Hi,
I am new to the forum and have been enjoying my time reading through the various forums.
I am currently applying for a postition with the Australian Defence Force as an Intelligence Offier (airforce/army)
I am hoping to hear from someone who currently or has held this position. I would like to hear about the career and lifestyle.
best regards,
Jason
Jason I am going to reply to this not because I am willing to give you the answers you want but because I was once in your place attempting to do similar due diligence. I'm also going to ignore the fact that you mis-spelt the word 'officer' as it happens to the best of us!
I would also put it to you that 'airforce intelligence' and 'army intelligence' qualify as "quintessential oxymora" but I digress......
In all seriousness what I have to say to you is this:
From my perspective applying for a job in the ADF is not like applying for a position in the commercial 'civvie' street. There is no real (quantifiable,purposeful) due diligence available that can provide you with certainty as to your long term suitability to the job.
I could regal to you antidotes from my own personal experience in the ADF but this really wont move you any closer to minimizing your perception of the 'risks' involved with signing on. Everyone's experience will be different.
There are some fairly obvious issues you should be concerning your inner dialogue with that are of a generic nature i.e How well am I able to function in a large bureaucratic organisation? What might be some of the potential issues (positive and negative) being involved in such an organisation? How well am I able to accept COC? and on and on and on.
At the end of the day you really need to come to terms with why you are interested in serving your country.
It is not going to be a decision about the specifics of the role you have chosen at this point in time.
It is very much about your ability to commit (without a whole lot of information up front) to be willing to sacrifice and say to yourself "Yes I do want this and it means something to me more than just the pay and benefits. Its part of who I am and what I believe in and where I want to go with my life."
Once you make the jump accept the fact that it is a long process. Be patient. Work hard and stick at it. It is a long road. An amazing road.
Even today I was standing in a room. Quite a special space. I was with a Commander and a Petty Officer. The PO had just moved over from the RN and the Commander said to him 'Other than marrying your wife this was the greatest decision you ever made in your life.' It was said with real conviction.
Good luck mate!
