Joining the Royal Navy at 33

Hi folks I've been considering joining the RN for the past year and am pretty much 100% keen on going for it and joining up but I have one nagging worry which I'd like to ask you boys and girls opinion on - I'm 33 years old (a bloke) and wonder if this will present any difficulties for me? I know my age is no bar officially but I saw a posting from a guy in the same situation on another forum and the guy was told "a private at your age? Good Luck" tee hee!" Will I have trouble being excepted by the other recruits or be treated differently?

 

no u wont on my rnac course there was a women aged 37 and everyone got bonded with her reli well
u will be fine mate dont worry about it

 

Thanks mate, thats reassuring. Maybe when I join up I wont be the only oldie then.

 

It won't be an issue, unless you make it an issue............however, saying that,you may earn yourself a nickname that is related to age :dwarf:

Good luck

edited, for being a plonker

 

I think it is quite likely you will not be the oldest there, and if you are like me you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is fitness-wise when you compare yourself to the "playstation generation" on the running track.

Check out the newbies threads for preparation, if you have specific questions PM if you like.

 

Can we get a spell check on here?

 

How you cope with being (possibly) the oldest in the entry when you join is entirely down to your personality and your ability to cope with being with up to about 30 others who will be much younger than you. There are an increasing amount of people approaching the upper age limit currently joining. The average age per entry is currently 20 years old. Many of the older one's don't concern themselves too much about the differing ages among the group. You will all be doing exactly the same training and expected to perfrom to the same standards as your peers - with the exception of some of the fitness tests where they are age and gender specific.

 

Hello bud. I have been in the RN for 18 years, i joined at 16. I do remember looking up to the older guys as i was so young in training, so it has its advantages as far as supporting the youngsters. Remember you are at Raleigh for yourself only, the is a rule in the mob 'look after number one' (dont forget you oppos though). There is one thing joining late may bother you. You maybe 33 but remember there are people at the age of 20,21 etc that are Leading Hands, if that dont bother you crack on shipmate. I did have a snag with a late joiner a while back, i was younger but a LH, he just thought the world owed him!

Joining late does not give you position that you had out side with regard to your age. I have seen a few bods join late then leave as they think the RN owes then the respect that goes with the age on the outside which is not the case. The the advice i can give is buckle down, get promoted to LH ASAP and then it will be plain sailing (*ex the pun).

Good luck bud.

 

Good luck Whangle.

I am off down the careers office myself tomorrow to get the ball rolling. I am 35 at the moment with a birthday looming in March, I am not the fittest person at the moment but dont think i will have a problem with the PJFT.

As already said just be prepared for the jokes/nicknames and taking orders and advice from peeps younger than you, I have been there before with 12years in the RAF behind me getting Older recruits in and teaching them the ropes, just this time the boot will be on the other foot.

 

Whangie - You will have no problem thoughout training as long as you are reasonably fit. However, you will notice the age gap when you're down the messdeck on a Ship. One of the driving forces for me to get promoted was that I felt I had outgrown the mess and wanted to move to the next level. I'm not saying that being down a messdeck is bad, it's probably the best time I've had in my time, but realistically speaking you do not wanna be a 40 year old AB/LH. My advice would be use your age to your advantage and knuckle down and get to Petty Officer asap or if you have the qualifications try SUY in a few years.

 

I joined BRNC at 34, the oldest age possible. The big shock for everyone is getting up early and being told what to do - since I'm married and have kids this was normality! Fitting in is no problem, everybody experiences culture shock together which builds the bonding tremendously. Fitness is key, however I was quite satisfied to see I was beating a few of the younger ones in the mile and a half. Just remember your body takes longer to heal!

Otherwise people will expect you to be a guide for the young ones, so be ready for that, and don't take it personally when somebody half your age tells you what to do!

 

I must have been approaching 300 years when I joined and had a great time and age made no difference at all except as someone said, others will look to you for guidance on life.

I was pushed like hell to get my hook and did it on my first draft awarded on my second.

 

Thanks for all the replies folks. Quite reassuring. I wont be wanting to make my age an issue as some people have asked, the complete opposite - I would prefer to fit in with my fellow recruits and feel equal to them and not stand out like a sore thumb cos of my age and that was basically what I wanted to know about. Also I was worried that a guy my age joining up would be an oddity but on reading some of the posts its seems there are other older than 20 joining up. I basically want to get through basic training etc as plain sailing (excuse the pun) as possible.

 

Black2Blue is going through the joining routine at the moment, I think from memory that he is 33, he may have picked up some tips and will no doubt pick up on this thread when next on line

Good luck

 

Hi Wangie,

I'm 31 and re-joining in May, as has been stated, your age will only be an issue if you make it one.

There are currently a few older people on this site, who are trying to join up at the moment, so i am sure you are not going to be the only "oldie" there.

If you have any more Q's feel free to PM me.

WN

 

I wish I was 33 janner!

Whangie I am 35 and going through the paperwork dance (joining process) as said. Had a few hurdles what with being ex Pongo and relationshit (deliberate spelling) problems. Currently awaiting a Medical hopefully in January and a Fitness Test soon after.

Any questions you have I am happy to answer if I can. Either here or via PM.

One question I would ask you if I may is why have you decided to join the RN now?

My answer to my own question is that I miss the mill life and am sick of looking at the no-body in the mirror. Shame it took eight years of denial to realize that the RN is what I want to do.

My only advice is to you is get you arse in the AFCO ASAP!

What is it you wish to do in the RN mate?

 

Hi Black2blue - what made me want to join the RN now? Well to tell you the truth I've been interested for a long time but after a recent marriage break-up I'm actually free to go and do it now where I wasnt before.

Lots of reasons for the Navy appealing to me though, I want to do something with my life which is satisfying and which is more up my street than the kind of things I've been doing in life. I've always been an outdoor type who enjoys pushing himself physically, my father was in the Army and growing up he wanted for me to go into the Army but the Navy appeals to me far more. I fancy the life at sea, being part of a big team onboard a warship, the travel, learning all the new skills, pushing myself and achieving things I doubted I maybe could previously. I think life in the Navy would be far more challenging, rewarding, satisfying and interesting than working in an office which I presently do.

Also the thing you said about "being tired of looking at the nobody in the mirror" is one of my reasons too. I'm very very dis-satisfied with the way my life is going of late and have been interested in joining the armed forces since I was in my teens and want to give it a go as shortly I will be too old for it.

Basically also fed up in civvy street and want some adventure in life - do you think I'm doing it for the wrong reasons?

 

if there are any right reasons, those are the ones.

 

Thank you captainobvious.

 

Tip for you shippers. Avoid Carriers,LPD/LPH. You want to go for 42's/23's Pompey - 22/'s23's Guzz. These ships will get you promotion quicker as you will be noticed, trust me i have learnt my lesson here. I spent 10 years on carriers, 5 years on an LPD and flitting between 23's for 3. The 23's are more of a challenge along with better team work. Good luck mate, by the way 33 aint old pal!!!!! trust me