Needing help, entry as army officer.

Hope I am posting this in the right place.

I recently went to an recruitment centre (I'm British btw) deciding that as I am coming up to 27 (feel so old:D) it's my last chance to give the army a go, I did go two years ago but decided against it.

After meeting with a Brigadier and having a talk he was willing to sponsor me to go to the board even if the regiment that I am going to visit don't (Hopefully they will). Looking to go for an Educational and Training Services Officer post

I am really looking for any general tips for the ASOB briefing on how to prepare or things to watch out for. I must also add that I am mathematically dyslexic so not looking forward to the planning exercise.

I am physically quite fit at the moment, gym three times a week, cycle six miles a day and I'm planning on running the days I am not at the gym, I was a politics student (BA Politics and MA Political Science), so again the current affairs side of things should be ok, not really had much experience of leadership and as said my maths is rubbish.

Please feel free to chime in with any help, the information doesn't have to specifically come from a British poster, advice from whatever nationality you are would be greatly appreciated.

TC2642 ... you might be better off asking here. Plenty of opinionated folks will help you out.

Just speaking as a very late enlistee in the USMC infantry (age 29), I would suggest dropping the cycle and starting to run NOW. You need to start abusing your lower extremities immediately so that you can sort out any issues you might have with your feet/legs so that shin splints, plantar, etc. don't show up while you're in the middle of training. Running is also far more strenuous than cycling (or maybe that's just me?).

If you're going infantry, you might also want to start humping with a pack at some point.

I agree. I still have not forgot the joys of road marching. Nothing compares to humping a heavy ruck. I would cut down on the weightlifting and start concentrating more on push ups, sit ups, pull ups, and running. Road march at least once a week, if not more.

A couple of observations I learned. When you read about the EIB road march standards or the Ranger School 5 mile run in 40 minutes it sounds really easy when you are in your normal routine. What they don't tell you is that your meeting those standards when you are absolutely smoked and on little sleep. I wish you well!

Cheers for the advice gentlemen, I must say I did do a 2.5 mile run a few days ago, not too bad going but I did feel it the next day, compounded by the fact I cycle five days a week.

I must say that my cycling is a necessity (Don't own a car, don't even have a licence!), its the only way I can get too work. I can manage 50 sit ups in just under a minute and a half and complete 40 press ups in under a minute (I think, wasn't looking at the watch at the time) this was all after I had done an hour at the gym. Will keep working on it tho, the running is a bit of a pain since I cannot have a days rest for my legs (as said, cycling five days a week). Sorry for being a bit dim but what would you do for a road march?

Cheers.

helps develop concentration for other unpleasant tasks.

Find yourself a good surplus military rucksack. Not sure what the British Army uses, but I'm sure you can find a similar pack on Ebay or here maybe. Also get yourself whatever the British Army is using for boots nowadays, some good hiking socks, and throw about 45 lbs. in there to start, then start road-marching yourself. Build up weight and distance as you go.

Humps suck and really just break your body down, but it's great mental training. Knowing you can do a 25k hike with a 95 lb pack in 4 hours makes actually doing it much easier. But don't do it all at once, definitely build yourself up or you will hurt yourself badly. Note: your feet will be destroyed after each hike, this is not an every-day activity. More like every other week or so. What works for me is putting on a dress sock, then a heavy boot sock over it. Blisters and hotspots will still form, but less so.

Also, do crunches and pushups every night. Max out 3 sets before you go to bed or when you wake up in the morning. Aim for whatever the max is for whatever you are shooting for --- situps especially, there is no reason in the world you cannot max this in two weeks.

Stop trying to be in the best physical shape, they will get you there.;)

Read, spend as much time as you can reading, you won't have much time while in training.

After you finish reading.....read some more.

Don't spend time reading about weapons and tactics, they will get you there.

Read about the workings of human mind, various cultures, critical thinking, decision making, history perspectives.

And of course, read some more

This requires a 30" piece of 1.5" re-bar and a Wagner CD. You stand on 1 foot and use the re-bar like a baton, making like a conductor, wildly swinging/conducting to the music, imitating a conductor but with exagerated and much faster motions until the shoulder goes numb, then switch to the other side - when that shoulder goes numb, switch back, then back again. After 6 months of doing this every day you can punch your way out of any fight. If you're going into Admin duties, I recommend yoga with maybe 1 day a week of krav maga.

LOL, great replies, not sure about Wagner though, bit too German, Elgar maybe? I must say I have been keeping up my reading, nearly finished on war, reading a variety of other sources including a fair few from this site and newspapers. The joys of road marching may have to wait until I have got past the initial board, fitting a four hour march into a working day would be quite difficult at the mo. More worried about the planing exercise since I am sh*t at maths, calculating distances etc, but hey ho. Filling in all the forms they sent me seems a challenge in itself. Thanks for all the replies.

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Originally Posted by Tc2642

not sure about Wagner though, bit too German, Elgar maybe?

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Elgar is a bit "too too", especially something like the Dream of Gerontius. I'd go for Handle - try Dixit Domine, especially part 6, Dominus a dextris tuis: the conquesabit section about chopping heads has a certain rhythm to it :eek:.

Marc