Thread: Int Corps Recruiting, Familiarisation etc...

Is it actually worth arranging to attend an Int Corps fam. visit? Or will the answer to almost any question be "Errrr.... sorry can't answer that." *???

Well, the answer does tend to be along the lines of
"No, sorry, can't tell you" but there are some advantages......

..... Oh you want to know what they are? Sorry can't tell you!

No, in all seriousness, the Priory's a crackin mess to visit and if there are courses in it's a really good night.

This thread is for anyone who wants serious no bullsh1t, no p1ss-taking advice on recruitment. It strikes me that there are far too many gnarled, warty old operators here (I include myself amongst them) who are too ready to rip the p1ss, rather than help out the timid, doe-like potential recruit.

So this is our chance to be both mature and nice.

Let the mayhem begin...

I've got one with Crabair soon, you think they more or less do the same job?

BTW its for intell officer

Originally Posted by Beechams

I've got one with Crabair soon, you think they more or less do the same job?

BTW its for intell officer

No.

Hello everyone. This is my first post, so please be kind! After being seduced by the Red Arrows & a nice blue uniform, I applied to work in RAF intelligence. I got DV clearance, passed the medical & got the best aptitude test results they'd seen "in a long time". The AFCO then informed me that the trade (Int An (C)) was being put on hold for at least a year.

So, I started looking around at other jobs in the military & discovered that most of the real Int work is done by the Int Corps! I'm on the verge of applying to join, but as a family man, I have a couple of questions about army life. I won't bore you with the usual 'is it difficult' type questions, I've been getting fitter (roughly following the advice on the Paras & RM websites), and I reckon I've got the brains and self discipline for it.

I suppose I'd like to know what army life would be like for all of us (currently me, the better half and a baby daughter). One of the things that attracted us to the RAF is that there appears to be a real community spirit. We're hoping the same would be true of the army. What are married quarters like? It's quite a big step for us, but it's high time I did something worthwhile with my life!

Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

SFA - Firstly, well done for not joining RAF int. A bunch of absolute muppets no mistake. You would have spent your entire time worrying about a very small area whilst insisting you were an essential int asset.

So Army life, well spend a few weeks reading these pages. The degree of cynicism/lack of moral/trust should give you a clue.

Married quarters are generally shite, you have to move every 2 years, and drag the whole family around with you. With the resulting impact on your wife's job and daughters education.

On the positive side, these pages will also give you an insight into the sense of humour/ability to get on with it/team spirit etc etc.

The INT CORPS is set to grow, and is very much in 'vogue' at the moment. Competition is fierce, and we are attracting loads of people trying to transfer from other Regiments and Corps. I think that is testament to what we can offer. i.e. Something very different and interesting.

That being said, you will not be James Bond. First and foremost you must be a soldier and remember that we do not exist for our own sake. To use civvy speak, we are a 'service industry', and we exist for the benfit of others.

Thanks CrapSpy. I've been reading these pages for a while as a guest, and the humour/cynicism/Blackadder-quoting is right up my alley. I'm sure I'll love life in the Int Corps. Do most family people in the Corps live in their own homes off-base then?

The general perception among RAF people seems to be that you get more grief in the army, that there's always someone shouting at you. I'm getting the impression that the Int Corps may be a little better in that respect. I hope so!

That said, I quite fancy having a stab at the more physical side of the army too, earning parachute wings &c. Is there much scope for this, or could I expect to sit in a darkened room for years? If the Corps can offer this plus all the brain work and quicker promotion, it must be the best place to be.

Reading arsse.co.uk, you could easily get the impression that the rest of the army hates the Int Corps. That has to be a good sign - it must be jealousy!

Originally Posted by superfurryanimal

Thanks CrapSpy. I've been reading these pages for a while as a guest, and the humour/cynicism/Blackadder-quoting is right up my alley. I'm sure I'll love life in the Int Corps. Do most family people in the Corps live in their own homes off-base then?

The firm will provide you and your brood with a quarter. Remember you will be required to move every 2 years or so; this makes it difficult for wife to hold down job and daughter to have uninterrupted schooling

The general perception among RAF people seems to be that you get more grief in the army, that there's always someone shouting at you. I'm getting the impression that the Int Corps may be a little better in that respect. I hope so!

You are joing an hierarchial organisation. Someone somewhere will always be telling you what to do.

That said, I quite fancy having a stab at the more physical side of the army too, earning parachute wings &c. Is there much scope for this, or could I expect to sit in a darkened room for years? If the Corps can offer this plus all the brain work and quicker promotion, it must be the best place to be.

Yes but don't become a badge collector. If you want to jump out of planes, join the Paras. If you want to do soemthing less ordinary, which may include darkened rooms. Then join the INT CORPS.

Reading arsse.co.uk, you could easily get the impression that the rest of the army hates the Int Corps. That has to be a good sign - it must be jealousy!

Absolutely right mate.

All right I'm going to bite on this one. I have a fam visit coming in june and was wondering what the brief overview was and anything to avoid e.g. bone questions.

"Do I get an aston martin?"
"Do we get to kill people?"
"Is your mum fat and available?"

edit:- for rushed spelling

You could ask how to spell Aston Martin for a start.

Im new to the site and want to know what darksiders and lightsiders are

Lightsiders is the phrase used to encompass Sy/Int roles whilst Darksiders are the Linguists/Analysts. OP (MI), which has all direct entrants/transferees doing the same Phase 2 trg and then going off to specialise in Lng/Analysis etc has sort of made the phrases irrelevant. Nonetheless, I enjoy throwing it into arguments with "wiggly amp" white-skinned types just to shine them on. Because I'm so nice.

Would anyone be kind enough to outline the positives & negatives of going for OPMI (L)?

I imagine it's not easy to pass the Modern Languages Aptitude Test. With that in mind, are Linguists likely to get faster promotion, more pay, or anything nice like that? I think the careers website suggests that they are likely to reach Sargeant more quickly.

Also, as a Linguist, are you more likely to be a Darksider (working in SIGINT at Chicks &c) for most of your career, or are your skills in demand all over the place?

Oh, one other thing - is Chicksands as nice as it looked on Time Team?!

Originally Posted by superfurryanimal

Would anyone be kind enough to outline the positives & negatives of going for OPMI (L)?

I imagine it's not easy to pass the Modern Languages Aptitude Test. With that in mind, are Linguists likely to get faster promotion, more pay, or anything nice like that? I think the careers website suggests that they are likely to reach Sargeant more quickly.

Also, as a Linguist, are you more likely to be a Darksider (working in SIGINT at Chicks &c) for most of your career, or are your skills in demand all over the place?

Oh, one other thing - is Chicksands as nice as it looked on Time Team?!

It's neither hard nor easy to pass the MLAT. It's a test of aptitude: if you've got it, you've got it; it you haven't, you haven't..