ADF 'gap year'??? (1 Viewer)

[..Kels..]

Has anyone heard about or is interested in the 'gap year' with the Defence force???

 

[wuddie]

yeah they've been promoting it heaps in the army. it is not bad actually, you get to learn a lot of cool stuff and get paid. honestly, if you're going to take a gap year, what the hell are you going to do with yourself for a year?

too bad i am already in the reserve, it does sound like a good idea for any gap-year takers.

 

[hwoods07]

im thinking of doing a gap year in the army next year but still unsure ...... what is it like for females in the army and is it really worth it???

 

[joa.nst.ar]

they came to our school to talk to us about it. there'd be heaps of info on their website id say but i thought it sounded pretty good. you can choose army, navy or airforce, though if you choose army you actually get to specialise wheras with navy/air force its basically like being on work experience for a year.
there are quite a lot of girls in the army these days, and you not obliged to stay on after the year, its not like they can call you up or anything, thats what i was worried about lol.
but yeah i think u should check out the web page, or even call the relevant person in the defence force cos theyd be happy to help.

 

[Wooz]

Most girls are in the Navy compared to other armed services.

Just a word of warning for those who intend to do the Army GAP year up to 6 months of it will actually be spent in the Northern Territory-Darwin training and working in ur specialization. My friend's have pulled out because of this and are joining the reserves.

 

[schmemisgroovy]

hey,
yea i just finished year 12 and am going off to cerberus for my initial training with the navy in april next year. had my interviews and assessment days and seems like a really good oportunity. i had no idea wat course i wanted to do at uni so deferring and doing something like this was an awesome idea...with all the life experience id have gained im pretty sure my heads gonna be a lot more straighter when it comes to knowing wat i realli do and dont like and wat i want to do in the future.

cheers

 

[Lizakith]

yeah they've been promoting it heaps in the army. it is not bad actually, you get to learn a lot of cool stuff and get paid. honestly, if you're going to take a gap year, what the hell are you going to do with yourself for a year?

too bad i am already in the reserve, it does sound like a good idea for any gap-year takers.

That explains so much about you.

 

[Evilo]

yeah they've been promoting it heaps in the army. it is not bad actually, you get to learn a lot of cool stuff and get paid. honestly, if you're going to take a gap year, what the hell are you going to do with yourself for a year?

too bad i am already in the reserve, it does sound like a good idea for any gap-year takers.

I'm pretty sure you can still undertake full time training over that year (even though you are in the reserves.). From memory don't you need to do kapooka, or something similar anyway? I'd be trying to knock the "big stuff" out of the way and speed up the reserve stuff.
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As far as the gap year goes, its a years full training. From memory you are paid (see below), and depending on what you do i think you might get a trade certificate at the end of it. The best thing about it, is that its a "taste tester" so to speak - of the army. You do a year and have no requirement to continue.

I have friends who have joined the army and they are having a great time. You just gotta be realistic about what to expect (i.e. there will be no butler service, and 1pm sleepins).

Each of the Services has tailored their Gap Year programs to give participants a wide range of choice. A basic military training element is common to all, but Navy participants can expect to experience life onboard a ship as a sailor, while Army is offering a range of employment streams as a soldier from rifleman and gunner to clerical and logistics trades. Air Force participants will be exposed to a range of officer and airman employment categories.

While not all Gap Year participants will want to continue serving in the ADF, those that do may transfer to full-time military careers and training or return to the ADF later and receive a financial bonus, having completed their tertiary or vocational training. Some may also pursue part-time paid service in the Reserves.

I encourage all Year 12 school leavers to seriously consider the ADF Gap Year option. The skills they will gain in terms of teamwork, self-discipline, communication and access to emerging technologies will assist them in their future studies and will be valued highly by prospective employers. All this while earning between $30,000 and $46,000 over the year.

Well there is my sales pitch, no i dont work with the army, but i reckon it would be a better alternative to going overseas getting absolutly hammered then rocking back to australia dirt poor with one full year wasted (ive seen many times). Also the benifit of this is you may be able to apply for AusStudy (not 100% sure, but check)

 

[Evilo]

That explains so much about you.

