Thread: Everything You Wanted to Know About Joining the RE

Over the past few years there have been a shed load of threads all asking the same basic questions about careers in the Royal Engineers. If you're reading this, hopefully you won't have to post one of your own...

Contents

1) Trades and Training
2) RE Regular Units (and Postings)
3) 'What Will I Be Doing As A....'
4) Paras, Commandos, EOD and Other Gucci Stuff
5) Corps Culture
6) Civvie Strasse
7) Further Information

1) Trades and Training

As a teenage (or any other age) scrote, knocking on the door of the recruiting office and looking to join the Royal Engineers, a wide range of jobs are available to you. Your BARB score (i.e how well you do during the initial computer-based test) will determine which trades the Corps will consider you capable of training for. Take note: you can have so many GCSEs they're bleeding out of your arrse, but fcuk this one up and you could well be sorely disappointed at the trades you're offered.

Everyone in the RE is trained as a combat engineer as well as tradesman of one sort or another. This is inescapable and if you don't fancy it, try the REME or the RAF instead. I'll cover what combat engineering involves in more depth later on.

Your second trade can be any one of the following: Electrician (Sparky), Equipment Mechanic (Fitter), Plant Operator Mechanic (POM / Planty), Bricklayer and Concreter (Brickie), Building and Structural Finisher, Carpenter and Joiner (Chippy), Fabricator, Construction Materials Technician (CMT), Design Draughtsman, Draughtsman Electrical and Mechanical (E&M), Geographic Technician (Geo Tech), Armoured Engineer, Resources Specialist (Res Spec), Heating and Plumbing Engineer (Plumber), Fitter Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC), Driver, Communications (Signaller), Survey Engineer (Surveyor).

Points to note: The names in brackets in the list above are what the trades are commonly refered to as - don't go into the ACIO and say that you want to be a 'plant operator mechanic brackets POM stroke planty'. The official names of trades are changed all the time by strange people with nothing better to do who inhabit a world that you won't see until your hair is falling out and you're dragging the kids around Tescos. This is primarily to keep the P&Fs (sorry, Building and Structural Finishers) happy, ensuring they get their regular hit of solvent fumes whilst knocking up workshop signs. The old signs - which cost untold hundreds in materials and labour - are then dumped into skips or appear as decorations in bars or in the downstairs sh1tters of strange ex-SNCOs who can't let go.

You will do your basic training at either the Army Training Regiment (ATR) Lichfield (if you are over 17 and a bit) or the Army Foundation College (AFC) Harrogate if you are still in nappies. At Lichfield (or possibly another ATR) you will follow the same basic 14-week course as any other non-infantry recruit to the army. Information of this course is available in abundance on the Joining Up (Regular) board, as is info on the 42-week course at Harrogate. You will learn the same military skills as adult recruits with extra education, leadership and life skills thrown in, all supervised by people who basically like to hang around small boys. Neither course is rocket science but top-tips include showing enthusiasm, getting as fit as possible in advance and keeping your gob shut about wanting to be in the SAS in the future. No prior knowledge of military subjects whatsoever is required (including cadets) and can even be a positive disadvantage. Oh, and any instructor under the age of about 40 who tries to large it with horror stories about how they used to get regularly filled-in in training in their day is talking sh1t.

Combat Engineer training takes place at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Minley, Surrey. Located quite close to the towns of Aldershot and Camberley, you will be trained and accommodated in Gibraltar Barracks (universally known as 'Gib'). There are a shed load of different modules covered, some of which are easier and / or more enjoyable than others. These include demolitions (blowing stuff up), mine-warfare (trying to ensure that things don't blow up), watermanship (dicking around in boats), bridging, airfields and roads, water supply, field fortifications etc etc etc. Best to take things as they come. Like trades, the names of these modules also frequently change and some people will tell you that field forts are now known as something like 'HZFFG'. Ignore such people. You will get wet, tired and muddy and PT will be harder than in Phase 1 training. Again, if that doesn't appeal, see the advice to join the RAF above.

