Armed Forces

British Army

Advantages: see the world, meet people from different walks of life
Disadvantages: low pay, away from family lots

The good auld British Army, well i was in the army when i was 17 till i was 21 years old. My opinion "everybody should do at least 2 years service. In my opinion the army gives you respect, disapline and plus you get to visit some of the worlds far away countries. The time i spent in the army was not all good. But there is lots more good days than there is bad. I travelled to central America and asia. There is a lot of talk about the bad press the ...
...would never complain. We had a job to do and we went and done it. So in my opinion the best start to a young unemploed male or female is join the forces for a few years and get out there. Joining:- if you join the army before you turn 18 your 3 year colour service does not start till you are 18. Many people think that if they join and don't like the army they can buy themselves out. Which is totally unture. Every one has to do 3 year colour service ...

jonbonn1 09.09.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of British Army

Want to be a bombhead?

Advantages: Pay, education, friends, job variety, travel, esprit de corps
Disadvantages: Sometimes unsociable hours, going to war zones, discipline

The Royal Air Force was formed on April 1st 1918, an amalgamation of both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). During its short history, the RAF has been involved in every war the country has ever fought in, and has played a decisive part, most notably in the Battle of Britain (1940) and the Allied bombing offensive on Germany (1941-1945). Todays RAF is very different to the war time RAF. Since the demise of the ...
...severe budgetary pressures, the RAFs current strength stands at just over 50,000 with further reduction in manpower planned. Despite this, I would reccomend the RAF to just about anybody, especially those in the 16 - 24 age bracket (although you can join ground trades right up to the age of 29). For me, there was only ever one trade I really wanted to do, and that was Weapons Technican (commonly known as Armourers, Bombheads, Plumbers and kunckle ...

raflad1982 07.02.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Royal Air Force

Recruit life for beginners

Advantages: Great fun, loads of traveling and constantly surrounded with the best friends imaginable
Disadvantages: Mud runs, NBC drills and being wet more often than not

The Royal Marines is a fantastic organisation to become a part of. It's a family, a brotherhood even. I only spent a few years in the Corps but not out of choice, I had signed up for twenty two years and I knew that it was the best decision I'd ever made. I visibly remember pulling up at Commando Halt train station on the River Exe for the second time after passing the Potential Recruits Course a few weeks earlier to be met by a burly Corporal, ...
...hasn't been done before. Royal Marines aren't superhuman they're just focused and dedicated and above all professional no matter what. For every tough time you may have in training there will equally be times that you will know are the best in your life. You'll make friendships that are above and beyond anything you've ever known, you'll party twice as hard as you could ever have imagined and you will be so finely tuned both physically and mentally ...

Oakers 04.06.2003 · Read full review
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Review of Royal Marines

The TA for Students - now there's a bad idea?

Advantages: You get paid, you have fun and it boosts your CV!!
Disadvantages: The politics involved and you could go to war!

...is providing you pass the Territorial Army Commissioning Board which is like a selection weekend to see if you have what it takes to become a commissioned officer, again lots of questions, running around and carrying things. The TA Commissioning Course at Sandhurst lasts 3 weeks and I can honestly say it is one of the hardest things I have done, yet looking back, one of the best. As I was working when I was due to go to Sandhurst, and my employer ...
...had to take 3 weeks holiday to attend. As you can imagine it is lots of running around, carrying heavy bags and learning tactics and leadership, and by far the best weight loss plan I have ever seen. I went to Sandhurst weighing just over 14 stone, on the day I passed out (that's the parade at the end) I weighed just over 12 ½ stone, and that's eating more than normal every day. After Sandhurst I went back to my regiment who then gave me a troop ...

Pie_And_Chips 28.09.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Territorial Army

CCF - The time of your life

Advantages: Great fun, meet lots of new people, get fit
Disadvantages: sometimes cold, you get stiff after all the exercise and very dirty.

...adventurous training camp and Summer Army camp (both for a week each), multiple SR's (self reliance weekends), Combat weekends, field days and range days. You can even complete courses with the CCF, such as BTEC and kayaking. You can take part in Drill (marching) competitions like Guard of Honour. Seriously, I'd be here all day if I listed everything. You get ranked, and as you get older and more experienced you get higher up the ranks and you also ...
...is great fun! You can attain the highest cadet rank of CSM - Company Sergeant Major, which is a great achievement as you are effectively leader of CCF. You have to be relatively fit to be in the CCF due to the physical nature of many of the tasks you do such as assault courses, running and shooting, walking up snowy hills in the freezing cold with a big fat bag on your back complete with trangia (cooking stove), tent, clothes and food etc. My personal ...

xxsupergirlxo 27.05.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Army Cadet Force