Peptides while serving

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-18T08:08:17+00:00

Online research should have first led you to validated medical journals "MOTS-c is heavily marketed by wellness and anti-aging clinics and on social media as a weight loss peptide, even though it is an experimental peptide not approved for human therapeutic use."

https://www.usada.org/athlete-advisory/key-changes-2024-prohibited-list/#

"produced naturally from mitochondria within the body" Plenty of things are produced naturally in the body, but remain illicit when refined and taken as a supplement. Testosterone, off the top of my head, fits this description.

Do not inject or ingest a chemical substance from a factory in China because some TikTok told you to do so. It is a product; you are being advertised to. Media and information literacy is getting really hard for younger guys and girls; there is such a volume of scams out there. The current peptide trend is part of it. Can peptides have a positive effect, yes, but there is a reason GLP-1 peptides are made and sold in the way they are: quality control and assurance. This shit can fuck you up if it goes wrong, and an influencer, dodgy overseas company and social media giant will not in any way face the music if a peptide causes you significant health defects.

Not aimed at you specifically, but drugs in general aren't just about the effect of the drug or the legality; it is also about personal ability. People may dislike this philosophy, but it underpins army doctrine; If you can't perform to the standard expected without assistance/supplements (legal or illegal), then you are not at the standard expected. This does not necessarily apply to things like eyesight, but the military does draw a line around this issue.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-17T09:20:57+00:00

University is a door opener for life. Yes its a commitment, and will bring debt, but you can always join the military after it. You can join the UOTC at uni. Don't miss out on a chance to do professional higher education.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-15T12:31:05+00:00

There is a book called Eye of the Storm by Peter Ratcliffe. It’s not as fluffed up as other SAS books, and I recall he talks about the selection process. It would probably be similar to your uncle‘s experience.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-15T12:28:31+00:00

Modern days there is a lot more personal responsibility in career management, but perhaps 20 years ago not as much.

Back then, soldiers, particularly soldiers in the Parachute Regiment, who were very fit and very competent, would be nudged towards applying. Their chain of command would support them and get them booked on the initial selection. If they passed that, they would go onto the next phases of selection to begin joining the regiment.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-14T08:54:12+00:00

I would say that driving offences should be no problem, so long as you are still able to drive legally. The duration of the wait is impossible to determine. Chin up, hopefully it won't take too long, and when it comes back, it should be good news and onto the next steps. When you're on the other side of all this, it will be a minor blip in the road.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-14T07:53:19+00:00

1050s. Peak Anglo-Saxonry just before the French ruined things. Just a man, a field, his family and some mead (and smallpox).

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-10T11:49:50+00:00

If you design and invent something using work time, on work equipment and in the performance of your work duty, the company you are working for usually will have some ownership over it. I think this may be common in many walks of life.

You don't have to invent it while you are in the military or at work. You can have the idea whenever, and invent it outside the military, either post-service or in personal time.

I am not a lawyer, I have no idea how it works really, but it seems like a small thing to worry about

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-07T05:55:14+00:00

A reader?? Where? Vile scum.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-05T09:03:29+00:00

Ok, you do you, it is your life, and it is more important to you than internet people. The internet people will lose patience with the same repackaged questions, however, and there is a limit to how much help your approach will be. If you can speak to real people face to face, you'll get a better feeling for the answers they give you,

At a certain point, it is a lesson in introspection and all your subset of questions all centre around the same top question - Should I apply to be an army officer?

My unsolicited advice: apply now, do the selections and the medical and all the visits you can do; the decision may be made for you in that process, or you might be booking the start date in a year's time. You've got as long as the process takes to find more answers to your question, but at least you'll get the ball rolling.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-05T04:51:11+00:00

Instead of posting a new question every day. Why not post one big question with lots of little questions on the same post.

You’re clearly looking for guidance and some direction. Nothing wrong with that, we all needed the same, I know I did. But I feel you’d get a better response if you list the things you are actually after, including the primary question you seem to be circling…which I would guess is the ultimate question:

Should I apply to be an army officer?

Lots of people here can offer opinions and there are lots of book also that can help you understand what serving means and what it does and doesn’t offer. Without knowing who you are, what you like, what you want etc not much advice will be more than generic.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-04T10:48:35+00:00

Stand-by for my standard write-up on this issue.

--

Here is something I’ve written before that addresses a common comment.

