ARmy Rumour SErvice

**brave-coward** · 20-08-2012, 16:21

Originally Posted by AlienFTM

You might want to ask about Welbeck College. I wanted to go to Welbeck some 40 years ago but my "Careers Teacher" (he was my French teacher and didn't have a Scooby Doo about careers in the army) talked my mother out of it. When I later asked to join as an RAC crewman rather than officer I was branded overqualified and more of my time was wasted before I finally got in.

A friend has spent most of this year working toward helping her son get into Welbeck with a view to an RE commission. Everything still seems to be pretty much as it was in the 70s.

Army pays your way through Sixth Form (in a military environment), work you toward a degree then the payback is that you take a commission. To be honest I didn't pay that much attention to my friend this year. Ask all the questions of your recruiter. Don't believe a word I say (nobody else ever does).

Welbeck is tied to the technical corps (R SIGNALS, RLC, RE, etc.) and Welbeck graduates are expected to commission into one of these. While there are one or two RAC officers who went to Welbeck, these are in the extreme minority and it is only by exception that Welbexians are permitted to join anything other than the aforementioned corps. If the OP wishes to join the RAC, he should steer clear of Welbeck; although a sixth form scholarship, university bursary or university cadetship (if such things still exist) should definitely be considered.

**Wildstabinthedark** · 20-08-2012, 16:30

And just to add to BC's piece, a technical degree will be of no real benefit to you in the RAC anyway. If you find yourself looking good for a high end tech job later in your career, the Army will put you on a MSc anyway (BTC).

Grow your hair and go and have fun a t a decent civi uni. Plenty of time for the Army lifestyle once you commission.

**armour19** · 20-08-2012, 19:09

Been doing some more research, and after speaking to ACA, I'm interested in FR (or whatever its called nowadays) regiments. The QRL particularly appeals, but as we all know they're getting amalgamated. 2020 seems to be the final date, but it it worthwhile having an interest in the QRL?

**Wildstabinthedark** · 20-08-2012, 20:19

The QRL are a good bunch. If you have time, wait until the new regimental roles have firmed up. As BC mentions, some of the units will be losing their armour and going onto Jackel. My advice is to make sure you go for a unit that is in the Reactive forces not the Adaptive forces (the 2 groups that units will be split into after 2020).

All of the planning I've been involved in so far has pointed to the Reactive doing the usual early mentoring or intervention overseas army stuff and the Adaptive picking up all the Op Olympics/ fireman strikes etc. They will do some routine deployments, but since they will be 30% TA (Reactive will be 10%) it will be a slower space. I'm sure some people will disagree with me on this though!

**armour19** · 20-08-2012, 20:56

Originally Posted by Wildstabinthedark

The QRL are a good bunch. If you have time, wait until the new regimental roles have firmed up. As BC mentions, some of the units will be losing their armour and going onto Jackel. My advice is to make sure you go for a unit that is in the Reactive forces not the Adaptive forces (the 2 groups that units will be split into after 2020).

All of the planning I've been involved in so far has pointed to the Reactive doing the usual early mentoring or intervention overseas army stuff and the Adaptive picking up all the Op Olympics/ fireman strikes etc. They will do some routine deployments, but since they will be 30% TA (Reactive will be 10%) it will be a slower space. I'm sure some people will disagree with me on this though!

Ideally, I want to work on armoured vehicles- 'tanks' of some sort, be it Challenger of CVR(T). Not too keen on Jackal etc- may as well join the infantry. Post 2020, does anybody know which regiments will be equipped with what, and which ones will be Reactive/Adaptive, or is it just pure speculation at present?

**Wildstabinthedark** · 20-08-2012, 21:05

Lots of outline plans at the mo for role and location but things change quickly. Give it a while and things should firm up by the end of he year.

**aghart** · 20-08-2012, 21:06

Nothing is confirmed, but 2 RTR and KRH are at Tidworth on CR2 and what is known for sure is that MBT regiments will be concentrated on Salisbury Plain, so it is very unlikely that either of these two will lose Challenger II. Lastest betting is that QRH will be the third MBT regiment when they return from Germany.

**Wildstabinthedark** · 20-08-2012, 21:11

Originally Posted by aghart

Nothing is confirmed, but the RTR and KRH are at Tidworth on CR2 and what is confirmed is that MBT regiments will be concentrated on Salisbury Plain, so it is very unlikely that either of these two will lose Challenger II. Lastest betting is that QRH will be the third MBT regiment when they return from Germany.

Fixed that for you. The other 99% certainty is that the QDG will go to Jackel and be based (oddly considering) in Scotland.

**brave-coward** · 20-08-2012, 21:30

Originally Posted by armour19

Ideally, I want to work on armoured vehicles- 'tanks' of some sort, be it Challenger of CVR(T). Not too keen on Jackal etc- may as well join the infantry. Post 2020, does anybody know which regiments will be equipped with what, and which ones will be Reactive/Adaptive, or is it just pure speculation at present?

As I said, watch this space for which regiments get which roles. While there are some rumours going around, some of which are probably pretty close to the truth, no one knows 100% at the moment and given that you have plenty of time you might as well wait at the moment. If you are indeed interested in a cross section of the RAC roles, you should definitely get yourself onto on of the RAC PO visits at Bovington that I mentioned earlier. These really are excellent opportunities not just to learn what the different regiments do, but also to meet some serving young officers, to find out which regiments are likely to have spaces in your projected year of commissioning and to discover which regiments you might best be suited to.

I would echo the advice above in that if I were joining now, I would err away from any regiments in the adaptive force; unless that is the officer career structure changes so that officers move between the two forces. Being an officer in an organisation, 30% of which is part time is never going to be as satisfying as working as part of a near 100% professional force.

You may also wish to look at where the regiments will be based (if you have a preference to where you want to live). Like the future roles, there is much rumour and hearsay, but little known fact. So once again watch this space. Broadly speaking the choices will be the Salisbury Plain area for most of the reactive forces and elsewhere (including Scotland) for the adaptive forces.

**armour19** · 21-08-2012, 09:18

After speaking to an ACA on the phone, I have decided to go into my local careers office later today. It says on the webpage that dress isn't important, but is this a loose guide, and is it more important for potential officers?