AirsoftgoesAli Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I'm only 15 but in the future I was considering following a career in the army I would join as a soldier but I have a bit of vision impairment in my right eye so wouldn't be able to look down the scope on the right side very well so then I thought I have very good grades in all the sciences and maths maybe a career as an engineer may be more suited so I wanted to know if you have any experience in the army how you found the training and general army life? Aswell as what kind of roles would be suited to me keep in mind that I'm in very good physical shape I play high level sports and frequent the gym so that shouldn't be a problem but I would also like to put my knowledge to use aswell Thank you for any replys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters jcheeseright Posted March 16, 2016 Supporters Share Posted March 16, 2016 get some A levels, join as an officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters ImTriggerHappy Posted March 16, 2016 Supporters Share Posted March 16, 2016 get some A levels, join as an officer. See agreeing with you already.I have never served but know a lot who have and those that were officers are definitely doing better for themselves in civi street than those that weren't. Get a trade out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PT247 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I think no matter what you go in as you'll need to have some competence in shooting a rifle even as an officer. Even in the Royal Navy you need to be able to pass a shoot in basic training and will get kicked out if you can't. Can glasses help your eyesight issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AirsoftgoesAli Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 I can shoot very well using my left eye as I used to do a lot of air gun shooting and such but just can't see accurately down the scope with the right eye cause of a lazy eye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PT247 Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 ahh, this could be an issue as it is not possible to shoot the SA80 lefthanded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters jcheeseright Posted March 16, 2016 Supporters Share Posted March 16, 2016 it is if you don't like your face! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skarra333 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 I'm only 15 but in the future I was considering following a career in the army I would join as a soldier but I have a bit of vision impairment in my right eye so wouldn't be able to look down the scope on the right side very well so then I thought I have very good grades in all the sciences and maths maybe a career as an engineer may be more suited so I wanted to know if you have any experience in the army how you found the training and general army life? Aswell as what kind of roles would be suited to me keep in mind that I'm in very good physical shape I play high level sports and frequent the gym so that shouldn't be a problem but I would also like to put my knowledge to use aswell Thank you for any replys This is not my site at all so I don't know how current or correct it is at all, but it has a section on eye sight, and links to some online test that might give you an idea as to whether or not you'll be limited in your options: http://www.recruitpacks.com/5-factors-that-could-affect-your-military-application/ Might be worth an early chat to both a recruitment office and Specsavers? Just incase your eyesight does prevent you from being able to join, there are a whole heap of other options open man, don't despair. For example the Merchant Navy would still let you travel, get yelled at, develop skills and a trade for later life, and possibly fire automatic weapons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffreym Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 ahh, this could be an issue as it is not possible to shoot the SA80 lefthanded Not totally accurate, it was possible to be issued a "left-handed" SA80, but I never knew the requirements, saw a couple in the stores in shorncliffe and one issued to a gurkha, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters jcheeseright Posted March 17, 2016 Supporters Share Posted March 17, 2016 Chances of being issued one during training though... Nil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jambo88 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Wait until your older. Don't join as a 16-17yo and then think sod this after a few years because you've had a rough few months. Working shitty jobs whilst you study will delevop you massively because you have to learn how to deal with mundane menial tasks and you will appreciate the good times more aswell. Ive not served Im classed as unfit for service( I did pass selection) but I've had friends that went in and left then found they missed it and spent over a year trying to rejoin. Getting paid to be bored is better than being bored on the dole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deebo Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 I second the wait to give it a few years. I know a few that joined quite young and definately found it easier as they got older. Not served so cant give much advice on the eye things, good luck on it though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralKimbo Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 So the SA80 messes up your face if shot left handed? Does the army make leftys put up with this or do they sort something out for them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PT247 Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Left handed folk learn to shoot right handed. It isn't difficult unless you have a disability that would make it so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters jcheeseright Posted April 1, 2016 Supporters Share Posted April 1, 2016 Everyone gets taught to shoot right handed, the controls for the gun are not in any way ambidextrous. While it's physically possible to shoot it left handed (using a very specific technique) it's not really possible to fully manipulate an SA80 left handed, magazine changes, moving the selector, even the safety catch is on the wrong side for a lefty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talltom Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Dont know squat about army but i can tell you that the raf is a damn good job if you want good qualifications and living but dont join young Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
