Story of an AIB Fail

Hello all,

I haven't posted here for a long time following my AIB failure in October 2011, since then I have decided to apply as a Rating for the ETME branch (surface). No bullshit excuses for the failure, I simply didn't cut it on the day, mainly due to a major balls up of the PLTs.

I originally applied for Warfare, as I had a History degree, the technical branches were naturally barred for me at Officer level. I am 24 now, and could give a million reasons as to why I didn't go down an Engineering route from the beginning of higher education, but in truth I wasn't really sure what to do and found History interesting at the time, and had not at this point thought of joining the RN. It was only in my final year of University I decided.

So I found it quite refreshing looking at the Engineering trades of the RN when reapplying as a Rating, and my interest in the ETME branch was realised. This realisation was in part due to a job I had as a Recruiter for Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, after talking to former RN personnel about their experiences; and a revival in my interest in Physics, which I was always competent at during school despite abandoning it in favour of a History degree.

So where am I now? 25 months on from my original RT and still waiting. I told the AFCO of my intention to change branch in April 2012, redid the PJFT sometime after, and had the interview in October, from which I was told I may get a start date within 6 months, but I'm mindful it could take longer.

After failing the AIB, I ashamedly went into hiding from all things RN for a few months just to clear my head, but I love having the dream back in my life and I am as eager as ever to begin.

 

Not every one passes as you found.

Takes a big man to face something like that and move on. Good luck with your application.

 

What Waspie said. Your 'hiding' is understandable, failing an AIB is a pisser, but you have nothing to be ashamed about.

You've obviously taken a deep breath and decided to crack on. A mature outlook like yours should stand you in very good stead and all the best for when you join up.

 

Thanks for coming back and telling us your story. You still have a lot of half-open doors ahead of you. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

Well done for taking it on the chin and good luck. BTW the ME department is by far the most superior branch of the RN.

 

Oh don't you just love to laugh at the resident joker! But he is right - if you like being hot and sweaty, covered in oil and grease, diesel dermatitis etc.

No my young thruster, WE and specifically Pinky is the only way to go, with immense career potential, especially with your skill at physics. Think about it! Seriously!!


And getting ones hands dirty is actually an offence!

 

I'm with Tiddly on this one, if you want to learn a trade ME is the way ahead, if you want to learn how to fill in bits of paper so someone else does the job WE is the way to go.

 

Having witnessed AIB from both sides of the fence and seen many who were "dead certs" fail and many technical grad "no hopers" pass, it's difficult not to evolve the opinion that chicken bones & witch doctor's ju-ju bags figure largely in officer selection.

Best of luck earning a living.

 

They are told they are superior to make them feel good about themselves?^~


When the skipper wants to know where he is he looks at his radar and navigation equipment, or sonar on submarines, when he wants to communicate with the world he uses his comms equipment, if in a time of anger he wishes to throw a missile or bullet at some thing or someone, he will look to the Weapons Engineering branch to keep these equipment’s on top line, if he wants to go faster or need more wiggleys or his plumbing sorted out he calls he calls a clanky, to push harder or fix his bog.
There has always been friendly rivalry in the navy; you have to decide between highly technical engineer or a spanner monkey, with a wrench?
As said above when the whole of your envisaged world falls to bits it takes time and the brave to pick themselves up look where they went wrong, re-group and form anther plan, so well done you did not have to face this site again.
As eluded to above one of the doors that may be open would be going through to officer from a rating. Not totally sure on the rules or age restrictions, but if you are an engineer you would be expected to site a pre officer engineering exam and become an engineering officer, not always the case some have been known to branch change as they go through.

Good look

 

And when the skipper wants the mail he calls upon the mighty WAFU!!!!!!!


(Waits for incoming stick):thumleft:

 

To keep the ME/WE thing going, when the skipper wants his boat to dive he needs the ME department and conversley when he wants to come back up again. When you need to breathe, move, switch on your sonar/comms gear etc he needs the ME's. When a WE wants his on-watch shower, he can courtesy of the fresh water supplied by the ME's, when he switches on his bunklight (doesn't happen often), he can courtesy to the ME's. All that WE kak is useless alongside the wall..dontcha think (winking smiley thing that doesn't work on the work computer)

 

There is something to be said for joining the fleet air arm as an engineer, what it is just seems to slip my mind.
Think long and hard, yep if you want a Land Based naval career, becoming a WAFU is about as close as you can get?

Is that good enough for you Waspie?? :kermit:

 

Glad that’s sorted ME Hiss, S**t, P**S , push harder and lamp tramps, wot you mean I had a bunk light, cannot ever say I was awake long enough to find it, always to dark, if I need something in the bunk space a portable DC spot left loafing by WreckeL’s team always came in handy.
WE clean looking chaps in clean working rig, only wore oviees for dirty work like loading beer or was that wearing oviees to pretend working to get out of loading beer, my mind is fuzzy on these things?:idea:

 

Back on topic, I passed\failed the AIB. I received the passing letter some three days after completing the AIB and told to wait for my medical date. Nothing happened. My mother phoned whoever it was back in those days to find out why whist I was upstairs in bed dying with chickenpox . She was met with surprise and waffle that they were moving offices, busy, confused etc. Next week I received a letter telling me to Foxtrot Oscar.
Because I was so keen to join up I pulled strings to join up as a dabber.

It happens but as you can tell I'm perfectly normal ....now ....

 

Now You're talking! Something I understand! Nothing wrong with a bag of chicken bones and the ju ju beads!

Sod all this Clanky / WE Crap ... become a passenger ... walk round the ship with a large syringe and needle safe in the knowledge that the others may take your floating hotel from one run ashore to the next... when something drops on their head ... they actually do need the Medical branch!

 

If you drop something on a dabbers head MG, you need a carpenter, not a medic

 

Yup, sums it up quite nicely!!!!

Regards 'chicken bones'. One of my old Flight Commanders used some once at a flight briefing on the bridge. IUsual Flt Brief. Time check weather blah blah.

The weather!!! MuFax had gone down so no weather chart. Flt Cmdr picked up a can he had behind him full of chicken bones and threw then on the bridge deck. Starts walking round them muttering about occlusions and precipitation and the like.

The forecast was actually right too!!!!!

Later on he fessed up to getting it from the BBC world service. Pop went my balloon!!!!! And I thought he might be able to cure my warts as well!!!!^~

 

As we're on chicken bones, boat was at sea and they were trialling famgrams for SSN's. Our (black) Po Stwd got sod all, Chief Tiff walks in the mess and throws a pile of chicken bones on the table in front him. PO Stwd say "wot's that", Chief Tiff said "Family Gram for you". PO Stwd was not amused

 

Are you some sort of schizophrenia nut that cannot remember whether you passed or failed your AIB so joined up as a dabber to confuse the hell out of them?

Good effort it obviously worked.

 

Nice to see everybody fighting to have me in their respective branch...

I have chosen ME to keep my options open because although I want a RN career first and foremost, I want skills that I can use more widely. I'm not talking about a civilian career already, just useful skills to have as I want to live permenantly in a Marine environment.

With regards to being a spanner monkey, I appreciate the technicalities of WE, but on the building site I work on, one of the fuel delivery drivers used to be a WE. I'm not saying they're all destined to become that, but it just goes to show your career is what you make it.

Cheers for the support lads and lasses.