Jamair has a good point.
I was a soldier and would never have considered RAAF or Navy because I want to be in the fight; a flying soldier, if you will.
Unfortunately, The Australian Army are not really that sort of organisation anymore. The British system of producing 'flying soldiers' is much more effective than ours and the reason for it is operational tempo. The British Army will train 'Air Troopers' as NCO pilots, based entirely on merit, with military experience/performance requirements but no formal education requirement and an accelerated training program. The majority will see active service somewhere, and their minimum period of service will be short (four years I think).
Contrast that with Australia, where most of our Army pilots are graduates of an 18-month RMC course and many a four-year ADFA Degree. They eventually get to ROBC after several years in training establishments and then serve a nine-year minimum period. At the end of that nine years most will have less than 1000 hours and most will not have seen combat. I would at least try the reserves for a while before taking the plunge; see what you think of the day to day life in the Army.
The Navy was seen as a bit of a dead end when I was in the system, but that might have changed since the ramp up of the Romeo etc.
I guess it depends on your motivations, but committing yourself to that lifestyle in your thirties is a big step.
Last edited by Subversive1; 17th Nov 2015 at 01:42.
Reason: Clarification