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UOTC Musician

Hurrah, some-one's awake at last.
While a young gentleman or lady may commission a portrait of their charger, hound, or possibly spouse, they will be commissioned by Her majesty.

Vulgarly, the act of commissioning is something done to a person , rather than something that a person does.
Got it.
Right, carry on.

Old Rat
Out
Before I start: Is this a Wah? ...... (shield up)

Firstly, you will NOT commission. You may, however, be commissioned.

Secondly. No, this must be a Wah. Joining the Army for humanitarian reasons? Errr, computor says no.

A musical regiment? WTF? Do you particulary like singing? If so, join a Welsh battalion (do it quickly whilst we've still got some), I hear they like singing.

Some Infantry Battalions retain a Corps of Drums - but they are normally the SF Machine Gun Platoon, so not very humanitarian - if you fancy playing the fife, drum or bugle.

Lastly, there is now a thing call the Corps of Army Music (CAMUS). However, to my certain knowledge, to hold a commission in it one has to have come up through the ranks of the band. Corps of Army Music - British Army Website
 
At first reading I was going to call Wah - but this is so unworldly that it could actually be true.

1. Take a look at what the Army does. Delete all the PR gloss laid on it for the lovies and then give your head a wobble. This organisation is not about delivering aid and humanitarian assistance - other than as a method of achieveing a wider aim.

2. Army Music as a career for a bright Graduate ? - Yea Gods, you need to get a life.

If you want to do Humanitarian stuff then get a useful skill - Logistics, Medicine or whatever, tell your folks that they'll be supporting you financially for a few more years and volunteer with an appropriate Charity, VSO or whatever. Join the Army and the odds are we'll send you someplace nasty and tell you to kill folk - you may be allowed to hand out some sweets to kids and paint a school classroom as a Photo Opportunity once in a blue moon.

Edited to add paragraphs and stuff that DII won't let me :-(
 
I am currently in my first year of OTC training and hope to commission in my second year. After lots of reflection and thinking, I've decided that I want a role that is more humanitarian aid oriented and being a musician I have realised that joining a musical regiment would make a lot of sense. I’m just wondering, would I have to surrender my commission to transfer or could I keep it if I prove diligence. Also, does anyone know of the frequency of FTRS and tour opportunities given to TA musicians?

Thanks

Musicians join up as Ptes, and commision later. There is a fast track. Why not join up as a Reg band? You'll get to play lots, and know you'll get a paycheck.

Re humanitarian. Bandsman get amongst various tours abroad to help out bands in other countries (it is all part of our training packages, inf train inf, and bandies train bandies). There seems to be a lot of Musical type sinthe military Stabilisation Support Group at the mo, so that would be a good humanitarian slot for two years....

But I doubt a stint with the MSSG would do wonders for your Bandmaster aspirations (should you have any).
 
Firstly, new to this forum - what is a "wah" and secondly, not everyone joins the army out of bloodthirst; I'm willing to serve in a kill or be killed situation, I would just much rather help people.
 
We don't have a band, but the ICRC choir is looking for tenors, if that's any help ;-)

Seriously, having been in the OTC and the TA, and now working in the humanitarian sector, I can tell you that the army simply is not there to help people, other than very indirectly. It's not a question of being bloodthirsty -- it's just that armies get used when being "nice" hasn't worked.

On the other hand, the skills you'd pick up as a soldier would stand you in good stead later if you wanted to go into the humanitarian sector.

You might find what you're looking for here: Job opportunities: skills always in demand
 
martija1, to put it at its most simplistic, there are only two jobs in the Army - those whose primary task is to kill and those whose primary task is to support those whose primary task is to kill.

In the course of learning those jobs, you also learn other traits - teamwork, independence, tolerance, self-discipline, restraint, loyalty and integrity are just some. These traits make it possible for soldiers to do the sweet, weepy stuff that isn't part of their main trade.

It's important that you recognise the difference between what the Army is for and what the Army is capable of. And if any MPs and ministers are reading this...
 
Firstly, new to this forum - what is a "wah" and secondly, not everyone joins the army out of bloodthirst; I'm willing to serve in a kill or be killed situation, I would just much rather help people.

Wah - Windup - and your suggestion is so unworldly that if it is actually a Wah - well Done.
Get this in your head. Despite all the fluff put out by the Meeja types about the Army doing nice things with the locals that actually represents about 1/10000000th of the job.

Most of your career will be spent NOT on Ops. Of the time on Ops most of it will be spent doing nothing much in particular. A small percentage of your time on Ops will be spent crapping youself while some Bastard tries to kill you. A smaller proportion will be spent trying to kill the bastard who just tried to kill you. An even smaller proportion will be spent painting a classroom light blue while a photographer takes pretty snaps. Photo-shoot over you will resume doing nothing much in particular. Get the idea yet ?
 

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