I nearly did join, but not the army. The Airforce... and the Navy's air arm - always a dream, always a dream. Even went so far as to go on a POAC course (Potential officers acquaint course), stayed on the airbase all week, got flown around in a chopper, did some survival excercises (sadly they couldn't take civilians up in the Hawkers due to new legislation after an accident just two years previously ). It was all highly enjoyable, and I had no qualms about signing up...

Turned out I was too darned tall (length from butt to knee = unable to use an ejector seat), then my eyesight failed - and just incase there was ever any hope of a change - I have really low blood pressure. I can pass out standing up if I was sat down with my butt lower than my knees...

There were other roles I looked at in the RAF, some that I seriously considered - but in the end, like Esky says - it came down to whether I would be able to give 100% in doing a job, when I may personally be 100% dead against it. I would fight for some things, but not because some guy decided we needed to go to war over ambigious claims, whom I neither like, support, or anything else. If I didn't believe the best interests of the country were at heart with no other option, then I would be dead against it.
Not exactly what they are looking for, and besides - I didn't grapple with other men on the field in rugby much either, so the chances of actually making it if I did go for it were slim.

As for army? Would love to have a gun, but probabily wouldn't be able to see someone in the crosshairs and pulling a trigger. Mind you, that is what the training is for eh?

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Omnia relinquit servare Republicam

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- Society of Cincinnatus.

Basically, if it were possible in modern times to be technologically advanced in training and conditioning and still do it. I believe in the citizen soldier concept.
One in which when a call to arms is necessitated to defend the Republic, all able bodied citizens answer the call.

Edited by - Indy11 on 11/1/2005 12:50:07 PM

isn't that the reason your Constitution gives you the right to bear arms?

Some interesting replies. It seems to me though, that quite a few people (not here) are a bit misled when it comes to military. They imagine its ALL like boot camp, until you get sent to a warzone, then you die. I've had a few friends in the military for 6 years, then retired. They really enjoyed it, you're right esq - they did say that the hardest thing for them was having to obey orders from someone they didn't respect. However they made awesome mates, and got to do alot of things which wouldn't really be possible anywhere else, stuff like aid work, working with other militaries, peacekeeping in Indonesia..AND they were just simple gun numbers or 'grunts'...Its not all full metal jacket these days.

We have it lucky in Australia as its mostly the special forces which does the overseas combat fighting (4RAR Commando and SASR). I've been told that if you have any brains join as an officer, ADFA sounds pretty good, I don't know anywhere else where you get PAYED to study a degree.
I've considered joining the Army reserve though, just for the experiance. I don't want to sit on my ass in an office all day like now and the odds of being called up for combat is pretty low. Apparently you get shat on by the full time guys though
As far as ethics go, I would have no issue joining the ADF, as its just that, a DEFENCE force...although its looking like changing within a few years :/...even in Iraq, our guys were assigned administration of the airport, etc. At the risk of sounding like a trigger happy bastard, having fired a steyr AUG, I was almost sold on it. I can't really say what I'd feel if I had to kill anyone, I guess I'd do it.
Some guy on an Aussie forum I visit posted "how to simulate Australian Army life", it was awesomely funny, I'll post bits of it here if you're interested


Edited by - Griffon_26 on 11/1/2005 3:33:18 PM

A friend of mine is shipping our to hawiia nest week for 3 years. ( Well, it's better than iraq. )

I don't want to get political, but I wouldn't want to be in the army for reasons I won't say here.

Jabez has a friend? I'm assuming not someone he's met personally...

You assume to much. Just because I dont have any friends NEAR me doesnt mean I dont have any at all, so yes, I HAVE met him personally.

Here to clarify everything I say, practically.

Edited by - Eh_Steve on 11/1/2005 6:49:12 PM

Here to clarify everything I say, practically.

@Taw,

Well yes. That is the theory. How is a Republic to be able to rely upon a citizen soldiery if they are not able to be armed to be at the ready when the need arises?... yadda yadda yadda.

But, as I say, modern war technology makes it less feasible to rely upon such a militia. The Swiss have their mandatory conscription which trains every man to be at the ready and I suppose that is a possible model but it is interesting how things that work for smaller nations fall apart as the scales are multiplied to apply to a larger more diversely populated one.

Warning: Long post, but funny...I had to post it all.. don't think it belongs in the funny thread because its TRUE!

This guy was in the Signal Corp I beleive..

HOW TO SIMULATE AUSTRALIAN ARMY LIFE

Want to be a soldier, but really don't want to commit precious years of your life?
Here are some easy ways to simulate exactly what it's like to be an Australian soldier...

FIELD LIFE
Surround yourself with people who smoke like chimneys, drink like fish, *****/whine/complain about EVERYTHING, and use foul language that would
make a teamster blush.

Pack three days worth of clothes and toiletries. Live in your backyard for two weeks. Go into the house only once in that two weeks to shower. Dig a
hole in your back yard and live in it. Allow no direct contact with your family. Your only means of communication should be with letters that your
neighbours have held for at least three weeks, discarding two of five.

Every two days, fill in the hole, move to another part of the yard and dig another hole. Every time you are approximately
half-way through digging the hole, have somebody come by, compliment you on the fine hole you've dug and tell you to fill it in and dig it somewhere else.

