Defence Force

FlipXW · 22-12-2007, 12:40 AM

Any1 here been or is in the defence force?
I just finished yr 12, and didn't quite get the marks i wanted to get into a uni course, so now im thinking of joining the airforce or navy.
Is anyone here experienced in thses fields? and wat type of course should I be looking at as I have no idea what i should do?
Thanks Phil

smoo · 22-12-2007, 09:26 AM

Treat all recruiters as real estate agents or used car salesmen.

Don't go into it blindfolded, make sure you know the paths you can choose, and take the one that would interest/suit you the most. I can't really comment as I'm not in the ADF but get first hand advice by those who are serving rather than from the recruiting office.

strike · 22-12-2007, 10:40 AM

You must have had an idea of what uni courses you wanted to study. Your best bet would be to try and get into ADFA, (Australian Defence Force Acadamy) you apply through the normal recruiting office. This would have you joining as an officer graduating with a degree as a Lieutnant, they have a multitude of degrees available. Their job is to try to get you into what want to do as it is all about trying to keep people in the defence force and if you are not happy doing the job you wont stay around. Other options would be to go to RMC (Royal Military College) this takes about 18 months where you will graduate as an officer. (Leutenant) You wont have a degree but if you enjoy it you will have a great long term career with heaps of benefits. Both of these options will require a Return of service obligation, which will require you to stay employed for a period of time after you have completed your training. (term depends on particular degree etc) Finally you can join as general enlistment and go through about 12 weeks basic training then employment training for a variety of jobs. I think, with this option you can now enlist knowing what employment you will be going into. I spent 11 years in the Army, I was an Enlistment recruiter for 12 months and a recruit instructor for 18 months. I have been out for about 10 years but not a lot would have changed with this proccess. Hope this helps, if you have any specific questions post them or PM me and I will try and answer them for you, but needles to say if you choose either of these options you will have a carreer for life and a very rewarding one.

FlipXW · 22-12-2007, 10:47 AM

Thanks for that guys. Yea strike i was going to do Civil Engineering at uni, missed out by 3 points. Does that mean that I would be able to do an engineering course at the ADFA or not because my marks weren't big enough?

Pursuit250 · 22-12-2007, 11:04 AM

I'd suggest that if your marks weren't sufficient to get into Civilian University then you might struggle to get into ADFA. Nevertheless, there are other ways to get that degree if you have your heart set on it. I joined the RAAF after I completed year 11 as an Avionics Technician. I spent 6 years in the mustering until I obtained the necesary exeprience and qualification to be accepted to ADFA through the RAAF as an Adult Student. 4 years later I had my Electrical Engineering degree and the rest is history.

Having said that, my time as a Avionics Technician was probably the most enjoyable part of my RAAF career. The work, friends and environment was thoroughly enjoyable and I was able to experience opportunities that I could not get anywhere else.

I highly recommend a military career to anyone and would encourage you to drop into recruiting and start asking questions, as well as finding some serving members to talk to.

vztrt · 22-12-2007, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilXR8

Thanks for that guys. Yea strike i was going to do Civil Engineering at uni, missed out by 3 points. Does that mean that I would be able to do an engineering course at the ADFA or not because my marks weren't big enough?

Why don't you get into an engineering course with the marks you got and transfer. As long as you do well at uni, you can change quite easily.

FlipXW · 22-12-2007, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vztrt

Why don't you get into an engineering course with the marks you got and transfer. As long as you do well at uni, you can change quite easily.

I was stupid and only applied for civil and chemical engineering. Plus i am pretty keen on joining the ADF now, im going into the recruitment office on monday to discuss my options. And thanks for all the advice guys its really helping me out

.

fastapasta · 16-01-2008, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilXR8

Thanks for that guys. Yea strike i was going to do Civil Engineering at uni, missed out by 3 points. Does that mean that I would be able to do an engineering course at the ADFA or not because my marks weren't big enough?

You could try for a uni in townsville of armidale or some smaller uni with lower cut offs.

on physics maths forums there is a good thread about whether someone should become an engineer given the workload and academice requirements.

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1565325

sleekism · 16-01-2008, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastapasta

You could try for a uni in townsville of armidale or some smaller uni with lower cut offs.

on physics maths forums there is a good thread about whether someone should become an engineer given the workload and academice requirements.

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1565325

If you are still interested in doing Civil Engineering than you can do an Assosciate Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Southern Queensland.

The UAI cutoff was 57!!!!!!!!

