i am going back in to the army soon

[spud the king]

well time has come for me to go back in the army      :dance: ,is there meany people no hear that are in  at mo as may see you around .
  going in as a driver  as you never now   , the last time i was in it was 2002 but been told it has changed a bit  , but how much?  i know its got softer    :roll:

[littlepow]

It's all pink and fluffy!

Are you keeping your old rank?

[hobbit]

Dont blame you, not a lot out here to stay for

Wish I could but dont take unfilt old farts any more :lol:

[marjan]

Wherever you are posted take care mate.

[littlepow]

You sure you don't want to join the RAF, they have better food, accomodation and working environment.

[Mareng]

well time has come for me to go back in the army      :dance: ,is there meany people no hear that are in  at mo as may see you around .
  going in as a driver  as you never now   , the last time i was in it was 2002 but been told it has changed a bit  , but how much?  i know its got softer    :roll:

I got out in July this year.  Things have changed a little since 2002, but only recently.  The big things are JPA and PAYD.  JPA is the new admin system where you have to submit everything from leave requests, through expenses and travel claims to actually signing off, through a computer.

PAYD is Pay As You Dine, which means the regimental restaurants are now real restaurants ans you pay for what you eat on the day rather than through your pay packet.  Unless your married and/or live out in which case you can now eat in the cook house with out being branded a 'bean stealer'.

As for being softer, yes and no, really, the changes to the punishment system that came in sometime last year gave a lot of people more power than they were used to, and some people abused their new found authority.  Depends on how well the chain of command do their bit really.

Obviously the equipment that is in use is changing constantly, and it seems that the new stuff is being introduced much more quickly than is has been in the past, though that said, we had been waiting since the Falklands conflict for our boats to be re-engined, and they new engines were finally put into service in March of this year 

As a driver, be prepared to be shipped out to somewhere hot and dusty pretty sharpish, most of my old regiment (mainly seaman/navigators, Marine Engineers and Port Operators) are in Afghanistan right now, having re-trained and re-roled as drivers.  SWMBOS ex-hubby also recently rejoined as a driver and found himself posted to Germany and has been in Iraq for about 3 weeks (of a 6 month tour) now.


Stay Safe

[spud the king]

It's all pink and fluffy!

Are you keeping your old rank?
 
no mate got busted just befor i got out and am retrading 

[spud the king]

well i know what people meen ,theres is f...all out hear , and i whont them hot and dry Afganistan  tours just to add to my old t-shirts  collection got about 9 now
but it wont bouther me ,it bouthers  the misses more that me ,  well i hope to in by end off feb
     thanks for the good  replys

[Drift]

Hey Steve110, where you a Blue boy based in Marchwood ?

[Mareng]

Hey Steve110, where you a Blue boy based in Marchwood ?

I was indeed,

I was a Marine Engineer and spent about 7 years in Marchwood, in between stints in Germany and Gosport.

[trustyrusty]

just got back this week from a six months tour in the sand,  :D  was attached to a log bn ( rlc) what a bunch of idiots drivers
well the young ones anyway! by the way am REME gods tradesmen!

[Drift]

Hey Steve110, where you a Blue boy based in Marchwood ?

I was indeed,

I was a Marine Engineer and spent about 7 years in Marchwood, in between stints in Germany and Gosport.

Thought so, I was attached to 17 Port Regiment but that was a long time ago late 80's to mid 90's  :lol:

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

Spud,

Have you had a look at this site?

http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/

Cheers

LSP

[littlepow]

Spud,

Have you had a look at this site?

http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/

Cheers

LSP

Then you can deal with all the drunk squaddies from the thin blue line side!

[joe90]

Good luck mate,

I did a few weeks basic training in January as part of my Army CCF Commision, and going in as a total newbie I have to say it was amazing and I got a real buz from it......but its different being in full time and getting posted.

I deal with the army day in day out as a FM contractor and all I hear about is Pay as You Starve, people not getting payed due to JPA and the continually changing JSPs. . . . . but if i knew what i know now when i was younger ( :roll:) i would have defo joined.

