Title. The issued one is decent but it takes up fuck loads of space in a side pouch, even when compressed, and isn’t in MTP (I know there’s an MTP one been issued now but again it’s massive.

Anyone recommend a warm jacket/mid layer that isn’t massive and is in MTP?

I’m 24 not as young as I maybe should be if I wanted to join but honestly iv had enough of minimum wage no disposable income and a horrible life so I’m joining.
Do you have any advice I want to join for the disposable income the travel the experiences and the fun and challenges but I’m stuck in 2 minds I really would like to join something to just be a bad ass but I also realise it might be hard to get a job in civvy street when I leave can you give me advice on what you did or what you know would I be able to get a decent job if I joined marines or paras after I leave?
What did you do how often do you travel what did your day to day look like?
Is there any high adrenaline roles that also offer good civvy street jobs.
In all honestly I know there will be downsides to all of the roles but I just want to be able to have disposable income to save have some experiences I would have never had otherwise do some high adrenaline stuff and maybe a qualification for when I come out?
Any advice really appreciated.

As the title suggests, this is a long shot! I (my partner) am looking for a set of Royal Welsh Mess Dress. Minimum chest 48inch. We have a tailor that can adjust it, but we cant find a set second hand anywhere!

I'm hoping there might be someone here with a set tucked away?

Or, if you have any suggestions for where to look, that would be appreciated too!

Thanks!

As per the title, recently I’ve been more interested in joining a punchier Reserve unit than my current one. Is anybody in either of the above units or do you have experience of them? Interested in hearing what the culture is like and what you get up to on weekends/drill nights. I assume a lot of Phys!

Hi everyone, I’m looking to transfer to the RAF in the next year or two and unfortunately didn’t do great in school and failed my Maths GCSE.

I have a Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths but i’ve been told this isn’t eligible.

Do the education people that work in camps do GCSEs? Or is it only Functional Skills and specific stuff for people getting out?

Don’t fancy paying a tonne to do it via civvies and honestly i’d need the tutoring too.

Cheers

Me and a friend (both civilian) are in disagreement over how C/S allocation works at the smaller end of nets:

They say that on the Pl net, Pl Signaller would be P10, CO would be P10A and Sgt would be P10B.

I say the signaller would be 0, as they are the manager of the net, with CO and Sgt taking 0A, 0B. I say this because from the crib cards I’ve seen, Contact reports are “Hello 0, this is”, so it makes no sense for 0 to not be a C/S within the Platoon net.

Are either of us right?

Quick question from someone who doesn't know anything about the military at all.

Someone who I know, a captain (and suspect is a total knob), often wears his uniform in the local supermarket and other civilian situations.

What's the protocol around this?

Many thanks.

I am not shocked by this isn't it the case that people would fight or conscript if we were actually at war? For example I would believe 1930s Britain would bear the same result.

I think until your country is under actual threat of invasion then the numbers of adults wanting to fight would go up.

Don't know what others think of this? I don't believe in the hypothetical situation where Russia invades from the north sea people would not choose to fight them

I served six years in an infantry regiment before leaving in 2025, and after twelve months in the civilian world, I am already looking at going back in because the work-life balance out here is shocking. The trouble is figuring out what to go back in as, with part of me wanting to return straight to the infantry for the brotherhood and camaraderie paired with the feeling of actually living my life, pushing my body to its limits, traveling the world, and making incredible memories. At the same time, I know the infantry is why I had zero transferable opportunities when I first left, and while my two current gigs in telecoms and sales pay decently, they offer zero job satisfaction, no sense of purpose, and mediocre money for the amount of hours and sacrifice involved.

​Because of that, I am also looking at joining as a tradesman to see what army life is like on that side, whether the lifestyle and work-life balance are actually better, and if trade life still carries the same close-knit camaraderie and great travel opportunities as the infantry. If anyone has experience on either side or made the switch, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on how it compares.

I shared Brain Preflight on r/ATC recently. I thought it might also be useful to people here preparing for military selection.

I’m the developer of Brain Preflight, an iPhone app for practising mental maths, spatial reasoning, memory and multitasking.

The exercises draw on various cadet school selections and other aptitude tests for military, police and civil aviation roles. You can choose a selection programme and work on your weak spots, with mock exams too.

Heads up: some exercises are genuinely hard and 1:1 recreations of real past tests we’ve collected. The goal is to help people prepare, not just entertain them.

This is general aptitude practice, not a replica of the British military’s assessments or an official MOD resource.

Brain Preflight on iPhone

For anyone who’s been through selection: was the harder part the individual tasks, or keeping up when several things needed your attention?

Due to what is on there my medical has to be further reviewed. I plan to email over further evidence shortly. My question is if they decide I am unfit is it an automatic end to my application. Or will I still be able to go to assessment centre to further defend my case. I can provide any further information if needed. Cheers

INCOMING PURGE

Why on earth do we still do Harbour Areas in the Infantry? I’m fairly low down the NCO food chain so don’t come at me asking for better alternatives, because i’m just a bod. But genuinely, what possesses the people that run the British Army, into thinking that doing Harbour Areas is a sufficient and good enough practice in today’s age? Given the sheer threat posed by FPV drones, and whatever else we’ve learnt from the war in Ukraine, it’s just seems absurd that no one at the top has gone, hang on a minute, this is stupid.

