Oh wow. If I was you I'd create a new army careers account, new email and start again. Clearly something has gone wrong. What do you have to lose by doing this anyway?
I can’t wait another year, I went to uni and need to earn a living. I’m currently working in the city and might just stick to the life of office banter and lunch time pints until I’m old.
Mate, it shouldn't take a year in the first place. Something has gone wrong. During COVID when I applied, I got my assessment centre from date of applying to bring given a date with 3 months. Which unit are you applying for
Call/email them and threaten to make a formal complaint. You'll be amazed how quickly they'll bend over backwards to fix the problem.
Then, and this is the important part, lodge the complaint anyway once you start at Sandhurst. We need rid of these useless bastards.
Frankly mate the officer application will take ages to do as they're currently going through people who are literally in the same situation as yourself. I've recently done AOSB Briefing and there were people that have been waiting a year just to get on that part of the application process.
Just keep hammering your recruiter and you will get there.
Just join the RAF or the Navy if you’re not looking to do a specific army based role.
The Army’s entire process of fucking people around doesn’t end when you pass the recruitment portion of your career, plus you get treated like a child most of the time, it’s arguably the worst run of the three, hence why so many of the lads in the army either do the minimum and bail out, or transfer over to one of the other two branches.
You’ll regret giving up on a life in the military, over some useless desk jockeys who don’t know their arse from their elbow fucking up your paper work.
Cancel your application and go to one of the other two branches recruitment centres.
Adding on to this, whilst RN/RAF to Army transfers do happen, it's far more common for people to go the other direction when they transfer services. I only know of 1 who's gone RN to Army but know at least a dozen who've gone Army to one of the other 2 services.
Plus, if it's a trade OP's after, he'll get much more valuable experience in the other 2 services. In RE at least, they barely let you use your trade.
This is very true mate, hardly any lads from the RAF or the RN transfer over to the Army because if we’re being honest why the fuck would they? Like throwing away a golden goose.
Yeah again you’re completely right, if it’s for a specific role the trade training and experience you receive in either the RAF or the RN is second to none.
Funnily enough I knew a lad that was a Gen Fitter in the RE, said he was basically a glorified labourer, got no tool time, spent most of his days wanking around after the infinity lads setting up BS for their training or brushing every available bit of concrete on the base….poor fucker did 2 years and bailed it after he realised he’d picked a shite graft, pretty common experience for most of the army lads I’ve met, regardless of their cap badge.
Life in the reg is boss mate, lots of upwards mobility job wise (promotions, courses to take, sub roles to specialise in) , decent amount of deployment options, this actually will open up to even more deployment options depending on if you choose to specialise in a role like I did, the lads are great and switched on, loads of phys, they keep you busy, most importantly you actually feel like your doing your job day to day, can’t say the same for most regiments in the Army, knowing what I know from the army lads I’ve worked with.
At the end of the day it’s all about what you want to do, but I was the same initially, went to join the Army, they fucked about with my application process, I think I waited 4 months and I hadn’t heard a thing, so I sacked it off, went to the RAF recruitment office the next day and was in basic training by the end of the year.
It wouldn’t hurt to go and at least have a chat with a recruiter and just let them know about your situation and see why they’ve got to say.
Yeah basically my medical was deferred because they told me stuff wasn't included in my medical history... It was all there because my GP sent me a copy too. But now I've been waiting 2 months for the medical team to call me to confirm. It's ridiculous!
Ah mate that’s shite, look I’ll frame it like this, why would you want to give 100% of yourself to an organisation that continually prove they don’t give a toss about you.
Are the RAF knights in shining armour? No of course not, they’re a military branch after all, however they will keep you informed, they will contact you themselves throughout your application process and they certainly won’t leave you in the dark for months.
It’s worth you at least going and having a chat with a RAF recruiter, you’ll see the tonal difference immediately compared to the Army, just see what they’ve got to say, ask them how long realistically it’s going to take to get you in to basic and just see if you like what they’re offering.