Always dig a hole next to the hole you're living in. This is your toilet.
Re-dig the hole every time your move your living hole. Fill in the old hole and mark it with a "Foul Ground" sign. Have somebody remove the sign while you're not looking. Dig in that exact space in 1 month's time.

Collect a jar-full of ants, dirt, various bugs and mosquitos. Pour them down the back of your shirt.

Have week old fruit and vegetables delivered to your back yard and have your neighbour give you one per day until they all go rotten and have to be thrown out. Watch your neighbour eat as many as he wants, because he's non-tacced them.

If it doesn't rain, turn on the sprinklers.

If you're incredibly tired and fed-up one night, stand guard duty in your hole from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

Don't sleep at all that day, even though there's nothing to do.

Sleep for only twenty minutes at a time. No matter how tired you are. Even though there's nothing to do.

Cook your meals in your shaving mug. Eat everything cold. Buy food with instructions in Yiddish, so it never turns out how it should.

Eat everything in three minutes. After eating, sit around for two hours, be glad you ate everything in 3 minutes.

Buy two rolls of toilet paper. Ensure one of these two rolls is wet all the time.

Run around your yard, periodically throwing yourself to the ground and crawling for at least 20 meters -- or smack your
shins, knees and elbows with a hammer to gain the same effect.

For two days in a row, walk 10 kilometers without stopping. Wear a poorly fitting back pack with fifty-five kg of weight in it. ***** and whine the whole way.

When making sandwiches, leave the bread out for six days, or until it is hard and stale. Alternativly, put grated carrott, pineapple and tomato on
everything so your bread runs down your arm like a liquid.

Have one meal a week served to you floating in it's own grease in a large cooler or similar insulated container.
Serve coffee, juice and other beverages the same way.

GARRISON LIFE

Surround yourself with people who smoke like chimneys, drink like fish, *****/whine/complain about EVERYTHING, and use foul language that would make a teamster blush.

Wear only military uniforms. Even though nobody cares, clean and press one ceremonial uniform and wear it for 20 minutes on the whim of some crusty old guy who yells at you.

Ask for equipment or articles of clothing you really need, have somebody tell you that you're not entitled to it. Walk away without recourse.

Have your spouse whine about how you're always on deployment. Get her to put on 20kg and wear your PT army shorts around in public. Take away her makeup and leg waxing strips.

Whenever you're bored, get drunk. Be bored often.

Study the owner's manual for all household appliances. Routinely take an appliance apart, clean it and put it back together, even though it hasn't
been used.

Start a project, any project. Have somebody continually stop by and make stupid suggestions to make the job "easier". Say "yes sir" and do it the way they told you to do it. After they leave, go back to doing it the right way.

Repaint your vehicle every month, whether it needs it or not.

Move every two years. Whether you want to or not. When you get to a place you really hate, stay there for fifteen years or until your wife leaves
you and yopu lose everything. Have your application for reposting accepted a year after she leaves.

Replace all your appliances and furniture with those which are outdated, in need of constant repair or dangerous to use. Do more with them than
you would if they were new.

If you have nothing to do, clean something that doesn't need cleaning.


TRAINING ENVIRONMENT

Surround yourself with people who smoke like chimneys, drink like fish, *****/whine/complain about EVERYTHING, and use foul language that would make a teamster blush.

Run. Run a lot. Once in the morning, once at noon and once before supper.
Run at least five kilometers each time, pretending you really want to do this because you want to appear 'hard'.

Stand to attention in a parking lot in the hot sun for five hours, or until you pass out and fall face first into the asphalt.
Have somebody yell at you the entire time. Have this same person nitpick at you incessantly and then fine you $650.00 and confine you to your room for a week, coming out only to go tot he bathroom, shower, eat and march with a pack on in your free time.

Have somebody yell at you every time you're stupid enough go outside without a hat on, slouch, or put your hands in your pockets.

Cut your hair weekly, making it shorter each time, until you look bald or look like you lost a fight with a demented sheep shearer.

Give yourself twenty minutes less than you need for lunch. Eat so fast you don't taste the food.

Clean and shine everything to perfection. Have somebody yell at you and call you a filthy pig. Pretend to clean and shine everything to
perfection again (changing nothing), Have the same person inspect it and say "good turnout".

INTERACTION WITH CIVILIANS

Leave the people behind who smoke like chimneys, drink like fish, *****/whine/complain about EVERYTHING, and use foul language that would
make a teamster blush.

Whenever civilians say or do anything stupid (it happens a lot) shake your head and mutter in your most contemptuous/condescending voice; "f***in' civvies".

Use copious amounts of acronyms, NEVER explain them. When asked to explain shake your head and mutter in your most contemptuous/condescending voice; f***in' civvies".

Have other people say stupid things to you like: "you don't pay taxes, do you?", "you get free housing", "man, you must get paid a lot". Shake your
head and mutter in your most contemptuous/condescending voice; "f***in' civvies".

Demand that everyone never thank you for anything you do for them, look at you in a condescending manner and call you names like "G.I. Joe", and "soldier boy". Shake your head and mutter in your most contemptuous/condescending voice; "f***in' civvies".

Edited by - Griffon_26 on 11/1/2005 9:15:30 PM

Attack of the nerds!!

i have trouble taking orders too esp, if i don't respect the person giving orders so i'd likely get stuck cleaning bathrooms on a base

I assure you everyone gets to do that anyway! I spent most of my first year cleaning toilets, swabbing decks, and painting bulkheads.