Good luck where ever your posted chap.

[tack43]

Thought about driving an ambulance? WMAS is employing loads of "drivers" at the moment. Have a word with Steve or me (if your interested) on Mondays meet if you're going. Pay is £14834-£17732 plus 25% unsocial hours. Works out more than a class 3 Driver and only 37.5 hours a week.  I left the Army in 2005 as a Driver with 4 GS Regt RLC. Although I miss the Army in general, I don't miss the tours in godforsaken places! Saturday night in Brum is proberly as dangerous though.

Rich

[steve howes]

good luck on your posting (stay safe) did 22 yrs and miss it every day :'(

[spud the king]

i will be no good as a copper [got a not been good    :-# ]   and they don't let me play with guns  :lol:   and not got the  pachons for ambulance driving  ,
   its more about my family ,is y i am going in as at mo i rent a 4 bed house for £600+ and in the army a house is £250 rent  and also the kids can see a bit more off the  world  but i missed it from the day i came out  and allwas wanted to get back in  but never got the chance ,now i have  so  going for it

[littlepow]

Good luck and try not to get too annoyed with the baby crap hats

[hobbit]

just got back this week from a six months tour in the sand,  :D  was attached to a log bn ( rlc) what a bunch of idiots drivers
well the young ones anyway! by the way am REME gods tradesmen!

Thought it hade been quite round here :lol:

Welcome back

Re drivers, you love em really, they keep you occupied :), its amazing on the excuses they can come up with innit, & always somebody else's fault

[spud the king]

but if i break somthing  you wont fix it   :lol: , i f**k it up good and proper  :twisted:,   like the snach in  irland  ,well the mt did wont a new one   
 

[spud the king]

got my date to go back in 2 off feb  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

[sMUDge]

Let me know where you're going mate, I know most of the RLC units.


The RLC driver gets tarnished with a wide brush, which winds me up 

Last year I was driving through Basrah City, (across Cigar Island), when we started to take incoming small arms fire & RPG,  from the Shia flats. 
It came over the radio to "Batten down, they'll soon get bored" !  Great if you're in a warrior or bulldog/mastiff, but for my blokes not so good as we were in soft skinned DROPS.

Funny old thing, not many of the Infantry offered up thier places??

BTW, the RLC is the Most "Contacted" Corps in the British Army.

[SteveGoodz]

got my date to go back in 2 off feb  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

Good luck mate and keep safe wherever you may end up  :clap:

[Mareng]

After much soul searching, debate and discussion, I decided to re-enlist recently too.

I sign back on tomorrow and report for duty in Southampton on the 30th.

[mr freebie]

good luck to the both of you, my eldest is in Germany at the moment as a driver and my second  eldest has just had his first interview, so my utmost repect to you both, just take care where ever they send you.

[andygod]

Good luck Spud from all of your friends in the West midlands region. Try to keep in touch, hope to see you and the family soon.

Andygod

[spud the king]

hello all thanks for the  replys , well been in a mounth and not a lot has changed ,  well got my posting to  aldershot  as EOD driver   do know that my be going to Afgan but thanks to Irland my be going there ... thats no good got a Irland t-shirt  all ready  :lol: 
well its was the best move i have done so far ,     well if eany one is thinking about going back in or going in for the first time  DO IT    dont keep putting it off  cos you will reget it     

 well i can tell you the food is [edit]   ,was better then i was last in  and they did that thing   about  chefs cooking from fresh  , what a load off [edit]  cos its cives  do it from  frozon    

 

[Glynparry25]

Welcome back to the dark side  :D.

I have been in for the past 11 years and I must admith that in my ime I have see huge changes in the UK, but now post Germany it is ack to the good'ol army I joined!  Currently stuck in Iraq, but should bo on a C130 next month :D.

As for RLC Realy Large Corp, or as I like it REME luggage carriers- I can't say I like as they do have a habit of breaking the unbreakable- but not as bad as the RA.

Get a posting to Germany, the life there is soo much better!!

Catch you some hot and dusty place soon,
Glyn

[crazymac]

You following me Glyn??  :lol: