Joining ye olde (Irish) Army?

Hey all.


First post on here and just looking for some insight regarding the Army, joining it and life involved with it from people who have more knowledge on it than I do.


Pretty much, I'm 21, have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life, and have heard that if you join up with the Army, aside from the first few months (which are supposed to be pretty tough physical training), it's a fairly handy occupation, and they will give you the opportunity to do apprenticeships and so forth, whilst paying you decent pay?


A girl I know who's involved (practically her entire immediate family are involved with the Army in some way or another) seems to have it grand. Now obviously I've never followed her around for a day, so I don't know what she does exactly, but since joining the army, she's gotten proper qualifications in something computer orientated (not sure what her title is, but it's something technical sounding), her brother is a qualified mechanic due to the army too, i believe. Plus they also get a great pension via the Army too, i believe (and it doesn't take as long to get? No retirement at 65 kinda layout?).



Not entirely sure how accurate my post is, because obviously people love to exaggerate things and tell everyone how well they have it, and everything I've said above has really just been stuff I've been told, so not thoroughly researched or anything, so I'm just looking to ask on here to see if anything I've said above is accurate at all.


Also, in the event that I did decide the Army was a great idea... How do you go about joining? Do you just throw up an application whenever you like, or do they have certain times when they will accept them or..? (I read on boards before that if you want to join the Gardaì you need to wait until they're recruiting, which is supposedly not supposed to be until 2011 at this stage? Is the Army a similar kind of deal?)



Sorry if this post seems a little half assed. I had it written out properly with a few questions i wanted to ask and Firefox shut down on me so I had to write it again :mad: Can't remember half of the things I had in my head.


But anyway,


Thanks a lot to anyone who can offer me advice here.

citizen_p

it will be a hard thing to do. their not recruiting.
recruiting freeze like the gardai

diverdriver

They're not recruiting at the moment but go to military.ie for info. Plenty there.

Mousey-

Mousey- wrote: »

it will be a hard thing to do. their not recruiting.
recruiting freeze like the gardai

Any idea when they may next be? I'm in no rush anyway (not that I have decided it is what I want to do). I'm in terribly shape anyway, so I'd need time to get in proper physical condition for it.

Local-womanizer

Deleted User wrote: »

Any idea when they may next be? I'm in no rush anyway (not that I have decided it is what I want to do). I'm in terribly shape anyway, so I'd need time to get in proper physical condition for it.

The same as all public sector workers.They will review the ban in 2011.Until then nobody knows.

You should use the time to get fit though.The entry level fitness requirements are on their website.

As for day to day life in the army I could only tell ya what I hear from those in it.They all say you will get alot out of it if you put the effort in.

ooPabsoo

Deleted User wrote: »

aside from the first few months (which are supposed to be pretty tough physical training), it's a fairly handy occupation

Thats not really a very good reason to want to join the army:eek:

bleedinrapidbud

I say get trainin now cause if ya don't you'll have a heart attack doin the run part of the fitness.
And yeah the army is the best job around-i was talkin to a few friends the other night in the pub and when i asked how they were gettin on they all told me they had no jobs-they are all qualified tradesmen through FAS.
So never mind FAS or college get yourself in to DF as soon as ya can!!!!

richy1

it may open in 2010, people will have 2 be replaced who retire. im definetly going 2 go for equitation cadet if it opens

trench foot

op if your considering joining the army consider the british army, navy or royal airforce. there are plenty of careers there and you will get in there in no time.
or if you have a problem with the british army consider the french foreign legion: there are great career opportunities here.

as for the irish army, forget it..this country has gone down the f'nn toilet

oglaigh

richy1 wrote: »

it may open in 2010, people will have 2 be replaced who retire. im definetly going 2 go for equitation cadet if it opens

They`re getting rid of all the horsey stuff to save money

trench foot

oglaigh wrote: »

They`re getting rid of all the horsey stuff to save money

disgrace.

hey oglaigh, you should craic out the champagne, youve reached 32 posts!

richy1

no they just said in the budget a couple of days ago that the equitation school is waiting open

Blazher

With the ban on, Will the put the age limit up?

At the moment you have to be under 25 to join. Will this be put up?

triple-M

Blazher wrote: »

With the ban on, Will the put the age limit up?

At the moment you have to be under 25 to join. Will this be put up?

doubt it because when they start recruiting there will be plenty of applicants with only a fraction getting in so if they were to extend enlistment age there would just be more applicants let down

Poccington

oglaigh wrote: »

They`re getting rid of all the horsey stuff to save money

They're not getting rid of the Equitation School.

In reality it should be gone, as it serves absolutely no purpose but Willie O' Dea has decided, in all his wisdom that a modern force needs a showjumping school.