Joining The Military

[EasyCo]

Officer would be a good road to take. I was looking into it, but I just blew out my second knee (soccer) and have to get another ACL surgery. The military option for me is about gone now because of it.

[spearhead]

hey guys, im over in england at the mo (Andover to be precise), so im gonna pop down to one of the royal navy career centers for a 'chat'. Im staying wiv my dad at the mo and hes told me that i either go one way or the other, theres no point going to uni and getting a degree in computers if im not gonna do anything wiv it n i might as well join after ive finished college. As much as i hate to admit it, hes right, theres no point in me going to uni if im gonna join the navy after and not use that degree, it wud show the navy that im not 100% commited to them.

[sniper82]

I am also 15 like everyone else and i was wondering how to increase the amount of pushups i can do because i was doing pushups every night and i would do as many as i could about 40 without stopping and i did this for several months but i saw no improvement. Later i would try doing 250 pushups a night in a differnt form such as 40 rest 30 rest 20 rest 10 rest 40 rest 30 rest 20 rest 10 then be done or i would do like 10 sets of 25 or 25 sets of 10 but still did not see and increase in the amount i could do over all if there is someone out there who knows of a good way to increase this amount could ya help me out thanks O and btw i am going to join the marines if possibe.

[dickie]

Although I'm not in the military, I have spent the last 4 years windsurf racing at national and international level in the Youth Olympic class, so I've picked up a few things about training

You need to take a day break in between work outs, so your body has time to recover. Also, when training you need to think about nutrition. It stands to reason if you arn't putting stuff into your body, you arn't going to get anything out, so remember to keep eating. For basic stuff, try tinned rice pudding (don't know if you get that stateside) every night after you train as its full of protein for muscle building, and as its milky will help you sleep (which again is good ). As you progress more, you'll need to start looking at specialist protein milkshakes and stuff, these contain loads of nutrients, protein and usually amino acids for rebuilding muscle.

Press ups arn't the only thing though, try doing pull ups and dips, but as you're a bit younger, weight training might be a bit much. Try building cardio fitness and endurance through running, cycling and swimming. If you just do one excersise you won't build up an all round fitness which I assume is what you'll be aiming for. Stretching is important too, this should be done every day and as you find out what you're strengths and weaknesses are, you will be able to 'feel' where you need to focus on (I myself suffer with tight hamstrings, so I need to focus there after running, or a work out). Another thing you will need to think about is core stability. I see people all the time in the gym who spend all their time building obvious muscles (biceps, triceps, chest etc) but then disappear for a few weeks with an injury sustained when trying to move something outside the gym, where they injure their back or abs. Think of it this way, your lower back/abs support your upper body, which is where most people do most of their lifting. It's ok being able to lift stuff, but if your body can't support the load, you'll just end up straining your core stability muscles, so you need to develop these as well as the rest of your body. Try using a stability ball and putting your feet on it when you do push ups (this is incredibly hard, but the results are worth it ) and lie on it for sit ups. You can also try to balance on it using just your knees which aids co-odination.

The last thing to remember is that you're only young and still growing, so you have plenty of time to build yourself up and theres no need to rush. I know the Royal Marines produce a booklet on preparing for CTCRM, so try asking the USMC if they do one. If you can, join some sort of organised fitness club or class, so you'll have someone making sure you don't hurt yourself by doing it wrong (trust me, I've done that - not good) and also give you someone to push you. Boxercise and circuit training classes are excellent. Also remember that general sports (football, US football, rugby etc) also improve your fitness and coodination, as well as your ability to function as a member of a team, so don't ignore them (they're also good fun, which is important).

I'm sure other people will have things to add, but thats just a small piece based on what I've picked up. If anyone thinks what I've put is wrong, feel free to correct me, but remember there's lots of schools of thought about fitness training, so what works for you might not work for others.

Good luck!

[sniper82]

Thank you for all the great information. I do do other things besides pushup such as High School Football USA style, Weightlifting situps pullups and running but i was mainly foucused on the pushup aspect because there are many kids who can do more pushups than me but have not worked nearly as hard at it. I do take protein shakes in the off season but i eat alot during the season. Anyway thanks for the help i'll try some of that and see what happens.

[cdnsniper]

Also, try going to these forums if you have a question about anything, every question regarding training has nearly been answered there. Just remember that this is a Canadian army site .

