Advice needed

[bkp130]

I was just wondering everyone opinion on this.

i am currently living overseas and have wanted to join the royal Australia navy since i was a young kid as a clearance diver which is the weaker Australian equivalent of the Royal Marines.

Having found out 3 years ago i was unsuitable for this due to poor eyesight as you need 20/20 vision for CD i was recommended to apply for supply officer. Although very different from what I originally wanted i was encouraged to continue with this application from both recruiters and fmaily. I was successful with this application and have been offered a position next year as a supply officer after gaining a university degree in either arts or business of which i do not have to pay for as the Australia defence force pay for it

i am currently unsure as to what to do as i am seriously considering a career in the royal marines.

I am not very fit at the moment marine standard as i only have to get 7.0 on the bleep test for supply officer so have been lazy and only been training for that

i am really unsure as to what to do but i think i would really enjoy the marines more.

There is also pressure from my family to accept the university offer which also entails a minimum period of service of 9 years which i really don’t want to sign up for in this particular job.

just wondering everyone’s advice is as to what i should do.

 

[lord_carl]

Marines if its what you want to do deap down

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

The RAN & RN are strikingly similar in many ways, however the advice I offer is based on my experience with the RN & may not be directly translated to the RAN, but here goes:

Eye-sight standards for Divers sound the same as they are here. Often people applying for one of the Warfare Officer trades, such as Clearance Diving officer, pilot etc., find their eyesight is not up to scratch so get offered Logistics Officer (Supply Officer RAN) or engineer as the eye standards are less.

In UK, potential RM officers are not currently offered Cadetships or Bursaries. When you look at it logically there is little point paying for someone to do a non-vocational degree - the only advantage in doing so is by offering it with a "return of service" caveat. (You don't get anything for nothing!) This way you're going to have someone who is going to stick around a while & at least has a degree when they leave. So the logic is a "win/win" supposedly.

Obviously if you can get someone to pay for your degree, so much the better. BUT and it is a big "BUT" degrees in UK are becoming devalued as so many people are lead to believe they need one to get a decent job - Unless it's a technical or vocational degree, which you are going to actually use in your job, it ain't worth a carrot, frankly.

In UK the average person goes on to further education for two years from the age of 16 to gain A2 Level examination qualifications. During this period they get "up to" (depending on parental income) £30 per week Education Maintenance Allowance EMA. If they joined age 16 as a Commando, they would start on £200 per week & gain 2 years seniority for promotion, be trained & get a bit of life experience. They could be on about £16 000 per annum after a couple of years.

In UK the average Uni student (without sponsorship) racks up around £15 000 debt at present. Someone joining the Royal Marines at 18 with 140 UCAS points at A2 as an Officer would earn around £45 000 during this period a difference of £60k (or £90k compared to a 16 year old who joins up straight away), training, world travel, life experience & 3 years seniority at the rank. The guy going to Uni first may pass Potential Officer's Course (POC) but Fail Admiralty Interview Board (AIB), not getting selected. You would be amazed how many graduates join as an Other Rank Royal Marine together with a student loan, whilst their contemporaries who joined sooner have had all the experience and income.

There's no point trying to compare RN Logistics Officer with RM Commando Officer as they're completely different trades & usually completely different people.

Good luck in your choice!

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Hmmn, a history degree will doubtless be an advantage to some, although it's relevance is tenuous. The debt is up to the individual.

Those who apply or a Corps commission from within only need 5 GCSE's at Grade C or better (Including Maths & English). They seem to manage passing POC & AIB perfectly well without a degree.

16 year old potential RN Engineering Officers take & pass the same AIB to go to Welbeck College, they seem to pass without a degree also.

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

I must apologise, as it isn't easy being a successful Royal Marine Commando at any level.

I'm not either & recognise how hard it is.

All I'm trying to do is emphasise that individuals must aim for the top. You must, however, be prepared to accept that if you cannot make the grade at officer entry initially, then you can join as an Other Rank.

What I would caution anyone against is the misguided belief that they are only destined to be an Officer. Some, but granted not all, of the best Officers started out as an other rank.

If you really want to prove yourself in the Corps, then there's several ways of achieving it in the short term rather than deferring the possibility & maybe not making the grade when you try later.

