Discovering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with UWE Bristol, get free advice >>

What was initiation like for you when you joined your regiment?

As the question asks what was your initiation like? I don't see many answers to this online or in other forums but want to know what it's like before I join as I've heard some horror stories about it.

Reply 1

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by anon1122

The worst excesses of that sort of behaviour have stopped. You aren't likely to have any significant 'solo' initiation, there will maybe be a tough exercise, or some jokes, but the days of drinking random alcohol/bodily fluids etc should have gone even in the most obscure regiments/depots.

Reply 2

anon1122

Original post by threeportdrift

First off, thanks for the super quick reply much appreciated. Its just people on YouTube who have come out the armed forces seem to put such a negative light on it sometimes. Is there much bullying or harassment in the raf which is where im gonna apply to join ?

Reply 3

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by anon1122

I can't say there's none, but there's probably less than you'd get in every day life because a) people trust and rely on each other much more in the RAF than civilians do, and that reliance breeds respect, and b) because the culture is against such behaviour and the punishments for bullying can be harsh.

Reply 4

anon1122

Original post by threeportdrift

Did you serve if so what role? @threeportdrift

Reply 5

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by anon1122

Did you serve if so what role? @threeportdrift

RAF, aircrew. There was no initiation when you arrived on a Squadron. You traditionally drank a pint when you got your badge for 1000 hours flying. i didn't drink alcohol, and no-one bothered when I drank a pint of milk!

Reply 6

anon1122

Ahhh sounds fun though, overall how did you find your service?

Reply 7

Shabalala

I did my initiation just over 4 years ago, it involved standing up on a table in front of my entire squadron including the seniors, pulling my trousers down clenching a bit of tissue between my arse cheeks getting it lit on fire and then having to try and down a dirty pint filled with every spirit imaginable, small bits of piss, snot, spit, fag butts, ****, *** and god knows what else before it burned me, needless to say no one ever managed to drink it in time and I ended up with some minor but painful burns. I was also in bed passed out drunk by 6pm.

This was when I was posted in Germany so the drinking culture was wild back then and although to most people that sounds absolutely horrific we all had to go through it, it wasn’t a case of bullying at all if someone didn’t drink they weren’t forced into it they might have been called boring or whatever but no one was forced in the slightest.

These days though I don’t think it really happens anymore as it’s frowned upon by the Army’s senior ranks, and because units aren’t allowed to run their own bars, they are all run by some rip off civilian contractor who serves weak alcohol and close early.

It probably still happens to some extent in the Para Regt, Bootnecks and some other infantry units but these days from what I have seen units don’t even have initiations at all anymore. Everyone seems to be more interested in going home to their mums house to play on their computer or whatever boring nonsense they do these days.

In my opinion without that culture the Army is far worse off, it brought us all closer together and created some amazing memories especially in Germany, but the senior Army leadership seem to think they can promote the Army as a 9-5 Job which is so far from reality it’s unreal. In reality all they are doing is taking away one of the benefits of being in the Forces.