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British Army Questions

Step 4: Meet the recruiter

British Army Questions

Here are a selection of FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) from people who are interested in joining the British Army.

What is the British Army?
What qualifications do I need to join the Army?
Are there bonuses for enlisting?
Does the Army take people with prior service?
What if I am not a UK citizen?
What if I live overseas?
Can the Army help me obtain UK citizenship?
How long is Basic Training?
What is Basic Training like?
Should I do anything before I go to Basic Training?
How do I become an officer?
What if I am already professionally qualified?
Does the Army promote soldiers to the officer ranks?
Does the Army have Reserve opportunities?
What are the qualifications to join the TA?
How much time am I committed to in the TA?
Will my employer give me time off?
What training will I receive?
Will I be paid while in training?
What should I ask my recruiter?
Can I talk to someone in the Service now?

What are the British Army forces? The British Army is one of the three Services of the UK Armed Forces. It always plays a major part in military operations from the expansion of the British Empire in previous centuries, to the recent activity in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is still the largest of the Services in terms of the number of people it employs.

The Army generally deals with land-focused missions. Its soldiers deploy to a conflict area and stay there to fight during the conflict, and then remain there until adequate peace and security has been established. The Army is chiefly used for long and drawn out missions that require great team effort, focus, and persistence.

What are the qualifications to join the Army? The following are the basic requirements for joining: • You must be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen, or have dual nationality with Britain and another country. Some career paths are only open to British citizens.
• Be between the ages of 16-33 (17-43 for TA). Anyone under 18 needs parental consent.
• You do not need any formal qualifications to join the Army but you do need to pass the entrance test that covers basic reasoning, literary and mathematical abilities.
• Pass a medical and physical assessment to ensure you are healthy and fit enough to join the Army.

Are there bonuses for enlisting? The Army is currently offering financial rewards ranging from £500 to £8,000 for people who have studied specific vocational subjects so ask your recruiters for specific information on this.

Does the Army take people with prior service? Yes. The Army accepts people who have served in the military before.

What if I am not a UK citizen? You must be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen, or have dual nationality with Britain and another country and you need to be a UK citizen for some job roles. However, some exceptions are made. Ask your recruiter for more information.

What if I live overseas? If you live overseas you need to fill in an on-line enquiry form so your application can be evaluated.

Can the Army help me obtain UK citizenship? No. The Armed Forces cannot assist foreign nationals in obtaining admittance into the United Kingdom.

How long is Basic Training? This depends on your entry. If you join as a school leaver it’s either 42 weeks at the Army Foundation College or 20 weeks at an Army Training Regiment (ATR). If you are over 17 years old and are planning to join the Royal engineers, the Royal Artillery or the Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps you get 12 weeks of training at an ATR. The Royal Logistics do 10 weeks. If you are planning to join the infantry you train at the Infantry Training Centre (ITC) which provides complete training for the Infantry and lasts 24 weeks.

What is Basic Training like? The following is a breakdown of the Basic Training at Lichfield ATR, although the timings of activities can vary.

Week 1: During the first week of Basic Training, you’ll begin to get used to Army life. You’ll get your kit and get into the best shape of your life.

Week 2: The week starts with a swimming test and mainly consists of weapon training, drill, an introduction to endurance and lectures on the history of the Corps

Week 3: This continues the weapon and drill training, including weapon handling and field craft and an extensive night exercise.

Week 4: This week starts with map reading and battle PT and progresses to firing drills and live firing. There’s more drill, a drugs lecture and a battlefield tour of Ypres/Dunkirk.

Week 5: This week is mainly taken up with map reading and shooting camp to perfect your fieldcraft.

Week 6: There’s a lot going on this week with a map reading exercise, a swimming re-test, First Aid, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training, vaccinations, endurance training, battlefield casualty, training, drills, parade uniform issue, sport and a health and hygiene written test.

Week 7: After fitness and strength training, battle PT, drill and map reading you get a four day weekend off!

Week 8: After a compulsory drugs test you get some more PT and then a four day exercise.

Week 9: Take a deep breath, this is adventurous training week!

Week 10: There’s more endurance training this week along with first aid, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training, drill, a visit to trade training and live and indoor firing.

Week 11: It’s mainly about firing this week with advanced shooting, weapons test, moving target, night shooting, bayonet fighting as well as battle PT and a map reading test.