You can even do it by distance like what I'm doing and when you graduate (2 years full time) then you already have half the bachelor degree than you can just continue on.

The DefenceForce is fun but their pay leaves a lot to be desired.

pertuan · 16-01-2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleekism

The DefenceForce is fun but their pay leaves a lot to be desired.

Depends on what you do. I reckon my pay is pretty good considering what opportunities Defence offers in terms of the scope of work.

Dave_au · 16-01-2008, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilXR8

Thanks for that guys. Yea strike i was going to do Civil Engineering at uni, missed out by 3 points. Does that mean that I would be able to do an engineering course at the ADFA or not because my marks weren't big enough?

ADFA is a campus of UNSW, I believe to enter ADFA, you need to meet the UAI/TER/VAC requirements of UNSW for admission.

FlipXW · 16-01-2008, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave_au

ADFA is a campus of UNSW, I believe to enter ADFA, you need to meet the UAI/TER/VAC requirements of UNSW for admission.

Yep this is true. Its even higher ive since found out so no chance there.

mcnews · 22-12-2007, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilXR8

Any1 here been or is in the defence force?
I just finished yr 12, and didn't quite get the marks i wanted to get into a uni course, so now im thinking of joining the airforce or navy.
Is anyone here experienced in thses fields? and wat type of course should I be looking at as I have no idea what i should do?
Thanks Phil

If you want a slack job that for the most part is like a normal job join the air force (holiday camp)

If you don't have a problem with missing lots of sleep and doing long hours then join the navy.

Green X · 22-12-2007, 11:35 AM

getting in as a officer can be difficult, my mate tried it it for the infantry thou only just mist out, Fit as, was a rower and cross country runner + weight lifting for fun. got a good TEE mark and was doing Computer science at Uni.

Ended up in the Air force as a Electronics Technician and studying Electrical engineering Part time, He likes it anyway, never short of Funny chit to tell ya when he's back in town but like anything it has it's good and bad points and i think choosing the defence force as a second quick option after you couldn't make it into civilian Uni unit would be a mistake you have to want do it and know what you are getting into .

Don't forget you retune of service agreement, as a officer and a engineer you are looking at around 7 years of military service from memory after you have finished your training.

Cheers.

FlipXW · 22-12-2007, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green X

getting in as a officer can be difficult, my mate tried it it for the infantry thou only just mist out, Fit as, was a rower and cross country runner + weight lifting for fun. got a good TEE mark and was doing Computer science at Uni.

Ended up in the Air force as a Electronics Technician and studying Electrical engineering Part time, He likes it anyway, never short of Funny chit to tell ya when he's back in town but like anything it has it's good and bad points and i think choosing the defence force as a second quick option after you couldn't make it into civilian Uni unit would be a mistake you have to want do it and know what you are getting into .

Don't forget you retune of service agreement, as a officer and a engineer you are looking at around 7 years of military service from memory after you have finished your training.

Cheers.

Yea mate cheers, and trust me this wasn't a second quick option, it is always something i have wanted to do aswell.

FrogInASock · 22-12-2007, 02:45 PM

I did 6 years in the Navy, transferring to the Air Force 3 years ago. I had previously worked at BHP Steel Port Kembla (as it was then known) for 10 years, completing a Fitting and Machining trade and Associate Diploma in Engineering.

I did not do any war trips as I was not posted to a Persian Gulf bound ship.

I enlisted as a Marine Technician - Mechanical. I am now a Ground Mechanical Engineering Fitter (RAAF term for fitter and machinist).

I cannot in good faith advise you to join the Navy as enlisted. As has been previously said, VERY long hours, little sleep, seemingly meaningless work, constant cleaning. All while the Commissioned Officers and Senior (enlisted) Sailors (Petty Officers and above) appear to do bugger all.

After I did 3 years on my ship, I was posted to a base in Sydney. After spending literally hours cleaning my areas of the ship to an almost sterile state (literally white glove treatment), I was absolutely disgusted to see half an inch of dust on the easily accessable firemain pipes of the building. Reason? Civilian cleaners.

I gave my Request to Transfer documentation to my Warrant Officer at 5 years and one day. Another bloke did the same. His documents were never forwarded onto the appropriate office! The Warrant Officer was never disciplined for it either. The Naval Police Coxswain (Military Police, as the name suggests) on my ship was a picture of the Senior Service. Literally too fat to put on breathing apparatus! The straps did not extend far enough to go around his gut. He had not completed a fitness test in about 3 years. Yet he was still allowed to retain rank, and go to sea. Junior enlisted personell were strongly verbally discliplined if they got to that stage.

