prichardson:
I was in the Para’s and enjoyed my time with the Army.
My cousin joined up in the RAF last year. Life seems very easy and relaxed, but he’s bored, because of the slow pace of work/life.
The Army basic training will be much harder than the RAF, but personally I think the Army is more enjoyable long-term. The RAF may well make for a better career, but I’m hardly the one to speak about careers.
If you want to marry and have children in the next few years, then you’d be better not joining because relationships are not easy and are prone to fail when you are in the forces.
If you are gay, then I think it’s okay these days. Don’t get too excited when the doc tells you to bend over and later proceeds to feel your nuts, unless he comments on how ‘big’ you are and starts rubbing against your old man.
My advice - join the Para’s then go on to selection with the Regiment. Do 10 years, leave and join the circuit or write a book. If you write a book, don’t say anything about the doctor.
Paul.
Haha, cheers for the advice
So neither forces if i join i wont get much driving then becuase they get civvy’s to do it?
What about the Navy?
I’ve worked with bloke served on Submarines, but he still got his HGV’s whilst in the Navy. I suppose he didn’t get a lot of driving, but was used to living in a very confined space.
Joshh - whatever of the forces you do eventually join, make sure you know where the main gate is when you want to leave. In 1967 my mum told me to get out from under her feet and find a job (I was 16 1/2). Signed on in the Navy for 9 years. 34 years later I was a civilian again!
Managed to get my HGV license while I was in though, which was handy as there was not many vacancies for submarine trained logisticians (“underwater blanket stackers” before Giblsa gets there first!)
Saw an awful lot of the world and met lots of great mates, and had some really great times. Pension is not too bad either!!
Tank Transporters are an A trade in the RLC. BUT if that’s what you want to do then you will need to be a civvy and join the agency that supplies the drivers for the Tank Transporters. They are part of a PFI contract. You will need to join the TA so you can go on operations.
Not strictly true. I wasn’t KBR or Fastrax or whatever they call themselves, I joined the regular army as a driver and was selected for tk tptr training. I went to a tk tptr squadron which consisted solely of military personnel. WE maintained them, WE operated them.
The tk tptr trade is dying out in the regs now, with only two operational squadrons remaining.
Joshh:
IED’S that blow the vechicle up then?
Not a pretty sight if you knew the driver…
The lead vehicle was either a mastiff or another g-wagon depending on who we were working with.
The times the mastiff triggered an IED it would barely even make a mark, but when a g-wagon hit one it usually ended up on it’s roof and in about 30 pieces.
Out of the nine times we were hit three people were killed, I knew two of them quite well.
Joshh:
I think i might go in RAF but which gives you most driving?
I’ve got no idea who does the most driving, but I know the RAF are looked after much better.
If I had my time again, knowing what I know now, I’d join the RAF.
Joshh:
IED’S that blow the vechicle up then?
Not a pretty sight if you knew the driver…
The lead vehicle was either a mastiff or another g-wagon depending on who we were working with.
The times the mastiff triggered an IED it would barely even make a mark, but when a g-wagon hit one it usually ended up on it’s roof and in about 30 pieces.
Out of the nine times we were hit three people were killed, I knew two of them quite well.
Joshh:
I think i might go in RAF but which gives you most driving?
I’ve got no idea who does the most driving, but I know the RAF are looked after much better.
If I had my time again, knowing what I know now, I’d join the RAF.
Ahh i see, how many times did you go into places like that where there’s mines or people shooting etc.
Tank Transporters are an A trade in the RLC. BUT if that’s what you want to do then you will need to be a civvy and join the agency that supplies the drivers for the Tank Transporters. They are part of a PFI contract. You will need to join the TA so you can go on operations.
Not strictly true. I wasn’t KBR or Fastrax or whatever they call themselves, I joined the regular army as a driver and was selected for tk tptr training. I went to a tk tptr squadron which consisted solely of military personnel. WE maintained them, WE operated them.
The tk tptr trade is dying out in the regs now, with only two operational squadrons remaining.
Hi mate.
Yes I know there are Regular Tank Transporter Squadrons, 3, 16 and 19 spring to mind. In fact we had a full screw posted to my troop in 7 Sqn about a year before I left, he was a tankie. What I meant was that if you want any sort of driving on a regular basis then your best bet is someone like fastrax. Lets face it how many Oshkosh transporters do you see on the UK roads with regulars driving them? All the plum jobs (like 25 Freight Distribution Sqn at Bicester) have fallen to civillian companies to operate.
EnglishTrucker:
You can have all three. Para, Commando, PTI…
So you can finish up double, triple, quadruple times as thick as you first went in?
Stuff that!!
What a strange beast that would be…
Brain damaged off head-butting lamp posts and drinking other peoples ■■■■…
the size of a house off all the steroids and…
gelled hair, shaved armpits and little white shorts!!!
It seems you know them only to well Chiz■■?
We had 2 Para do our ITD’s for my last Op tour of NI. There was this one DS who had all his ball bag and ■■■■ pierced, and was always getting it out for the girls, they loved it. They were all dressed up as women for a night out on the town (Colchester )on numerous occasions. Once we even had a woman in the NAFFI from the local beauty parlor WAXING all the guys legs, heads etc, if it had hair she was waxing it. They all went out with clumps of hair waxed off and some remaining, Jesus it was so funny.
i would say the RAF mate as you will be treated better and to be blunt, you wont be in so much harms way. (army officers send soldiers to the front line, RAF airmen send officers to the front line).
you will be able to develop a lot more in the RAF as they will push you to get qualifications.his is purely my opinion and you (and your folks) will have to decide.good luck whatever you decide mate
RAF is good, i was in 29 years in transport, but don’t believe the you will not be in harms way line, perhaps the RAF of the past but not now. RAF drivers are linked up with the Army 102 / 103 logs brigade for all major ops. And they are the targets for roadside bombs and snipers in Iraq as much as the other guy in a set of sand coloured combat pyjamas. you WILL do 6 out of every 18 months in a sandy place, be it Afghanistan or Iraq.