 

[lord_carl]

Its vary rare that Other ranks go on to be officers. Once your once of the boys u tend to stay that way

 

[Ninja_Stoker]

Its vary rare that Other ranks go on to be officers. Once your once of the boys u tend to stay that way

I'd be fascinated to know where that pearl of wisdom originated, the fact that you're an Officer in the Corps, to my mind (I work with one) means you're just as much "one of the boys". And very highly respected in the vast majority of cases, certainly by me.

In addition to 30% of RM officers originating from the ranks, 40% of RN Engineering Officers started as an Other Rank, so I'm afraid the only people that think there's some sort of class distinction with officers & the ranks are rather mis-informed.

An Officer's wage & pension is better than an Other Rank's - anyone that has the capability to become an officer would be well advised to do so.

 

[The_Sherminator]

I was just wondering everyone opinion on this.

i am currently living overseas and have wanted to join the royal Australia navy since i was a young kid as a clearance diver which is the weaker Australian equivalent of the Royal Marines.

Having found out 3 years ago i was unsuitable for this due to poor eyesight as you need 20/20 vision for CD i was recommended to apply for supply officer. Although very different from what I originally wanted i was encouraged to continue with this application from both recruiters and fmaily. I was successful with this application and have been offered a position next year as a supply officer after gaining a university degree in either arts or business of which i do not have to pay for as the Australia defence force pay for it

i am currently unsure as to what to do as i am seriously considering a career in the royal marines.

I am not very fit at the moment marine standard as i only have to get 7.0 on the bleep test for supply officer so have been lazy and only been training for that

i am really unsure as to what to do but i think i would really enjoy the marines more.

There is also pressure from my family to accept the university offer which also entails a minimum period of service of 9 years which i really don’t want to sign up for in this particular job.

just wondering everyone’s advice is as to what i should do.

Mate i sympathise because i'm in a similar type of situation over here. I've just finished a 4yr degree in Physics and wanted to be a Warfare Officer Submariner but they said my eyesight wasn't good enough for that (which is gutting because there's f-all you can do about your eyesight) and offered me Logistics (supply) Officer Submariner. Although i was exceptionally disappointed by this, initially i was going to follow the line of thought that it was still better than a civvie job. But after a while i started to think perhaps there's something better i could be doing with myself in the military, even with my poor eyesight...

I visited the RAF and it turns out i'm ok for Intelligence Officer - i'm currently waiting for the Officer Selection Centre now, having never filled out the Royal Navy Loggie form. Loggie just isn't the job for me, in fact i wanted to join the military to get away from jobs like that, i want to be actively involved in things, use what skills i have to change things for the better and Loggies only do 3yrs on the sub anyway. I wanted to join the Submarine service because i felt it suited my personal abilities - namely i feel i'm a crafty unconventional f*text deleted**text deleted**r who can outsmart other people amongst other things. I would have liked my own boat one day and i have to believe i could have done it. Obviously these qualities lend themselves to Intelligence officer as well though, so you have to forget the WO thing and get on with what's in front of you. 4 months ago i had a torn knee ligament & tennis elbow from doing weights (not a very macho injury but it had to put right because it was getting steadily worse and it was obstructing my arm-performance) so was completely incapacitated training wise and was a no-no for the job i wanted after all my years of hard work. Now i'm on my way to OSC and (apart from press-ups) my fitness standards are getting near basic RM entry standards which is nice because RAF standards are obviously much lower. I've turned the corner mate so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Back to you.

My advice is not to do the supply thing. You'd be doing it for all the wrong reasons - you want to join as what, a mine clearance diver? A store room is a million miles away from the job you want to do, so why do it? I think it's important to decide what you want before you decide whether or not you can actually do it - i know that sounds backwards!! But you'll never make the RM standard from where you are unless you really want it badly. The human body is an amazing machine - if you can get yourself into the idea of being a marine mentally (i.e. you need a reason to get off your lazy arse!!), your body will have no choice but to follow (unless you're injury prone or have some hidden physical problem). You'll learn to make sacrifices and turn off that pain business for what you really want to do and your fitness will improve as your mental state improves. Sounds philosophical but it works in practice. By the way, if you're family can't take pride in a son joining the Royal Marines then there's something seriously wrong, its not like you've crashed out of uni because you're on drugs and have turned to crime/can't cope/lazy, you want to be a RM, surely one of the most respected careers a man can undertake?

I also advise you to take notice of the parts of your quote that i've highlighted in bold. You pretty much answer your own question.

 

[ste preece]

Easy

Easy answer my frind. Ask the question.