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Aussie Army May Recruit Asthmatics, Drug Users and Middle Aged

mdh

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/NATIONAL/Army-may-recruit-drug-users-overweight/2006/08/24/1156012665686.html

Army may recruit drug users, overweightAugust 24, 2006 - 5:44PM

Former drug users, people with tattoos and the overweight could soon be welcome in the Australian Defence Force.

Middle-aged Australians could also be in recruiters' sights, with Defence Minister Brendan Nelson declaring there were many jobs in the ADF that can be done by people of more mature years.

"There are many tasks that can be done in the Australian Defence Force which can easily be done by people well into their 40s and their 50s," Dr Nelson told reporters in Canberra.

Announcing a major boost to army numbers, Dr Nelson foreshadowed a shake-up of recruiting methods and standards.

"So people that admit to having used illicit drugs in the past - whilst we would very strongly maintain a zero tolerance approach to drugs for people in the army and the services, (but) that's one of the issues the (defence) chiefs have reviewed," Dr Nelson said.

"(People) formerly suffering asthma, tattoos, body weight, a variety of things."

At present anyone admitting to past drug use is automatically scrubbed from the recruitment selection process.

Likewise, young men and women with weight problems and common health issues such as asthma are rejected by the services.

But Dr Nelson said the ADF had to change its practices and outlook if it was to meet new recruitment targets.

He said meeting those targets would involve boosting recruitment advertising spending.

The recruiting advertising budget was 30 per cent lower today than it had been six years ago, meaning fewer people were applying to join up.

The Defence department would also look at ways to ease the "turbulence" caused by moving soldiers and families around the country.

More favourable retirement packages could also be on the cards.

"We need to be much more customer focused in the way we recruit our people," Dr Nelson said.

 
mdh said:
Former drug users, people with tattoos and the overweight could soon be welcome in the Australian Defence Force.

Does anyone know the currect policy on tattoos in the ADF?  Wes? Hale?  I just find it interesting that this would be included in their possible broadening of recruitment, so I assume there is more to it.


mdh said:
The Defence department would also look at ways to ease the "turbulence" caused by moving soldiers and families around the country.

More favourable retirement packages could also be on the cards.

I can't see anyone objecting to some of those benefits.  :D
 
The Defence department would also look at ways to ease the "turbulence" caused by moving soldiers and families around the country.

More favourable retirement packages could also be on the cards.


I wish the canadian army would do the same  ::)
 
NiTz said:
The Defence department would also look at ways to ease the "turbulence" caused by moving soldiers and families around the country.
More favourable retirement packages could also be on the cards.
I wish the canadian army would do the same  ::)
Spoken like a man with all kinds of experience.   ::)
 
And we thought we were the ones with a recruiting problem - with applicants coming from the three ring circus.

Oh yeah!

(Where's Wes?)
 
We'r not doing to bad with our recruiting! Dont write us off just yet.
ADF policy with Tat's is the same as the Canadian for the most part but a bit stricter. Nothing below the wrist and nothing on the neck and above. If anyone here has seen dragon head who's in the RCD's now (a dragon starting below and behind his ear and ending around the other side on his cheek) would not get into the ADF.
Lots of blokes have tat's though, its just that its got to look respectable and be able to covered by a long sleeve shirt and a pair of pants.
Thats my understanding anyway, Wes might be a bit busy right now, he's busy making castles over in the sandpit (damn i'm jealous) but i'm sure he'll know better then me.
Thats my take anyway, nothing on the hands and nothing on the neck or head.
 
good info Hale, Thanks much

Being the "proud owner" of a tattoo upon enrollment is one thing,
how does the ADF deal with the, err..... "after market" add ons?

Many years there was the case of a very senior CPO1 who had some err "colourful" ones from his young / stupid days.  To get his next senior appointment, they had to be removed.  If memory serves me right, cause they were applying new policy, the CF paid to have em removed - but not sure if they went cheap(Abrasion / surgical removal (painful)) or cadillac (Laser (not quite as painful)).
 
George Wallace said:
Spoken like a man with all kinds of experience.  ::)

My point was about being moved from one place to another without concern about the family... I sure don't have as much time in as you do, but I've still been away from my wife since more than 1 year. That was the reason behind my post.

Cheers!

Nitz
 
What is the rest of the situation NiTz?  I thought that you would be able to bring her with you, and even have it paid for (!), if your posting was for that long.
Please elaborate for clarity.
 
I'm currently on course, and i've been attach posted to 2 other bases than mine up to now, so I could not bring her with me everywhere. So she stays home and I travel. But my next course is in more than 1 year and getting an OJT is not even an option in Borden...and I  don't want to drive 14 hours on a 48 hours weekend. That's why I posted the comment about the supposed "care" the cf is claiming to have for your family.. I've even been told once by a Padre : look, this is not your wife that joined the army, it's you!
And they don't move your family for attach postings. Plus the wife don't want to move and find a new job every 6 months.
It's just that I don't like being laughed at because I don't have 20 yrs in yet, and I know what it is to be away from home even if i'm a private ... I drove 65000km last year to see my wife. Anyways this is not my personnal story and it's not even the subject of the thread so i'll stop here.
I hope that clears things up!

Have a nice day!