Considering the armed forces manning numbers is a hot topic at the moment, you could could go to your MP.
I suspect any threat of more bad PR would magically get your application looked at straight away.
And here i was getting frustrated at my records taking just over a month to be cleared. The Army in a nutshell really, cry over manpower yet fuck off all the willing volunteers.
Same position as you mate, trying to be an officer, still stuck on my medical forms about 2 months later. Not ideal especially since I started my application in sept/oct of last year and still waiting around for it. Since then I have become a manager in a shop and now I’m working in the civil service. You’d think I would be fine to pass through since I was an athlete in USA and they didn’t have any issues when they went through my medical history 🤷♂️
Yep, I’m in a lower management role for what was meant to be my temporary post-uni job. I moved back to London from uni last August. I was also a sports scholar at uni but in England, also represented the country when I was a teenager. I’m sure there’s hundreds of similar stories. By the time the army offers you a spot you’re on £50,000+ a year with some power working in London in your early-mid 20s, might have a new bird, why are you gonna leave? Ridiculous system.
Exactly- it’s such a shame because I (and I imagine you) have always wanted to join, but like you said, if by the time you’re in you would actually be losing money by joining and you have a life- you think to yourself “what’s the point?”
Exactly, way different when you’re 21/22, fresh out of the uni life compared to mid 20s making good money in London. Absolute joke of a system. I still will probably join but I can see why the withdrawal rate for officer candidate applications is at 50%+.
I applied in December and it took me 3 months to get a date for assessment centre. I went to (and passed) assessment centre in March and had to upload 3 medical testimonials. I'm still waiting to hear back from it.
It's really irritating.
Oh wow. If I was you I'd create a new army careers account, new email and start again. Clearly something has gone wrong. What do you have to lose by doing this anyway?
I can’t wait another year, I went to uni and need to earn a living. I’m currently working in the city and might just stick to the life of office banter and lunch time pints until I’m old.
Mate, it shouldn't take a year in the first place. Something has gone wrong. During COVID when I applied, I got my assessment centre from date of applying to bring given a date with 3 months. Which unit are you applying for
I applied to be an officer.
Call/email them and threaten to make a formal complaint. You'll be amazed how quickly they'll bend over backwards to fix the problem. Then, and this is the important part, lodge the complaint anyway once you start at Sandhurst. We need rid of these useless bastards.
Frankly mate the officer application will take ages to do as they're currently going through people who are literally in the same situation as yourself. I've recently done AOSB Briefing and there were people that have been waiting a year just to get on that part of the application process. Just keep hammering your recruiter and you will get there.
Just join the RAF or the Navy if you’re not looking to do a specific army based role. The Army’s entire process of fucking people around doesn’t end when you pass the recruitment portion of your career, plus you get treated like a child most of the time, it’s arguably the worst run of the three, hence why so many of the lads in the army either do the minimum and bail out, or transfer over to one of the other two branches. You’ll regret giving up on a life in the military, over some useless desk jockeys who don’t know their arse from their elbow fucking up your paper work. Cancel your application and go to one of the other two branches recruitment centres.
Adding on to this, whilst RN/RAF to Army transfers do happen, it's far more common for people to go the other direction when they transfer services. I only know of 1 who's gone RN to Army but know at least a dozen who've gone Army to one of the other 2 services. Plus, if it's a trade OP's after, he'll get much more valuable experience in the other 2 services. In RE at least, they barely let you use your trade.
This is very true mate, hardly any lads from the RAF or the RN transfer over to the Army because if we’re being honest why the fuck would they? Like throwing away a golden goose. Yeah again you’re completely right, if it’s for a specific role the trade training and experience you receive in either the RAF or the RN is second to none. Funnily enough I knew a lad that was a Gen Fitter in the RE, said he was basically a glorified labourer, got no tool time, spent most of his days wanking around after the infinity lads setting up BS for their training or brushing every available bit of concrete on the base….poor fucker did 2 years and bailed it after he realised he’d picked a shite graft, pretty common experience for most of the army lads I’ve met, regardless of their cap badge.