Trade training for most trades takes place at the Royal School of Military Engineering in Chatham, Kent. The exceptions being Geo Techs who train at Hermitage, Armoured Engineers at Bovington, Res Specs at Pirbright, Drivers at Leconfield and Signallers who get to hang around Minley for a bit longer. If your trade needs a C+E licence (or you are lucky enough to have a slack 10 weeks on your hands), you will also do some training at Leconfield - where assorted civvies and loggies will make you wish that you'd married your childhood sweetheart and took that job with HSBC. Trade course lengths vary - ask your recruiter or, alternatively, don't worry about it, you'll be getting paid after all. As for Chatham itself, it is the place that Sappers love and hate in equal measure. The barracks is one of the oldest still in use and that gives in an ambience all of it's own. The social life is great and the local wildlife really needs to be seen to be believed. It could quite possibly be one of the times in your career that you look back on most affectionately - God help us all. These things change depending on who's in charge at any particular time but Chatham tends to be a bit more laid-back than Minley. Just don't shoot the Adjutant's wife with an air rifle and if you prefer boys to girls, The Ship in Rochester is the place for you. London is less than an hour on the train from Chatham and if you don't spend a whole month's wages in Soho while you're there, you really haven't lived.

2) RE Regular Units (and Postings)

The Corps is sub-divided into Regiments, which are further divided into Squadrons and then Troops. The RE being a large and diverse organisation, there are various weird and wonderful other units, most of which are employed doing things that would make an ordinary Sapper's brains bubble out through his nose. But for your first posting, it is almost a given that you will be sent to a Regiment, of which there are 14; 10 based in England, 3 in Germany and 1 in Northern Ireland. There is also an independent Support Squadron based in Cyprus. Numbers vary but Regiments generally have about 600 blokes, Squadrons 100+ and Troops 30(ish). You could end up in:

21 Engineer Regiment - Based in Ripon, North Yorkshire. Consists of an HQ Squadron and 3 Armoured Engineer Squadrons.

22 Engineer Regiment - Based near Tidworth, Wiltshire. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 3 Armoured Engineer Squadrons.

23 Engineer Regiment - Based near Woodbridge, Suffolk. Supports 16 Air Assault Brigade and consists of an HQ Squadron, 2 Parachute Squadrons and a Field Support Squadron.

24 Commando Engineer Regiment - Based in Chivenor, Devon. Supports 3 Commando Brigade and consits of an HQ and Support Squadron and 2 Commando Squadrons (plus another from the TA).

25 Engineer Regiment - Based in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. Employed in the Air Support role. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 2 Air Support Field Squadrons. (Don't get too excited - 'air support' basically means filling in holes on runways).

26 Engineer Regiment - Based near Tidworth, Wiltshire. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 3 Armoured Engineer Squadrons.

28 Engineer Regiment - Based in Hameln, Germany (of Pied Piper fame). A large regiment that includes the RE's amphibious capability. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron, an Amphibious Engineer Squadron, a Field Squadron and 2 Field Support Squadrons. Also includes the only TA unit permanently stationed outside the UK.

32 Engineer Regiment - Based in Hohne, Germany (near Belsen concentration camp). Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 3 Armoured Engineer Squadrons.

33 Engineer Regiment - Based in Wimbish, Essex, 33 is the RE's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment (Bomb Disposal in common parlance). Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 5 EOD Field Squadrons - 1 of which is based with 23 in Woodbridge.

35 Engineer Regiment - Based in Paderborn, Germany. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 3 Armoured Engineer Squadrons - 1 of which may or may not still be the black hole into which the Corp's many and varied criminals are poured.

36 Engineer Regiment - Based in Maidstone, Kent. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron, a Field Squadron and 2 Gurkha Squadrons. Nice if you like boney curry and ritual goat abuse.

38 Engineer Regiment - Based in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron, 2 Field Squadrons and a Field Support Squadron.

39 Engineer Regiment - Based in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire. Employed in the Air Support role. Consists of an HQ and Support Squadron and 2 Field Squadrons, 1 of which is based with the crabs (RAF) at Leeming.

