Hey guys,

I was just curious, I'm planning on joining the army almost straight out of school and I wanted to serve on the front lines. My question is: does anyone know if you can be an officer on the front line as in a platoon leader or something? I don't want to sit back or anything. If not I'll sign up as a rifleman.

 

Cheers

i beleive officers lead from the rear man . better of working you way up throught the non commisioned ranks if you want front line duty

Hey guys,

I was just curious, I'm planning on joining the army almost straight out of school and I wanted to serve on the front lines.

 

Go to the UK and join their army if you want front line duty. They take all Commonwealth and you could transfer to the Australian Armed Forces at a later date.

 

Your wealth of experience and knowledge (especially in COIN operations) that you would get in the UK would give you an advantage in Australia. I don't know if things are changing in Afghanistan though, so far I believe you are under the Dutch chain of command and operate with a different ROE. Basically politicians here and in the Netherlands are hindering their soldiers from doing their job the way they want to.

 

As an officer you will still see combat but as you advance you will get farther to the rear but of course you'll be older, a lot older by that time. The same can be said about NCO's. You don't get too many RSM's right on the front lines either but it can happen of course.

 

Good luck in your adventure.

Hey guys,

I was just curious, I'm planning on joining the army almost straight out of school and I wanted to serve on the front lines. My question is: does anyone know if you can be an officer on the front line as in a platoon leader or something? I don't want to sit back or anything. If not I'll sign up as a rifleman.

 

Cheers

 

Yeah that's what the infantry officer position is there for, however IIRC after you get promoted beyond a captain field work starts being replaced by desk work. Being a general entry/NCO you can stay in the field until retirement.

I believe mate if you apply for Officer, ya go to duntroon for ya training and come out as a corpral? Then get shipped out to ya preselected chosen Occupation. If you're looking at front lines, then you'd go for Officer, and apply for Rifleman.

I believe mate if you apply for Officer, ya go to duntroon for ya training and come out as a corpral? Then get shipped out to ya preselected chosen Occupation. If you're looking at front lines, then you'd go for Officer, and apply for Rifleman.

 

Er Fail !

 

LOLs at the Duntroon for Corporal .

 

If you have year 12 then yes you can apply for Officer training straight out of school. But you better be pretty sure you can cut it. Less than 0.5 % of the Aus population are elagable to even apply for officer training. And the fail/dropout rate is high.

18 months as a staff cadet at The Royal Military College Duntroon . Then you'll get posted as a Platoon Commander (30 men) or equivalent . Takes around 4-6 years to make Captain another 4-6 for Major which is a Company commander (110 men) . After that you wont be running around shooting at people .

If you want to join the army to go shoot at people they wont accept you , thats not what they want.

If your serious about it as a career then go talk to an army recruiter.

 

No seriously go talk to one.

 

Today.

 

You need to be at least 17 and have your parents/guardians permission ?

I generally suggest people enlist as a private soldier first , get some soldier skills and a feel for the army life . If it turns out to be something you can live with then think about applying for a commission . It will be easier to gain the respect of your men if you've already done the things you ask them to do. And you will know what its like to in there shoes.

 

Why do you want to join ? Why are you so eager for “front line action “ ?

 

 

Take whatever advice you like from here but I was an Army Officer and a trained Army recruiter.

 

:hi:

...and go read your history books. If you haven't read at least half the available texts on the history of the AIF then go do so now, you'll learn a lot. Like the casualty rate for junior officers (LT's and Captains) in New Guinea. At Sannanada they lost something like 85% of all officers in the first 48 hours!

My sugguestion is to first apply for the GAP YEAR because if your anything your anything like I was straight out of school your going to soon find you have being ill informed most of your life. I have a couple of mates who went down your path and enlisted straight out of school as infantry on what I believe was the standard 4 year contract and both walked within 2 years. I'm not going to speak for either of them because they both have there reasons for leaving without completing there contract but believe me its being messy for both of them.

 

So if its still possible to get this delightful come try before you buy gap year deal I strongly suggest you take it. I know I certainly wish it was offered to me there certainly are a few other careers that could use this sort of thing. After that time you will only be what 18 / 19 max have a fair better understanding of yourself and your possible future in the armed forces and certainly will be in a much better postion to make a educated call on wether you want to sign the contract for further training.

Why do you want to join ? Why are you so eager for “front line action “ ?

I think he means he wants to be in the field as opposed to pushing paper.

he wants to shoot baddies, duh

i suggest you serve for two years , get some skills then join a merc firm , youll get paid very well and get shot at all the time . then you can come home rich but f----d in the head .

...and go read your history books. If you haven't read at least half the available texts on the history of the AIF then go do so now, you'll learn a lot. Like the casualty rate for junior officers (LT's and Captains) in New Guinea. At Sannanada they lost something like 85% of all officers in the first 48 hours!