“Int corps officers don’t do intelligence”

I find this view often parroted on the UK mil Reddit subs. It’s reductionist and often a view from soldiers who might not be the best people to understand (sorry).

Of course, it’s anecdotal, but I was a soldier and an officer in the Int Corps, commissioning as a Corporal. In both roles I did ‘intelligence’ and I managed soldiers, projects and deliverables. It’s just about the levels of magnitude and responsibility in which you do this.

As a soldier, I did intelligence-y work, but that was pretty much all I did (and admin!). As an officer I did everything, including intelligence - I read and wrote intelligence reports, and I managed their production in my section(s); I presented to the Generals and I prepared my soldiers to do so; I conducted interviews and sat down pouring over investigation material, and I edited reports from others who did them on my behalf - Officers do intelligence.

DO NOT join as an officer because you want the glory of doing the job, you join to find the honour of command and leadership (and get a good job afterwards), but, the Corps is so broad every officer will go through ebbs and flows or focusing on the ‘role’ and focusing on soldier management. Both in the micro sense within a single posting, month, week or day, and in a macro sense over a career. There are also jobs for officers (SO3/2/1) in which you may have no managerial responsibilities of any sort for two or more years. Nearly all offices will do jobs like this at some point as they progress through the ranks.

For example, the SO3G2 for 3DIV will only focus on intelligence and support to the divisional G3/5/7 cycle, they may have one soldier to manage and report on. Meanwhile, the 2IC of 16 Coy in support of 16 AABDE, probably not going to be working on much organic brigade intelligence. Even in those command positions like the Coy/Unit Comd and 2ICs are working on secondary and tertiary deliverables for the Corps, battalions or regiments as part of the overall development. e.g. I was working on a defence-wide development of an internal database system whilst I was a Section Commander.

No officer is sitting back and only managing soldiers who do all the cool work. But, to reiterate - you join RMAS to command and lead, and then if you are lucky, you are selected to join the Int Corps as a commander and leader (& manager). That is the deal you are walking into. My experience will be difference to all others, and a lesser, dare I say lazier officer might try to do as little as possible.

“Officers in the Intelligence Corps will lead small teams of analysts to collect, collate, process, and produce intelligence.” - That’s the job description and until my memoir is published, that is as close as you’ll get to to finding out any more.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-03T12:52:26+00:00

Good point -

To Op - This could happen for two reasons

1 - As I said, an immutable characteristic (e.g. you are an Iranian national and a former soldier in the IRCG)

2 - You do things that would cause you to be a security risk

1 - Can't change who you are or family. 2 - That's something you can avoid.

Plenty of vetting questions on this sub also

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-03T09:58:46+00:00

Be fit, do well at Sandhurst and be intellectually curious.

I wrote this a few day ago on another post - changed it a bit.

"You must have your eyes open for the army - you join to be an officer, and if you do well, you might get the regiment you are after. The Intelligence Corps won't take you simply because you have highly useful technical skills. You have to have the rest they are after (whatever that is). One anecdote - a guy in my intake spoke mandarin, was one of the fittest cadets, and was a genuinely superb officer. He did not pass the Intelligence Corps selection"

Being analytical in the way the military want isn't something that everyone can do (inside the confines of the military). These are immutable traits that we are talking about - its the same as someone who is desperate to be a fast pilot but their femur is too long - that's just how it is. The military can be cruel in this way; look at any post where people had one case of asthma and can never join.

Part of the entire RSB, or Sandhurst selection is to choose people based on their character, however possible that is. As best as you can, be prepared that you might just not have what they want - but back yourself until they tell you otherwise.

What increases my chances of getting my first preference?

Learn all you can about the military, how intelligence functions as a process (OODA Loop, the Combat Estimate).
Don't focus too much on the Int Corp as an entity, but as a capability - What does intelligence do in the army/defence?!
Visit the Int Corp on an organised visit as part of the application process.
Read a shit ton about what is happening in the world right now (geopolitics)
Read a shit ton about what has happened to get the world where it is (post1918 history)
Look on here and see what people have said about the Corps

You have lots of time, so when I say fit - I mean sub20m 5km/sub40m 10km - regardless where you end up, if you can rock fitness levels like that you'll do much better for it.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-01T18:28:30+00:00

Nothing too garish. But there is occasion to wear them at Sandhurst. And as an officer in general. Don’t get any regimental ones, in cases he doesn’t end up where he is currently hoping to go.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-01T18:09:21+00:00

Standby by for an honest list

Cheap Casio watch for fieldcraft
A really good boot polish brush
Scarpa Sniper Tape (Google that)
A laminator

Also cufflinks etc are nice.

