My view, from someone who has served. The recruiting department promised a lot but in reality what was promised was never delivered. Budget cuts meant we spent less time doing what we were actually trained for and more time doing menial jobs. As someone who was trained to do a reasonably high level job, it was paramount that we were able to put in to practice our skills regularly to keep that edge. It’s extremely difficult to have a life outside of the defence force too. I.E. friends, relationships, sport etc. Unfortunately, I found, after basic training and initial employment training, there is a big let down and I found there to be a high level of disenchantment and low motivation. I found the pay was pretty poor too. When you are on exercise and effectively working 24 hours a day for weeks on end, the salary doesn’t cut it. I found my return to civilian life more fun and a lot more rewarding. Don’t get me wrong I had some experiences in the military that were amazing but on a whole I prefer civilian life and that is the experience of many people that I served with.