Yes I know there are Regular Tank Transporter Squadrons, 3, 16 and 19 spring to mind. In fact we had a full screw posted to my troop in 7 Sqn about a year before I left, he was a tankie. What I meant was that if you want any sort of driving on a regular basis then your best bet is someone like fastrax. Lets face it how many Oshkosh transporters do you see on the UK roads with regulars driving them? All the plum jobs (like 25 Freight Distribution Sqn at Bicester) have fallen to civillian companies to operate.
3 is now a transport squadron, all the tk tptrs have been posted out.
Yep totally agree with you on that one, before 3 changed they were doing virtually nothing as fastrax lived next door so all the taskings went to them.
Yeah, dsda took over the freight, what a cushy number that was, I did the NI freight (NIDS) until dsda took over across there too.
Yes I know there are Regular Tank Transporter Squadrons, 3, 16 and 19 spring to mind. In fact we had a full screw posted to my troop in 7 Sqn about a year before I left, he was a tankie. What I meant was that if you want any sort of driving on a regular basis then your best bet is someone like fastrax. Lets face it how many Oshkosh transporters do you see on the UK roads with regulars driving them? All the plum jobs (like 25 Freight Distribution Sqn at Bicester) have fallen to civillian companies to operate.
3 is now a transport squadron, all the tk tptrs have been posted out.
Yep totally agree with you on that one, before 3 changed they were doing virtually nothing as fastrax lived next door so all the taskings went to them.
Yeah, dsda took over the freight, what a cushy number that was, I did the NI freight (NIDS) until dsda took over across there too.
I did 6 years with 3sqn at sunny Senny. can’t remember a single day of it! turns out I am totally irresponsible and shouldn’t be let loose near a pub.
Yes I know there are Regular Tank Transporter Squadrons, 3, 16 and 19 spring to mind. In fact we had a full screw posted to my troop in 7 Sqn about a year before I left, he was a tankie. What I meant was that if you want any sort of driving on a regular basis then your best bet is someone like fastrax. Lets face it how many Oshkosh transporters do you see on the UK roads with regulars driving them? All the plum jobs (like 25 Freight Distribution Sqn at Bicester) have fallen to civillian companies to operate.
3 is now a transport squadron, all the tk tptrs have been posted out.
Yep totally agree with you on that one, before 3 changed they were doing virtually nothing as fastrax lived next door so all the taskings went to them.
Yeah, dsda took over the freight, what a cushy number that was, I did the NI freight (NIDS) until dsda took over across there too.
I did 6 years with 3sqn at sunny Senny. can’t remember a single day of it! turns out I am totally irresponsible and shouldn’t be let loose near a pub.
I remember going to Senny. Large old place. I was on EX Rhino Replen back in 1997? We were on a massive Ex area and got our DROPS train bogged in the sand. Some Germans driving a FO big tank turned up and towed us out of the sand with the straight bar. The wheels weren’t even turning on the DROPS, but this tank was pulling it no probs, 55 ton dead weight.
The German tank commander was blonde and a typical Wehrmacht soldier. Nice bunch of guys and it saved us being crated by the REME wrecker crew. By the way we were sent up there by an Officer, despite us telling him it wouldn’t make it.
Having done 22 years in the RLC, I would say it depends what you want out of life.
If it’s an easy life you’re after then it’s the RAF all the way. However because the RAF can now serve until they are 55 promotion is becoming really slow.
However if you’re prepared to take the rough with the smooth, the good times with the bad times and have a chance of promotion then it’s the army.
If you’re overly worried about going on operations then I’m afraid to say you are making the wrong career choice. Some of the best times I’ve (and I sure other posters will back me up on this) had in the Army have been on operations.
The navy will give you hardly any opportunity to drive wagons. If you are lucky and end up on an FSU (Forward Support Unit) you may get to drive them but at the moment pretty unlikely as most work is now done out in the gulf region supporting the small ships. Or if you end up on a squadron you might be given your licence but will do very little driving yet again. Approx 98% of the driving in the navy is done by Civilians (DSDA and BVT Logistics) and you wont get the experience.
It is ok for travel and seeing the world, well the sandy parts of the world. I have enjoyed my time in the navy but if you want to spend a bit of time with your family don’t join the navy. Between 2000 and 2003 the longest period I spent at home in one go was 3 weeks. That isn’t very good for a home life. Admittedly we were away for 7 months 3 times in that time but it is beside the point. I have seen most countries in the world from Finland and Sweden to Singapore and a lot of the Far East (Vietnam, Japan and Malaysia) and all the countries in between. but I would not recommend it.
I suppose he didn’t get a lot of driving, but was used to living in a very confined space. 
What I meant was that if you want any sort of driving on a regular basis then your best bet is someone like fastrax. Lets face it how many Oshkosh transporters do you see on the UK roads with regulars driving them? All the plum jobs (like 25 Freight Distribution Sqn at Bicester) have fallen to civillian companies to operate.
)on numerous occasions. Once we even had a woman in the NAFFI from the local beauty parlor WAXING all the guys legs, heads etc, if it had hair she was waxing it. They all went out with clumps of hair waxed off and some remaining, Jesus it was so funny.