It will take literally generations for the current navy to change it's ways. Do not believe any of the hype that the recruiters will tell you. If they are civilians they are paid a bonus for every sign up. Ask to speak to a serving member of the service that you are interested in. Even better is someone form the corps/category/mustering (job description) that you are looking at.

After that rant, I can recommend the Air Force, for the opposite of all the above reasons! The description "civilians in uniform" is pretty accurate after being in the Navy. BUT remember that we ARE in the Defence Force and Do have to conform to some "interesting" rules.

We DO get free medical and dental, but only from a Defence base. We CANNOT just front up at our local doctor or hospital except in the case of an emergency. We do NOT get free housing, on base you pay Rations and Quarters for your food and room (still pretty cheap) and off base the housing is at a heavily subsidised rent - I pay about $125 a week for my 3 bedroom, single garage house, and the dollar value is the same all around Australia. We DO get our initial issue of uniforms free, and any additional items of uniform that are required upon promotion. We do NOT get replacement items of uniform for free, that's why we get Uniform Maintenance Allowance (about $450 a year). We DO have to maintain a certain level of fitness and often are given departmental PT to keep this up (usually just kicking a footy around or similar). We DO have to ensure that our medical, dental, and weapons readiness are current. And we ARE booted in the if they are not without a good reason!

Defence can be a good job or career. After a little while you get to know how Defence can help you (eg: education, both TAFE and University). Go in with eyes wide open, take it all in, and talk to the real people, say, at an open day at a base.

strike · 22-12-2007, 05:03 PM

Some very good advice here, and from someone who is a little more up to date than me. It does seem that the RAAF is the way to go I wouldnt recommend the Army either, although with the last few years of conflicts there is a lot more scope for O/S tours. At the time that I was in the Army the financial constraints where that bad that we were running around yelling buckets of bullets when we were supposed to be doing live fire range practices. The life is great and I would have still been in if it had not been for a little parachute mishap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogInASock

I did 6 years in the Navy, transferring to the Air Force 3 years ago. I had previously worked at BHP Steel Port Kembla (as it was then known) for 10 years, completing a Fitting and Machining trade and Associate Diploma in Engineering.

I did not do any war trips as I was not posted to a Persian Gulf bound ship.

I enlisted as a Marine Technician - Mechanical. I am now a Ground Mechanical Engineering Fitter (RAAF term for fitter and machinist).

I cannot in good faith advise you to join the Navy as enlisted. As has been previously said, VERY long hours, little sleep, seemingly meaningless work, constant cleaning. All while the Commissioned Officers and Senior (enlisted) Sailors (Petty Officers and above) appear to do bugger all.

After I did 3 years on my ship, I was posted to a base in Sydney. After spending literally hours cleaning my areas of the ship to an almost sterile state (literally white glove treatment), I was absolutely disgusted to see half an inch of dust on the easily accessable firemain pipes of the building. Reason? Civilian cleaners.

I gave my Request to Transfer documentation to my Warrant Officer at 5 years and one day. Another bloke did the same. His documents were never forwarded onto the appropriate office! The Warrant Officer was never disciplined for it either. The Naval Police Coxswain (Military Police, as the name suggests) on my ship was a picture of the Senior Service. Literally too fat to put on breathing apparatus! The straps did not extend far enough to go around his gut. He had not completed a fitness test in about 3 years. Yet he was still allowed to retain rank, and go to sea. Junior enlisted personell were strongly verbally discliplined if they got to that stage.

It will take literally generations for the current navy to change it's ways. Do not believe any of the hype that the recruiters will tell you. If they are civilians they are paid a bonus for every sign up. Ask to speak to a serving member of the service that you are interested in. Even better is someone form the corps/category/mustering (job description) that you are looking at.

After that rant, I can recommend the Air Force, for the opposite of all the above reasons! The description "civilians in uniform" is pretty accurate after being in the Navy. BUT remember that we ARE in the Defence Force and Do have to conform to some "interesting" rules.

