Joining the army - Page 3

Envious · 10-06-2007, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WPN XR6T

Envious- didn't say I enjoyed being an RI, said I enjoyed my job (I don't consider being an RI MY job, I am doing it for 2 years until someone else comes along).

I am a Combat Engineer (THAT is my job) / EOR (Explosive Ordnance Recon.) Tech and M113A1 Crew commander, so as you can see, you don't have to stick to one job IOT be in the Army.

I have one of the most diverse roles in the military, we build and destroy Bridges, emplace and breach Minefeilds, Repair and deny roads, build and breach battlefeild obsticals, conduct High risk search and CBRN detection, purify water and a meriod of other tasks that fall outside of regular operations too numrious to mention. And that is just my base trade.

Yes I was conducting the Advanced Soldier Cse last year (now Defunct) but only got hold of the T this year, had a Green XH ute before.

Like I said before, if anyone wants to ask, I can probably answer the question, or find out for you.

You forgot filling sandbags, digging holes and putting up hesco.. You have fun with that :P

sprjenkins · 10-06-2007, 10:35 PM

Were not infantry mate, we have plant for a reason, I haven't dug a hole with my et since butterworth

WPN XR6T · 11-06-2007, 09:30 AM

ET? That is what Troop stores are for! I only broke in my ET when I came here (Wagga) and had to teach Recruits how to dig in!
It's not about doing it harder, just smarter.
That, and my pit weighs 11.54 t and has tracks.
Putting up Hesco sucks, but a Skid steer loader doing the work for you seams to make the day go quicker....

Envious · 11-06-2007, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sprjenkins

Were not infantry mate, we have plant for a reason, I haven't dug a hole with my et since butterworth

Well i am, and i havent dug in since iet's. lol. We get you blokes to do that while we do the good stuff. :P

Psycho Chicken · 11-06-2007, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WPN XR6T

Yes I was conducting the Advanced Soldier Cse last year (now Defunct) but only got hold of the T this year, had a Green XH ute before.

Ok I think I'm safe, don't remember any green XHs. Or combat engineers for that matter.

How's the 80 day course compared to the advanced soldier course? It was great to get a bit of slack (or extra rope to hang ourselves with) over those last 5 weeks. I think our sgt was ready to kill someone at the end of the 7 weeks anyway.

WPN XR6T · 11-06-2007, 10:22 PM

80 day Cse is better managed and well spaced out, but 3 months in a room with the same 4 people isn't for everyone.
When you say 80 days, it's actually 92, the first week not counting due to inductions and welfare briefs ect, but 80 training days strait is intensive, for the trainees and the staff. And SGT's do that.
Yes the cse peters out, and it's not that we go any easer on the trainees, it's that they get better at time management, and doing what they are told to do when they are told to do it, and to the required standard.
(The Purpose of Drill is to......)

Psycho Chicken · 11-06-2007, 10:49 PM

I certainly noticed it being better managed the second time round. I was one of the last platoons to do RATEL and nav in the 45 day cse and we didn't have enough spare time to scratch our *****. Only seemed logical to go to a longer course.

Take it easy, I know hard it is on the RIs. At least once it's over for the recruits it's over, can only imagine how hard it'd be to go back to teaching the same stuff and dealing with the same problems every 3 months. Especially teaching drill!

mcnews · 12-06-2007, 08:31 AM

Air Force = Holiday Camp, this is the force to join if you want a 9-5 job and don't want to work too hard.

Navy = Slack when ashore but nightmare at sea on a warship, average 16 hour days at sea and that is broken up so you never get a decent sleep. Best money though. Lots of travel.

Army = Most variation in job roles, probably the best for gearing up for a decent trade in civilian life.

Vdouw · 12-06-2007, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savagE

I'm joining as Rifleman, done assessment. Just got to get my enlistment date for around mid February 2008.

Wat on earth! you must be going ARA as us dirty chocos (yes i know i should be at my unit and not here tonight) are getting flooded with lil jubes who just rock up on the next tues night after they have done all the jose days and crap. But yea choccos do all their own recruiting now.

Vdouw · 12-06-2007, 07:31 PM

Yea us filthy chocs have been hard done by with iets all in-unit and that pathetic 4 weeks holiday camp. wat a woftam! Mind you there is that many people joining some units in certian corps are doing their own ARA IET's

savagE · 12-06-2007, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vdouw

Wat on earth! you must be going ARA as us dirty chocos (yes i know i should be at my unit and not here tonight) are getting flooded with lil jubes who just rock up on the next tues night after they have done all the jose days and crap. But yea choccos do all their own recruiting now.

I planned ahead for mid February as this is when I want to go, I am in yr 12 at the moment and I want the summer to do up my XE.
And yeah, ARA.

WPN XR6T · 13-06-2007, 02:53 PM

The Army is trying to grow, and the amount of people being pumped through ARTC is such that some IET schools are required to depend on Units to pick up the slack.

The up side of this is that the units are responsable for the quality of there soldiers, and can customise training packages to suit their needs.

"Jubes" or junior soldiers play an important part in how soldiering is conducted at all levels. It is the duty of more senior soldiers to take responsability and guide junior soldiers in their respective rolls within the unit, as this is how GOOD NCO's are grown.

Planning ahead prior to inlisting and comming to ARTC is vitally important, espeically for GRES with private businesses and pending job applications, as the amout of free time (Admin time) availible to you is VERY limited.
For ARA, plan ahead for about 6 months (for most Combat Corps) as you will go strait from ARTC to IET's, and depending on things like failures/injury at ARTC and Cse start dates for IET's, it may be some time before you get to see your loved ones (be it maternal or mechanical) for a significant amout of time.

savagE · 13-06-2007, 05:40 PM

Yeah you don't say. My mate just recently passed out of Kapooka and said his friends who were going in as Rifleman were going to Singleton for 1 week, then did rest of IET at Darwin and shipped straight off to Afghanistan.

Ray · 13-06-2007, 08:38 PM

I'd been debating on joining the army for the last few year, but i'd finally had enough of my crappy woolworths job So I decided to Sign up as a rifleman in the regular army... applied in January and went through all the interviews etc fairly quick..

I'm off to kapooka on the 25th of this month. I'm nervous... yes, But excited as all hell too!

sprjenkins · 13-06-2007, 10:14 PM

i'm going of to do sub 1 on the 23rd of june, gonna have to change my username soon.