42 Engineer Regiment - the Corp's geographic geeks. Based in Hermitage, Berkshire. Consists of a Geographic Support Squadron and 2 Geographic Squadrons, 1 of which is based in mun...monch...monchen...somewhere in Germany.

62 (Cyprus Support Squadron) - Based in Dhekelia, Cyprus. Chances of going there as a first posting? Less than your scrawny arrse can calculate.

Regiments tend to be located in one place for considerable periods of time - barring operational tours and exercises of course. In general, 'normal' regiments will usually deploy together as a Regiment or as individual Squadrons. Specialist regiments (EOD, Geographic etc) virtually never deploy in their entirety, instead deploying Squadrons, Troops or composite groups.

You will submit a Posting Preference towards the end of training and every few years after that. Do not, under any circumstances, believe that what you put down will be reflected in where you are actually sent. A top tip is not to be too specific - instead of writing down a particular regiment, put down an area (Southern England, Northern England, Germany, Northern Ireland or Cyprus). This will maximise your chances of at least being in the general area of where you want to be. Another top tip is not to be too concerned about where your first posting is - it's all much of a muchness at your level and the chances are that you'll go on ops no matter where you end up. Another top tip is when compiling a list of Units on Arrse, just say 'every regiment has an HQ & Support Squadron' rather than typing the phrase out 14 fcuking times.

3) 'What Will I Be Doing As A....'

As I said before, the Corps is a large and diverse place and over the course of your career you could find yourself employed doing almost anything. Most people, however, spend the majority of their time in a Regiment so it's worth explaining a little bit about how they are organised and operate.

First of all, Commanding Officers (COs) have a certain amount of discretion in how they run their Regiment and as they change around every few years, so will the unit. This means that there are always quite significant differences in Regiments that may on paper appear to be similar (i.e 21 and 35). The Officer Commanding (OC) of a Squadron will also have different ideas about how they want to play with their train-set, so Squadrons also differ from one another in how they are organised - even within the same Regiment. Confused? Get used to it - nothing is ever simple in the Royal Engineers.

Each Regiment is run by an RHQ (Regimental Headquarters), that is made up of such delightful characters as the CO (a Lieutenant Colonel, but to you, God), the RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major, to you as a simple Sapper, somewhere above God) and their assorted lackeys. The place to go to arrse-kiss if your eyes are sufficiently azure-blue, the place to avoid like the fcuking plague if you are an ordinary joe. There will be a number of Squadrons, of which there are three main types - HQ and Support Squadrons, Field Squadrons of one kind or another and Field Support Squadrons. HQ and Support Squadrons are largely made up of signallers and drivers (at the junior level at least), along with various other capbadges like the AGC, and exist to provide administrative and HQ support to the Regiment. Field Squadrons are the ones who do most of the combat engineering (or whatever the Regiment's specialist role is). Field Support Squadrons are the domain of res specs, planties and others who enjoy logistics, big machinery or both.

No matter what trade you are, you are more likely than not to end up in a Field Squadron for your first posting - be it Armoured, EOD, Parachute, Commando or common and garden. There are 101 ways that Field Squadrons can be organised but generally they will consist of an HQ Element, 3 Field Troops and a Support Troop of some kind or other. Most tradesmen will end up in a Field Troop, where you will be one of 8 or so blokes in a Section, commanded by a Corporal. These will be your closest colleagues for at least the next three years so if you spurn them and sit on your Xbox 24/7, you'll be in for a pretty sh1te time. Signallers could end up either in Squadron HQ as part of a Sigs Wing or dispersed amonst the Troops. Drivers could end up almost anywhere within the Squadron and most planties will be in Support Troop. Be very afraid.

Wherever you go as an artisan tradesman, combat engineering is likely to be your bread-and-butter. Your trade will probably seem like a distant memory within a year and your heart will probably skip a beat when you hear 'Sapper Jones, you're a fabricator, aren't you?'. Be prepared for hard work on tour and exercise but periods of excruciating boredom in camp whilst you oil your 44th shovel and dream of what your mates are doing at Uni. Drivers, signallers, res specs, geo techs and to some extent planties will do their trade a lot more often.