We DO get free medical and dental, but only from a Defence base. We CANNOT just front up at our local doctor or hospital except in the case of an emergency. We do NOT get free housing, on base you pay Rations and Quarters for your food and room (still pretty cheap) and off base the housing is at a heavily subsidised rent - I pay about $125 a week for my 3 bedroom, single garage house, and the dollar value is the same all around Australia. We DO get our initial issue of uniforms free, and any additional items of uniform that are required upon promotion. We do NOT get replacement items of uniform for free, that's why we get Uniform Maintenance Allowance (about $450 a year). We DO have to maintain a certain level of fitness and often are given departmental PT to keep this up (usually just kicking a footy around or similar). We DO have to ensure that our medical, dental, and weapons readiness are current. And we ARE booted in the if they are not without a good reason!

Defence can be a good job or career. After a little while you get to know how Defence can help you (eg: education, both TAFE and University). Go in with eyes wide open, take it all in, and talk to the real people, say, at an open day at a base.

Envious · 23-12-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrogInASock

I did 6 years in the Navy, transferring to the Air Force 3 years ago. I had previously worked at BHP Steel Port Kembla (as it was then known) for 10 years, completing a Fitting and Machining trade and Associate Diploma in Engineering.

I did not do any war trips as I was not posted to a Persian Gulf bound ship.

I enlisted as a Marine Technician - Mechanical. I am now a Ground Mechanical Engineering Fitter (RAAF term for fitter and machinist).

I cannot in good faith advise you to join the Navy as enlisted. As has been previously said, VERY long hours, little sleep, seemingly meaningless work, constant cleaning. All while the Commissioned Officers and Senior (enlisted) Sailors (Petty Officers and above) appear to do bugger all.

After I did 3 years on my ship, I was posted to a base in Sydney. After spending literally hours cleaning my areas of the ship to an almost sterile state (literally white glove treatment), I was absolutely disgusted to see half an inch of dust on the easily accessable firemain pipes of the building. Reason? Civilian cleaners.

I gave my Request to Transfer documentation to my Warrant Officer at 5 years and one day. Another bloke did the same. His documents were never forwarded onto the appropriate office! The Warrant Officer was never disciplined for it either. The Naval Police Coxswain (Military Police, as the name suggests) on my ship was a picture of the Senior Service. Literally too fat to put on breathing apparatus! The straps did not extend far enough to go around his gut. He had not completed a fitness test in about 3 years. Yet he was still allowed to retain rank, and go to sea. Junior enlisted personell were strongly verbally discliplined if they got to that stage.

It will take literally generations for the current navy to change it's ways. Do not believe any of the hype that the recruiters will tell you. If they are civilians they are paid a bonus for every sign up. Ask to speak to a serving member of the service that you are interested in. Even better is someone form the corps/category/mustering (job description) that you are looking at.

After that rant, I can recommend the Air Force, for the opposite of all the above reasons! The description "civilians in uniform" is pretty accurate after being in the Navy. BUT remember that we ARE in the Defence Force and Do have to conform to some "interesting" rules.

We DO get free medical and dental, but only from a Defence base. We CANNOT just front up at our local doctor or hospital except in the case of an emergency. We do NOT get free housing, on base you pay Rations and Quarters for your food and room (still pretty cheap) and off base the housing is at a heavily subsidised rent - I pay about $125 a week for my 3 bedroom, single garage house, and the dollar value is the same all around Australia. We DO get our initial issue of uniforms free, and any additional items of uniform that are required upon promotion. We do NOT get replacement items of uniform for free, that's why we get Uniform Maintenance Allowance (about $450 a year). We DO have to maintain a certain level of fitness and often are given departmental PT to keep this up (usually just kicking a footy around or similar). We DO have to ensure that our medical, dental, and weapons readiness are current. And we ARE booted in the if they are not without a good reason!

Defence can be a good job or career. After a little while you get to know how Defence can help you (eg: education, both TAFE and University). Go in with eyes wide open, take it all in, and talk to the real people, say, at an open day at a base.

Sounds like the reason i joined the Army lol.
Another thing, you have to pay for your uniforms after II? What the?
Cant you just Q change them?

DayTE · 23-12-2007, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Envious

Sounds like the reason i joined the Army lol.
Another thing, you have to pay for your uniforms after II? What the?
Cant you just Q change them?

The camo clothes can be changed when one set wears out, but the rest of the uniform (which is worn waaay more often that not) needs to be bought.

I'm an ex RAAFie, ATECH, I worked on the airframe and engines of the aircraft and I got to see the country, every capital city at tax payers expense. Becase of the aircraft I worked on I didn't get a chance to go overseas which I would have liked but I guess you can't have everything.

I agree the Air Force is "just another job" and less military than the other services, but there is still regimentality in the service.

