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Lately i've been a bit pissed off about everything. I hate my job and frankly i hate the way my life is starting to turn out. I've managed to perfect escapism to the point where I manage to drive everyone away.

So i think i need a major change. I recently heard from a guy i hadn't seen since school. He'd joined the Royal Navy after he left school and he really seems to have prospered. I wish i'd have done the same, i always wanted too but never did

I'm 23 now, is that too old to go joining the armed forces?

23 is not too old,i think you can still apply for any parts of the armed forces you'd like.

Do you really want to shoot someone or get shot simply because you don't know which way your life is going? If your looking to give your life direction there are more ways to do so then joining the military.

IMO no, 23 is not too old by any measure.

However joining the military because your life sucks does sound like an extreme form of escapism.

What are you good at?

Alternatively to taking a new path in your life, you might find that it's best to find out WHY you're pissed off and discontent.

You might find out that it's not what you're doing as much as who you're doing it with, or some other aspect of your life that is intruding on your career.

BlkbrryTheGreat wrote:Do you really want to shoot someone or get shot simply because you don't know which way your life is going? If your looking to give your life direction there are more ways to do so then joining the military.

Well, he did mention the Navy so the two way rifle range would be a rare thing but I digress, joining the military because you are upset at your current life will probably end up giving you problems in the military.

You should probably have better reasons to join instead of that but if you do have better reasons, 23 is not too old.

In America, when you join the armed services of any branch, first thing of importance you do is take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Test.
The ASVAB is worth the time you spend taking it, even if you don't join, because it will tell you what talents/aptitudes you have.
You may find you have a gift in an area you didn't know you had, and that will give you career ideas you might not have considered, but have a natural ability to perform.
When they tested me, they told me 2 things. I could have any job I wanted to, exept admin clerc, and cook. (I was too smart to be a cook, wasted talent, and I had poor admin/clerical skills, from a possible tiny touch of dyslexia)
You don't have to join, but I recomend you at least see what you are good at by natural talent.

Most armed services personel never see an enemy, (10 to 1 logistics per combat personel) and just do day to day things like making sure the soldiers have food, clean clothes, get paid, and have equipment that works.
Support personel can get very expencive and valuable training, like helicopter/jet maintenence, medical/dental, machine shop training... ect.


If you DO join, DON'T get a job with no civilian equivalent, unless you plan on going career.
All thing considered, you could do worse. If you do join, you will be chalenged in ways you never imagiged, and not all of them good, but most of them eye opening if you are of a mind to grow.
I am of course, naturaly prejudiced, being former military my self!

Worste case scenareo, you may have to kill, and it will be with you forever, (I KNOW from experience) but most likely you only lose a few years of your youth, and earn a few bucks if you can use some impulse controle.

Oddly enough, you might find you like the military lifestyle.
I was 22 when I joined, and the maturity advantage you will have over the 18/19 year olds will have them putting you at the front of the promotion/responsibility que. Which means more money and less shit to deal with.

BlkbrryTheGreat wrote:Do you really want to shoot someone or get shot simply because you don't know which way your life is going? If your looking to give your life direction there are more ways to do so then joining the military.

there's plenty of positions in the military you can request to get assigned to that are either non combative or don't involve firing a gun.

As i said in the OP not joining the Navy is something i have always regretted. At the mo i'm what i've seen here termed a "Phone Jocky" in other words i'm a secretary/receptionist. I used to like admin work, i'm good at it, but lately i've wondered if i'm making a mistake. I think i've made so many wrong choices that i have no choice but to spend my waking life trying to escape those choices. Would joining, even short term, put some order into my life that i lack?

it could simply be you're burned out in your current choice of work. happens to people all the time. after so much time working at a certain type of job they get to the point where they can't handle anymore of it and want something else.

if it's not too personal, what ways do you feel you're lacking "order"? that's just a bit too vague to really offer much advice.

Pounder, I know where you're coming from here, but you need to take a long, hard look at your desire to go into the military. The military might give you dicipline and some world experience, but if you have serious problems in your life, running away and changing the scenery will NOT work. I have friends that do this, and their problems simply follow them whereever they go.

May I make a suggestion? Take a short vacation, get yourself a Eurorail pass (you are in the UK right?) and travel around a bit without planning it out ahead of time. Meet some new people, take in a different atmosphere, and think long and hard about what exactly it is in your life which is bothering you. Your job may merely be a side effect of a larger problem, and it happens to a LOT of people in their early twenties when they are trying to find a carrer path. They look around, see people that they think have their heads on their shoulders and wonder why they can't be like everyone else.

This can be tough to see, but the trick is to get a firm grasp on what specifically is bothering you before you strike out blindly with potentially rash actions in an effort to correct it.

Try and take a holiday to see if you are truely burned out.
I dont think 23 is too old, if I could get away with it I would
have joined the Reserves at 23. (by then I was in college and
would not have been willing to drop out for regular service)

As you age you are going to change and what used to interest
you may no longer hold true. This will happen in any career
even the military.

What are you good at?

Well, he has 5000 posts, and two stars, so I'd say he's pretty good at posting on SDNet.

I've decided to stick at my job, for now, however i'm gonna join the Territorial Army on the advice of my wee sister, and if i like that i'm going to join the Adjutents(sp) Corps.

Good for you Pounder. Never do anything rash that you might regret later. You're 23 for God's sake.. still a young 'un (wait, I'm 23 too). Don't worry if you feel adrift. Most people are.

Lord Pounder wrote:I've decided to stick at my job, for now, however i'm gonna join the Territorial Army on the advice of my wee sister, and if i like that i'm going to join the Adjutents(sp) Corps.

Is that the equivelant of our National Guard or Reserve?

Lord Pounder wrote:Lately i've been a bit pissed off about everything. I hate my job and frankly i hate the way my life is starting to turn out. I've managed to perfect escapism to the point where I manage to drive everyone away.

So i think i need a major change. I recently heard from a guy i hadn't seen since school. He'd joined the Royal Navy after he left school and he really seems to have prospered. I wish i'd have done the same, i always wanted too but never did

I'm 23 now, is that too old to go joining the armed forces?

Buddy, I joined the Air Force at 23....you can do the same...except it'll be the Navy and you won't be as cool.

TrailerParkJawa wrote:

Lord Pounder wrote:I've decided to stick at my job, for now, however i'm gonna join the Territorial Army on the advice of my wee sister, and if i like that i'm going to join the Adjutents(sp) Corps.

Is that the equivelant of our National Guard or Reserve?

Its Britains army reserve. And Pounder, let us know how it goes.

Trytostaydead wrote:Good for you Pounder. Never do anything rash that you might regret later. You're 23 for God's sake.. still a young 'un (wait, I'm 23 too). Don't worry if you feel adrift. Most people are.

OOOOLD!

I know Sargents in the army that joined at 28 well... the US military.. I dont know what nation your in... but it shouldnt be to different.