Thread: Territorial Army

Hi guys

I've got a question. When I met Geoff, he told me he wanted to join the army. Long story short but because of me he didn't. He said he would join the TA instead, which was ok. Now he's actually going tonight to see about joining up and I am really really scared. I've seen that a lot more people are being mobilised now, and I kinda hoped that this would just be a bit of a hobby for him one night a week, but now it looks like more of them are being sent on tours. I really really don't want this, but I want him to be happy, so I wondered if anyone here as any experiences of the TA?

xx

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Originally Posted by Alhandra

Hi guys

I've got a question. When I met Geoff, he told me he wanted to join the army. Long story short but because of me he didn't. He said he would join the TA instead, which was ok. Now he's actually going tonight to see about joining up and I am really really scared. I've seen that a lot more people are being mobilised now, and I kinda hoped that this would just be a bit of a hobby for him one night a week, but now it looks like more of them are being sent on tours. I really really don't want this, but I want him to be happy, so I wondered if anyone here as any experiences of the TA?

xx

Not personal experiences, but one of my ambulance colleagues did a six month tour of duty in Iraq, he wasn't on the front line, they wanted him for his paramedic skills, but he was where the bullets and bombs were flying. Sorry to be so blunt, but that is the nature of war.
This may or may not be of help: When I joined the ambulance service, I was shown some of the most gory, stomache churning photos that you could imagine. All the class that I was in were prewarned that we were going to see these ghastly images and told that these were going to be the sort of scenes that we were expected to confront.
We had three call it a day within two days.
Your fella, might think twice if he saw graphic images of war. Perhaps not the sort of advice you were expecting, but I can't help feeling that your concerns are well placed.

Yeah, I'm gonna echo Broomstick pilot. I've had university friends in the TA go out Iraq and where touring the streets with machine guns in a lightly armoured land rover.

On the flip side they will not send rookies out to a war zone, there are plenty of other places soldiers can be deployed IF needed and unpopular as this comment may be, just 176 service personell have died in five years of conflict, four of which were TA back in 2003. It's 176 too many but statistically we are being very careful.

Servings ones country means different things to different people - you could get knocked down in the street tomorrow after all. The support of loved ones is a big ingrediant, I hope you guys can work something out.

Originally Posted by Broomstick Pilot

This may or may not be of help: When I joined the ambulance service, I was shown some of the most gory, stomache churning photos that you could imagine. All the class that I was in were prewarned that we were going to see these ghastly images and told that these were going to be the sort of scenes that we were expected to confront.

Today I learned that apparently I used to be in the army and during the term of my employment, I once spent a day in a wheelchair begging for money because I thought it was funny.

You've gotta love the gossip-mongers who have nothing better to do than make up shite like this!!! It always seems to come from the same small group of people!
:daft:

Originally Posted by Alhandra

Hi guys

I've got a question. When I met Geoff, he told me he wanted to join the army. Long story short but because of me he didn't. He said he would join the TA instead, which was ok. Now he's actually going tonight to see about joining up and I am really really scared. I've seen that a lot more people are being mobilised now, and I kinda hoped that this would just be a bit of a hobby for him one night a week, but now it looks like more of them are being sent on tours. I really really don't want this, but I want him to be happy, so I wondered if anyone here as any experiences of the TA?

xx

I was in the T.A when the Falklands War was on. Our platoon was one that was going to be mobilised if the war had continued any longer. I have no other way of saying this other than this way.............Alhandra, IF your chap gets accepted, IF he passes the Taci-Vals (Tactical Evaluations), IF he passes the exams, IF he learns to shoot a rifle, throw a grenade, fire a mortar, shoot a machine gun, load and fire rocket launchers AND he is in a section that will go then he will go....But.......I do not mean to say anyone who does this is a coward, please do NOT think this of me ok Alhandra? Some people are NOT cut out to legally murder others while being payed to do it. Some walk away from the TA if they know they are to be sent overseas.

