University Grad in Other Ranks

[OurFenianDead]

Hello lads.

I've wanted to become a RM Officer since I was 15 years old (I'm 22 at the moment), though a few years ago I found out that Irish nationals are ineligible. For that reason I'm leaning towards applying to become a Regular Officer in the Army, though I thought I would scour all the information on RM Other Ranks I could find in order to dispel the boyhood dream! Bascially I wanted to know whether there are any mentally challenging roles within Other Ranks. I graduated from University with a First in Law and am multi-lingual. I'm sure I would enjoy being a RM Commando immensely (I'm not assuming here that I have what it takes to be a commando, just commenting on the work), but I feel I would desire something more mentally challenging. I also feel like I might not synch with the men I would through training with. I know a lot of recruits are from working-class backgrounds and most don't go through University. I hope this isn't condescending, I just mean people with very different life experiences are less likely to click! Any information would be appreciated. Cheers.

 

[fatboy3813]

I am a university graduate and start RT in two weeks. I was originally shooting for this years YO batch. After passing both POC and AIB I was unsuccessful on final selection board. The YO batch is very *text deleted*ing competetive, every year. I believe that over 80 blokes passed POC & AIB, but there were only 35-40 jobs available.

Go OR and push for career with complete confidence that Bootneck officers are *text deleted*ing superheroes! - always opportunities for corps commissions later down the line...

Many blokes who are unsuccessful in getting into the batch pursue a career though OR. Though, I think It is worth highlighting that’s it SHOULD NOT be thought of as a second best, or ‘non-mentally stimulating’ career path.

 

[fatboy3813]

Also, if you’ve been through university surely you must have impeccable communication skills. Like all uni graduates, right?

I my opinion, ‘syncing’ with blokes from, as you said ‘working class backgrounds’ will not be an issue. You will all be aspiring RMs, You’ll have so much common ground I’m sure. The love of savage phys & boozing for example?

I think you will be suprised at how much you may have in common with other aspiring RM candidates!

Do an RMAD vist, visit and AFCO and have a chat

 

[Ballista]

I'm sure you didn't mean it, but you sound like you're worried about being the only clever bloke there surrounded by simpletons. I'm a uni dropout myself but out of all the bootnecks I've met I've never felt like I can't get along because I'm too clever for their puny minds.

There'd be nothing stopping you reading the Bible in Greek in your spare time if you so chose.

 

[ThreadpigeonsAlpha]

Hello lads.

I've wanted to become a RM Officer since I was 15 years old (I'm 22 at the moment), though a few years ago I found out that Irish nationals are ineligible. For that reason I'm leaning towards applying to become a Regular Officer in the Army, though I thought I would scour all the information on RM Other Ranks I could find in order to dispel the boyhood dream! Bascially I wanted to know whether there are any mentally challenging roles within Other Ranks. I graduated from University with a First in Law and am multi-lingual. I'm sure I would enjoy being a RM Commando immensely (I'm not assuming here that I have what it takes to be a commando, just commenting on the work), but I feel I would desire something more mentally challenging. I also feel like I might not synch with the men I would through training with. I know a lot of recruits are from working-class backgrounds and most don't go through University. I hope this isn't condescending, I just mean people with very different life experiences are less likely to click! Any information would be appreciated. Cheers.

Doesn't matter your background. As long as your not a pr!ck. you are all in the same boat as a recruit.
I had lads with degrees and 15 year old school drop outs. You aren't the first and won't be the last OR with a degree.

A career in the RM is like life, it's what you make of it. If yoU are multi-lingual, you could look at Combat Intelligence.
If you have Law, you could look at any Officer in an branch, as the Military need lawyers.

Don't worry about lads backgrounds. Just worry about cracking the work.

Being an RM isn't about dragging your knuckles, and regardless of how many degrees you have, you will be mentally challenged.


And don't fall into "tin of beans syndrome".

Just because someone can list off all the ingredients, their quantities and their Scientific names, doesn't mean they can work out how to open in the tin...

 

[OurFenianDead]

Thanks lads. The replies are certainly encouraging. I definitely didn't mean that I would consider myself "better" than anyone. I don't see how knowing the ins and outs of the law is going to make me more suited to being a bootneck than the next chap! I was just wondering if the benefits of 4 years labour at Uni would be better utilised as an Infantry Officer, rather than OR in the RMs. I love reading and writing as much as cursing through the sludge!

On the point about reading the Bible in Greek, have you heard the story of how, during the War, Enoch Powell was trained for a commission? He was serving in the kitchens with the Royal Warwickshire and decided to answer a brigadier's question with a Greek proverb. Apparently in those days that kind of carry on would have you sent straight to Sandhurst!

 

[ThreadpigeonsAlpha]

Thanks lads. The replies are certainly encouraging. I definitely didn't mean that I would consider myself "better" than anyone. I don't see how knowing the ins and outs of the law is going to make me more suited to being a bootneck than the next chap! I was just wondering if the benefits of 4 years labour at Uni would be better utilised as an Infantry Officer, rather than OR in the RMs. I love reading and writing as much as cursing through the sludge!