Depending on where your particular unit is located, you could be doing any number of things on an op tour - anything from operating as a member of a High-Risk Search Team, to knocking up a bridge under the noses of the enemy, to repairing an airfield, to supervising local workers on a large camp, whilst they take their 5th prayer / tea / w@nk break that day. You will have absolutely no say over what your unit will end up doing so there is no point whatsoever in worrying about it. And yes, even paras, commando, bomb gods and divers will spend time doing bone things, which brings us neatly on to...

4) Paras, Commandos, EOD and Other Gucci Stuff

Parachute- and commando-trained engineer, diver, amphibious engineer and EOD operator are NOT trades (unless you count the TA, which of course nobody does). If you want to go through hell in order to wear a different coloured hat (and good on you if you do), you can volunteer for parachute or commando training at the end of training or at any other point in your career. If you want to be a diver, you can volunteer for the selection and subsequent course from just about any unit. As for EOD and Ampib, there are specific units that deal with these things (namely, 33 Engineer Regiment and 23 Amphibious Engineer Squadron). If you want to do either, ask for the relevant unit and explain why you want to go there on your posting preference form. Once your there, you'll be trained in the necessary skills and then will be likely to return to the unit again and again throughout your career. It's all about getting your foot in the door, so keep plugging away at trying to get a posting to the relevant unit. If you don't, don't be devasted and throw your toys out of the pram - you'll be amazed how the unlikeliest things can get into your blood. Enjoy whatever it is you end up doing.

A couple of other things to bear in mind on this topic. There's nothing wrong with expressing an interest in doing something 'special' from day one, but keep banging on about and it can severely bite you on the arrse - especially if you want to be a para and end up with a reputation as a fat mong. Mention it as something that you'd be interested in doing then keep your gob shut. No one will be impressed if you start slagging off the rest of the Corps before you've even passed training. Furthermore, while it is true that the RE feeds a relatively large number of soldiers into the SAS, you will guarantee yourself a reputation as a complete numptie if you go on about 'selection' and 'sandy berets' before you've been around the block a few times.

5) Corps Culture

'Bullsh1t' is a forces term that is used to refer to polishing things, parades, room inspections etc. It is safe to say that the RE is one of the least bullsh1ty capbadges in the army and, if you're anything like me, that can only be a good thing. We tend to go in for spit-and-polish to a lesser degree than some other Regiments and Corps, probably because spending your time at the bottom of a hole covered in mud and concrete isn't exactly conducive to looking nice and shiney. Do not take this as a licence to be slack though - try walking past a Warrant Officer of any description looking like a sack of spuds and see how long it takes your ears to stop ringing.

Rivalry - friendly or not - plays a big part in army life and there is a lot of banter between capbadges and even internally within the Corps. Our historical rivals are the Royal Artillery - we were formed from the same organisation and even share a common motto: 'Ubique' (in our case it means 'Everywhere', in theirs 'All over the place'). In the EOD world, there is also more than a little rivalry between the RE and the RLC - whilst they accuse us of making a song and dance about every rusty WW2 bomb that we dig out of the ground, we reply that they only do EOD to give their Corps something sexier to do than stacking blankets. Inside the Corps, different trade groups rib each other mercilessly. Geo techs are geeky, drivers are mongs and combat engineers are referred to a 'squeaks' by POMs and armoured farmers. The common response is to accuse them of being lazy, pie-eating b@stards although, to be fair, they usually fail to see how this is an insult. If you can't handle this kind of p1ss-taking (or p1ss-taking for being a gwar, poof, split-arrse or Welsh), you might want to consider a career in the knitting industry instead.