And my last bit of advice is if you go into the trades such as what I did, get as many qualifications along the way as you can. My trade has done SFA for me outside of the service. Ok I admit I live in Tassie and there really isn't a lot of Aircraft Mechanical work here in the state, but I had done plenty of other courses which had given me a leg up for other things around here.

All in all, good luck and don't take the recruiting guys words for gospel!

scoupedy · 22-12-2007, 06:53 PM

One of my mates that can bearly add up and can't do fractions earns $75000+ as a petty officer in the Navy, he had no idea about boats either before enlisting lucky sob
does it show that i'm jealous?

AusM · 22-12-2007, 08:21 PM

Ex-RAAF here... It used to be that only the RAAF let you sign up to go into a particular trade, the other two it was 'sign up, do a couple of years of whatever we want you to do, apply for your chosen field, then we'll see...'. A navy friend spent two years sanding, cleaning and painting ships before being able to apply for a trade. An army friend did his time in warehouse supply. I knew a navy guy who had been in 12 years and had never been to sea... Navy people may have to cope with isolation at sea - three guys, three shifts of 8 hours each in one bed - fun, not! Talking to some army guys, there is a real frustration at not being able to do what they are taught to do - kill people! I saw the changes in a friend I'd known since primary school, and it wrecked him and his marriage. Sure it's not all, or even most, but many, and it's well documented.

So, it depends on what you like. Most air force people won't see frontline service, training is for defending an airfield more than attacking on the battlefield. These days the AF base will usually be a few hundred k's away from the action. In the navy, they're all targets, in the army, the officers stay safe and send the troops in, in the air force, the troops are safe and they send the officers in! AF people get called 'civvies in uniform' by the others - an observation of the perceived relaxed nature of the AF. However, it's not all shiny, fast planes and overseas trips. Most AF staff never get into a RAAF jet, though most tradies will get some trips in a Herc at least.

Good points - good trade training, blokey atmosphere (was 85% male a few years back), fair wage (much less than private sector, but some tax concessions, allowances), good chance of working in other capital cities, access to some exciting situations, physical training is encouraged and some events are subsidised/can be done in work time (inter-state hockey/netball/skiing/biathlon etc), free second-rate medical and dental, some access to space-available dirt-cheap overseas flights and the fact that a carton of beer will get you almost anything!

Bad points - THEY OWN YOU. Apply to grow a moustache, permission required for certain haircuts, apply to travel 250+ km from base, apply to go overseas, hand in any non-Aus passports if you are dual nationality, any police fines etc must be reported, you are theoretically on-call 24hrs/7days and can be sent anywhere on little notice.

Regulations, regulations, regulations! Uniform, behaviour, rank. You get judged on how many years you've been 'in' and your rank, not what you can do. A totally incompetent person with more time up may be put in charge of something you can do much better (this happens in the real world too, but it is enforced in the services and it's rare to find a boss who will risk using common sense when he has rules to follow). Most people seemed to hate their job, and spent all day whinging about it or taking it out on others. Job satisfaction that I saw was very low.

Moving - you might want to stay, or might want to move, but you only have preferences - they send you wherever and whenever. Not a major problem for most 'singlies', but many families are broken up by it. It affects your social life. Not everyone's cup of tea...

If you really want to work hard, achieve something and earn lots of money, I would suggest looking elsewhere. Maybe an IT course or trade training for any of the in-demand industries? But otherwise, with a 4-year view, it could be worth the training and experience...

JC · 23-12-2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PFdesign

...... Talking to some army guys, there is a real frustration at not being able to do what they are taught to do - kill people! ..........

Reminds me of the old saying "Join the Army, travel the world, meet nice people........and kill them!"

AusM · 22-12-2007, 08:43 PM

Something else to add - if you do decide on a trade, it would be worth asking if there are any cutbacks planned. For years there has been a trend towards civilian outsourcing of many trades which used to be 'uniformed' positions: cook, chef, painter, carpenter, base security, even cinema projectionist have all been axed. Uniformed were then moved in to other areas such as clerk (odd jobs), supply etc, wherever they needed someone and noone else wanted to go. RAAF were scheduled for huge cutbacks in the late 90s - there were limited promotions, redundancies were offered in many trades and training was severely cut back, with some bases and units closed. Then East Timor happened, defence was in the news and the military budget was back in business... when the world settles down again, expect the job losses to come back on the agenda.

