Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Australian army or the British army? which one?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Australian army or the British army? which one?

    I've been recently thinking of joining the army but cant make up my mind of which one to choose.
    My manager at my work is an ex-British army warrant officer with 25 years of service under his belt and highly recommends joining the British army.
    Given the fact that I'm an Australian citizen and hence a commonwealth citizen eligibility won't be an issue. His reasons are the fact that from his point of view having served in the British army and for a short period in the australian army he felt that the australian army were using tactic and procedure from the 70's. I'm no Einstein on military training procedure some input would be greatly appreciated'.
    cheers

  • #2
    I have served in neither, though we did train with elements of both forces while in the Marines...While you may be a citizen of the commonwealth, it still seems to be weird to serve in the British military when you are an Australian.

    Some people join the military with a glorified idea of what will happen. If this were to happen to you, it would be better to be serving (stationed) in your own nation--closer to home. With no real reason to back it up, I would recommend serving in the military of your own nation.
    Aut vincere aut mori

    Comment


    • #3
      Well I dont know much about the military, but silentsam has a point. Serve that nation whose anthem pulls at you the most.
      For Gallifrey! For Victory! For the end of time itself!!

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by silentsam View Post
        I have served in neither, though we did train with elements of both forces while in the Marines...While you may be a citizen of the commonwealth, it still seems to be weird to serve in the British military when you are an Australian.

        Some people join the military with a glorified idea of what will happen. If this were to happen to you, it would be better to be serving (stationed) in your own nation--closer to home. With no real reason to back it up, I would recommend serving in the military of your own nation.
        I didn't want to join the australian military only to find out that we would be doing peace keeping or humanitarian missions like the Japanese SDF. i didn't know if my managers views were biased or actually had some truth to them.
        thanks for the advice

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by 1947 View Post
          I didn't want to join the australian military only to find out that we would be doing peace keeping or humanitarian missions like the Japanese SDF.
          Australian peacekeepers have seen and died in combat.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Officer of Engineers View Post
            Australian peacekeepers have seen and died in combat.
            do you have any information on tactics or training? any idea that may put this matter to rest?

            Comment


            • #7
              Australia was never part of NATO, so her mech war training is somewhat behind Canada/UK/US. However, Austrlia lives jungle warfare.

              In the end, it's all the same. You get paid to do your job no matter how hard it is.

              Comment


              • #8
                I actually don't see OZ military engaging in any war(Except may be some soldiers in Afganistan) in long term.Hence if you are really so excited about putting your training to practice British would be better.Plus the level of training in British Army is a notch better and you can expect to practice with other formidable armies of world.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Army Rumour Service > > Forums > > The Serious Bit > > Joining Up (Regular) > > Australian wanting to join British Army...

                  Note financial commitments and character references.

                  On the issue of which is 'better'... one has 25,000 trained personnel, the other 100,000. Quality aside, larger organisations tend to offer more career opportunities.

                  The UK has not only its 'elite' units (Paras and RM) but also its Guards and line infantry battalions, as well as many support arms units, regularly in harms' way in Afghanistan - particularly in the notorious Helmand province - unfortunately evidenced by weekly death reports. It has 8,600 personnel - set to increase to 9,900 - deployed in the country versus 1,090 deployed by Australia. 157 British personnel have lost their lives versus 10 Australians. This is to say nothing of the 26,500 Army personnel alone deployed on Operation Telic in 2003.

                  Both countries are making sacrifices worthy of the highest respect but the numbers don't lie. For the past six years, if you want to fight in a sandy place, the British Army is a dead-cert route to it, reflected in the attitudes of all ranks. Reservist personnel, particularly those in infantry units, are treated with suspicion and even outright derision if they don't go on tour. Much like Northern Ireland for generations past, Afghanistan constitutes permanently open holiday spots for your discerning British squaddie, on free six-month package tours.

                  I'm not familiar with Australian military culture but the maths proves that they aren't seeing as much ultra-violence. This is no slight upon the Australian character; with a smaller population, smaller GDP, and fewer economies of scale, Australia can hardly be expected to generate the same force levels as the UK.
                  Last edited by HistoricalDavid; 09 May 09,, 22:48.
                  HD Ready?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Having also served in the British Army for 25 Years, and having worked alongside Australian Soldiers, I found them to be very professional indeed, and also very competent soldiers, it seems their training is on par with the British Army. There are a few Aussie and indeed Kiwis that form the ranks of 22 SAS, they are indeed SAS from their own Nations, but chose to go across the ditch in order to see more action.

                    It depends on your wishes or desires. Do you want to join a Combat Unit i.e Infantry, Para, Commando, Armour or do you want to get a Trade; if you want to Mix it with Terry go across the ditch. But saying that find out which Aussie Units are deployed in the Stan and get and join one of those units.

