Re: Want to be a pilot - join the IAF.
I see Maddy, was your brother joining a combat or non-combat IT/Eng corps, and are both genres put through similar courses at Sandhurst? And do commonwealth citizens accepted have to have Brit citizenship and/or abandon dual nationality first?
I can't remember, but all UK officers are trained at Sandhurst (on a side note, my dadi's brother was one of the desi officers trained at Sandhurst too, in the 1930s).
The British army recruits Commonwealth citizens without requiring British citizenship, but you must have already been living in the UK (ie they don't guve you immigration rights just for signing up; you must have demonstrated existing ties to the UK by legally living there already, or having the right to legally live there (ie appropriate visa)
British or dual British and Commonwealth nationality is required in order to be part of the flight crew of RAF, Navy, or Army aircraft.
And only British citizens who are born in Britain and not citizens of other countries are allowed to serve on submarines, which act as Britain's Nuclear Deterrent.
Wow you're right, sad comparison, I really find it sad and strange that military jobs even the most demanding ones such as combat flying have always paid far less than the pvt sector and I think majority of the officers and men are either allured by the thrill/passion for armed service or belong to sections of society which are indifferent to pay scales and also contrarily to those sections of society which find govt sponsored superior training opportunities, esteemed professional career and stability most important. But I feel the pay for military men should be competitive, what do you think is the main reason it's always less in every country?