On the point about reading the Bible in Greek, have you heard the story of how, during the War, Enoch Powell was trained for a commission? He was serving in the kitchens with the Royal Warwickshire and decided to answer a brigadier's question with a Greek proverb. Apparently in those days that kind of carry on would have you sent straight to Sandhurst!

Lads don't mind if you have a degree from Uni or if you had graduated from the Uni of hard knocks. As long as you knuckle down and get stuck in with the lads.

It might be worth you looking at other roles just as a bit of a look around. Being multi lingual and all that. The Pongo green slime might be worth a look, the Intelligence Corps. What languages do you speak?

You certainly have an interesting username.

 

[OurFenianDead]

Lads don't mind if you have a degree from Uni or if you had graduated from the Uni of hard knocks. As long as you knuckle down and get stuck in with the lads.

It might be worth you looking at other roles just as a bit of a look around. Being multi lingual and all that. The Pongo green slime might be worth a look, the Intelligence Corps. What languages do you speak?

You certainly have an interesting username.

I speak German and Arabic. My mother's family are from the UAE. It seems quite lucky that I grew up around a language which would become in such high demand in Her Majesty's Armed Forces!

As for the username, I felt compelled to quote from a famous Irish patriotic speech, given that I'm committing the once- blasphemous act in Ireland of joining the British Armed Forces!

 

[ThreadpigeonsAlpha]

I speak German and Arabic. My mother's family are from the UAE. It seems quite lucky that I grew up around a language which would become in such high demand in Her Majesty's Armed Forces!

As for the username, I felt compelled to quote from a famous Irish patriotic speech, given that I'm committing the once- blasphemous act in Ireland of joining the British Armed Forces!

There's a few lads poking about front Eire.

If your set on RM, when/if you pass out get on a Combat Intelligence acquaint. Or look at going Officer in the Army for Intelligence Corps.

 

[arny01]

Go OR Royal Marines!!

Officers in the Army do not lead! They leave that to the SNCO's the Army officers are just hooray Henry's there for the Pimms and tea and toast in the mess at 10:00.

Things may have changed since my experience many years ago however, and I'd be more than happy to wind my neck in if modern day Army officers take more of a leadership role.

 

[Illustrious]

I'm going to put my oar in here, you would quite possibly be better served joining the army. An oppo of mine is an RMP red cap and she's just spent her career attached with SF and DHU due to her being a level 4 Arabic speaker. Done multiple tours, more than any bootneck could hope to reach.

I would say you need to seriously consider your options because the Corps has lost its edge in regards to exploiting niche skill sets, especially with regard languages in my experience.

 

[arny01]

I'm going to put my oar in here, you would quite possibly be better served joining the army. An oppo of mine is an RMP red cap and she's just spent her career attached with SF and DHU due to her being a level 4 Arabic speaker. Done multiple tours, more than any bootneck could hope to reach.

I would say you need to seriously consider your options because the Corps has lost its edge in regards to exploiting niche skill sets, especially with regard languages in my experience.

Fair one!!

I should've placed the Caveat that my reply was in relation to Army Infantry officers!! The wider Army is not something I'm able to comment on.

 

[R]

I'm going to put my oar in here, you would quite possibly be better served joining the army. An oppo of mine is an RMP red cap and she's just spent her career attached with SF and DHU due to her being a level 4 Arabic speaker. Done multiple tours, more than any bootneck could hope to reach.

I would say you need to seriously consider your options because the Corps has lost its edge in regards to exploiting niche skill sets, especially with regard languages in my experience.

I agree with this is the case.

 

[Ballista]

On the point about reading the Bible in Greek, have you heard the story of how, during the War, Enoch Powell was trained for a commission? He was serving in the kitchens with the Royal Warwickshire and decided to answer a brigadier's question with a Greek proverb. Apparently in those days that kind of carry on would have you sent straight to Sandhurst!

Yeah I was thinking of Enoch Powell when I wrote it haha. Didn't know about that story though.

 

[OurFenianDead]

I'm going to put my oar in here, you would quite possibly be better served joining the army. An oppo of mine is an RMP red cap and she's just spent her career attached with SF and DHU due to her being a level 4 Arabic speaker. Done multiple tours, more than any bootneck could hope to reach.

I would say you need to seriously consider your options because the Corps has lost its edge in regards to exploiting niche skill sets, especially with regard languages in my experience.

I know that in the past you could become a linguist in Comms Tech. Is this still the case to your knowledge? I'm under no illusions that you join first and foremost as a RMC.

 

[Chelonian]

...during the War, Enoch Powell was trained for a commission? He was serving in the kitchens with the Royal Warwickshire and decided to answer a brigadier's question with a Greek proverb.

I like to think that he could have replied in Aramaic but dumbed down to the Greek.

Totally off topic but Laurens Van der Post wrote of a similar experience. Pre-World War Two he'd befriended and learned some Japanese language from Jap scholars in South Africa.

Along comes the war and VDP finds himself in a trench being assaulted by Japanese troops somewhere near Singapore. He politely—in the most exquisitely, formal Japanese language format—requested that they graciously spare him from being bayoneted. VDP states that the troops stopped dead in their tracks because he was addressing them in a language that only the Japanese emperor himself would use. The pause saved his life.

And also led to the rather good 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence' movie which is based upon VDP's PoW experience.