How do I join the military?

I am 15 and I have always wanted to join the armed forces, I have been surfing the web and done loads of research but I cant find anything that can help me be more prepared when I finally join. The career I want to follow is in the REME, combat engineer or armourer.

I am just asking for help from anyone who can elighten me on how to better prepare for military life. (I am an Air Cadet but they tell me diddley squit about the Army)

The things I would like to know is,

How fit do you really have to be? I have had mixed opinions on this and I admit I am not the fittest guy in the world, far from it. Should I follow a fitness program to make myself fitter?

Thanks very much in advance for nay help I receive. Oh, and no idiots who just want to make some snide comments about anything, I wish this to be serious.

The army will give you a fitness test, the details of which are available on their website I believe. I believe it's given at the start of basic, if you can't pass muster they'll put you into a fitness program until you're ready.

Personally though, I'd suggest you avoid the army and buy a Harley

I had a look for that fitness test and it does give some vague ideas, push ups, squat thrusts, 1'5k run and upper body strength. Thats all good now but I would like to know if anyone who has done it knows any more info.

Not join?! I have to, ive done nothing for my country so far, so I believe I should in the long run. The more I think about not joining (I have wanted to be involved in SFX in film and TV and stuff, but I cant stand an office job really!)

And I do plan to get a Harley, have for years, beautiful bikes.

go find a recruiting place, probabley in your local shopping mall, and tell them what you just typed, they will test you, get your parents consent, probabley come to your house and have a meeting with you and your family. Then you will hang out until your 18 and graduated from high school, then you will get shipped off for bootcamp, then training school, after you have completed that, then you will get shipped to the base that you have chosen to be stationed at, (normally they will give you a choice of available bases).

Run, run, and run some more. Start running. Get off this comp. and start breaking some sweats. Seriously, keep a routine work-out program. Eat good. Drink lots of water. Keep a positive mind set, and you'll a hundred times better- mentally and physically. Try and master the army's APFT. There's ton's of info.. www.military.com...
Good luck.

Army Career Offices!!

I completely forgot, thanks man!!

I am going to college though, not joining at raw 16, thats plain dumb. *To me anyway*

Any suggestions still about the basic training for the British Army, in case anyone gets confused. Like what it contains. (exercises, PT, stuff like that)

Thanks

good advice wehrwolf, he is only 15, he has a 3 head start on it. That is the way to go. Train as much as you can with the time you have, that will definitely prepare your body and your mind. Try setting the alarm clock for 5am while ur at it.

with parent consent, u can join at 17. my best friend joined the summer between junior and senior year. he was doing reserves, so it was not full time.

go talk to a recruiter...

So then, I have 3 years to get ready, should be do-able. I think ill stop getting a lift everywhere and start walking/jogging/running round. The one thing that puts me off wandering around is those dam chavs, I hate them so much. You guys have probably heard of 'Happy Slapping' they gang up on one person and beat him/her senseless for film. At least my right fist is going to see some action............ :

Im doing a 50 km bike ride in September and I can walk very long distances thanks to cadets, better get my lazy ass out then.

Recruiting is the toughest duty next to combat. Careers are made or broken by numbers and quotas. Many things are misrepresented or are oversimplified by recruiters. They are not bad people, but they are selling a product so pay attention. GET EVERYTHING PROMISED TO YOU IN WRITING ON YOUR CONTRACT. Yes it is important to go into bootcamp with the right mental and physical desposition, but do it on your own terms. It is the really the one time when you will have the most control over your future in the military. Know what exactly you would like to do. You can google for any force's military occupational speciality manuals and look at what is required and what they do, the recuriter will also have a copy. Decide what you be. an Airman, Sailor, Solider or Marine... there are differences, find out what they are and which best suits you.

S/F&IHSV

If you are British then there are Army Recruiting Centres in all major towns and cities. Visit one of those.

At career fairs the Army will generally have a stand set up so that you can ask them questions.

www.army.mod.uk...

You can request an information pack, and in the UK you can join aged 16.

i was in the navy. you have to be able to do 50 pushups in 2 mins without breaking, 65 situps 1 min, and do a 1.5 mile run in 9 mins. army is probably more stringent. but if u cant do it by the end of boot camp they just hold you back in a fatass division where u workout and diet until you can .

