Hi all, this is my first thread so go easy on me...

As an aspiring RMAS cadet from a comprehensive school, I'm wondering why kids from private schools want to be in the army? I mean private school kids grow up in luxurious million pound homes and have every comfort they could wish for. Why then do they bother joining the hardship that is the army? I saw on the Sandhurst programme that cadets at RMAS have to clean floors and things and I cannot imagine many Etonians doing that! After that fun, then there's Afghan! I guess I'm wondering why people who could have any job they want (banker/lawyer etc) choose such a hard life when they're not used to it!

Did you notice guys at RMAS who find the culture shock of hard graft too much because of their background?
Or am I setting too much store by background?

Bcause their families have been doing it for hundreds of years.

Hows the fishing?

What staggin says. It seems to be a family tradition, amongst the well-to-do, for a son to go off with the Army for some time.

Of course times have changed. Back in history the higher up the social ladder you were, the better off you were with rank. This spawned many the incompetent commander. Now the silver-tongue must mingle with 'commoners'.

Not all privately educated officers are rich.

Rich is relative , if you live on some nasty council estate.

Originally Posted by otc wannabe

Not all privately educated officers are rich.

Surely by definition they are...how can you not be rich if your parents have to pay fees of like well over 10k a year?!

I think you are asking two separate sets of questions here?

a. are private/public school applicants very different from Comp applicants in their motives?

b. why would anyone want to take on the profession of arms, with its particular hardships, compared to any other occupation?

On the first:

1. many "private schools" are used by parents, who don't have that background you seem to indicate, but choose instead to spend money they have grafted for for that purpose.

2. how many of your fellow comp students have those experiences of mucking in with the work of a family and home, or getting out to work voluntarily with people in worse situations than themselves, or indeed these days or "real hardship"? I suggest no more and no less than any family of high income - that is down to parenting style, not school, class or money.

3. I think there is still a small core of entry by habit, as the family just do that, but I suspect this is declining.


On the second:

1. Why does anyone take it on? Perhaps they simply want to be soldiers? Using your own arguments on those you see as privileged, why especially would that group do anything at all? ?

2. Why would a comp student who goes on to get a first or a 2.1 Hons degree go to Sandhurst? They could choose a host of other easier occupations? But they do.

3. Something they see as challenging?



There is, and I think this applies across the board, and to both questions, and though maybe with more choice in occupation available to guys who don't have to get out and earn a living quickly, an element of guys who wish "to serve" in the respect of doing something for their nation.

From my experience, a lot of public school boys are quite bored with the routine they fall into so easily, especially if they are not one of academic high-fliers. Then the excitement, sense of adventure and leadership the Army offers is really quite attractive. And some people like a challenge in life, rather than the easy option of a city financier.

The people who had the least culture shock on my basic were the lads who had wandered in straight from boarding school. It was just boarding school with polish and without buggery, as far as they were concerned. On the other hand, some lads with decent post-grad degrees banged out quickly having found being treated as vermin unconscionable.