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Advice on joining the PARAS with A Levels

General discussions on joining & training in The Parachute Regiment.
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rst
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Advice on joining the PARAS with A Levels

Post by rst »

I've just been down to my local careers office and just want a bit of advice.

I'm 22 and wanting to join the Paras, but he seemed surprised that I wanted to join with 8 GCSE's all B's and C's and 3 A/S levels in History, Politics, and Modern World Development (1.5 A Levels) and a well above average BARB score, and said a career in the engineers, avionics engineer was suggested etc would be better suited.

In my spare time I do restore old Fords and build engines for people so do have an interest in that area, so was wondering if its possible to be an engineer in the Paras. Ideally serving in 1,2,3 Para but as a combat engineer? Nothing like fixing choppers etc, more demolitions, pathfinder etc?

He did talk about being attached etc etc but still a bit unclear on it?
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Post by wilkins_1 »

You wouldn't be part of the regiment then mate, just airborne trained. I've just got into the paras myself start CIC PARA in 6 weeks and I sort of had the same situation as you, good GSCEs and As levels. But i really don't enjoy academics, they told me to go for a trade role and i could get my wings in there, but i prefer rolling around in the mud :P and being the best. So the airborne elite it is.
rst
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Post by rst »

Thanks for that.I'm the same way. I'd rather roll my sleeves up and get my hand dirty. Hense why I'm leaving quite a well paid job, to do something I would enjoy.
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Post by hardcore92 »

im in the same boat
got 7cs and 2 bs and doing a national diploma in uniform services which is the same as 3 a levels
they wanted me to get a trade but alot of jobs out of the paras can be done in the paras
just stick to what u wna do, if ur like me and want to do para u may aswell no point wondering the rest of ur life what if i joined paras
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Post by sportbilly42 »

Ask your Careers fella to give some info about 9 Para Sqn RE ..... (9 Sqn) Widely regarded by the rest of the Army as being 'more Reg than The Reg' :wink: They form part of 23 Engr Regt (Air Assault) and may give you some of the options you're looking for.

As well as normal P Coy training, you'll be high level combat engineer trained (so get to build bridges, blow shit up, mine clearance ....usual engineer stuff). The Sqn also includes tradesmen, divers, EOD bods
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Tab
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Post by Tab »

Having A Levels is not a bar to joining the Para's, but you might want to think if you could pass the selection board for Officer
rst
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Post by rst »

sportbilly42 wrote:Ask your Careers fella to give some info about 9 Para Sqn RE ..... (9 Sqn) Widely regarded by the rest of the Army as being 'more Reg than The Reg' :wink: They form part of 23 Engr Regt (Air Assault) and may give you some of the options you're looking for.

As well as normal P Coy training, you'll be high level combat engineer trained (so get to build bridges, blow shit up, mine clearance ....usual engineer stuff). The Sqn also includes tradesmen, divers, EOD bods
That sounds interesting. I'll do some reading up.

Tab wrote:Having A Levels is not a bar to joining the Para's, but you might want to think if you could pass the selection board for Officer
I'd rather go in at the bottom and work my way up to be honest. Next meetings not untill 10:00, Wednesday 27TH so time to do some research.
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Post by arctic lizzard »

hardcore92 wrote:no point wondering the rest of ur life what if i joined paras
fantastic advice. If you do, you'll end up attempting p comany at 34 instead of 24 - like me !!!!!

being part of the parachute regiment will be more than enough fulfilment for you. I know a couple of lads at 216 sigs who think they are the dogs balls, but at the end of the day, they are scaley backs who have passed a very difficult course. They are better than the rest of the signals, but they aren't paras.

If I was in your shoes I would choose the reg. But I am not in your shoes.

Good luck
5% skill, 95% looking good
rst
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Post by rst »

arctic lizzard wrote:I know a couple of lads at 216 sigs who think they are the dogs balls, but at the end of the day, they are scaley backs who have passed a very difficult course.
I know what you mean. Alot of my customers are 264 Signals. Some of them are proper prats.
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Post by arctic lizzard »

264 !
They don't half know how to swagger.

Fair play to em for passing the course.

But f+++++g swagger they can.
5% skill, 95% looking good
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Re: Advice on joining the PARAS with A Levels

Post by hardcore92 »

does anybody have any more info on 9 para sqn then?
iv become injured and have had to stop training for my prac but careers office are advising me along this path
thanks in advance
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Re: Advice on joining the PARAS with A Levels

Post by sky ninja steve »

p coy is one of the easiest things you will do in depot i thought, you will do alot harder things after p coy and in battalion . its all about what we do on the ground not the jumping out of planes part any sausage can roll out of a plane door and as for "9 para" ive never even heard of any para apart from 1 2 and 3 para and maybe 4 para if im feeling generous . i would say join the paras get youre hands dirty get all that out of your system them maybe transfer to something like engineers later if you want some sort of trade to leave the army with . none of the battalions have any company with actuall para reg engineers they used to have assualt pioneers but not anymore if youre in the reg then you are a grunt plain and simple wether it be in a rifle coy machine guns mortars snipers and so on . even if you work in the mt cell you dont get any mechanical hands on with the vehicles we have attachements for that stuff . the only real stuff you will get a chance to get qualified in is allsorts of drivers licenses and alot of air skills stuff like rigger marshall and stuff like that maybe if youre lucky you might get something like scuba diving or skiing or climbing but those courses are few and far between even though they promise you everything under the sun every year :roll:

9 para tut :roll: :roll:
"Many are called but few are chosen, keep your webbing tight, your weapon clean and work hard. When times are tough be proud of who you are, trust in those above you and stay loyal to those around you"
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Re: Advice on joining the PARAS with A Levels

Post by gunner75 »

DONT make the same mistake i did when i were younger and get side stepped by a recruiter thinking he knows whats best for you. If YOU want to join the Paras then settle for nothing else! If I could relive my life again Id of transfered straight into the regulars from 4 Para and not put up with the nonsense from the ARMY recruiters at that point in my life. I was naive and had a lot of distracting things on at that point in time so the recruiter was no help whatsoever continuously (I felt) moving the goal posts to highlight other jobs more suitable to my qualifications. To cut a story short when I finally had enough and said I wanted to go away with pamphlets on the Para Reg to look up he replied 'No'! to which i said 'why not?' and his response 'because i said so'. well iv heard of if the face dont fit blah blah but as I'd done P coy a year earlier and was settled into 4para at that point in time I took this in the negative and a few expletives at him based on his rotund shape - left the building. After that shananigans couldnt be bothered with it till much later in life and even then I left it too late for the army as the cut off age at that point was 26. my point is no matter what be 110% clear/single minded what you want to do and take no rubbish like what i done - and also dont hissy fit like i did but calmly ensure that the choice you make is what YOU want and not what others may persuade you to do.
'Every man an Emperor'
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