[FA sear]

Thank you for all the great information. I do do other things besides pushup such as High School Football USA style, Weightlifting situps pullups and running but i was mainly foucused on the pushup aspect because there are many kids who can do more pushups than me but have not worked nearly as hard at it. I do take protein shakes in the off season but i eat alot during the season. Anyway thanks for the help i'll try some of that and see what happens.

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Serving your country is a noble profession and I commend you for that.

I too had trouble doing more than 40 pushups in a row. However, I stopped doing pushups and focused on weight training in high school. In college I was able to bench almost 1.75 times my bodyweight while squating well over 2X my body weight, so I tried a set of pushups again just to see how I would do. To my surprise I was able to crack out 82.

For me personally I think when I was able to bench significantly more than my body weight I was also able to handle my own body mass much better. I was also involved in Aikido, Judo, and Kickboxing, so that may have helped too.

Good luck with your training.

[spearhead]

is there anyone in logistics who can give me some advice on how to practice and learn logistic skills? one idea i had to practice is arranging parties, ordering all the right stuff, ect...

Edited August 22, 2005 by spearhead

[Dan]

Try and find a job as a storeperson, so junior storeperson or something.

You would do a similar job, but in the private sector,

Or you could join a cadet unit and apply for Q Store, i did that back in high school. Outfitted the unit, arranged all the gear for camps, cleaned weapons and maintained the armoury, all good fun!

[spearhead]

unfortunatly im already 16 (17 tommorow ) so that means im too old for most cadet forces such as the sea cadets, and im joining in about a year so not much point, im a sales assistant at a big tv shop so i have to do stock counts n all sorts occasionaly, that count?

[dickie]

Help guys!!!

I applied for an interview with the RN/RM for officer selection and I've gotten one. I was just wondering if anyone else here can let me know what to expect? In the letter it says I will be asked about the RN, the equipment they use and current operations, so any input there or ideas for sources on the type of things they might be asked would also be appreciated. On another note, it says under dress code a suit or shirt and tie. If I can't get hold of a suit would a Union Jack tie do? It's the only one I can find but I'm worried it's a bit much. Also, I have fairly long hair, would I be ok just to have it tidied up or would you recomend getting it cut short?

Ta,

Dickie

[Zebb]

Well done mate, first of all take a deep breath and relax, its best to come across as confident but composed, speak up clearly when answering any questions, and take a moment to consider your answers before you reply, dont waffle, just keep to the question in hand, and only expand on your answer if they ask you to.

You need to read up on everything you can find about the RN/RM, especially their current operations and equipment, and any future plans that may be in the pipeline, there is tons of stuff on the web so just start googling around and you'll soon have plenty of info, take notes of relevant information so you can go back over it.

Imo, i would get your haircut neatly, it doesnt have to be cropped short but short and tidy, and if you have'nt got a suit then hire one for the interview, a plain smart tie with a white shirt and smart suit is your best bet, first impressions count for a lot in the military, especially with officer selection, and make sure you have a pair of plain black highly polished shoes, you can normally hire those as well if you dont have a pair.

They will want to know all about your interest's and especially things which include people skills and management, any courses you've done and think about an answer for why you want to be an officer in your chosen branch of the military, dont just give the bog standard answer of "because i want to serve my country" etc etc, although you can chuck that in at the end, but give a well considered reply.

As long as you prepare well mate you will have no problems, good luck..

[dickie]

Thanks a lot Zebb! Now I've stopped panicking (sp?) after I realised I don't have my education certificates (I never went to the presentation evening at high school) and sorted through everything I've just got one last question about it.

Bascially, I am intending to apply for selection as an officer in the Marines, when I spoke to the first guy who came to my school and mentioned it he said something about a fitness test being part of it, but at the time I was thinking of entering as a recruit. So does the same still apply for the officer interview? If it does, what sort of things do they test? The website talks about the POC tests being pullups, pushups, situps and running, I don't have a problem with my fitness (at least, I don't think so ) and work out and go running most days but I just wanted to make sure I know what to expect.

Sorry if I appear to be in a muddle, I've got so much literature here all with different bits of info in them, some of which seems to apply both to the Navy and the Marines but other stuff applies to only one or the other, whilst some of it is almost contradictory? It's also a bit daunting with this being my first proper interview and all

Thanks again,

Dickie

[Zebb]

Lol, np mate, i'm not too clear on the latest test requirements but you should find a lot of answers in here....