Originally posted by Zanzibar
I am 15 and I have always wanted to join the armed forces, I have been surfing the web and done loads of research but I cant find anything that can help me be more prepared when I finally join. The career I want to follow is in the REME, combat engineer or armourer.

I am just asking for help from anyone who can elighten me on how to better prepare for military life. (I am an Air Cadet but they tell me diddley squit about the Army)

The things I would like to know is,

How fit do you really have to be? I have had mixed opinions on this and I admit I am not the fittest guy in the world, far from it. Should I follow a fitness program to make myself fitter?

Thanks very much in advance for nay help I receive. Oh, and no idiots who just want to make some snide comments about anything, I wish this to be serious.

REME? thats cool, my dad was in the REME (along with one of his brothers) and I have family members in all 3 Branches.

The fitness test, providing you don't smoke and aren't 200lbs, is a piece of piss for a young lad.

The bleep test level that you have to do as a minimum, I achieved at 12 years old. 1.5 miles in 9 1/2 minutes....easy work for a rugrat! Can't do it now, as I am a rather creaky 23 yr old who smokes too much.

Your biggest challenge, if you want to join REME, will be passing the apptitude tests. Far more difficult than the fitness side.

You have to score pretty highly to go for the trade you want, but it isn't rocket science or anything.

If you do join REME, you might be lucky enough to get trained by my Dad. He is now a civilian lecturer at the REME College in Arborfield.

Gets paid more money, doing the same job, plus he doesn't have to salute every toffy-nosed git with some pips.

Any questions about REME, U2U me. I will see what I can find out for you.

I was in the Corps, and I sometimes read 'Marine Corps Times,' but they also have every branch. It is like a newspaper every month. Google "army times" i'm sure it'll come up, it was pretty good for things that were changing in the military, gave you deployment areas, uniforms, regulations, etc..

Make sure you know what you want. After being in the Marines, tho it is a great branch, you cant beat the Chair Force!

You wanna join....here ya go

www.marines.com
or
1-800-MARINES

And you do NOT have to be a US citizen to enlist.

[edit on 27/7/2005 by SportyMB]

Hey, I have an idea!
Why don't you con concentrate really hard in school, make excellent grades and then go to college.
If it is your desire to go in the military, why not go as an officer?

Thanks for all the great info guys!! I am part of a young apprenticeship engineering program at the moment and I have passed some apptitude tests to get into that so I know the basics of engineering.

I have considered Officer, but I always thought you had to enlist at Sandhurst when your still at school, if im wrong that would be great as I could go to normal college then become an Officer.

stumason, you have a family to be proud of there, it would be cool to be taught by your dad!

Originally posted by Zanzibar
Thanks for all the great info guys!! I am part of a young apprenticeship engineering program at the moment and I have passed some apptitude tests to get into that so I know the basics of engineering.

I have considered Officer, but I always thought you had to enlist at Sandhurst when your still at school, if im wrong that would be great as I could go to normal college then become an Officer.

stumason, you have a family to be proud of there, it would be cool to be taught by your dad!

Coool, good for you !

You can get the Amry to sponsor you through College/Uni if you want to be an Officer and pass the Silver Spoon tests ()....

Seriously, they will sponsor you though, if your good enough, so have a word with the Army Careers peeps.

Failing that, you can still try for officer when you are in the Army, once you have something under your belt.

Cheers for Family comment, they are indeed somewhat devoted to the crown ... I can't join coz of my knees as Dad made me play Rugby from age 9 and it did wonders for me by the time I stopped at 16...loved it though , but I still keep abreast of the latest developements!

Had a look through all of some of the mail the Army has sent me and there is a page or two on sponsorships, I think ill go down the careers office somewhen on my trip to Newquay (must be one near there) and see if I can get any extra info.

Originally posted by Zanzibar
Had a look through all of some of the mail the Army has sent me and there is a page or two on sponsorships, I think ill go down the careers office somewhen on my trip to Newquay (must be one near there) and see if I can get any extra info.

Sorry dude, there isn't one in Newquay (mus be hard to pursuade surfer dudes to join the Army)

The closest one is in Redruth:

Address:

Redruth
Oak House, Chapel Street
TR15 2BY
01209 215785

It's about 15-20 miles from Newquay.

Go to www.army.mod.uk... for a complete listing of offices around the UK



[edit on 27/7/05 by stumason]