How Is The Army Structured?

From Corps to Regiments, Cavalry to Logistics, find out the exact make-up of the British Army.

Education In The Army

From degrees to vocational qualifications, further education plays a huge role in every Army career.

Any Questions?

Want to know something about the army? Ask us anything and we'll give you a straight answer.

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Tough Questions

• Can I go home during basic training?

  Depending on your age, basic training lasts between 14 and 42 weeks and is fully residential. So yes, there is ample opportunity to visit home during this time.

   
• Can I wear my turban?

  Yes. If you are a Sikh the Army is happy for you to observe the 5Ks. However, under certain operational circumstances, during training for operations and in some specializations you will have to wear operational or protective headgear.

   
• Will I get called up?

  If you are a member of the TA, you are liable for call-out under the Reserve Forces Act, 1996. This legislation was drawn up to help volunteer forces operate readily alongside Regular Forces. So if you join the TA, you indicate that you are prepared to take part in active service, whatever its nature, and there are sometimes circumstances in which you may be mobilised. However, unless the situation is extremely serious, we will usually ask for volunteers.
  If you are mobilised your regular job will be legally protected. Deployment is usually preceded by a period of thorough training, which prepares volunteers for the specific military operation, whether that is a humanitarian, a peacekeeping task or a combat operation such as the recent war in Iraq .
  
  In the event of a call-out, TA Volunteers and their employers have the right to seek exemption or deferral under certain circumstances.

   
• What if I don't like it?

  We understand that you may decide an Army life is not for you. If you are under 18 years of age you can leave within the first six months of soldier training. If you are 18 or over you can leave within the first three months. This is subject to you serving a minimum of 28 days and giving 14 days notice.

   
• How much will I get paid first-up as a soldier?

  All recruits start on the same wage regardless of their age. So based on a 30-day month, as a recruit you can expect approximately £780 paid into your bank account. This is after tax, National Insurance, food and accommodation charges have been stopped from your pay.