Does anyone have a partner/family in the TA? Not sure what to think...

[LaWeasel]

DH is off at the area meeting for our TA right now trying to decide if he wants to join or not.

I am a bit because, to be honest, I don't know anything about it. I don't know if I should just be happy because it's probably a good way to meet people etc and as far as I know the TA are very rarely sent to any kind of front line.

Or whether I should be a bit pissed off because DH comes from a military family and I made it clear early on that if he wanted to be in the military that was of course great, but I had no interest in being an forces wife! He was totally fine and insisted he didn't want to.

The other thing is that he isn't necessarily even going to be able to do the kind of thing he wants to. He's an engineer (Aircraft design) but there is no RAF/Royal Engineers regiment here... he can do officer training but I have no idea what that means either.

Please tell me I'm worried about nothing!

Doh, I meant to ask in the title if anyone was in the TA or had family in it...

LaWeasel, I'm Reg, not TA but I might be able to answer some questions? But TBH I do think you need to know that there are A Lot of TA soldiers serving on Ops. They can deploy Regimentally and individually.

Really? Bugger.

Are officers more likely to be sent do you think?

I am very worried about him not signing up as an engineer. His family are all military engineers and they have never had tours anywhere remotely dangerous.

The TA is not a secret organisation - you could go down to a drill night and talk to them (then, or by mutually convenient arrangement) about what they do, and how much of DH's time it will take up.

TA can be (compulsorarily) called up for action in operational theatres. On one hand, this might become rarer (as operations in Afghanistan are still set to end by end 2014), but there's no counting on this (as cuts to regulars mean an enhanced role for the TA).

La Weasel: the motto of the Royal Engineers is "Ubique" and they have taken part in every battle fought by the British Army, anywhere. If his family have never been sent into harm's way, that must have been fluke.

That's where he is now, I can't go - I'm with DD.

I understand about all the time/legal stuff with his usual job which all seem okay.

His family aren't Royal Engineers they are full time RAF doing very similar kind of stuff to what DH does in the private sector. They may well be extremely fluky, but I assumed also that although they have to be trained and fit for battle they were never very likely to be sent there because it's not the most useful place for them to be? Am I wrong?

It sounds like if he signs up he would be more likely to go than if he was RAF!

Perhaps when he gets back he'll be able to explain more about what all this means. And even if you can't make drill night, it might help if you met someone from the unit at another time.

(I was going to add something disobliging about Crabs and fluffy towels, but you've probably heard all that before!)

Med

or 5* hotels

Apart from moving house all the time and crap quarters - I would not object to him having his dad's job!

He should be back soon so I will request that he interogate him on the odds of being called up if he hasn't asked already.

hi, i once worked for RAF auxillaries. the TA may be similar in that they are likely to go away approx every two years depending on their rank, job and the time it takes to train them up to operational standard. he should come home with loads of info, failing that, have a look online at that particular TA's website, or the main TA website which will give you what you need.

TBH it depends where you are now, and what unit he is thinking of joining. An Infantry Regiment will likely deploy as a unit, but its members could volunteer for individual tours.

Specialist trades will get called upon to fill gaps in Regular units on a regular basis. In a lot of cases they will call on volunteer first, and they do get a lot of volunteers.

Civ Employers have to keep jobs open and the Army will match private pay.

Officers can be deployed out of role, to do jobs such as Watchkeeper, but again, volunteers are welcomed.

It can be a very good way of life. For the sake of one day a week and a 2 week camp the camaraderie, networking, pay and opportunities are very good. It can be a way for men and women to get the 'green' out of their system without the huge commitment that a full time career demands.

You've probably already looked at the official TA website.

If you're feeling brave, you might also like to look at the TA forum on ArRSe.

Thanks everyone, I feel a bit more like I know what questions to ask now.

It doesn't help that I'm pregnant and can't drive either. If he goes out I will basically be on my own with two kids miles away from everyone I know.

...although I guess we'll finally have money for driving lessons?!

Hmm. He should be back by now. I bet they've taken him to the pub!

Okay, no one in the local troop has gone on duty (even after volunteering) in 10 years! And you can quit with no penalties.

I'm feeling a lot better now, thanks for the advice.

LaWeasel, if he is an aircraft engineer then he can go national TA rather than local and join REME. My DH works with TA at the moment and your DH could get more info from the REME TA people or website, but they only deploy if they volunteer for it, in which case they are mobilised for a year, what with training etc. If he went national then his travel would be paid for and he would do around 30 days a year including the 2 week annual camp so that would only be 8 weekends. He would get paid the same for those days as a regular. If he was to do officer training then he could be sent to any REME TA unit that needs an officer, no necessarily an aircraft one, depends if he wants a different experience to that he gets at work, don't know but some men life dressing up rolling around in mud