Thinking of Discharge

Seanmul89

Hey all, im in my 9th year now in PDF, thinking of leaving next year to go on to 3rd level, full time degree. Just wondering am I entitled to get anything back, grat, money paid into pension etc etc, and has anyone done the same. Any info at all from someone with the experience of this would be appreciated, just before I go into citizen advice, cheers

tac foley

Don't you have a Careers Information Officer in your unit? Do you really have to go to a civilian organisation to ask about the post-Army prospects?

I must admit that I'm puzzled by your question. In the Army that I was in it would be unthinkable to ask any civilian organisation until I was a civilian.

I'm looking forward to seeing the responses here.

tac

gunnerfitzy

You should direct your questions to the Personnel Support Service (PSS) personnel in your barracks. They can advise you on these matters.

mikeym

tac foley wrote: »

Don't you have a Careers Information Officer in your unit? Do you really have to go to a civilian organisation to ask about the post-Army prospects?

I must admit that I'm puzzled by your question. In the Army that I was in it would be unthinkable to ask any civilian organisation until I was a civilian.

I'm looking forward to seeing the responses here.

tac

Theres little or no support over here for help in looking for jobs in civvy street.

Just ask anyone that thought they were being turfed out after their 21 years.

mrsoundie

tac foley wrote: »

Don't you have a Careers Information Officer in your unit? Do you really have to go to a civilian organisation to ask about the post-Army prospects?

I must admit that I'm puzzled by your question. In the Army that I was in it would be unthinkable to ask any civilian organisation until I was a civilian.

I'm looking forward to seeing the responses here.

tac

That may have been the case in your unit, however I have never witnessed anyone (in my neck of the woods) ever being denied the chance to investigate a job outside of the DF.

OP, like already stated, go to your PSS and also canvass some of the older chaps in your Unit or outside of it, don't be afraid to ask (even here) for advice. You don't always have to take it.

tac foley

Hmmm. Is there no formal resettlement programme for those leaving the Armed forces? I'm very surprised to learn that there might not be such an organisation that makes courses available to get you familiar with the great 'out there' and you help and advise you how to go about getting gainful and appropriate employment.

tac

Señor Fancy Pants

There is a "course" that is conducted. Mainly for troops coming to the end of their contract, usually 21 yrs and over.

It's used to be called the Pre Retirement Course or now, Introduction / Transition To Civilian Life course....or something like that.

There doesn't seem to be any specific info for troops thinking of leaving sub 21yrs.

The info the OP asked for is easily accessible through his Unit Orderly Room, PSS or even Soldiers Pay Section.

I have queried in the past why no facility was put in place by the Government to actively try to re employ ex soldiers. It could be a very simplistic thing to do.

Set up a cell that solely deals with discharges. Contact employers (if they would consider employing an ex soldier) to submit a list of vacancies in their companies with job spec etc. Go through the list with the soldier that's leaving, set up an interview with both parties and let them take it from there.

A lot end up being taxi drivers or involved in low level security if they are lucky. Not that there's anything wrong with that but for someone who has given a huge portion of their life in service of the State should be looked after a bit better when leaving.

It's very much a "thanks for rigging out for 21 years, off ya pop.....do you need a civilian suit for your job interview / funeral"? They couldn't give s fiddlers about ya.

tac foley

So basically you are telling me that all the skills that you learned in man-management, prioritising of tasks, handling authority and dealing it out, instructional skills, extemporising skills, let alone your actual MOS and so on are totally thrown away?

Shame, that.

tac

tac foley

mrsoundie wrote: »

That may have been the case in your unit, national Armed Forces...

Fixed it.

In the British Armed forces, resettlement occupies most the entire final three months of your service time, with many courses on how to get on as a civilian. All ranks go on the same courses - there were warrant officers, sergeants and Lt Cols on my set of courses. Mind you, most had already got a good idea of what they were going to do when they left, and many already had jobs lines up in their speciality trades.

Difficult if you had been an infantryman or gunner for the previous twenty-two years, but advice for setting out in the brave new world of civvie street was freely available, no matter what you did in the Army,Navy or Air Force.

Remember that there would be no private soldiers there - after twenty-two years in the ranks the vast majority are at least Warrant Officer Class 2 [I got there in twelve years] and two years after that I was a Captain], and many would have reached Warrant Officer Class 1 - WO1/RSM or the equivalent appointment. The British Army has many WO1s who are not RSsM and WO2s who are not Sergenats Major. The Royal Signals has Foremen/Yeomen of Signals, the Royal Artillery has SMIGs and the Royal Logistics Corps has Conductors [not of the bus kind either], and REME has Artificer Sergeant Major. Remember too that no matter how much time you have served - three or thirty years, ALL are entitled to the resettlement courses. It is also important to remember that many of our soldiers as well as officers have degrees in their associated subjects. Many of my junior NCOs and Sergeants had one or even two degrees. One sergeant was actually the Oxford oral examiner in his particular specialised field of language study.


tac

Señor Fancy Pants

The DF here has only recently "fought" for Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) with certain colleges.....for Enlisted ranks. This has been (or a variation of) in place for Commissioned ranks for a long time.

