Good morning Jordan

"What role suits me?" is a common question. Much like you, when i was choosing who to apply for I had Infantry and Royal Tank Regiment on my list. In the end it came down to where i felt most comfortable and who i got on with the best. Bear in mind you will need to live with these people for at least three years following training so if they are not your type of people then dont go for them. The Royal Armoured Corps and the Infantry complete basic training in Catterick so there is the option to change your mind there before Initial Trade Training. There are cross overs between both in that there is Armoured Infantry who use the tracked Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle and there is Light Cavalry who are very reconnoissance heavy and do a fair amount of dismounted work. Likewise within Tank regiments there is a recce troop that also does a reasonable amount of dismounted work.

In terms of travel, it is true that Main Battle Tanks are hard and expensive to move and so currently are only deployed in Estonia as part of NATOs Enhanced Forward Presence. But in the Armoured Corps the Light Cavalry are currently doing the most travel, they go to the USA, Poland, Estonia to name a few. The Infantry also travel a lot but where there are three regiments of Light Cavalry and your chances of travel are high, the infantry has 40-50 Battalions and so while they travel lots there is more of a chance that someone else will go. That being said, Kenya, Belize, Estonia and the Falkland Islands are often visited across the infantry.

Not wanting to throw a spanner into the works but have you thought about the Royal Engineers. They have plant operators which you would be perfectly suited to and Armoured Engineers. It is also worth noting that the Army goes nowhere without the Engineers and so they deploy everywhere, this is especially the case with the plant operators as we often need infrastructure building or maintaining wherever we go. The Royal Engineers have great links with technical education and so i have seen friends start the army with nothing and leave as a chartered engineer. This sort of thing is worth considering as regardless of how long you are thinking of staying in the Army, a return to Civilian life waits for us all and it good to think forward to that.

While i havent told you which role is right for you, hopefully ive given you some things to think about and consider. Ultimately who we join is a choice that only we can make however i encourage you to think beyond role and also consider lifestyle and community as they are equally important.

Hopefully ive helped a bit.

25 October, 2024 08:18

Hello Robert

Thank you for your response. You’ve certainly given me a lot more to think on and having read what you’ve said. I have looked into the Royal engineers and added that to my list. I definitely feel I can contribute the most to the army by doing machine work so I think the Royal engineers suits me all round.

My only issue is I’m a terrible swimmer and I understand that you need to pass a certain level of swimming to pass basic training?

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond, I want to make sure I choose the right path before I go any further.

27 October, 2024 20:25

Jordan,

Im glad i could offer a different viewpoint that could help you. My advice is dont let swimming be the barrier to you. When i was going through training we had an initial assessment and those who weren't up to the level expected then conducted extra swimming to get them there, and while they didn't turn into the Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps they were all able to do what the Army expected of them. The Army is really good at helping people overcome anything they are struggling with and giving everyone the best chance at achieving success.

Again, feel free to throw any more questions at me and if i cant answer them i will find someone who can.

28 October, 2024 11:37

Again thank you so much Robert!

I’m really thankful you cleared that up, that was the one thing that really held me back from applying to join. It is something I will struggle with to start off but the extra lessons would be great!
Thank you so much for your insight!

03 November, 2024 10:34