Do i have a chance?

O

ozmilman

Active member
Okay,

I'm looking at going into the Aussie army and i wanted to see if i could get some advice on whether or not i have a good chance of getting in.

I'm getting my fitness back up to a really good standard, i've got 18 years martial arts experience, i've used firearms before, i'm fairly decent at the huntsman's trade, i have a University degree with a double major (English and History), and i have dreamed of being in the army my entire life - it's the discipline.

BUT, I have poor eyesight without glasses. I can't see distances without my glasses and i was wondering whether that would keep me out of the army. Surely all of my positives would outweight the one negative, wouldn't it?

Rich.
 
i have a University degree with a double major (English and History)
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That is much more important than any of the other things. With that you can become an officer through Duntroon. As for eyesight, if you wear glasses then you should be fine. I wear glasses, but I'm saving for laser surgery.

The only thing it'll actually stop you from doing is being a pilot.

So yeah you should be fine as long as you've got an education, are medically fit, and haven't got any terrible criminal convictions hidden up your sleeve.
 
Heh, well i did get caught pinching this packet of condoms once, but they let me off for that.

Thanks man, that makes me feel heaps better - i'll just get one of those things that straps the glasses tight to your head so they don't fall off all the damn time.

Do you mind me asking what you do in the army? Or aren't you allowed to say or something?

Rich.
 
Sweet. I'm not sure if i'd go for officer training. I just want to go in as a Rifleman or Combat engineer. Maybe go in for trade training. Heh, maybe try out for commandos, i don't think i'd ever be fit enough.

Rich.
 
I'm not sure if i'd go for officer training. I just want to go in as a Rifleman or Combat engineer
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Don't think that as an officer you'd miss out on the action. You'll see just as much of it as your digs, if not more... just you'll be responsible for 30 other blokes.
 
Hmm, i suppose that sounds alright. How long do you spend at Duntroon? Or does it depend on what you're doing?

Rich.
 
Don't go officer, just be a rifleman and fight. You seem successful enough not having to add officer to your resume.
 
Yeah, thing is i've never been very good at politics, and when u get higher up in the officer sort of things u sort of become more involved in the politcal side of stuff, and u get like backstabbing and having to be politcally agile and all that. It's not really my sort of thing. I like taking orders instead of giving them.

Rich.
 
Hmm, i suppose that sounds alright. How long do you spend at Duntroon? Or does it depend on what you're doing?
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18 months.

And as for politics, unless your a Brigadier or General you won't see any sort of political scene. You can fight all you want as a Lieutenant.
 
why is it that they like people with degrees for leadership positions.
ok, so its supposedly a sign that you are smart, but that has zilch to do with leadership. what good is a philosophy degree to the army, it has nothing to do with command or authority. i would have thought they liked people who had a bit of worldly experience under thier belts
 
why is it that they like people with degrees for leadership positions.
ok, so its supposedly a sign that you are smart, but that has zilch to do with leadership. what good is a philosophy degree to the army, it has nothing to do with command or authority. i would have thought they liked people who had a bit of worldly experience under thier belts
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All it shows is that you can study at a tertiary level. It doesn't mean squat in army terms.

You need a degree to get promoted.
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you sure as hell do not.
 
He has a degree so he can further his intellect, increase his knowledge, and therefore be more valuable on an intellectual level. He might know something that made him a better soldier.

Rich.
 
Thats exactly what I am saying ozmilman, you need a degree to get promoted because you are more of use with one than without.
 
Couple of things (which are applicable to the US military, so I'd assume they'd also apply to the Aussie military):

- you can wear glasses, but be prepared to wear "geek birth control" glasses when you need to wear a gas mask -- normal glasses won't fit under there. Your glasses will also need to be non-flashy -- they don't need to be black plastic frames, but they shouldn't be really ornate and shiny.

- there's nothing in the US military personnel guides (as far as I know) that REQUIRES you to have a degree to get promoted, but it sure as heck doesn't hurt. And if you're a career officer and the military offers to pay for it, why the heck not?

- there will always be a hierarchy in the military, and of the things they use to define that hierarchy is whether or not you have a degree. True, a senior NCO with 25 years in will have a lot more leadership skills than a fresh-faced lieutenant right out of the academy (and that lieutenant would be a fool not to listen to his/her NCO), but ultimately someone has to give orders, make decisions and be accountable. Like it or not, an officer has those responsibilities, and they figure a college degree will help an officer in that regard.
 
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