People wanting to join the Army as a Junior Soldier...

[Meadsy4742]

This is mainly for the people wanting to join the British Army as a Junior Soldier (16-17)

I joined the Army in January 2006, so most of what I say is pretty up-to-date. I did my Phase 1 training at the Army Foundation College Harrogate, most will see it as AFC (H). It is a very hi-tech place, and everything is top notch, but they expect alot from just a young person, I wouldn't say the course is very hard at all, it's a whole year with 10 weeks paid leave! The Physical Training is abismal and needs to be made harder, but they aren't aloud to make it harder due to the fact the students are too young! Now for me, I found this quite distressing, soldiers need to be physically trained until they are fighting fit! Now a year on, and my next training establishment is the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. Due to the lack of fitness I recieved at AFC (H), I know for a fact I'm not upto Infantry fitness!

So that's just a warning for people wanting to join the AFC (H) - my advice...stick out till your 17 and join the Adult Intake!

 

[Badger_Heed]

My advice to you 25??4742 Pte (?) Mead is not to pick such an obvious username!

 

[RFUK]

Good post, good advice. Thanks for taking the time to give it.

But, further to what Badger_Heed said, your myspace link and email addy both contain your full name and your myspace is packed with (lovely) pictures of you for everyone to see.

Square your PERSEC away

 

[Forks]

Kids these days and the internet, eh?

 

[amazing__lobster]

Mead mate, your prob a great bloke, but get rid of the shit giving away who you are!

Well done for posting your experience though - enjoy a great career!

 

[Chris_2oo6]

whats your bpfa scores?

 

[Chuzu]

My advice to you 25??4742 Pte (?) Mead is not to pick such an obvious username!

seen as joined jan 06 must be 252?4742

 

[amazing__lobster]

You have your whole name as your email address!!!

I think the MODS need to remove this, as this young lad doens't understand the risk he is putting himself at.

 

[Spanish_Dave]

oops ITC Catterick beasting coming on methinks

 

[The_0ne]

Why is it dodgy having his name or pictures on an army site??

 

[amazing__lobster]

Why is it dodgy having his name or pictures on an army site??

Nothing I suppose, as I'm sure certain groups would never think of coming on here to look for people giving away their persec.

 

[The_0ne]

Right so you really think someones going to spend time looking through arrse for squaddies who have posted a picture or a name.

I very much doubt thats going to happen mate it would of happened by now already if it was likely to??

Have you ever driven a car in uniform?

 

[shortfuse]

nope, last place I'd look for info on army bods with shit persec would be an informal Army website...


oh hold on.....


Square it away fella.

 

[The_0ne]

Well ive never heard any reports of squaddies being targeted by individuals/groups because of being on the net have you???

 

[Mighty_doh_nut]

If he feels he has a valid point and is prepared to answer and account for his post to his SSM / OC and CO then let it stand, if not do him a favour and withdraw the thread

 

[chocolate_frog]

You wouldn't, however, things as small as this give away the addresses etc. Then the hit is carried out, but it never gets reported how the addresse was obtained.

No, I don't drive in uniform.

Meadsy4742 wrote

but they expect alot from just a young person

You think?

 

[Forks]

Well ive never heard any reports of squaddies being targeted by individuals/groups because of being on the net have you???

Maybe not specifically, but I've heard of squaddies being tracked down by various individuals who have the express intent of causing some harm to said squaddie for fighting against 'their muslim brothers'.

There is one particular case my Cpl at my ATR talks about, and about how PERSEC is so important. There is even the newspaper cuttings on his wall about it. The guy got caught before he could do any harm, but photos and various information about the squaddie and his family were found at his place, along with a pistol and live rounds.

Let's not make it easier for them, eh?

 

[The_0ne]

Sorry for sounding dumb but whats PERSEC stand for?

 

[Bat_Crab]

Well ive never heard any reports of squaddies being targeted by individuals/groups because of being on the net have you???

I know of several, including, but not limited to:

- E-mails from Islamic Fundamentalists threatening the individual.
- Persistent messages from peace activists.
- Psychotic SCHs trying to get onto a chap's home base.

and so on... Granted the KGB may not be trying to subvert us all any more, but any persistent unwanted attention is a security risk to a member of the Armed Forces and his colleagues.

Edite to add: I have no problems with wearing my uniform in public, in particular driving to and from work. If I need to visit the shops on the way, I don't go home to get changed first. I balance the threat to my person with the need to increase the Armed Forces' visibility in the public eye.

Posting personal information on t'internet is akin to me doing this and passing my contact details out to everyone I pass on the street.

 

[Mr_Logic]

If you go back to the late 1980s the IRA were shooting soldiers and their dependents in NI, mainland UK and in Germany. We were all very careful at remaining anonymous while off duty and out of barracks as it kept us alive! The examples that immediately spring to mind are the three soldiers shot at Lichfield railway station, the Australian tourists in Roermond and the RRW WO1 shot at a set of traffic lights in Belgium. Over in NI itself there were literally hundreds of examples of servicemen and RUC officers being shot at home or while travelling. Our radio VP sought to avoid officers being identified as the Soviets used voice ID to identify HQs and break our callsigns, in case of WWIII. Allied with the Soviet threat, we were all careful to conceal who we were and where we lived.

The threat may not be the same now but we live in an information age and the future holds much uncertainty. There is a security angle and a crime aspect to revealing too many personal details that others can potentially exploit.