Nitz

edited for spelling
 
I couldnt tell you what happens to the "After market, 15 beers, seemed like a good idea to get a dragoon tatooed onto my face" tat's. I've got no chain of command within arms reach to ask about that (bit of a tricky one really, closet lance-corporal is about 10000km away!) so i cant really tell you but i'd hazard a guess that if it was really something then there would be a reavaluation of the members position and if they were found to be disposable they'd be disposed. I've never heard or seen anyone go outside the boundaries though, like over here a lot of blokes have tats but i've never seen anything that'd warrant disciplanary action. I'm searching the defence and army website now, its a strange thing to say, that they'll recruit people with a tatoo.
 
wow, should have written earlier shouldnt i?  :eek:
Couldnt find out any other information, mainly because i've just got back from holiday and havent asked anyone. I'll do it tomorrow.
Stay safe fellers, remember the fallen as i'm sure you always do, especially on this sad day,
Keep it up RCD's,
Hales
 
I generally try to keep my tat's limited to spots that I can cover them up should I need to. Just makes sense
 
Ok, heres what some of the old men told me (old men being my immediate boss). Your not allowed to have ANY visible tat's, which mean nothing on the arms (Our summer dress uniform is short sleeved) from the biceps down and nothing on the neck or above. Its interesting though because i know a Sargeant at the School whos got tats on his arms. But then again, he's been in for so long he knows the IA's and stoppage drills for the Brown Bessy and maybe the rules were different back then.
 
I got a few tattoo's but one thing that bugs me is people with "teardrops" on there face.I'm after seeing two since I've been in and it looks totally unprofessional in uniform.No matter what people are going to zone in on the face tattoo's and associate the CF with that punk.

Seen this kid on his DP1 with a armoured fist tattooed on this entire top arm.I laughed and pointed for a while.That got to be the dumbest thing in the world...what about he failed DP1!

Full sleeves etc go for it,but if you have Cf's on in my opinion you should look respectful,not Prision tat's cause your homie got shot by the 5-0.

rant over
 
Ladies and Gentlemen,

the initial post of a newspaper article needs amplification.

People will be enlisted who have answered yes to the questions :

have you suffered from asthma,

have you used illicit recreational drugs such as....

A yes response to these automatically negated the recruitment process.  New questions will state such as:

Have you ever been diagnosed as asthmatic, and if so have you undergone treatment in the last five years.  If yes, a medical officer will further investigate.  But the recruitment procedure will continue.  The vast majority of childhood asthmatics grow out of asthma after puberty.

Have you ever used recreational drugs?
Do you used recreational drugs?
Since probably 80% of the current population under 25 have used a illicit drug at least one in their life, but are not in the habit of using on a regular or irregular basis, this will be further examined.  And a blood sample taken with the applicant permission, refusal, see you later mate.

The height weight table is to be reviewed, that currently used is based on the study in 1945 (sixty years ago) of recruits into the US Army Selection Service in New York city. Since the majority of these examined were of a lower scion-economic group, or were recent migrants from Eastern Europe.  A table reflecting physically fit Australian civilians in the 21st Century needs to be applied.  The insurance industry shows that Australian males are taller and broader than those of forty years ago.

It is possible for people to join the Reserve up to 42 years of age, but, not into the Regular service, this is of course disc-rimentry!

Inter-state postings are a major problem and have been so for many years, causing a tremendous loss of married service personnel.  The disruption of children's education being a major factor, every state in Australia has totally different education standards (in Queensland varies between the north and the south of the state).  It is quite normal in a nine year period for married soldiers to me posted five times interstate, that can be from Puckapunyal in Victoria to Darwin in the Northern Territory - 3000 Kms).  Equally, it is not unknown for a chap to be posted to Townsville from Sydney, and Brisbane the next year.

The current totally excessive 31 weeks it takes to enlist a service person, is to be reduced dramatically to hopefully 16 weeks.  And in that time a constant information procedure to the applicant will be carried out, just simple things like sending them the Army Newspaper every fortnight.  A proposal put forward to is to bring applicants into a facility like the old state based Command Personnel Depots, and have them for seven days, carryout all enlistment procedure, with applicants under a certain amount of military discipline and order.  Worked very successfully in the British Army in the 1970-80's, before axed due to financial stringency.

The figures are quite staggering re applicants losing interest, a figure of 67% has been quoted!

In regard to tattoo's this particular piece of stupidity dates back to the 1980's at the height of the AIDS scare.  And totally incorrect information given to Defence by a board of Reserve medical practitioners.  Should have been thrown away years ago.  Those people who on enlistment who have excessive or offensive tattoo's the DSN IV tells us are persons at risk in a military environment, and therefore should not be enlisted. The psychiatric and psychological evidence towards this is immense for those on enlistment, and those who subsequently receive such (especially after exposure to battle).  A simple 'I luv me mum' and those of a similar ilk, or the current craze for runic/polynesian symbolism when not in excess, are not a problem.  I have never seen a patient who does not regret having a tattoo!

Yours,
G/.
G.A.MACKINLAY
 
I did my recruit course over Christmas a couple of years ago and was given the 22 till the 27 of December off to spend with the family. This was 3 weeks into the 6 week course and a bloke in my room during the break period got "35 Platoon" tatooed into the inside of his bicep...failed a fitness test and got back squadded a week later! Now thats is the stupidest tatoo ever!
 
It is possible for people to join the Reserve up to 42 years of age, but, not into the Regular service, this is of course disc-rimentry!

I know this was supposed to be "news" that the ADF was thinking of hiring the middle-aged, but on its recruitment website the age range is already stated at between 17-55 years of age; I assumed that ADF age restrictions were similar to Canadian ones; you could join up at any age as long as you could serve out the term of your contract before retirement.

cheers, mdh
 
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