Basic British Army questions

[FuturePara]

Okay, I've recently developed a big interset in the british army and have some rather simple questions...
1. Does the British Army have an MOS system? Like 11-B for Infantry etc here in the US?
2. Do you enlist into a field or into a unit? I heard you enlist directly into a regiment?
3. What do you guys call Basic Training? Is there an AIT after it like here in the states? What is it called?
4. How long are terms of enlistment? What is the shortest amount of time you are required to serve?
5. What is the rank structure? Does it also go by a paygrade kind of system like E-1, E-2, etc, etc?
6. Do you have different qualification levels for the rifle during Basic like marksman, sharpshooter, expert? What rifle do you use to qualify with?
I think that does it...if I have more I'll post them. Don't mean to be a bother.

[Royal]

Okay, I've recently developed a big interset in the british army and have some rather simple questions...
1. Does the British Army have an MOS system? Like 11-B for Infantry etc here in the US?
2. Do you enlist into a field or into a unit? I heard you enlist directly into a regiment?
3. What do you guys call Basic Training? Is there an AIT after it like here in the states? What is it called?
4. How long are terms of enlistment? What is the shortest amount of time you are required to serve?
5. What is the rank structure? Does it also go by a paygrade kind of system like E-1, E-2, etc, etc?
6. Do you have different qualification levels for the rifle during Basic like marksman, sharpshooter, expert? What rifle do you use to qualify with?
I think that does it...if I have more I'll post them. Don't mean to be a bother.

1. No

2. In the infantry yes, with a Corps (a trade eg Signals, Arty, Engineers) no

3. Basic Training - broken down into Phase I (initial military training) and Phase II (trade training). Followed by in unit continuation training. I'm a bit hazy on this, any pongoes please feel free to correct me

4. 22 years for OR's, 16 for officers. 3 years (IIRC)

5. Pte, LCpl, Cpl, Sgt, C/Sgt, WOII, WOI (some units use different terms for some ranks - for example Serjeant in the Light Division and Sergeant in the rest of the armed forces).

6. Yes; fail, pass and marksman. Usually the L85A2, unless your PW is something else, in which case you must pass on both your primary and secondary (usually the L85A2 or L9A1 (Browning pistol))

[SamHamam]

duplicate post

[SamHamam]

1. Does the British Army have an MOS system? Like 11-B for Infantry etc here in the US?

Sort of - I guess 'Trade' would be an equivalent but they are not coded in the same way. They have names, for instance Gunner - Field Guns. The structure also varies between Corps as it is largely dictated by the arms directors ie DInf, DRA etc.

2. Do you enlist into a field or into a unit? I heard you enlist directly into a regiment?

As a soldier you will follow a training route for your Corps. You will normally be lined up for a regiment if you are joining Royal Armoured Corps(RAC)/Inf, however there is some flexibility up to completing Phase 2 training (ie special to arm) as this is carried out on a Corps by Corps basis. Thus all Infantry Recruits will go to ITC where they will be trained by DS from a selection of Infantry Regiments, the exception to this being Para Reg who insist on running their own training albeit within ITC.

3. What do you guys call Basic Training? Is there an AIT after it like here in the states? What is it called?

The basic structure is Phase 1 - supposedly common across the army, carried out at an Army Training Regiment (ATR). However recently it has been changed so Phase 1 for infantry is carried out at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC). Phase 2 is special to arm training carried out at the Corp Training centre - eg ITC for the Inf, Larkhill for the RA etc

4. How long are terms of enlistment? What is the shortest amount of time you are required to serve?

Not completely up to speed on this - check the MOD website

5. What is the rank structure? Does it also go by a paygrade kind of system like E-1, E-2, etc, etc?

In theory all UK ranks are mapped to the US ones via a standard NATO system. However we tend to give responsibility at a lower rank.

In the Inf

A section (about 8 men) will be commanded by a Cpl
Each Platoon will be commanded by a 2Lt/Lt but run by a Sgt
Each Company will have a Quartermaster Sgt (Colour Sgt) and a Company Sgt Major (Warrant Officer 2nd Class)
The senior NCO in a Battalion is the Regimental Sergeant Major (a Warrant Officer 1st Class)

There are a huge range of names for ranks - A Private may be called a Craftsman, sapper, Kingsman, Guardsman, Air Trooper, Trooper, Gunner etc etc depending on regiment. There are fewer variations as you go up the Ranks but for instance Bombardier, Lance Sergeant, Corporal are all the same rank, different Regiments.