IF he gets sent to the East he WILL be in the front line as far as terrorism goes.

The army, be it the TA or the regs (regular Army) is a BRILLIANT life, not all are cut out to do it though. The training is second to none. The camaradereship is the finest on the planet. The laughs are none stop. The bulling and cleaning is endless, the training never stops day in and day out, you are screamed and bawled at for being wrong and for being right.

Your chap, IF he gets in will not be going anywhere overseas for MONTHS! The Army does not spend £150,000 training a soldier in the TA just to send him away to war three weeks after he joins. They will also ask him some deep questions now adays to see if he has got what it takes to complete the course. They will also try to talk him out of it. When I went to join the regular army in 1976 I was asked this by the Colour Sargeant in charge of the office (please excuse language) "Wit the fuck dae ye want tae go tae Ireland fur n get the shite blown oot o ye ya stupid git!! Fuck of hame tae yer missus!" Your chap might be told something similar

I loved the T.A. I soaked it up like a sponge, I did special training coz I can shoot the balls from a flea at 45 metres. Did I want to go to war? No, I was as scared as the rest of the 22 guys in our lot. When we found out we were to go we lost 17 guys that day. They came in on the next training night with all their kit and walked away. I would have gone but, I would have had severe reservations about being able to do my job when there.

Your chap might not even be accepted Alhandra. The country is not ready yet to take on anybody for cannon fodder, I mean no disrespect when I say "anybody".

I hope this helps you.

Thanks guys, really appreciate your input. I would hate him to go on tour, but deep down I know he would enjoy it. He was an Army cadet and I don't think even horrific war images would put him off. I think he needs to prove something to himself.

Your advice has actually been really comforting, thanks guys xxxx

As Samuel Johnson said: 'Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier'.

Hi Alhandra - my partner is in the merchant navy (not the same thing at all) but they do get caught up in conflict around the world too.

If your guy wants to sign up, then all you can do is support him in the choices that he makes. As said above, he might not make it through all the tests and whatnot. Perhaps as he undergoes the various tests, he might also change his mind. But don't bank on it :-)

My partner has been in the merchant navy since he was 17 years old and now we're in our mid 40's. It's not an easy job, being left behind and worrying. But that's just one little bit of what it takes to cope with the distances and the length of time apart.

You need to develop resilience and all sorts of DIY skills to cope while they are away. And then, when they return, you need to be prepared to let that resilience and ability with a screw-driver just drop away....otherwise they feel useless and superfluous in your life. That's when they disappear down the pub and you start to ask yourself just why you have been living like a nun for 6 months....but I digress

Just make all the right noises, grin and tell him that you love him. It might just be the making of your relationship, hon!

AliX

Originally Posted by Alhandra

Hi guys

I've got a question. When I met Geoff, he told me he wanted to join the army. Long story short but because of me he didn't. He said he would join the TA instead, which was ok. Now he's actually going tonight to see about joining up and I am really really scared. I've seen that a lot more people are being mobilised now, and I kinda hoped that this would just be a bit of a hobby for him one night a week, but now it looks like more of them are being sent on tours. I really really don't want this, but I want him to be happy, so I wondered if anyone here as any experiences of the TA?

xx

One teeny weeny thing though. If he DOES go and sees action. When he comes back shut up and let HIM do the talking! Do NOT start on him about how the dog raped the cat and the budgie ate the gerbil and how HIS mother said THIS to your mother and vice versa. You will have to understand that you do not count when he gets back. He will have been in an all male group for something like six months keeping an eye on his "buddy", (the Army works on a buddy system) and females in the forces are known quite nastely as (please, please excuse the language) "Grunts with c*nts". He will need a few days to adjust to civvy life, this includes going down the boozer coz a civvy boozer is NOTHING like going to the NAAFI. Just be there for him and forgive his gruff and rough ways with you when he gets back. He will have seen and done things that a man should not have to do and or see.