help required

m4dh4tter

hi im joining the army on 3rd august for my 14 weeks basic training as a driver/communication specialist,i know all about my training and where it is and how long it is for but when i asked where could i be based i was told that i wouldnt be told where they are at the min as im not in the army yet,all i want to know where the regiments are for the job i am going in for as i have kids from previous relationship and would if poss like to stay in uk,i know i cant say im not going cos of kids but surely by telling me i can tell my kids and they will understand i have tried telling them every part of the process so far and this isnt helping with the attitude yo aint in yet we will tell u when ur in,SO ANY1 THAT CAN HELP PLEASE IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED,im not slating what they said to me as it was over the pc but would like to know many thanks,also am i allowed my laptop on basic training?

lee634

Ok. so a driver/communications specialist.
So what Corps / Regiment are you joining. with out this it will be very difficult to help

Alias_Omega

Welcome to the forum, im sure someone will be around to help you.

Alias

footballmanagerwidow

Comms Spec would be Signals wouldn't it...? You won't know where you're going to be posted until after you're finished all your training - assignment orders aren't issued till then. I'm not sure where the Signals units are but it could be a number of places both UK and Germany I would have thought.

m4dh4tter

it going into the royal logistics so i have been told by the recruiting officer

ICATQ

RLC are pretty much everywhere. The Army website lists all the Army Units, but until you get your assignment order it could be anywhere.

Trying_to_be_good

It's probably an idea to sit down and talk to the kids about the job you're going to be doing - the good bits and the bad bits. One of the bad bits will be that you don't know where you'll be working, and you're likely to have to move every couple of years. But you'll have a mail address and email wherever you are, and a phone if you're not in a war zone (even there you'll have satellite phone time), so they'll have lots of ways of being in contact with you.

It's a real toughie - difficult enough for those who have kids who live with them, and a whole different ball game for those whose kids don't live with them.

Ensure you realise what you're signing up for (and what you're signing your kids up for) and make the decision to stay or go before you're tied into a return of service. It's not impossible, just not easy either.

Good luck

m4dh4tter

i have told the kids what i will be doing they know daddy is going to be driving army lorries and love the fact,i told them when i was going for selection told them when i passed and what happened when i was there and what is going to happen next but i cnt tell them where i am going i was told that if i was going to be a driver then i would be based in england or germany thats it but cant get any help with driver/com specialist. I am looking forward to going into the army i know what im signing up for and that is fighting for my country and that of my children.

Tally-Ho_2

Hi,

I've just spoken with my younger brother who is a WO2 in the RLC.

From what he has said, you will not really know where you are going until completion of your Trade training. This is to avoid the army allocating you to a post and then for example you fail the course leaving an operational post empty. You can ask for an area to be posted to, but ultimately it is down to where there are vacant posts in your rank and trade so some people are lucky and some unlucky - ultimately you go where you are sent at the end of the day.

Don't forget (and pre-warn your kids) that as the army has got smaller over the years and more mobile, there will be times when you get detached on Ops at very short notice, so plans made to see your kids can and will go astray at times. Then your turn will probably come up for Ops such as Herrick (Afghanistan), the Balkans, Iraq (yes the brits are still there albeit numbers are falling) or possibly the Falklands, or even 'good rare ones' such as the UN in Cyprus for 4 or 6 months at a time.

Sadly, in recent years the semi static roles of the cold war in UK and Germany have changed markedly with the emphasis on a smaller more mobile army.

On the upside though, its a relatively well paid, secure job with opportunities for doing all sorts of sports and adventure training. Travel to places you would never otherwise see and a great social life to boot.

My older borther served 16 years in the army (was quite badly injured in the first gulf war and had to be medically discharged - so there is some risk attached) and my younger brother has served for 20 years now with two to go to his pension date.

His advice was just go with an open mind and a determination to enjoy yourself no matter what.

Tally

m4dh4tter

:beer: thank you all for your replies i dont know how to say thank you so you get email for it so il just write it here,tally i am defo going in with a open mind and im defo going to enjoy myself. :beer:

foxy1_2

Hi, i have 2 sons in the army, one in the RAC and one in The Rifles. The one in the RAC found out quite early into his training that he would be posted to Germany. The one in The Rifles was given a list of Infantry Regiments, their location, and what role they serve in the army, then put in an application for his chosen regiment.
Also both my sons were not allowed their laptops untill phase 2 of their training.
They are both off to their chosen regiments in a few weeks. Their training was hard, but also enjoyable.
Good Luck