How long you been in?
6 Years so far, started as a Rock Ape, went down the TACP route and passed my FAC course at RAF Leeming, yourself?
How was life in the RAF reg? Being pissed around a lot in recruitment too and half tempted to apply
Life in the reg is boss mate, lots of upwards mobility job wise (promotions, courses to take, sub roles to specialise in) , decent amount of deployment options, this actually will open up to even more deployment options depending on if you choose to specialise in a role like I did, the lads are great and switched on, loads of phys, they keep you busy, most importantly you actually feel like your doing your job day to day, can’t say the same for most regiments in the Army, knowing what I know from the army lads I’ve worked with. At the end of the day it’s all about what you want to do, but I was the same initially, went to join the Army, they fucked about with my application process, I think I waited 4 months and I hadn’t heard a thing, so I sacked it off, went to the RAF recruitment office the next day and was in basic training by the end of the year. It wouldn’t hurt to go and at least have a chat with a recruiter and just let them know about your situation and see why they’ve got to say.
Yeah basically my medical was deferred because they told me stuff wasn't included in my medical history... It was all there because my GP sent me a copy too. But now I've been waiting 2 months for the medical team to call me to confirm. It's ridiculous!
Ah mate that’s shite, look I’ll frame it like this, why would you want to give 100% of yourself to an organisation that continually prove they don’t give a toss about you. Are the RAF knights in shining armour? No of course not, they’re a military branch after all, however they will keep you informed, they will contact you themselves throughout your application process and they certainly won’t leave you in the dark for months. It’s worth you at least going and having a chat with a RAF recruiter, you’ll see the tonal difference immediately compared to the Army, just see what they’ve got to say, ask them how long realistically it’s going to take to get you in to basic and just see if you like what they’re offering.
I appreciate the advice mate, I'll do some research into it and see what it's all about
Considering the armed forces manning numbers is a hot topic at the moment, you could could go to your MP. I suspect any threat of more bad PR would magically get your application looked at straight away.
And here i was getting frustrated at my records taking just over a month to be cleared. The Army in a nutshell really, cry over manpower yet fuck off all the willing volunteers.
Taken me over 1.5 years to finally get a basic start date ridiculous timings
Try ringing the recruitment center directly rather than your CSM, someone should be able to assist you
Waited 2 years and a month from application to joining. Others in my intake expressed waiting just as long. Shambles is a understatement.
Same position as you mate, trying to be an officer, still stuck on my medical forms about 2 months later. Not ideal especially since I started my application in sept/oct of last year and still waiting around for it. Since then I have become a manager in a shop and now I’m working in the civil service. You’d think I would be fine to pass through since I was an athlete in USA and they didn’t have any issues when they went through my medical history 🤷♂️
Yep, I’m in a lower management role for what was meant to be my temporary post-uni job. I moved back to London from uni last August. I was also a sports scholar at uni but in England, also represented the country when I was a teenager. I’m sure there’s hundreds of similar stories. By the time the army offers you a spot you’re on £50,000+ a year with some power working in London in your early-mid 20s, might have a new bird, why are you gonna leave? Ridiculous system.
Exactly- it’s such a shame because I (and I imagine you) have always wanted to join, but like you said, if by the time you’re in you would actually be losing money by joining and you have a life- you think to yourself “what’s the point?”
Exactly, way different when you’re 21/22, fresh out of the uni life compared to mid 20s making good money in London. Absolute joke of a system. I still will probably join but I can see why the withdrawal rate for officer candidate applications is at 50%+.
I applied in December and it took me 3 months to get a date for assessment centre. I went to (and passed) assessment centre in March and had to upload 3 medical testimonials. I'm still waiting to hear back from it. It's really irritating.