what corps..
Infantry; I thought about getting right out and reapplying and was actually told off the record by other digs thats the fastest way but then to go throught all the other crap again for nothing.
At the time I enlisted in the reserves, I had applied ARA but was told they are not recruiting infantry ARA, that ECN was full and tried to advise me to become a clerk/padre and all kinds of other things.
So I thought the reserves would at least get me through ARTC, and then I could transfer and go to Singleton. Now when I do go I have to go back to ARTC for the new advanced soldiers course, which sounds a lot like reserve IET's anyway; NFE, Nav, Radios, first aid, marksmanship and fieldcraft.
But hey I'll just be happy to get in. Since I applied I bought an apartment in sydney and got married. Staying in Sydney is now quite important, so I'm hoping for 3rar, that was I can be in Sydney for at least a few years before they move south. Transferring aloows for you to put in a preference for a unit, so I opted for 3rar no guarentee I'll get it but at least I have a better chance than just reenlisting and ending up in Darwin, with not home, no wife and a mortgage.
SCMA did send through a proposed transfer for 1/11/05 but it is not set in concrete, and I was told not to make any arrangements with civy job etc just yet. It is now 6/10/05 I was hoping they would confirm the transfer and I could at least give 4 weeks to my employer, and wife etc... But still heard nothing. I think maybe its been canned, maybe not enought people on the advanced soldiers course so the dates have been set back but who knows, certainly no one at my unit, and SCAM advised me when contacted directly to talk to my unit. So I live and wait, but now that I know what its like I am working on the basis I won't be going ARA, that is got a job I don't mind, and participating in the reserves every chance I can. If the transfer comes throught great if not at least I won't have wasted time. That was kind of the crux of my advice to the guy thinking of going officer - don't wait on the army live like it ain't going to happen and if it does then great.
And again - I don't want to sound like im bitching, the army organisation is just not set up for all the paperwork and crap that needs to be done these days; and once someone gets good at their job they tend to be moved up or to a new challenge, nature of the beast!