RM Forums

[spearhead]

i dont think i can make it to an interview for the royal navy i live on the island of guernsey, can be very hard to get to england

ive asked them to give me 2 weeks notice so i can arrange travel

[warhawk]

ooooo fresh meat.

Seriously good luck dickie. Although I hate to admit this publically sounds to my untrained ear (in the sense of knowing what to expect from the other side of the pond) that Zebb has, as I would expect, given some good sound advice. I hope to hear that you will be able to realize your dream as this is something not many can do.

Stout Hearts

|RE|Warhawk

[pz3]

Army is allowing GED applicants in with no restriction now.

soon as i get my GED i think im gone.

[TeXaN]

Army is allowing GED applicants in with no restriction now.

soon as i get my GED i think im gone.

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Well good news for me then because im currently getting a GED but i'm still going to take a few college courses at the local community college before i enlist

[pz3]

I was thinking about that. Wouldnt want to join and get the army put u where we need ya thing. Need some credintials that you are capable to work in the field ya want.

[Marcinko]

get it in writing you'll be ok. all the rumors of my buddy got screwed, he had it in writing. it may happen, but he didnt have it in writing.

get it that way you'll be fine. they and out 18x contracts like theyre candy,because of the high washout rate.

people miss home, dont wanna do SOPSE cause of rumors, just look at it this way, you miss home after basic/airborne, and you quit, you'll really be missing home when your deployed for a year or more, doing bs details, guarding the gates. get into the SOF community and short deployments are one of the many bonuses.

just dont quit, pay attention in classes, stay motivated, always keep setting goals for yourself. i looked at it, especially in RIP, like the guy next to me is no better than me. he can do it so can i.

EDIT: also, if they dont have the contract you want at MEPS, dont join up, just wait, they'll tell ya, well, it will be a while before another slot opens, well, tell em you'll wait. recruiter are known to do a lot to get people to join, and their is no obligation until youve raised that hand. i hear of people saying well i wanted a Ranger contract but they didnt have any, just wait, you dont have to go back and retake the phyical(which will be the longest day of your life), just go to the job councellor and pick your mos. i told em i wasnt joining unless i had my Ranger contract, and they said ok, we'll get it, waited a hour and a half while the concellor made phone calls, but i got it.

just keep all this in mind.

Edited September 18, 2005 by Marcinko

[pz3]

Good tips man. I dont ever seem to miss home, really feel like theres nothing here that i couldnt live without....

[TeXaN]

Thanks for the tip ill keep it in mind when i finally decided to join up , which is still maybe 2-3 years away for me

I feel the same way Prozac feels about home i personally want to get the hell out of this place there is just no future in it for me for what i want to do . Only person that i would even miss would be my mom but thats about it . She already knows my feelings about joining the army since its what ive always wanted to do since i was 8 yrs old .

[Marcinko]

No problem guys. i said the same thing about home, but after inprocessing at 30th AG, longest week of your life, it had me appreciating home a lot more.

its hell, theres a lot of BS to put up with, but in the end its worth it.

best of luck to both of you. any questions about infantry OSUT airborne, or RIP i'll be more than happy to answer.

joe i wanna talk to you before you enlist.

[SnowFella]

Good tips man. I dont ever seem to miss home, really feel like theres nothing here that i couldnt live without....

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You might not miss home now but when you either have been deployed for months without seeing your loved ones or when you have been out in the boonies for weeks humping around with all your gear (in my case during the lovely swedish winter) you sure start missing it like mad!

[Hatchetforce]

Mark Twain said, "Find a job you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life."

What I am saying with that is first make sure the military is something you want to do. It isn't for everyone. Serving or not serving doesn't put you above or below anyone. There are allot of great people whose service consists of doing things in their community and that has a greater impact than putting on a uniform. People like that have my deepest admiration. How many times have we driven down the street and seen someone with car trouble and simply blew on by? We should be better than that.

If you decide to join, go after a specialty you truly want and not one for the bonus or because it has a glam factor. Appearances fade at 0200. And deployments seem more like a great time with you buds when you are doing something you enjoy, whether that something is driving a truck, performing medical specialties, or slipping over the side of a Zodiac into the water.

You know all of that stuff you used to see in recruiting commercials about travel and adventure? It really exists. Even with the war going you will see allot of great things in your career you would otherwise have missed.