                    The choice is yours, that is an unbiased opinion from a Retired Warrant Officer.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I dont know where you are getting the idea that Aussie forces dont see as much action. Currently the army is at close to full peactime deployment capacity. Elements 4RAR (Commando) the SAS and also a rotating regular forces battlegroup is seeing action in Afghan. When you consider that Australias regular force has only 8 line infantry/motor battalions (plus 1st Armoured,2nd Cavalry and 2nd/14th Light Horse) then you can understand that those units do see a fair bit of action when you think about the rotations.

                      Training is amazing from what ive heard. The lifestyle rocks (your based up in Lavarack barracks in Townsville for the most part... if your a single guy up there.. WOW :)) ) the pay is fantastic when you compare it to other militaries and most importantly your fighting for your country. As much as Britan still considered the 'mother country' by some i wouldnt put my arse on the line for any other country than Aussie, and that includes Cyprus (my parents country of origin that i also hold a dual citizenship for).

                      Im not in the Army myself but i have several close friends who serve in the Army so i do come with some knowledge. Im going into the ADF myself later this year (if they take me) as an Officer in the Navy so the ADF is certainly good enough for me.
                      The best part of repentance is the sin

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        My cousin told me the Aussies were great in Viet Nam

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Well, I suppose I have an interest in this thread since I'm an Australian who left home to join the British Army. I've only been in for a year and haven't been deployed anywhere, but the run down is as follows:

                          From what my mates in the Aussie Army have told me, the standard of kit is about the same, ie. you won't even see half of the good stuff until you go on operations. If you're a treadhead and you want to drive tanks then I would recommend the British Army for obvious reasons. Same goes for things like Armoured Infantry, since the ADF has no equivalent to the Warrior.

                          In terms of pay, I believe at the current exchange rate you'll be better off with the ADF, not least because of the lower cost of living back home. This has never been a priority for me but it does bother a lot of people. You could offset this by trying to get a posting in Germany, in which case you'd want to fight for an Armoured Regiment, or try to go for the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, since they have one Bn in Germany and one in Cyprus which will be moving to Germany in a few years. Even then the pay isn't much better but Germany is cheaper and you get lots of sweeteners UK-based troops like me don't get. Don't join any of the super-regiments like the Scots or Rifles thinking you'll be guaranteed a posting in one of ther Armoured Battalions, because trust me they don't let you choose. If you're thinking the MoD will pay for your flights back home then think again, this will only be available to once at the 5-year mark, and only then if you're not married to a UK resident.

                          The big difference is operations, in the British Army you can expect to do a tour of Afghanistan once every two years if you're in an Infantry Regiment, and sometimes more often in other Corps. I got rather screwed over in that I joined a Regiment and finished training shortly after they got back, leaving me with a rather long wait, although I have no doubt the war will be nowhere near settled by late next year. Everything I've been told about the ADF gives me the impression virtually all contact operations in Afghanistan are handled by the Commandos and the SAS, with everyone else doing less-hands on reconstruction and force protection work. This may change, although the latest "surge" from the Rudd government has been a few hundred extra trainers. Important work yes, but its useless if we can't surpress the rebellion long enough to actually imprve people's lives.

                          So I guess it depends on your priorities. Having come from so far away will be viewed favourably as nobody will doubt that you're keen and capable of looking after yourself, but obviously it'll be a struggle to stay in contact sometimes and I wouldn't count on being able to get home more than once a year. If this doesn't bother you and you're itching to get into the sharp end of things then I would definitely recommend the British Army. If you think this is going to be too much to handle then I would recommend the ADF. It should be noted that if you're interested in a full career in the Military you could opt to join us, and once you've made Sergeant you can transfer directly to the ADF without losing any of your rank or pension, and you'll be entitled to all the ADF superannuation etc. once you retire. Worth considering, although I doubt I'll stay in past the six-year mark unless I get a commission. Anyway feel free to PM me if you have further queries .

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by chakos View Post
                            I dont know where you are getting the idea that Aussie forces dont see as much action. Currently the army is at close to full peactime deployment capacity. Elements 4RAR (Commando) the SAS and also a rotating regular forces battlegroup is seeing action in Afghan. When you consider that Australias regular force has only 8 line infantry/motor battalions (plus 1st Armoured,2nd Cavalry and 2nd/14th Light Horse) then you can understand that those units do see a fair bit of action when you think about the rotations.

                            Training is amazing from what ive heard. The lifestyle rocks (your based up in Lavarack barracks in Townsville for the most part... if your a single guy up there.. WOW :)) ) the pay is fantastic when you compare it to other militaries and most importantly your fighting for your country. As much as Britan still considered the 'mother country' by some i wouldnt put my arse on the line for any other country than Aussie, and that includes Cyprus (my parents country of origin that i also hold a dual citizenship for).

