UKC

Is the officer training corps any good in comparison to the UAS? I was interviewed for the UAS today but turns out a lot of unis feed into it, so doubt ill get in. I have only heard bad things about the OTC, anything good to hear?

In reply to jbird:
Lots of opportunity for paid adventure training in the summer.

imho, though, if you need to earn decent money at uni, then OTC isn't the way, you'll get some.

I suppose it'll also depend on whether you like that type of person- though I suppose if you're looking at UAS then you probably would.

Your other option, I suppose, is the TA. You'd earn more money, but probably wouldn't have as much fun.

My cousin is in his third year of the otc through a university and has really enjoyed it. He has had all expences paid trips to ski in switzerland, london trips and general outings. All paid by the tax payers lol. But he has never said anything bad about it though.

In reply to Ander:

Well compared to what i may work at the weekends during uni my cousin is probably better off at earning around £100 for a weekend away.

In reply to jbird: with the otc the money shouldn't really be the main draw, just a happy bonus.

Regards otc vs uas, really it depends uas get a little flight time (but not rnough to amount to anything usefull), but the otc do a lot more training and are generally larger units and have a more social aspect to the training.

And if you're looking at the raf long term, they certainly suggest locally that the otc is the way to go.

Tom

In reply to jbird:

I never tried to get in UAS but I know it's hard to get in. OTC take on alot more people each year. I did OTC for 2 year (my 2nd and 3rd year).

I didn't join with the intention of going into the Army; I joined to go on adventure training and get qualified and get instructing experience. I was probably being a bit cocky saying that at interview, but I got in (probably helped being a girl)

Besides basic military training I also got;
7 days skiing in the French Alps (full kit and instruction) Paid £350/got paid £300 for going.
Basic Skiing Proficiency.
7 days climbing/walking/kitsurfing in Pembrokeshire.
12 days in Turkey - Walking (Lycian Way), climbing, first aid course.
Level 2 Kayak Coach Assessment.
Military Mountain Leader Training
2* Canoe.
2 weeks teaching kayaking in Bavaria (Taught for 6 days, assisted on white water for 4 days and 4 days off. (Didn't cost me a pennym they even gave me beer money and free waterskiing).

I didn't pay for any of the above. The only things I paid for on trips was beer. Ohh and you get to go to lots of posh dinners and balls. You get paid £80 for a weekend away; £8 ish a night....I only gave it up in final year due to the sheer amount of work and I got £7.50/hr in my uni job...I needed money more than I needed OTC. It's a great way to see new places and do loads of trips on a uni budget. (The only other thing i'm gonna say is in some uni's it attracts lots of weirdos!!!

In reply to Katie86:

The only downside for the trips is you need to pay before you go; so pay out £300 for a week of adventure training; then a few months after you get back you get paid £300 or so, sometimes a bit less) for going.

In reply to Katie86: all very interesting thanks, ill wait for the UAS for now i reckon

In reply to jbird:

I had 4 years of both good and bad at an OTC in the seventies. They vary slightly across the country in what corps specialisations they offer. Their purposes then, and probably the same today, were to create a pool of people with a positive attitude to the army, to provide officers for the Territorial Army and to assist in the training of university cadetship officers.

Good things that happened.
- Increased fitness
- Learning an ordered approach to managing a situation
- Team working at its best
- Learning the inner workings of one of the world finest professional military forces
- Meeting loads of great people, some of whom I am still in touch with 35 years laters
- Really really cheap whisky
- Getting paid
- Free shooting
- Getting to shoot competitively

Bad things that happened.
- Some instructors were there for a rest or to shag vulnerable young women at every opportunity
- Incompetent or corrupt handling of mess funds in contravention of Queens Regulations, followed by a cover-up.
- Jimmy Cooper dying http://www.sehestedt.de/die-gemeinde/schottendenkmal.html

I was in the OTC for 4 years. It's a great organisation. Normally their pretty large organisations in comparison to UAS. There is a lot of AT on offer, work hard and you can go far. There is no harm in having a look at both - then you get a good informed decision. Whish one are you looking at?

