Did you want to join the Army, Navy or Air Force?



Thought about joining the RAF as a techie; then joined :p

I wanted a long term job & to learn. Best decision I ever made (though I moan about it all day every day :lol:).
 
10 years + apprenticeship in the Army- left and walked straight into a job in the trade and never been unemployed since joining at 16. Great decision for me. Been all over in those ten years and seen and done things only a soldier would. Glad I left when I did though. Still young enough to go again and easier to adjust to civvy life
 
I wanted to be in the Army but duffed it, just didn't fancy getting killed. Majority will opt for Army but when you think about it, there is not much inspiration to join the RAF or the Navy, there are plenty of adverts to tempt you to join the Army but not for the Navy/Marines.
Navy - get to travel but no family life
RAF - beat accommodation and kit but some shite postings. Little to no danger of being under threat. Ditto for the Navy
Army - the default choice for choice and excitement. I joined at 16 and stumbled out aged 40
 
Went to the Navy careers office in Newcastle and talked to the bloke and brought all the application forms home then did fuck all about it.
 
Navy. I was brought up by a dad obsessed with the navy, possibly because his dad served in the war. Spent my childhood reading naval books and visiting the careers office to get posters and that. Went to see every ship that came to visit the town. Joined the Sea Scouts.

Then became a scientist so I could work in my dad’s factory.
:lol:
I was very close to joining the Navy. Didn't think I would react well to unthinking obedience so sidestepped it but often wonder what my life would have been had I followed it through. One of those crossroads moments.
It isn't unthinking obedience mate
 
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I was in the Air Cadets - was keen to join the RAF but went to Uni and ended up with a 'normal' job. I'm still involved with one of the local ATC squadrons on the civilian committee. Part of me regrets not joining - but then I wouldn't have had my kids, grandkids, etc.
 
I was in the Air Cadets - was keen to join the RAF but went to Uni and ended up with a 'normal' job. I'm still involved with one of the local ATC squadrons on the civilian committee. Part of me regrets not joining - but then I wouldn't have had my kids, grandkids, etc.
Not necessarily true. You wouldn’t have your kids and your grandkids that you have now. It’s like the phrase if me dad hadn’t met me mam....you would most likely still have kids and grandkids just not the ones that you know and love now.

If things were different and me and my mate Dave Dunbavin hadn’t gone out in Colchester circa February 1992 I would never have met Mrs EJK and we would never have procreated one night during the fuel strikes in 2000 thus not creating our son. But I would, I’m sure, have met another girl at some point and probably had children that I would love just as much as I do Mrs EJK and my son.

Here endeth the lesson in philosophy or whatever branch of thinking my previous two paragraphs come under.
 
It’s a massive regret of mine tbh, I nearly joined after school and went back around 21 for the marines. I trained like mad got really fit but couldn’t get down to 13.5 stone so kept getting pushed back for the intake. Give up eventually. (I was 13 stone at school as I’m 6,3 the more I trained the heavier i got)
 
Joined 88 left as a Sgt after 12 years. Was flying trade wise, passed my Y of S entry test, crypto trained, the full monty, then a knackered knee put an end to that, its arthritic as fook now and hurts like hell in winter, military to blame too. Left with half pension, cash lump sums as compo for loss of earnings and career. Get the other pay outs when 60 as does the good lady too. Set us up well, and installed discipline into you. Kids never wanted to follow either of us, but one is a sparky and one an accountant, so we done well in our eyes. Will be semi retiring at 60 and will be doing even more travelling!
 

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