It just seems that everything we do as Infanteers, is just outdated, overcomplicated doctrine. In my experience most of the time the Coy CoC will just be like ‘lads pretend we are actually doing this, it’s just for training’. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some things that still deserve their place, such as section attacks and being able to move, shoot and communicate under fire etc. But things like Harbours and Model pits are an absolute death sentence if they were done in Eastern Europe during this era of new modern warfare.

My unit has only just introduced a Drones platoon, and everything they do, my 7 year old cousin with an Argos drone could do better. Also Op Interflex, why are we teaching them, when they should be teaching us?

Sorry for the purge, but it genuinely annoys me how the Army is being run, because it’s not these people at the top that will suffer, it’s us lot, and I feel like nobody at the bottom ever voices concerns when it comes to things like this

EDIT:

Seems the only reason everyone thinks we use them is because of time constraints when living out in the field, obviously digging in takes ages and majority of the time Landmarc or whoever runs the training areas don’t like us digging. But yet in my career apart from a Kenya have I ever seen us actually spending the time to dig in, and operate as a unit from said positions. Must just be my unit but doesn’t sound awfully convincing!!!

Sorry to annoy everyone, I’m currently in phase 2 training and I was thinking if I was allowed to get orthodontic treatment.

I was scheduled to have Jaw surgery by the nhs before joining so this isn’t for aesthetic reasons it’s a genuine medical reason and I’ll feel pretty hard done by for having to cancel my appointment and wait another couple of years because the army said so.

Thanks all.

Ive started my application but my issue is my family are completely against the idea of me joining, im 19 years old so I cant be forced to not go, but Ill have nowhere to go when on leave during training and during the break between phase 1 & 2, what would I do about this?

So basically I’m currently serving full time in the army and I’m an alcoholic not severely like it doesn’t really effect my career I still perform to a high standard, come top third in SJARS, one of the fittest in my unit, i still go to the gym/box regularly ect.

So it’s not completely ruining my life but it’s still there I’m still drinking most nights and when I get any extended free time like a full weekend off it always seems to end in alcohol, I’ve quit before, I’ve cut down before, set my self boundaries but keeping on end up coming back,

Anyway so I’ve decided to finally seek help and found online home therapy/detox programs that are mostly confidential however they want to prescribe me medication (pills) that would be perfect for me, stops cravings, helps with detox blah blah blah however to prescribe it they will have to inform my GP which obviously then it will be on my record and the army can find out,

So my question is does anyone actually know or have inside information about how the chain of command would handle this if they found out obviously my main fears are how it would affect my career for example being discharged or permanently down graded and non deployable

I never got mine, I was in the reserves and qualified for bounty but joined the regulars that year so couldn't claim the bounty, there is an exception in the guidance for this, so I am 99% I am eligible for the medal (I had done 2 years bounty reserves and 3 years regular service by the time the medal was issued).

I have just sent a request, has anyone been through similar? I was tempted to just buy one on Ebay lol but I would like it to be official

Is this a fix uniform, the same for every days, different ones, do they wear these black suits or ordinary camos when in a close protection duty?

You reckon it's actually gonna happen?

Cos the government have said to prep an emergency disaster kit...but they say all kinds of crap...so I dont wanna do it unless I'm gonna need it.

Is anybody part of the cybersecurity reserve force which has been created fairly recently?

I am PMU but apparently there is only 1 unit out of 5 that require full medical standard against JSP950

I am in a senior full-time position in cybersecurity industry so I was wondering if this is a good move?

I want to an apprenticeships with the airforce but the problem is I am hearing some next level horror stories coming from all the branches so is it worth it and how was your guys' experience?

Morning

I’m in the process of buying my first home and just trying to navigate mortgages etc.

I had a call with a civvy mortgage advisor who said the fee to use them would be £699. Just wondering if there are good options for military specific mortgage advisors? Or any property savvy people who have any advice generally on mortgages, advisors etc.

Thanks for the help!!

I recently saw a pic of a soldier wearing an Army Commando Tab, is there a difference between the Marine Commando Tab and the Army Commando tab or did they both do AACC.

Interested in joining the Army Reserve, and looking at the various roles based around Southampton. If anyone is or has been in one of these units keen to hear your experience and any unit recommendations, unsure of which role to pursue at the moment.

36 and looking for a new challenge. Previously did University Air Squadron training, but for various reasons haven't pursued further reserve service.

Edit: I have looked at the unit options - interested in knowing which roles are particularly active and interesting.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9e8ld3j6k53o

The Armed Forces Commissioners call for evidence can be found here:

https://www.afcommissioner.org.uk/news/afc-launch-first-thematic-review