If comp climbing is your thing then there are a lot of oppotunites to compete and if you're good enough represent the Forces at international competitions!

In reply to Big.Red.Climbing: City of Edinburgh Universities OTC, it is more the social side of the corps I've heard bad things about, but everything being said here is useful! I will look into it. I doubt I'm good enough to compete but that'd be fun too.

In reply to jbird:

I spoke to a group of Edinburgh OTC member back in August 2008 and it seems to be alive and kicking in all respects.

Back in prehistoric times is was one of the few OTC that had an infantry wing and, allied with strong links with the Royal Scots, Paras and 23 SAS, that drove up standards.

It also preserved a strong tradition of remembering Haldane who was an Edinburgh graduate, local Liberal MP, Minister for War, and creator of the Territorial Army and the OTC 100 years ago.

In reply to jbird: out of interest what bad things have you heard about the social side at edinburgh?

In reply to jbird: also, edinburgh is one of the few otc still offering infantry, combat service support, signals, reme, artilery and engineers.

In reply to jbird: so you don't have to join the FOrces afterwards, or the TA, or be a reservist? just like a club, except you get paid for it? I wish I'd known that! Do you get to choose what you do?

In reply to pinkpeople53: not at edinburgh, just generally. i dont have a clue if you can choose what you do im afraid, but the way you put it it would sound too good to be true if you could pick!

In reply to jbird: Basically you do two core modules. One is basic soldiering in year one, and the next is platoon officer training in your second year, I believe currently called MLDP1 and 2.
But essentially by christmas time you've done the basics and the rest of the time is special to arms training and you do get to choose, obviously you can't do everything but there is often a way to combine 2 or 3 different subunits, assuming you have enough training days left.

Hoping thats cleared up some of your questions

In reply to jbird: oh and in reply to the social side, its no worse than any other university club. In fact I'd say our climbing club is way worse than the otc could ever dream of.

In reply to jbird:

Joined the OTC at Sheffield as i wanted to join the army afterwards. Totally put me off the army but I loved it. Playing soldiers, getting paid and with the added bonuses of some pretty "special" party nights and Adventurous Training. The social side was one of the reasons for staying.

In reply to jbird:

Reading some of the comments on this thread, perhaps abolishing the OTC would go some way to solving the funding problems at the MoD? I wonder how much equipment could be procured for the actual armed forces, rather than paying students to play glorified paintball games for a couple of years?

In reply to Ridge: i reckon a few quid the odd day will solve MoDs problems, plus its a useful recruitment tool and plays a role in the public relations of the local area. plus glorified paintballing sounds excellent to me. thanks for these comments theyve been really useful

In reply to Ridge:

You have to remember that a lot of the OTC's in this country currently have a shortage of certain kit. For instance most of the 105mm Guns are currently abroad.

The aim of the OTC as stated above is not just a recruiting tool for the Army or even the Armed Forces in general, it is to supply officers to the TA and to produce people (as employers) that don't join the forces but are supportive of what the Armed Forces (and TA) are doing.

In reply to Ridge:

In the mid 70s they reckoned it cost them £3500 per resulting officer to run the OTC. That was considered really good value. It also does not take account of the the other aims and benefits.


(£3500 was approx the annual salary of one typical junior professional in the late 70s.)

In reply to jbird: I joined the OTC whilst at Uni and my housemate did the UAS, by the sound of it I got far more out of the OTC than he did the UAS before he was discharged on medical grounds.

The OTC is what you make of it. there will be people there who act like utter twunts and talk of nothing else but army and can be extremely arrogant. On the other hand some of the people involved get stuck in and make it a really good 'club' to be in. I got to do loads of different things during the 3 years I was in including getting paid to do my AFF parachute course. Since leaving I have gone back to help instruct climbing on AT courses during annual camps.

A number of units have the different wings (signals, reme etc) however my unit was solely infantry and without wanting to be biased I think if your going to get the most fun out of it on the field exercises then definitely join an infantry wing.

A final point-getting into the UAS is extremely competetive. the OTC take on more people and seem to appreciate that not everyone joining wants to have a career in the Forces.

have fun!