There is also confusion between Ranks and Appointments. A soldier with the Rank of Warrant Offivcer 2nd Class may hold the appontment od - Squadron Sergeant Major, Squadron Corporal Major, Company Sergeant Major, Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant, Sergeant Major Instructor in Gunnery, Regimental Admin Warrant Officer (Chief Clerk), Master Chef etc etc and will normally be referred to by their appointment rather than rank

6. Do you have different qualification levels for the rifle during Basic like marksman, sharpshooter, and expert? What rifle do you use to qualify with?

Each year all soldiers fire their Annual Personal Weapons Test on their primary weapon, normally the Rifle 5.56 L85A2 (or A1). They can qualify as a marksman in this test.

The best (and most comprehensive) infantry basic training in the world however is provided at a riverside establishment in Devon.

[Spearin]

Good thread, and I have a question regarding joining the British Army.

How good of a chance do you have of joining the regiment that you desire? I would like to join the Argylls, so what would my chances be?

[SamHamam]

Good thread, and I have a question regarding joining the British Army.

How good of a chance do you have of joining the regiment that you desire? I would like to join the Argylls, so what would my chances be?

You'd better be quick, there is a lot of speculation that they will go in the next cut-backs.

If that doesn't happen and you are eligable to join the British army, your chances are pretty good. Why don't you ask them: http://www.army.mod.uk/Argyll_Sutherland_Highlanders/Contact_Page.htm

[W(M)D]

You'd better be quick, there is a lot of speculation that they will go in the next cut-backs.

And that point will come when the Army is no longer required in Iraq, safe in the short term but under threat of cut backs in mid to long term.
Consequence of short sighted politicians and the fact that there are almost as many civil servants in the ministry of defence as there are soldiers.

[Spearin]

Good thread, and I have a question regarding joining the British Army.

How good of a chance do you have of joining the regiment that you desire? I would like to join the Argylls, so what would my chances be?

You'd better be quick, there is a lot of speculation that they will go in the next cut-backs.

If that doesn't happen and you are eligable to join the British army, your chances are pretty good. Why don't you ask them: http://www.army.mod.uk/Argyll_Sutherland_Highlanders/Contact_Page.htm

I'm actually going over to Scotland for a week (a week from today I leave) and plan on stopping by a Recruiting Office in either Glasgow or Edinburgh when I'm there.

Do you really think that A&SH will go? I think that they were just assigned to the 16th Air Assault Brigade as the Light Infantry Battalion for there... plus what happened last time they tried to take the A&SH away...

[king_nothing100]

After you qualify as 'Marskman' what do you do to get an L96, L115A1, etc. Do you have to go to an officer to ask for a change of weapons or do you just go to the QM, armourer, or whoever is incharge of the rifles, and say I've qualified as a marksman I would now like a xxx?

[martinexsquaddie]

you just get a badge
though you could always go and ask the armourer rofl
if you want an L96 your have to do the sniper course a rather longer affair :roll:

[Scrim]

Good one Martin.
" Yes Jones, you can pick up your L96 over there, inbetween the pile of illuminated grid squares and the cans of muzzle flash."

[martinexsquaddie]

you forgot the long stand and batterys for a batco wallet rofl

[DANJANOU]

you forgot the long stand and batterys for a batco wallet rofl

Aren't they on the shelf next to the pile of Blank Firing Attachments for the Mortars?

[Steve Andrews]

you forgot the long stand and batterys for a batco wallet rofl

Aren't they on the shelf next to the pile of Blank Firing Attachments for the Mortars?

No, that shelf is reserved for the DPM paint.

[angry cow]

haha, a different military, a different culture, and we still send the new guys looking for the exact same things haha . . .

[DANJANOU]

haha, a different military, a different culture, and we still send the new guys looking for the exact same things haha . . .

And what would be the point of sticking it out long enough to become and old fart if we can't have some fun with the next generation of newbies. :lol:

This could actually be a good thread here. Dumb things that the new guys have done.