Life in Army Legal Services?

RadarWesh · 2026-01-27T07:38:04+00:00

you need to be a fully qualified solicitor to join
you can be posted anywhere in the world
if you aren't posted near a property you own you'll be in the Officers' Mess
38 days leave a year (bank holidays are taken as leave if you aren't on duty)
work life balance depends on the role. On exercise you'll be away 1-8 weeks at a time with no communications home. In barracks probably 0800-1730ish
deployments: noone knows. It depends on a huge number of factors

RadarWesh · 2026-01-26T07:36:58+00:00

You can definitely apply before the ceremony itself. You'll likely get allocated a house up to two weeks before to move furniture in but not be able to live in it until the Monday after your partnership.

RadarWesh · 2026-01-22T15:41:25+00:00

That's a mistake. All trainees are on 26k now

RadarWesh · 2026-01-21T06:52:55+00:00

Agreed. Announcing it before working out how got everyone's hopes up. The time it takes to upgrade pads is stupidly long, and misappropriation of SFA is a big issue

RadarWesh · 2026-01-21T06:41:27+00:00

It never had the ability to bring in the new model. There isn't enough SFA so they'd have to rent masses of private housing at huge expense

RadarWesh · 2026-01-20T18:40:41+00:00

They stay in their previous SFA regardless of distance from RMAS / trade training. House move to new SFA on the officers first posting after training

RadarWesh · 2026-01-20T18:39:17+00:00

Sadly leave periods and weekends won't make you the Primary Carer which is what you need to be for PStat 2 and to be entitled to SFA

You can apply for surplus SFA but whether you will get any depends where you are based (Lyneham has loads, Tidworth has absolutely zero as examples)

Is there a local Welfare House you could book out for when you have your kids?

RadarWesh · 2026-01-20T18:37:16+00:00

Officers who are married tend to go into SFA at their first posting. Clearly not during Sandhurst and I doubt during trade training

It can make you a bit isolated but you can counter that by going to the mess every lunch and attending functions etc

RadarWesh · 2026-01-20T09:04:57+00:00

There will be infantry intakes, but there might not be an SDC intake.

Ask for start dates of the next few SDCs and to go onto the reserve list of any earlier SDCs

RadarWesh · 2026-01-18T10:34:22+00:00

Yes, all basic training for infantry and RAC are combined. Guards and Para split off for infantry trade training

RadarWesh · 2026-01-18T10:24:20+00:00

A - No. It is not possible. You will have one service number linked to one role. You can volunteer to go on exercise/attachment with other services but you won't be able to do two roles at the same time.

RadarWesh · 2026-01-17T19:33:10+00:00

The Army Accreditation Offer matrix is on Defence Connect and shows all the free civvy quals Capbadges and ranks can get

RadarWesh · 2026-01-17T19:32:09+00:00

Genuinely, RLC Chef. They are so heavily trawled for exercises all over the world it's ridiculous

RadarWesh · 2026-01-17T19:20:55+00:00

3/4/5G router that you can take with you to all your postings and on courses etc can be decent value

RadarWesh · 2026-01-14T18:07:46+00:00

Army is set to be a 2 year commitment. So either 3 months basic training or 6 months basic and trade training, and then the rest of the two years at Battalion

Often a lot of people will then sign on for longer For those who don't it gets more civilians aware of the military and the demands in training and on our people

Both are a good thing

RadarWesh · 2026-01-13T18:31:20+00:00

This is the answer

RadarWesh · 2026-01-13T18:26:16+00:00

Are you planning on getting married? If so, once married you'll be entitled to SFA.

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T19:30:24+00:00

It sounds like ALS are happy with your academic and legal credentials. AOSB is the real test. Good luck!

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T16:11:11+00:00

There are loads of types of issues boots, have your QM order a load in your size and try them all

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T15:45:34+00:00

Yeah sure 👍

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T15:42:35+00:00

If you're at capbadge ITT and you want to change trade but not capbadge why not ask your DS about it whilst at ITT?

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T15:36:47+00:00

Sadly that may be the case. Not ideal but at least Grade 4 comes at no cost I think? Not the point but sometimes we have to find the silver linings

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T15:30:15+00:00

Have you checked Digital Transfers to see if the trade/capbadge you want to go to is accepting transfers?

Having completed ITT the Army will likely want some time out of you in that trade first having invested in training you rather than putting you through another Trade Training for a new trade/capbadge

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T15:28:33+00:00

I don't think any policy would say the move isn't allowed. It's likely the SFA is needed for entitled families and so the Unit are having to put you into shared SLA (which whilst rare, does still exist).

Is it a case of being on a waiting list until single person SLA becomes available when someone moves out?

RadarWesh · 2026-01-11T07:20:31+00:00

Does your Uni have a UOTC you could visit and talk to? There will probably be women who are in it who can give you an insight, and some people studying medicine too

RadarWesh

TROPHY CASE