 

I hear some griping now and again from diggers about the quality of Australian junior offices compared to Yank junior officers, can you confirm this bammo?

the reason i want to be on the front line is because as wolf said i really don't want to push paper. I want physical work that is also exhilarating and serious and important. I'm doing the recomended courses for applying to be an officer and im looking at a TER or around 97-99

You sound like your wanting to join for good reasons. Just please consider starting as an enlisted man first. Duntroon will teach you how to be an Officer but being in a rifle platoon will teach you how to be a soldier first.

 

Either way Good luck.

 

:hi:

I hear some griping now and again from diggers about the quality of Australian junior offices compared to Yank junior officers, can you confirm this bammo?

 

A friend of mine is an officer in the American Army. He's an dumb ass and fits the stereotype.

 

Nice guy though but they do have great officers and I'm sure he is too but no trying to talk about space time theories.

 

Dogg, you've gotten some great advice. Go talk to a recruiter and good luck.

yeah il go down to the recruitment office on the weekend. I think i might start as a rifleman first though.

i suggest you serve for two years , get some skills then join a merc firm , youll get paid very well and get shot at all the time . then you can come home rich but f----d in the head .

 

My friend was an office in Iraq in logistics, Left the Army, joined a Firm, the US army couriered her around first in a hummer, then the hummer drove into the Chinook, then flew her to the other compund. Got pain $400k her first half year. Left after two years, rejoined the Aussies Army again for a two year contract...came back as same rank. left again got more money, now has 3 houses, and doesn't pay a dollar in tax.

A friend of mine is an officer in the American Army. He's an dumb ass and fits the stereotype.

 

Nice guy though but they do have great officers and I'm sure he is too but no trying to talk about space time theories.

 

Well yeah that's what i was asking, the stereotype is americans are dumb, but what I was hearing from this particular digger was that Australian infantry officers were **** compared to American officers. He didn't elaborate why though.

I to am planing to join the army when i finish school, hoping to apply in the next few months, thx for all the info

 

best of luck Ultimate_Dogg

 

ReconAus

My friend was an office in Iraq in logistics, Left the Army, joined a Firm, the US army couriered her around first in a hummer, then the hummer drove into the Chinook, then flew her to the other compund. Got pain $400k her first half year. Left after two years, rejoined the Aussies Army again for a two year contract...came back as same rank. left again got more money, now has 3 houses, and doesn't pay a dollar in tax.

 

Well... yeah... but... SHE WAS AN OFFICE????

Edited June 25, 200818 yr by mrchickenfool

Well... yeah... but... SHE WAS AN OFFICE????

 

Yeah gets lots of rent and doesn't do too much except lets people come inside? lol...or maybe I forgot an R...

Yeah gets lots of rent and doesn't do too much except lets people come inside? lol...or maybe I forgot an R...

 

So that's the sort of "friend" this friend is.

Australian infantry officers were **** compared to American officers. He didn't elaborate why though.

 

Possibly plain and simple experience. They get shot at a lot more than most other armies and teamwork is hammered into Americans from a very young age.

 

They really have great man-management skills and make you want to work hard for them. Simple giving credit where it's due goes far and Americans do that. If you ever work in an office run by Yanks you'll see it and giggle at the cheesiness of it all but it works. My gf loves working for Yanks as an example because they really know how to make people actually want to work hard for them.

My friend was an office in Iraq in logistics, Left the Army, joined a Firm, the US army couriered her around first in a hummer, then the hummer drove into the Chinook, then flew her to the other compund. Got pain $400k her first half year. Left after two years, rejoined the Aussies Army again for a two year contract...came back as same rank. left again got more money, now has 3 houses, and doesn't pay a dollar in tax.

 

First Id say watch Ross Kemp in Afghanistan! lol Its about 4hrs long and its an eye opener.

 

I have a friend in the Aus army some where with radio systems or some high tech ****, He started at cadets when he was like 18 or something, Keep moving up and now with his high tech radio or logistics whatever it he does he cant really give much info away about but I know his been pulling 200k a year since he was around 22 and its only been going up, Now he is around 26 and around the 350k mark.

 

Bloody good money for being only a few years older then me.. Its pretty crazy.. He has a nice car v8 soarer, Wont be to concerned about fuel prices Id say. lol

First Id say watch Ross Kemp in Afghanistan! lol Its about 4hrs long and its an eye opener.

 

I have a friend in the Aus army some where with radio systems or some high tech ****, He started at cadets when he was like 18 or something, Keep moving up and now with his high tech radio or logistics whatever it he does he cant really give much info away about but I know his been pulling 200k a year since he was around 22 and its only been going up, Now he is around 26 and around the 350k mark.

 

Bloody good money for being only a few years older then me.. Its pretty crazy.. He has a nice car v8 soarer, Wont be to concerned about fuel prices Id say. lol

 

The big money will always be with the merc work. Simply because they get good contracts. And to complete those contracts, they need the best, and the experience. Retention in any mans Army is hard when you are coming up against that. That is mainly why any officer leaving in the Aussie Army now can pretty much come back at the same rank with in reason.