong - is a nationality-dependent MOS. I never encountered a non UK-citizen EOD/FELIX in my 33 years service. Perhaps I missed all the Irish FELIXs.

2. As a former gunner yourself [PDF?] you might find that heaving 155mm bullets around [and yes, there is a LOT of manual labour, still] gets pretty tiresome and is definitely a younger man's sport. Sure, there's a lot of mechanisation and mechanical handling, especially in the missile units, but the 105mm bullet you might have gotten used to in the PDF is a LOT lighter than the stuff out of AS90, and you ALL do basic training on big guns.

3. You are also getting very long in the tooth for infantry...

However, good luck to you whatever it is you join.

tac, having breakfast after a swim at Face Rock Best Western, Bandon, Oregon.

ArtyBoy

tac foley wrote: »

I certainly DO understand the background. And as a former soldier and officer in the British Army, I bleeve that I AM entitled to be mite peeved about a comment from somebody who is not yet even in it.

A few points to check out -

1. EOD, as far as I recall, and please correct me if I'm wrong - is a nationality-dependent MOS. I never encountered a non UK-citizen EOD/FELIX in my 33 years service. Perhaps I missed all the Irish FELIXs.

2. As a former gunner yourself [PDF?] you might find that heaving 155mm bullets around [and yes, there is a LOT of manual labour, still] gets pretty tiresome and is definitely a younger man's sport. Sure, there's a lot of mechanisation and mechanical handling, especially in the missile units, but the 105mm bullet you might have gotten used to in the PDF is a LOT lighter than the stuff out of AS90, and you ALL do basic training on big guns.

3. You are also getting very long in the tooth for infantry...

However, good luck to you whatever it is you join.

tac, having breakfast after a swim at Face Rock Best Western, Bandon, Oregon.

Hey Tac, of course you have the right to feel whatever you want, that doesn't mean you were right to get so sensitive about the issue when it should have been obvious I meant no disrespect, but I wont split hairs about it, I respect your right to get offended.

1. I have no real interest in EOD as such, I didn't nominate it as my trade of choice. It was just a consideration. Is an ammunition technician the same as EOD or are they separate but similar trades?

2. I don't think my age would go against me, I am fitter than most 25 year old's I know and I train a minimum of 4 times per week for 2 hours per session.

3. Again, I don't think it would be a problem for me if I chose to go that route, I run 10k in 39 mins without too much hassle and I am very comfortable with weight on my back, I actually enjoy route marches and long tabs. As for getting wet and cold in the hills, hard routine, I've done that and never found it too taxing, it's all about mindset as I'm sure you well know.

I'm not some dreamer without a notion of military life.
But I take your point and of course there is validity in it, but not so much in the physical aspect or ability to complete training. The concern is more toward the late start and limited opportunities.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, if you have any more they would be appreciated, hope you're breakfast went down well.