As it is now, they can't keep people in. The attrition rate is high and the million dollar advertising campaigns have flopped...

FlipXW · 22-12-2007, 11:42 PM

Thanks for all the comments and pm's. You guys have been very helpful so far, much appreciated.

pertuan · 24-12-2007, 08:00 PM

I'm Navy and I work on the electrical systems. Joined about 3 years ago.

From my point of view, its an awesome career if you like to do something different. You get to meet heaps of different people and learn more about yourself and how the world works (kinda). Like everyone else said, it is what you make of it.

As for the recruiting side of things, if you have something in mind, don't let the civilian recruiters change your mind. They get paid on a bonus scheme whereby the more people they recruit, the more money they get regardless of the applicant's suitability for the job. Talk to a uniform member. If you want to go Officer, talk to an officer. If you're looking at NCO ranks, go talk to an NCO. From what I understand, the uniformed recruiters (at least the Navy side) are getting better.

You can try and organise a tour of a ship or base through your recruiters. They can organise them for you and most uniform members are more than happy to have the opportunity to 'brag' about their job and equipment.

nobbystang · 28-12-2007, 03:24 PM

I'll throw another vote in for the Navy. I did my 6 then transferred to the RAAF a couple of years ago. IMO the Navy gives you a good start in the ADF, and then when you've experienced the sea time and had enough fistings, transfer to the RAAF, preferably commision form the sound of your interests.

Good Luck!!

wingTS · 29-12-2007, 12:08 AM

Try this link

http://www.defence.gov.au/army/

LS2 KLR · 29-12-2007, 08:44 AM

How are you going Phil. Buddy I'm currentley in the Navy and have done 10 years. I take it you are after an engineering degree? I can't give you to much advice on the degree side. I joined up as something called a MT(Marine Technician). The quals I got out of this are Diploma in Engineering Mechanical and Marine Engine Driver Grade 1 or 3(I've forgotten). To get these quals in the Navy will take you about 7 years if you are good.

I'll be getting out in 12 months. Reason being I'm about to get married and want to start a family. If I had my time all over again I would do the same thing and join up as a 17 year old straight out of Yr12. Many people have discussed the negatives, but not too many positives. This job is NOT for everyone, but by the sound of it you're fairly keen. Make sure it is what you want to do. You will meet and make some fantastic friends who'll stay for friends for life. You will have an absolute ball with your mates in your time off. The places you go to are not usually places you'd pay to go, but you'll find these are the places you'll remember the most as you make it a great time and the locals treat you very well. The life experience you will gain. Nothing can beat it for your age. If you are single, love working your *** off and playing hard the Navy could be a great choice.

So there are some positives for you. If you want to know more or want to chat to someone after being fed bullshit by the recruiters PM me.

Good luck Evan.

mbrandall · 29-12-2007, 01:19 PM

Mate,

If you want to know any more about the careers and options available through ADFA, feel free to send me a PM. I'm beginning my third year of a Information Systems and Politics (double degree) at ADFA in the Army, but I am also in the middle of a service transfer to the RAAF. So lets just say in order to transfer, I've had to learn just as much about the RAAF as I already know about the Army.

The recruiters will sweet talk you quite a bit, and so will the websites - use the experience of the ex and current serving ADF members here, and throw a few questions my way if you want to know any more about ADFA.

chivalrydreams · 29-12-2007, 02:59 PM

Well I was second generation Army. My father went to Vietnam as a Infantry Platoon Sergeant and he made a great career of it for 21 1/2 Years ending up as an RSM. They kept pushing him to become an Officer however he wouldn't have a bar of it because as an RSM he had far more respect from people than he would have had as a Captain. I only managed 14 years in the Army and only made the rank of Sergeant. Although I left the army bitter and twisted I did manage to get 2 trades out of it as a motor mechanic and then as an avionics technician and I would still recommend it to anybody as a fantastic opportunity to get a degree or a trade. The training is second to none, the lifestyle is fantastic and the work is challenging and rewarding. They really put you through your paces and you achieve things that you never thought you were capable of especially as an officer. If you get the chance to go to ADFA then jump at it even if you don't get exactly the degree that you want. As previously stated you can always change course at Uni once you have a few subjects under your belt and they can see that you are getting good grades. I would add a word of warning, never accept things at face value and if they promise you something make sure that you get it in writing before getting your hopes up. My only complaint with the Defence Force is that they do not look after you once you are injured, you are just thrown on the scrap heap despite the fact that they ask so much of you physically and mentally.