two_zero Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 So the SA80 messes up your face if shot left handed? Does the army make leftys put up with this or do they sort something out for them? Shooting lefty on a righty SA80 isn't something that anyone reasonable could put up with. As you see in the picture the ejection port is right near the shooters face. The ejection port ejects burning hot brass and dust - and I imagine the blot handle slamming back towards the shooters face would be an issue as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Moderator Jedi_Master Posted April 2, 2016 Head Moderator Share Posted April 2, 2016 So the SA80 messes up your face if shot left handed? Does the army make leftys put up with this or do they sort something out for them? They used to train them to shoot right handed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundel91 Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Cant speak for the army as im RAF. But i would recommend joining the military. The sensible thing to do is join a trade within the forces that will give you skills and qualifications to get a decent job on the outside. There are so many decent trades out there with transferable skills thay are sought after in civ div. Theres is more to the military than just soldiering. As for shooting. You cannot shoot the L85 left handed as the cocking handle will smash your face in. Im also blind as bat in my right eye. Hasnt stopped me passing my annual common core skills training. (Im not infantry and rarely handle weapons any more than once a year anyway) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporters ImTriggerHappy Posted October 3, 2016 Supporters Share Posted October 3, 2016 And the necro of the year award goes to........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherOopsie Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Definitely worth talking to a recruitment officer. There are options on the website to talk live to a recruiter, or alternatively pop into the Armed Forces Careers Office. Believe me, I'd definitely finish school and get as much education as possible before you make a choice. In 2012 I dropped out of school to Perdue my own military career, and was going to go to AFC Harrogate (where the "young soldiers" at 16 go). You can apply at 15 and 7 months, which I did in February 2012. Done my BARB test, personal development day, interviews and selection and was offered and start and training date for September 2012. Bare in mind there and age limits to jobs and at 16 you are limited to a very short list of them. Now, during this time, I was doing school exams. And I was very naive to think I knew it all, had my mind made up etc and showed little interest (I did do well for th circumstances though). So I left school, and began a little weekend job in July to keep me ticking by and busy until I buggered off. However, a family situation cropped up that simply couldn't be ignored, and unfortunately I had to withdraw before I even started. Luckily I was able to find an apprenticeship and have recently finished that 4 year apprenticeship. I'm very, very lucky to have been able to get that, because as far as me and everyone else was concerned, I was a schoolboy that just dropped out. So genuinely, do yourself a favour, don't rush into it. Take time to weigh up your options and think of your future. As others have said, look at the requirements to become an officer, or get a trade behind you. It'll be worth it in the long run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundel91 Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 never know someone else may have the same questions and save starting up a new topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infanteer Posted November 2, 2016 Share Posted November 2, 2016 I got university entry grades when I left highschool but decided that instead of going to uni I would join the Army (Australia), so I joined at 17 which was a bit of a surreal experience because most the other lads were at Kapooka anywhere from 2-10 years older than me. When I joined up we all thought East Timor would be the next Nam so I was keen to get amongst it, that did not turn out to be the case fortunately. We went to the boozer the night before my 18th birthday during boot camp and I still wasn't allowed a beer but hey, that is understandable. We had three choices on what ECN (job) we wanted to be, I put down infantry, infantry, infantry because that is all I wanted to do, they told me I had to at least pick one other job so I put down combat engineer as my best mates dad had been a tunnel rat in Vietnam and that seemed awesome. In reality all I wanted to do was become a grunt because I thought it was bad ass and would give me some unique experiences which it did. I was recommended to apply for officer training at my inital interviews but decided against it because I wanted to experience the action, not supervise it, that was my attitude at the time. My family have a strong military history, my cousin and I ended up in the same battalion for example.I served a bit past my initial enlistment period of four years and was deployed several times, I got out because it was time to get out in my opinion. It was also taking a toll on my body, being a grunt is bloody hard work, anyone who tells you it isn't is talking out their bum. When I went through the school of cool we had quite a few drop outs, going through SF was not something I wanted to do after experiencing life in an infantry battalion because to me being a grunt was physically demanding enough.I learnt some great skills and made some great mates. You learn values like initiative, a solid work ethic, working as a team and looking after your people, these are values that are lacking in a vast segment of the civilian population.I am sure they have left handed weapons, we had left handed weapons in the aussie army, its the army not the catholic church. I am left eye dominant, right handed so I struggled with getting good groupings initially. Practice improved this but I need to shoot all the time to get good results, I am a talented shot but if I don't shoot for a while it drops, I am not a natural. I was very good on a machine gun though so I ended up carrying one for over 2 years including deployment.My recommendations are get a trade, when I got out I was a glorified security guard, there is work overseas in pmc's but the quality of that work and your safety working for those companies varies significantly. I went back to school because I wanted to get ahead. Another cousin was a warrant officer who had about 4 trades behind him, he got out and is now on six figures working in the mines.If you do decide to go into a combat role than look after your body, I was running conservatively a marathon a week some weeks on bitumen roads then going out to fraternise with the local women and attempt to drink my bodyweight in liquor. Not a good mix...Save some cash, put some away for a rainy day.The lads that have been there and done it are giving you from the ones I read good advice.My advice also is if you are a young'un than take a year off after you finish school if you want to join the military. Travel, prepare your body by getting as fit as possible, contemplate your decision as it is a long one. Also look at joining the TA as that could be a better option for you, it will give you a taste of what it would be like. Joining the British military for me would be an option but I am approaching mid 30s and am now too old however I will look at the TA when I fulfil the residency requirement here. Hope that helps mate, good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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