Hi All
I am in need of some advice regarding the route I take in joining full time.
I was going to join Sandhurst after University (Aged 21 and I have now just turned 25) but a mixture of being young and enticed by city life and dislocating my knee during a game of rugby put an end to that in the short term.
I did the city thing for a couple of years but have decided that now the knee is completely healed - it was a very bad dislocation - and having done the whole city boy thing I do still really want to join the army and to be honest I should have done it 4 years ago!
My Dilemma is as follows I do not know which route is best to take to go full time.
Firstly I need to get back in to shape - I have been physing like mad the last few months - I need to shed the pounds i put on whilst not being able to train but another few months and that will be done.
I was planning on doing the HAC selection and then once I passed that I would be a great level of fitness and from there probably sandhurst and the officer route.
However, selection is being postponed until September so im stuck sitting around twiddling my thumbs between now and then. Basically after messing about for the past 4 years I just want to get cracking on ASAP.
The reason I was going to do the HAC thing before going full time is that its a lot of field time so I would get a first hand look at being soaked through in brecon and know if I do actually want to spend the next 5-10-20 years doing it day in and day out!
With this being pushed back another 6 months im looking at not finishing there selection until im 26 and obviously im wasting another year not to mention Sandhurst adds another year on to that!
So I was wondering what I should do? I have it down to a few different Scenarios:
1) Tought it out wait another 6 months - do HAC Phase 1 get first hand experience then apply to Sandhurst as fitness will be bang up there with a years training behind me
2) Just say the hell with it apply to go the squaddie route and get cracking ASAP and have some lovely PTI's beast me in to shape in a couple of months
3) Hang around do HAC phase 1 and then join 47/3 as a Trooper
If I do decide to the the non-commissioned route am I able to switch over and go to Sandhurst after basic -I meet all the academic requirements? Also - probably a silly question - but if I do go straight in without previous TA experience - is there a period where I can walk away if i decide it isnt for me within the first few weeks - or once i start basic is that it minimum of 3 years, like it or lump it?
Thanks guys and apologies for the essay!
I am in need of some advice regarding the route I take in joining full time.
I was going to join Sandhurst after University (Aged 21 and I have now just turned 25) but a mixture of being young and enticed by city life and dislocating my knee during a game of rugby put an end to that in the short term.
I did the city thing for a couple of years but have decided that now the knee is completely healed - it was a very bad dislocation - and having done the whole city boy thing I do still really want to join the army and to be honest I should have done it 4 years ago!
My Dilemma is as follows I do not know which route is best to take to go full time.
Firstly I need to get back in to shape - I have been physing like mad the last few months - I need to shed the pounds i put on whilst not being able to train but another few months and that will be done.
I was planning on doing the HAC selection and then once I passed that I would be a great level of fitness and from there probably sandhurst and the officer route.
However, selection is being postponed until September so im stuck sitting around twiddling my thumbs between now and then. Basically after messing about for the past 4 years I just want to get cracking on ASAP.
The reason I was going to do the HAC thing before going full time is that its a lot of field time so I would get a first hand look at being soaked through in brecon and know if I do actually want to spend the next 5-10-20 years doing it day in and day out!
With this being pushed back another 6 months im looking at not finishing there selection until im 26 and obviously im wasting another year not to mention Sandhurst adds another year on to that!
So I was wondering what I should do? I have it down to a few different Scenarios:
1) Tought it out wait another 6 months - do HAC Phase 1 get first hand experience then apply to Sandhurst as fitness will be bang up there with a years training behind me
2) Just say the hell with it apply to go the squaddie route and get cracking ASAP and have some lovely PTI's beast me in to shape in a couple of months
3) Hang around do HAC phase 1 and then join 47/3 as a Trooper
If I do decide to the the non-commissioned route am I able to switch over and go to Sandhurst after basic -I meet all the academic requirements? Also - probably a silly question - but if I do go straight in without previous TA experience - is there a period where I can walk away if i decide it isnt for me within the first few weeks - or once i start basic is that it minimum of 3 years, like it or lump it?
Thanks guys and apologies for the essay!