Introduction...

I never really had an interest in joining the forces during my younger years just really spent my time being lazy and making nothing of myself. i dont know what happened but something sparked in my head and the next thing i knew i was in the armed forces careers office (AFCO) having a presentation with roughly 15 other candidates... after this i collected the application form and was suprised to find tht i was actually excited by the idea of joining the navy.
i suppose living in a naval town i have a bit more of a sea-faring backround than most in this country but efore now i had only ever been on a ferry to france so i was hardly a salty sea dog yet!
Anyway i went back to the afco to have a chat with the careers advisor and found out a bit more information about the application process and took the form with me. right so it was -

Fill in the initial application
Wait for a reply to arrange a date for the aptitude tests
sit the aptitude tests
wait for results
have an informal interview about branch choice
more waiting ...
have a forml interview about the RN in general and about myself and family backround.
pass the dreaded medical
take the pre joining fitness test (PJFT)
await a start date
get start date
more waiting.... >:(
pre entry briefing
join HMS Raleigh to undergo phase 1 (basic) training.

ok .... so not a lot to do then !

i couldn't wait to get the ball rolling so i sent off my application thinking of all the great things i had seen in the video at the afco.
"join the royal navy, see the world , learn new skills , make friends for life, the team works" it said, but little did i know just how true that statement was ! ....