Career advancement courses now include RPL. The colleges now accredit your previous military experience (courses, overseas, etc) and award you with either a Cert / Degree / Diploma / Masters depending on what level of career course you are at. (PNCO, STD NCO, LOGS, SNCO, JC&S or SC&S).

Usually it is for Leadership, Management & Defence Studies or Logistics.

In certain HQ cells (procurement etc) they also have the opportunity to get civilian qualifications from it. So there are far more opportunities there now than in the past.

I recently heard about an NCO who interviewed for a large discount chain supermarket here not long ago. It was for a warehouse operative distribution job. The interviewers asked why he didn't apply for the supervisior job as his current skill set would fit perfectly with that role. He said that job required 3rd level education which he did not have. They told him that >21 yrs in the DF counted more than a 3rd level qualification and to come back the following week and sit for the supervisor job.

He did and he was hired.

Seanmul89

Thanks for all the comments!!
I have people helping me out here in barracks and some advice, it was just a quick thread to see has anyone done this, as I'm looking to go 3rd level to do full time degree!!
Will keep updated on the thread and to how I progress, cheers!!

danube

tac foley wrote: »

Fixed it.

It is also important to remember that many of our soldiers as well as officers have degrees in their associated subjects. Many of my junior NCOs and Sergeants had one or even two degrees. One sergeant was actually the Oxford oral examiner in his particular specialised field of language study.


tac

I am going to apply for general service in the Irish Army but I was told my an Irish army officer that because I have a degree that I "deserve better than general service" and that I would be just frustrated. He advised me to join the Gardaí or Cadets which I did, but was unsuccessful.
Is it that unusual for Privates or Corporals to have degrees in the Irish army?

mrsoundie

danube wrote: »

I am going to apply for general service in the Irish Army but I was told my an Irish army officer that because I have a degree that I "deserve better than general service" and that I would be just frustrated. He advised me to join the Gardaí or Cadets which I did, but was unsuccessful.
Is it that unusual for Privates or Corporals to have degrees in the Irish army?

No, it is not unusual for an Enlisted Soldier (Of any rank) to hold a degree, nor is the attitude of the Officer.

Seanmul89

True that â˜ÂðŸÂ»ï¸Â..

spark23

danube wrote: »

I am going to apply for general service in the Irish Army but I was told my an Irish army officer that because I have a degree that I "deserve better than general service" and that I would be just frustrated. He advised me to join the Gardaí or Cadets which I did, but was unsuccessful.
Is it that unusual for Privates or Corporals to have degrees in the Irish army?

I myself hold a degree and am quite happy with my right role as an other rank, certainly don't feel I deserve better!

Señor Fancy Pants

danube wrote: »

"deserve better than general service"

What a complete load of bollox. By all means go for a Cadetship but not on that comment.

Pure bull****.

davetherave

That officer must be living in the good old days when Officers were gentleman of noble gentry and a lowly private with no learned skills was nothing more than a bat-man to him.
Prick.

tac foley

spark23 wrote: »

I myself hold a degree and am quite happy with my right role as an other rank, certainly don't feel I deserve better!

Not wishing to pry, but is your degree in any way related to your MOS?

tac

AllthingsCP

danube wrote: »

I am going to apply for general service in the Irish Army but I was told my an Irish army officer that because I have a degree that I "deserve better than general service" and that I would be just frustrated. He advised me to join the Gardaí or Cadets which I did, but was unsuccessful.
Is it that unusual for Privates or Corporals to have degrees in the Irish army?

Do not join with an attitude like that. You more then likely wont pass and if you do you wont last long.

danube

AllthingsCP wrote: »

Do not join with an attitude like that. You more then likely wont pass and if you do you wont last long.

Its not me with the attitude! I just passed my interview for the Navy. However when I told them I had a degree they didn't seem interested. When I asked if it would be of any use to me she firmly replied No.

It wasn't me!

I'm serving enlisted with a degree. It won't help you. Some of the skills and experiences you got from doing it might be helpful but just don't think of it. Get stuck in and be one of the lads. Paper won't make you a better soldier so it's a completely level playing field. Expect to get a bit of grief and slagging for it and get on with it. Certainly nothing about deserving better than general service. Terrible attitude and says a lot about how he thinks of the people he works with.

discus

Mate, don't join enlisted in you have a degree. If your degree was challenging or stimulating, you have a high chance of becoming bored after a few years in the ranks. I wish I had listened to that advice before I joined. Go Officer or don't go at all.

AllthingsCP wrote: »

Do not join with an attitude like that. You more then likely wont pass and if you do you wont last long.

Did ya even read the lads post?

spark23

@ tac

Yes but not necessary for my current role I completed it at night to challenge myself and to get into a position where I'm staying in the defence forces because I want to not because I have to due to having no options of employment outside/after the military