                            Im not in the Army myself but i have several close friends who serve in the Army so i do come with some knowledge. Im going into the ADF myself later this year (if they take me) as an Officer in the Navy so the ADF is certainly good enough for me.
                            Hi Chakos, You are correct in what you say, if I were an Aussie I would join the ADF, but the guy was asking a question i.e. which one. As I said before there are a few Aussies and Kiwis in the British Armed Forces, why, I don't know, but saying that there are a few POMS in the ADF and the NZDF, again, why, I don't know.

                            I agree with you about Townsville, my Troop were there for a month on exchange, had a real blast:))

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by -{SpoonmaN}- View Post
                              Well, I suppose I have an interest in this thread since I'm an Australian who left home to join the British Army. I've only been in for a year and haven't been deployed anywhere, but the run down is as follows:

                              From what my mates in the Aussie Army have told me, the standard of kit is about the same, ie. you won't even see half of the good stuff until you go on operations. If you're a treadhead and you want to drive tanks then I would recommend the British Army for obvious reasons. Same goes for things like Armoured Infantry, since the ADF has no equivalent to the Warrior.

                              In terms of pay, I believe at the current exchange rate you'll be better off with the ADF, not least because of the lower cost of living back home. This has never been a priority for me but it does bother a lot of people. You could offset this by trying to get a posting in Germany, in which case you'd want to fight for an Armoured Regiment, or try to go for the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, since they have one Bn in Germany and one in Cyprus which will be moving to Germany in a few years. Even then the pay isn't much better but Germany is cheaper and you get lots of sweeteners UK-based troops like me don't get. Don't join any of the super-regiments like the Scots or Rifles thinking you'll be guaranteed a posting in one of ther Armoured Battalions, because trust me they don't let you choose. If you're thinking the MoD will pay for your flights back home then think again, this will only be available to once at the 5-year mark, and only then if you're not married to a UK resident.

                              The big difference is operations, in the British Army you can expect to do a tour of Afghanistan once every two years if you're in an Infantry Regiment, and sometimes more often in other Corps. I got rather screwed over in that I joined a Regiment and finished training shortly after they got back, leaving me with a rather long wait, although I have no doubt the war will be nowhere near settled by late next year. Everything I've been told about the ADF gives me the impression virtually all contact operations in Afghanistan are handled by the Commandos and the SAS, with everyone else doing less-hands on reconstruction and force protection work. This may change, although the latest "surge" from the Rudd government has been a few hundred extra trainers. Important work yes, but its useless if we can't surpress the rebellion long enough to actually imprve people's lives.

                              So I guess it depends on your priorities. Having come from so far away will be viewed favourably as nobody will doubt that you're keen and capable of looking after yourself, but obviously it'll be a struggle to stay in contact sometimes and I wouldn't count on being able to get home more than once a year. If this doesn't bother you and you're itching to get into the sharp end of things then I would definitely recommend the British Army. If you think this is going to be too much to handle then I would recommend the ADF. It should be noted that if you're interested in a full career in the Military you could opt to join us, and once you've made Sergeant you can transfer directly to the ADF without losing any of your rank or pension, and you'll be entitled to all the ADF superannuation etc. once you retire. Worth considering, although I doubt I'll stay in past the six-year mark unless I get a commission. Anyway feel free to PM me if you have further queries .
                              So Spoonman, tell us all why you choose the British Army over your own? You obviously are not in an Armoured Regiment, as you quote them as 'Tread Heads'!!!!!!

                              Which Regiment are you serving with, and why did you choose the Regiment.

                              If and when you go the Afghanistan, you may well be doing 'Force Protection' or worse still 'Mentoring', you may even, dare I say, be left behind on the 'Rear Party', or even worse go to the Stan and be transferred to the Stores, be it 'Boots and Socks', 'Technical' or 'SQMS'; or you could end up in HQ, now that is a real crap job, you may never get to put your 'Battle Bowler' on.:))

                              I wish you well for your future endeavours, and hope that you get what you desire, just a word of warning mind; WAR IS NOT A GREAT EXPERIENCE, it may leave you with a pickled brain, and you won't be right for a long time, you will see things which you wish you never wanted too, you will have times when you think, "Why did I join"? Life in the Army isn't a bed of roses, you take the rough with the smooth.

                              Your Troop/Platoon Ldr/Sgt/Cpl will give you orders which you think are pretty pathetic, stupid or damn right dangerous, but you have too do it. My Troop was one of the first to go over the 'Bunds' in Kuwait, I wasn't best pleased with the decision of the Sqn Ldr, but orders are orders, someone has to do it.

                              Enjoy your time. By the way, getting a Commission from the Ranks isn't too easy. If you shone in Training they would have picked you up for a Commission, most guys don't get a Commission until they get their Warrant, and the it has to be a First.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X