Week 12: This week starts with a map reading practical test and continues with first aid tests, PT, drill, chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training, a loaded march and the weekend starts with the final exercise.

Week 13: This week is mainly taken up with the final exercise that lasts until Friday.

Week 14: The final week! You’ve got the loaded march re-test, drill, admin and then your passing out parade on Thursday.

*Should I do anything before I go to Basic Training? Yes! It will really help you to improve your fitness before you go to Basic. See our fitness section (add link) for more information and to find out what fitness tests you will need to pass for each Service.

How do I become an officer? To become a British Army officer you need to be accepted into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS). Do to this you need to pass the Army Officer Selection Board AOSB which can be done in two ways:

1. If you apply for a sixth form scholarship with the Army or for a place at Welbeck, the Defence Sixth Form College, you need to pass the AOSB briefing, a selection of mental and physical tests that lasts for 24 hours. You are then entitled to join RMAS after you have completed your degree course.

2. If you are a school leaver with A-levels, a university undergraduate or graduate, or are changing careers, you need to pass both the AOSB briefing and a three and a half day AOSB Main Board. The Main Board tests both your mental and physical abilities to determine if you are suitable for officer training.

The course at RMAS lasts 44 weeks and you will be taught all the qualities that an officer needs such as good communications skills, leadership and management under pressure. The final stage is training for the skills you will need for your chosen regiment including specialist training on any equipment that you or your soldiers will be using.

What if I am already professionally qualified? If you have already qualified in certain professions such as; doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, barristers, solicitors, vets and chaplains you can take the Professionally Qualified Officers (PQO) course. This lasts for four weeks and so is much faster than the standard Commissioning Course, but you still need to show the same levels of fitness and learn a range of military skills such as weapon handling.

Does the Army promote soldiers to the officer ranks? Yes.

Does the Army have Reserve opportunities? Yes. The Territorial Army (TA) is the largest of the Reserve Forces and has a large part to play in the Army. For more detailed information on the Reserves, you can also check the Reserve Forces section (Insert link).

What are the qualifications to join the TA? You must be:
• Either a British citizen; citizen of the British dependent territories; British subject under the British Nationality Act 1981; A British Protected Person; A citizen of Ireland or a citizen of a Commonwealth country (most Commonwealth citizens need to have been a resident for five years).
• 17-43 years old
• Healthy and in good physical condition

How much time am I committed to? The time commitment depends on whether you join a Regional or National TA Unit. The Regional Units recruit locally and members are committed to completing a minimum of 27 days training a year which includes some midweek evenings, some weekends and an annual two-week camp. The National Units specialise in a specific role or trade, such as logistics, IT, communications, medical services, media relations, chaplaincy and civil/military liaison and tend to recruit their members from a wide geographical area. Members of National Units have a lower level of commitment due to the extra travel time and they complete 19 days training a year, divided between two to three weekends and an annual two-week camp.

Will my employer give me time off? You need to find out about any policies your employer may have about the Volunteer Reserve Forces (VRF), for example you may not be able to take annual leave at set times for VRF training sessions. Some employers give you extra time off for your training.

When you return from mobilisation you have a right to be re-employed in the type of job in which you were last employed, on terms and conditions no less favourable than you had before. Or if this is not reasonable and practicable, to be re-employed in the most favourable job and on the most favourable terms and conditions which are reasonable and practicable in your case.

What training will I receive? You will receive Basic Training that teaches you how to become an effective soldier. It includes physical fitness, weapon handling, field craft, map reading, as well as military terminology, drill and how to wear your uniform.

After that you will receive Trade Training to give you the necessary skills to be able to do your chosen trade within the Army. You will also get Adventurous Training such as canoeing, climbing, sailing, skiing and trekking. This can take place either in the UK or abroad.

Will I be paid while in training? Yes, you will be paid for every day you serve according to published pay schedules for your pay grade.

Can I talk to someone in the Service now?
Absolutely. Visit the HMForces forum.

What should I ask my recruiter? Recruiters must present an accurate picture of service. You should be aware of all aspects of the military. Be sure you fully understand the contract. You should ask about:
• Details and qualifications for each specialty
• Films or videos about training and duties
• Basic training
• Length and location of training
• Joining incentives
• Overseas assignments, remote and long duty
• Haircut and grooming standards
• Educational benefits
• Guaranteed training programs

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