Advice Needed Re: Route to take

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!

 

It's going to take months to get in as a trooper anyway, so i'd say go RMAS and in the meantime get your knee checked over by a doctor and signed off before any medical forms are filled in (will save a vast amount of hassle and time).

 

knee has been checked and signed off so thats no worry - if i pass phase 1 hac il be a trooper apparently!

 

But you will be TA and correct me if i'm wrong won't it be a pain and a waste of time to transfer to RMAS? Might aswell go RMAS straight away and then sign off if you don't like it or even ask if there is an Officer equiv of look at life course? did you not go OTC while at uni?

 

no didnt do the otc - went to sign up to it on my freshers week, had a chat with them and they said it isnt important if you join them or not to go on to be an officer and being as i was already committed to the rugby club and being in a band at uni decided id use the rest of my time to study then do the army thing afterwards.

Yeah, ok see what you mean, yeah may be a waste of time transferring over - is it easy to do though?

 

I have no idea other than the odd thread on here that i have read but from what i have read they are not going to be impressed to be used as a springboard to RMAS after a few months, also don't forget it takes time to train for the TA especially if you went officer route. If i'd have graduated when i was at uni i'd deffo be thinking about going Sandhurst right now but alas. Fair cop on the OTC i did the exact same thing but with Hockey.

 

indeed, although I have a friend in the rockapes who is trying to convince me to join them as an officer apparently they are desperate for them!

 

Yeah but then you would be in the RAF, so swings and roundabouts. If you want to go RAF regiment you might aswell go for a Commission in the infantry.

 

lol yeah and not sure brylcreem suits me

 

I dont think going the squaddie route is an option as it now takes approx 12 months to start basic from your first interview with demand being so high and intakes so few.

If you are so sure that you want to join the army then why do you need the TA training to confirm this,if you are worried of being soaked through then maybe its not the job for you. I suggest just keeping it simple and get to Westbury asap.