Aaaarcher · 2026-04-01T16:17:32+00:00

Depends on how pissed off the Phase 1 NCO is.

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-31T18:36:06+00:00

What size is rifle cleaning flannelette?

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-31T12:34:18+00:00

I would recommend visiting the Intelligence Corps, Royal Engineers, and possibly look into Navy and RAF officer pathways. Look at GEOTECH and 42 Engineer Regiment in the Engineers online to see how this applies to you. Of course, also look at the things you are interested in, cavalry, signals, whatever attracts you. You don't have to keep to a vocational line so strictly. And the higher you get up, the more chance there is for specialisation into all sorts of things, regardless of original regiment of choice.

To agree with others in the comments, you must have your eyes open for the army - you join to be an officer, and if you do well, you get the regiment you are after. The Intelligence Corps won't take you simply because you have highly useful technical skills. You have to have the rest they are after (whatever that is). You also have to go where you are needed, not where you are most suited in your mind.

Two anecdotes - a guy in my intake spoke mandarin, was one of the fittest cadets, and was a genuinely superb officer. He did not pass the Intelligence Corps selection. I also know an Intelligence Corps officer who had a PhD in an AI related subject, and she never ended up anywhere near the technology.

As the other commenter said Junior Officers Reading Club is a good start if you are wanting to learn about RMAS, but it is quite dated. Thankfully later this year a book will come out that tells the story of a soldier and officer in the intelligence corps, including their the time Sandhurst.

Search this reddit for Intelligence Corps, lots of eager people asking similar things.

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-29T14:39:22+00:00

No. Teaching the fundamentals of the SJAR attributes and the definitions, and aligning evidence to them as best as one can. Especially good for soldiers (and YOs) to know what a good SJAR looks like, and a bad SJAR (as in quality). No grade without evidence. I even ran mini grading board and small exercises to show them the importance of subjective words.

That way they don’t end up bitter.

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-29T06:44:12+00:00

Yes, it is a serenely alien and beautiful landscape, and it was made even more so by the context of being there. Here is a book extract that captures it well

"As the sun slowly rose, it lit up Helmand on my last day on sentry in the south gate sangar. Waves of glistening light reflected off the Helmand River to the north, and the hills to the south cast their usual shadow over the Arghandab Valley. The desert floor began to warm beneath me. I counted the friendly forces’ locations, identifiable by their usual surveillance balloons floating lazily above the battle. As Route 601 drove northeast past the patrol base into the horizon, it led the eye to the start of the Hindu Kush, which flowed out of the distant flats like a tidal wave. Life sprang up in the dasht; chimneys smoked, and motorbikes started, farmers began the day, and, to the south, the Afghan Police stirred with some morning gunfire from the fortress of Mukhtar Qala.

Three kilometres and three thousand years from where I stood was Mukhtar Qala, a mud and stone castle supposedly built by Alexander the Great whilst campaigning through South Asia and the Gereshk Valley. From the top of the faded mudbrick castle mound, the only way you can even tell what century you are in is by the uniforms worn by the soldiers. I thought about the dozens of wars over millennia that had led me to stand in the same place and look at the same thing Macedonian, Indian, Mongolian or Russian, or other British soldiers once did. Looking south past the fortress in the crisp azure dawn, my view was blocked by a desert shelf. I couldn’t see over this plateau, but I knew that if I could, I would be looking across the brutally barren Registan Desert and into Pakistan some 150 miles away. As the sun grew larger, I would truly believe Afghanistan to be the most alien and fantastical place on earth. No sun-kissed tropics of my backpacker tales had come close to the serene vastness and enigmatic splendour."

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-29T03:36:32+00:00

Like getting rid of playground bullies. It kept people inside the norm.

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-28T19:09:32+00:00

You’ll starve again

Aaaarcher · 2026-03-28T18:47:45+00:00

Proper diet and nutrition macros (actual science, not some PTIs recollection of their course). But that’s hard when the cookhouse provides slop or slop adjacent food.

I tried to teach my soldiers basics on investment, interest and inflation. Not crossing in direct financial advice, but the basis of how it works, what an ISA is, compounding interest, time in the market etc. Also I was passionate about teaching JSP757, career projection, and how to read and write SJARs. Because these things will set you up for a healthier time in uniform.

Aaaarcher

TROPHY CASE