The Corps is big on sport and there is plenty of opportunity to do pretty much anything you like. We won the FA cup in 1875 (although we gloss over the fact that the team was made up completely of officers). The Corps rugby teams - both league and union - are amongst the best in the army and the RE tent at the annual Army v Navy rugby game at Twickenham is one of the places to be. There are even clubs that cater for obscure things like ballooning so you have no excuse for firing up that Xbox at every opporunity. Unless, instead, you subscribe to the other side of sapper* culture...

Drinking and partying is the pastime of choice for a large proportion of Royal Engineers, especially in places that are reknowned for their social life, like Germany and Chatham. In places where Squadron bars still exist - almost exclusively in Germany - they are not always for the faint-hearted. Whilst some of the stories you'll hear are exaggerated or belong to a by-gone age, you can safely assume that a night out with your sapper muckers won't revolve around a few glasses of wine in a classy bar. The Corps breeds lunatics like Denmark breeds paedophiles so the chances are that you'll have a few 'interesting' tales to tell after a few years of determined liver abuse.

That said - don't be put off if you're a bit of a shrinking violet or a quiter type of bloke. The Corps contains all sorts of people and you'll no doubt find a few friends who enjoy the same kind of things as you do. You big girl's bra.

Finally, our officers tend to be fairly down to earth blokes, with a high proportion of technical graduates who know their stuff. A lot of the Senior NCO (Sergeant and above) courses are also very challenging so you don't get many numpties amongst them either. I said 'many'...

*NB While 'Sapper' is the most junior rank in the Corps - equivalent to Private - Royal Engineers are frequently referred to as 'sappers', no matter what rank they hold. Even a General will find no insult in being called a sapper. Probably best that you don't actually call him 'Sapper Bollington-Smythe' though...

6) Civvie Strasse

One of the most common things you hear - from serving sappers, potential recruits and parents - is that they find the RE attractive because of the chance to get a trade that will stand them in good stead when they leave and go back to the civvie world. Whilst this can be true, don't just join the RE because you are worried about the future. If you want to be an infantryman, a tankie or laundry operator, go and do that instead and you'll be a happy old man one day. Join the Corps because you want to. Combat engineering forms the core of our existence and gives the RE a distinctive flavour (mostly beer and kebab) that sets us apart from other engineering organisations in the forces. Put simply, if you don't think you could cut it on a building site, don't join the RE.

Another thing to bear in mind is that some trades you won't touch from one year to the next and this can be a major disadvantage if you want to practice said trade on civvie street. With a bit of work, this should not put you off but it's something that's worth bearing in mind.

Finally, even if you prove to be a complete fcukwit, a billy no-mates or someone who seems to miss out on everything, the army has a funny way of forcing rose-tinted specs on your nose once you're out. Join, even if only for 4 years, and you'll dine out on the experience for the rest of your life.

7) Further Information

There is an RE page on the army website that contains quite a bit of useful info. Go to http://army.mod.uk/royalengineers/engineers.aspx and Bob's your uncle. Stick 'Royal Engineers' into goodle or wikipedia and you'll also find a lot of good stuff. Click through the pages on the Sappers and Joining Up boards of ARRSE and you'll find more advice than you could shake a sh1tty stick at. Alternatively, feel free to PM me, especially if you are cute, male and preferably under 21. I'll do my best to help or point you in the direction of someone on Arrse who can.

I think that just about cover's everything, very good post for potential Sappers to read.

Originally Posted by A_Knocker_Till_The_End

quality post wedge. :D
did you forget the cone-heids at chilwell on purpose????

Good point, Knocker. So, for any potential Sapper who wants to know about Chilwell:

In addition to the Regiments listed above, there is also an organisation called 170 (Infrastructure Support) Group, who are based in Chilwell, Notts and who get up to things that are vitally important to the army but a complete mystery to your average Sapper. Organised into Specialist Teams Royal Engineers (STREs), rather than Squadrons, they deal with technical areas of engineering like fuels, water development and reaching level 876 on Tetris. You could go there as a first posting but it is much, much less likely than being sent to a Regiment. Most of the STREs share a barracks with the Reserves Mobilisation and Training Centre (RTMC), which is responsible for processing TA soldiers and confused, out-of-shape ex-regulars who have been called up for full-time service. The barracks also has the worst cookhouse this side of Romania and, consequently, just over the road, the busiest Tesco cafe in Europe.

