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Pioneer

General discussions on joining & training in the Territorial Army.
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TomN
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Pioneer

Post by TomN »

Currently going through the process of joining the TA at the moment.
Looking to join 7 Rifles.

I've been looking through the job options and really fancy assault engineer as a trade.
The blend of loads of skills would be useful to me in civvie street and it would still give me plenty of challenges and some combat.

I have a few questions though....
Would I be used as a general dogs body?
And would I be able to keep my Rifles cap badge, or would I have to go into RLC?

Cheers.
Tom
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Millar
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Millar »

I'm pretty sure you would have to go RLC, but I could be wrong.
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TomN
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Re: Pioneer

Post by TomN »

I looked on the army rolefinder and it came up as infantry/RAC/RLC.
Would rather keep the Rifles cap badge though, especially as i'm trying to join 7th Rifles.

Plus I won't get called a remf then!
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Millar
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Millar »

TomN wrote:Plus I won't get called a remf then!
Still not as bad as being a Smurf :)
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Tab
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Tab »

Once you are in a Company then you become one of the boys and you wont be picked on more than the rest of them, unless you are an idiot and keep doing things wrong the whole time
Hielan' Laddie
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Hielan' Laddie »

As an Assault Pioneer then you'll be Rifles badged and be in your battalion support company. There is a nationally recruited TA pioneer unit based in Grantham.

On Ops then annyone can find themselves as a dogsbody. As an Assault Pioneer nowerdays you tend to deal more with IEDs and preparing defences for your FOB/PB. Of course you can always be 'dicked' for jobs like filling sandbags and so on, but the skills you get as a TA assault pioneer probably balance it out.
TomN
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Re: Pioneer

Post by TomN »

Sounds good then. Don't fancy arsing around with IED's to be honest, but everything else sounds good.

The wife won't be too happy about me going infantry, but I want that Rifles cap badge.
Hielan' Laddie
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Hielan' Laddie »

TomN wrote:Sounds good then. Don't fancy arsing around with IED's to be honest, but everything else sounds good.

The wife won't be too happy about me going infantry, but I want that Rifles cap badge.
I'm not gonna lie - and please don't think I'm being patronising - but IEDs are bloody dangerous so it's only natural to feel worried. At the end of the day if no-one in a patrol volunteers to be the 'Vallon man' (person using the metal dector to find IEDs) then one of you will get "volunteered" for it - you're in the army and that is how it works. Happily as there are more specialist C-IED teams now then you won;t find yourself doing the really dangerous 'cut the red wire or blue wire' type stuff - that really is for mentalists!
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Tab
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Tab »

If you find an IED it is best if you don't hit with your shovel to see it it is a dud, but just give it a swift kick
TomN
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Re: Pioneer

Post by TomN »

Thanks Tab, i'll bear that in mind. I'll practice throwing rocks at things on the ground then.

As long as I don't have to feck with IED's up close, i'm happy.

As an assault pioneer, would I be more likely to be the vallon man?
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Millar
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Re: Pioneer

Post by Millar »

TomN wrote:Thanks Tab, i'll bear that in mind. I'll practice throwing rocks at things on the ground then.

He said a swift kick, not throw rocks! Throwing rocks is simply dangerous, someone could seriously get hurt.
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Re: Pioneer

Post by TomN »

As long as I don't have to fill out any forms, or read a risk assessment i'll be happy.

Can't wait to get on with this!
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