?

better than getting drunk, disgracing yourself and wasting a whole year. Then rocking back up to australia with no money, expecting to start uni while supporting yourself.

 

[Captain Gh3y]

?

better than getting drunk, disgracing yourself and wasting a whole year. Then rocking back up to australia with no money, expecting to start uni while supporting yourself.

I'd rather do that than go to Iraq

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

?

better than getting drunk, disgracing yourself and wasting a whole year. Then rocking back up to australia with no money, expecting to start uni while supporting yourself.

thats if you can afford to travel in the first place. if i'd taken a gap year i would have spent it working in coles or something gay like that...i never considered the army as an option, in my mind it would be year 8 camp all over again but with uniforms :s

 

[Evilo]

@ captain gh3y - Im pretty sure you cant get sent to iraq on your gap year.

@Cosmic Doris - You would earn twice as much doing this gap year army thing (compared to coles $12.33 * 35hrs *50 weeks = $21,000), plus you would probably get a trade certificate at the end of it. To be honest i look at this army thing as a positive thing, mainly because the people from my school who took gap years fuked up their livers, have done shit all with their lives, and have nothing as a result of wasting a whole year.

If i decided to do a gap year (which i didn't - i'd had enough of spending 3 months at liquorland) , then i would sriously consider the army. Especially if i wanted to be a tradie. You're most likely not going to go anwyhere with coles, i'd much rather the army thing. Thats just my 2 cents. (again lol)

 

[wuddie]

I'd rather do that than go to Iraq

man, you really ought to find out the facts before you post here. if you get it wrong, you really make an ass out of yourself.

like this one for instance. firstly, everything is voluntary in the reserve. you can give up/quit whenever you want, no obligations, no contracts.

secondly, you can't get sent overseas by conscription/orders in the reserve. the only chance reserves get into a real war is when aust is under attack and we have to defend our bacons. even then, our pm will have to declare war on that particular nation to put our asses in the defence line.

see, some of these shit i shouldn't even be telling people. but if you are in the reserve, they pay you $11 a day just to stay alive. yea, that means about $4k a year, tax free. plus the license to shoot.

so umm, yea, you were pretty damn wrong.

 

[wuddie]

That explains so much about you.

i assume you are implying that i'm arrogant and my thinkings are male-dominant. yea?

i'm ok with it, i'm open up to different opinions.

 

[olks]

G'day, Id just like to clear up a few points made on the gap year scheme that is on offer at the moment. One of the particpants here stated that its not as though you can get called up. In regards to that, because the gap year scheme will have you working side by side with ARA (fulltime) members I would not be surprised if there was a clause in your contract stating there is a period after your discharge in which the ADF can call you back up. Even though the likely hood of call ups being conducted are slim there would still be the possibility.

Now the good news is, whilst in your 12 month fulltime service your chance of being deployed are pretty much zero. Well at least to iraq or afghan anyway.
You take a rifleman for example. You conduct 80 days training down at Kapooka and then 72 days at the school of cool ( Infantry) in singo. Thats pretty much 6 months gone if you have completed the training in the minimum time required. You then go to your battalion and lounge around for 6 months. You would not be deployable as deployments are 6 months ( with build up training taking anywhere upto 3 months) so I believe for this to work the gap year should actually have been 2 .

The idea of getting a trade in the army in 12 months is not reality, the sort of jobs open will be like rifleman, driver etc etc.

My suggestion to anyone who is considering doing the gap year is keep your job at coles and go reserves instead, you'll still get your taste of army life just without the hassle of signing your life away for a year.

 

[liam_1234]

?

better than getting drunk, disgracing yourself and wasting a whole year. Then rocking back up to australia with no money, expecting to start uni while supporting yourself.

I think evilo you have got it all wrong. you can work overseas, its called a working holiday, i think you get a better appreciation of the world in whole when you have been to other countrys. Australia is one little island in a big world. i dont think that you can say that taking a gap year in the army is going to teach you that. If you are actually planning on joining the defence force that the gap year is a great opportunity to see what life is like and not be commited.

Travelling is awsome you can do it in the defence force, but not in the gap year because all you are doing is training.