I am thinking about doing a Gap year.

http://www.defencejobs.gov.au/ADFGapYear/

But i am just wondering what you guys think.. It's a little bit of a commitment and i am not sure just yet.

Can guys can tell me what you think and tell me perhaps of some of your experiences etc.?

I was mucking around in the Territorials while still at Uni (back when I had the time).

Had an awesome time, though I would recommend getting fit and making sure it's your thing.

a few people have talked about this before i believe.

 

give the search button a wirl

I'm not doin gap year, im going straight into it.

 

i have have a GAP in the years though, start 2010.

im doing the gap year, would go straight in but got a few mates that are just doing the gap year so thought id go in with em. once ive done it im enlisted full time. just sent in a sh!t load of papers in and am waiting for my times for my next interview

 

i think its a great idea aye, awesome experience and you get paid to do it. better than layin around home geting fat for a year

I like the idea of pigging out on food.. and then having money left over. plus other stuff.

A friend of the family just did the gap year. Well the first 3 months any way.

 

He went in with some m8's, they stayed he didn't.

 

The difference was he decided on what he wanted to do before going in and his friends decided to do the basic training stuff first then decide on what to specialise in i.e rifleman, armour etc

 

He didn't like the rifleman gig asked to swap out to something else they said no, he left.

 

Kinda of a silly inflexible attitude by the ADF if u ask me. Surely it would be better to let a new recruit transfer instead of leaving altogether.

 

My 17 yo son is looking at doing the gap year and he has taken into consideration the above experience

I've looked at the gap year. I talked to a recruitment officer and basically if you do the gap year with the army you do a year on the specific job of your choice and then you have the choice to reinlist and rather than serve another 4 year enlistment term you can serve only 3 years as you've already done a year or training on that specific course.

Yea that sounds awesome if i go down that path.

Yea i think i will take my time in choosing the specialty if i remember correctly they had just a plainish area where you learn abit about all of them.

For your GAP year they ask for 3 preferences so read the ADF site and see which appeals to you. The airforce GAP program is just a general airforce overview but the other programs (not sure about Navy but definitely Army) offer just the 1st year of what would be a 4 year sign up with the standard force.

They are a little different the Airforce and Navy certainly look to be the better choices since you get a better overall picture of you possible career choices and can leave at any time without problems. The army is different since you apply for a base level job and cannot leave without problems after basic training.

 

Its odd but it does sort of feel similar to the enlistment you have in South Korea or Israel of course we don't force you to do it but its feels the same the way there making it so attractive.

Go Full Time Cat.

Im going to apply when Im 21 for Light Cavalry Scout.

what were you planning on doing in the GAP year?

He didn't like the rifleman gig asked to swap out to something else they said no, he left.

 

Kinda of a silly inflexible attitude by the ADF if u ask me. Surely it would be better to let a new recruit transfer instead of leaving altogether.

 

I think it's just policy, they normally like to have you in the trade for at least a year before letting you swap.

Why didn't he like the whole rifleman thing?

Go Full Time Cat.

Im going to apply when Im 21 for Light Cavalry Scout.

 

I'd have to get back to you on that one. See how the gap year goes.

Im going to apply when Im 21 for Light Cavalry Scout.

 

The Light Cav Scout capability is for Reserves only, it's a new capability that was only introduced 2 years ago and the Army are still working out what exactly they're supposed to do. 12/16 have Bushmasters, the other Regiments have LRPV (Landrovers) and Sixbies (IIMV - Interim Infantry Mobility Vehicle, 6 wheels, 8 troops + driver + vehicle commander).

 

If you want to do a Light Cav-like role in the regs, you'd be looking at the Forward Observation Party (FOP) of an Artillery Unit. Having said that, the Artillery boys are the only ones as a Corps who haven't been deployed overseas very often, however given what's on the horizon for them that's likely to change.

 

If I was to go full time, I'd personally be aiming for;

ASLAV or M1A1 crewman (grunt)

ASLAV or M1A1 commander (officer)

Kinda of a silly inflexible attitude by the ADF if u ask me. Surely it would be better to let a new recruit transfer instead of leaving altogether.

 

By the time you've finished Kapooka alone, the government has spent near on $100,000 on you in equipment, ammunition, food, accomodation, medical, dental, transport, facilities, instructors and everything else.

 

By the time you've finished your IET's, you're looking closer to the $200,000 mark.

 

I can understand why they'd be reluctant to let someone transfer willy nilly. Also, I'd imagine there's some stupid statistic about drop outs who do more than one training course within a certain time frame, as it's fairly taxing and would undoubtedly cause burn out to most people.

 

A better option would have been to tough it out for a little while, get some experiance, give the Army the illusion they've got their money's worth, then transfer.

lol where did you copy all that from? doesent sound like you o.O!

Artillery boys are the only ones as a Corps who haven't been deployed overseas very often, however given what's on the horizon for them that's likely to change.

Someone I know in the reserves said they don't get deployed much because deploying artillery units, is tantamount to an open declaration of war. Is this true?

 

He also said it was looking like Artillery might be deployed as mortar units? Dunno if this is true either.

Edited July 30, 200816 yr by DeliciousMaximilian

Someone I know in the reserves said they don't get deployed much because deploying artillery units, is tantamount to an open declaration of war. Is this true?

 

No, it's more to do with the fact that Australia doesn't have any operational requirements for Artillery units in any of the operations it's conducting at the moment. A couple of Artillery reservists have been sent over seas on Reserve deployments as drivers for the infantry, commandos and SAS. The "specialist" Artillery units, like the Surface to Air boys are occasionally given the oppertunity to do an exchange program, AFAIK.

 

He also said it was looking like Artillery might be deployed as mortar units? Dunno if this is true either.

 

This is only the Reserve Artillery units. Regular Artillery are hopefully getting some other toys that will make them one of the best Artillery forces in the world. Last I heard Reserve Artillery were ditching the big guns and were moving to Mortars so that they can compliment infantry units and be more applicable to current deployments.

I assume you'll keep the old big guns just in case?

I assume you'll keep the old big guns just in case?

 

Don't ask me, I'm Armoured Corps

 

They'll probably keep the old guns as training aids and back ups, they'll simply add the others to their arsenal as primary weapons. I'm heading up to Brisbane for a mates wedding who's in the Artillery Corps, so I'll let you know then.