Wow, good post Wedge. Are you employed as the new Corps Secretary, or conversly, unemployed and spending too much time alone with your lappie and Corps Memoranda?

Originally Posted by wedge35

Most of the STREs share a barracks with the Reserves Mobilisation and Training Centre (RTMC), which is responsible for processing TA soldiers and confused, out-of-shape ex-regulars who have been called up for full-time service. The barracks also has the worst cookhouse this side of Romania and, consequently, just over the road, the busiest Tesco cafe in Europe.

Sadly, the Tesco cafe converted to a Starbucks a couple of years ago, so it's a case of PAYD, Tesco sarnie or starve...


Just to clarify for the uninitiated, the Construction Materials Technician trade is correctly abbreviated to Cons Mat Tech. Go to the ACIO and ask to be a CMT and it's unlikely that you'll be pushed towards RE because the recruiter (unless he's a Sapper) will think you want to be a Combat Medical Technician. It's a common error throughout the Corps, even appearing on the recruiting web pages! (e.g. http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/jobs/Page...E300&category= )

Well done pal! Best piece of info I ever read about joining the RE.

I was told that the Hermitage is closing this year and 42 Regiment are moving elsewhere (up north?).

I am a little out of the loop and I am sure that someone can confirm or correct this

Wedge

One you missed off is that 101 is now at Wimbish along with 33 and is now a regular Regiment and not TA.

Stilly

Some of the stuff you should be looking at is as follows; Ohm’s law, Lenz’s law, laws of Indices, transposition of formula, series and parallel resistance, mutual and self inductance and a small amount of trigonometry will assist you on your way but is not every thing. The first 2 weeks out of the 6 are spent with the Maths Dept to brush up on your maths skills before heading back to the Electrical Dept to go into more depth on the Electrical matter. The instructors will teach you what you need to know, you just need to learn it, revise it, practice it and remember it for the exams.
There are several progression tests throughout the course with 3 major ones that establish if you have retained the knowledge required for the course. The pass mark is an average of 60% across the 3 major exams and you will earn yourself a place on the Class 2 Electrical Course. There is a place on a course for every person that makes the grade. If the pass rates are good it may mean that a couple of students may have to wait about 6 weeks prior to starting their course.
The assessment is testing and you will need to apply yourself in the evenings to ensure that you have grasped all the information. If you have only done the foundation level of maths you will be up against it as some of the information will be totally new to you (not impossible if you work hard) whereas if you have done the higher level you should already have the underpinning knowledge.
Top tip is to commit yourself to the course and if at any time you do not understand ask the instructor he is there to assist and help you. The course is designed to pass you not fail you.
I hope that this has inspired you because if you are having second thought you need to speak to the PSO at Minley to change your trade before its too late.

Here are a couple of books you could have a look at as revision. No need to buy them all 1 would probably do for starters.

1. Scaddon - Electrical Installation Work ISBN 978-0-7506-87331-1
2. Whitfield - Electrical Craft Priciples Volume 1 ISBN 978-0-86341-932-4
3 Whitfield - Electrical Craft Priciples Volume 2 ISBN 978-0-86341-933-1

You do have time to yourself in the evenings, so if you have not quite got it in the classroom you can revise it in the evening.
Best of luck on the pre-course work and hope you make the grade.

Hi guys, where would a Royal Engineer Driver be likely posted to?

Any Regt

Hi, whats the score on joining the RE having completed a civvy 3 yr apprenticeship as Chippy/Joiner? Would this be immediately recognised as a trade or would RE trade-training still have to be completed?

thx

most civ div trades are recognised within The Corps Alee, most blokes i knew with qualifications had to attend an assessment of their trade skill at Brompton & then were given a level A2/A1 status dependant on their ability.

i just wanted ask a question about the Posting Preference, can you put down two areas that your interested in being posted like South England/Germany or can you just put down one area?