Cyprus-Forum.com

[GorillaGal]

two years out of your life. if everyone is doing it, what is the big deal about two years postponement for continuing in the college/university of your choice? here in the USA it is a badge of honor to serve your country. it is a definate plus to add to a resume. it teaches teamwork, respect, a sense of pride. you only get into it what you put into it. why not make the best of it. you Cypriots love your country, and rightly so. you should proudly serve your country!

[natalia19]

Hello everyone

I am just wondering what your views are on the compulsory military service to the greek Cypriot army. What do young men actually feel about going to serve? I have a friend who is 18 and has to serve for the 26 months before coming to study here in the UK. To me, it just seems so unfair that he must take 2 years out of his life in such a way – but presumably all greek Cypriot teenagers will grow up knowing that this is something that they will have to do.

What do you all think?

Also, what is it actually like for young men (18 / 19 yrs old) to serve in the army? I mean do they have regular contact with their friends and family eg, telephone, internet, emails etc??? and what about their families/friends/girlfriends? How do they feel about this?

I am just curious to know really. If anyone has any views on this or has had the experience of serving the army recently, I would really like to hear your views.

Many thanks,
Natalia

With the army in the south of cyprus they send you leters through the post.. and when you turn 18 they let you know when to go in.. its basically 1 month of training in pafos then depending on what you are going to do you are taken to different camps around cyprus in lemesos kornos pafos maybe.. your not allowed out for 2 or 3 weeks then every week you re allowed to leave the camp for 2 or 3 days if you are lucky and can go home or do whatever you like for the 3 days. i think the service is for 24 months now.. when my dad was in the army it was 3 years.. so on hiss days off he can easily talk to you on email.. but in the camp alot of the people they carry their phones so as long as he has credit he can txt u ;p

with 40.0000 troops in the north i think its needed.. but i think its a waist of 2 years of your life you coul dbe in college getting educated instead of in the army then you have to wait longer... plus a lot of people get out of going to the army through medical problems and such excuses..

i was one of the lucky ones to have been born and lived in uk so even though i have 2 cypriot -greek perants i dont have to do army .. thank god
but i still know all about it from cousins infact i was going to join the army until they told only if i want to

so think of it as him going to boarding school when they only get out on the weekend heh.. but int he camp he will only have his mobile phone.

all this war and army is waist of time its stupid if u ask me..

p.s the guy who said about agia napa... well agia napa is full of english anyway lol;p and russians and tourists not many cypriots go there

Thankyou paliometoxo that was really helpful

it doesn't sound so bad now. i was kind of under the impression that it was really strict..well i suppose it is but i didn't realise they would have the oppertunity to have such days off. i will think of it as a 'boarding school' lol makes it seem alot better i suppose. i don't really talk to him much about going to the army because it always seems to me like a bit of a sensitive subject to discuss

yes he does have his mobile but it is alot of money to send txts all the way to the UK lol...and i much prefer to talk on the phone

it is true..it is delaying education since its two years when he could be studying at university..but on the other hand it is a completely different experience and will have some advantages for him hopefully!

it is stupid i agree but sadly theres nothing that can be done about it atm...its just something that he has to do.

what did your cousins think about goin to the GC army..did they find it beneficial in anyways?
thanks again,
natalia

[paliometoxo]

sure i love my country. but that doesnt mean i wanna risk my life and have a miserable 2 years in the army... i think not:

nice way of thinking though new york but not me thks
waist of 2 years of your life.. imagine if in usa all males had to go to army
here with a population smaller then london no one wants to go people hurt themselvs so they dont go.

i thank my luck my perants moved and now i dont have to go to the army: originally i was told 6 months and i needed an exit permit to leave cyprus until i turn 50 but the law changed and now its until 21.. and now i am 24 so i dont need a exit permit either now.

and when i went to leukwsia to sign up to the army they said only if u want to.. so i said no i rather not:

[halil]

I'm doing my national service as we speak, Im on leave for the weeked and going back tomorrow at 6am.

I was supposed to do 2 weeks now and 2 weeks next time I visit (I get off lightly because I live abroad and have paid money to do it less...) but I am now doing the whole month in one go.

I agree with the comments above. The army SUCKS but its rewarding at the same time and a HUGE learning experience, I'm actually enjoying it and feel quite proud

good luck to u. i was wondering where were u ?

[paliometoxo]

sure no worries..

no its not bad now at all from what i hear from my cousins and friends.

my cousin was saying at the beginning you get more time off but as u stay there longer they let you have less time off and its different days each week that you can have off depending on how they feel. but as your there longer its more 2 days then 3. they seemed to have relaxed alot now espesially as we joined the eu.
some people i know are going in in the next few days.. you go in july and also in christmas depending when they want you.

and your right he can still talk on the phone rather then text but its still cheap.. i rang canada for 2.5 hours with a £10 card before and txt are still cheaper i think 10 cent per msg to uk.

and the 2 years doesent just delay education....

but yes its supposed to make the person stronger be able to survive and be strong on his own learn to take care of urself..

sure but it doesent always work there are still a lot of people ive seen it hasent helped at all..

and all the people who go in and out of prison being stuck in camps with them is not fun.

and there is only a few ways out but i read on the news they are cutting down on this as other army troops find it unfair and complain.

well my one cousin he finished he was a sniper he loved it but it was very hard training but he became stronger and better. for him it worked very well and now when he goes ot the uk for studying having army on the cv really helps so im told..

my godbrother was a chef he was trying to get out of it lol and being a chef was a easy way out. i think it depends on the person and how well you cope with pressure and what you do in the army also

some of my cousins would be on the green line and i would go sit and talk to them to pass the time. I heard of one guy in my village he would threaten the officers there and refused to do anything just slept all day :/
for him it dident help one bit he ended up in prison for 5 years.

so even with the army it doesent always help people be stronger and stay out of trouble.

[halil]

T_C there is no way you can compare service done 24 months and the service you are doing...The one you are going through is a joke & purely designed to make money for the army..

İ would like to add below links about military service in TC side.this will help rest of the TC's who are living abroad.As far as i can see many times this kind of the questions are asked by the TC's.

http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma_ENG.htm
http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma2_ENG.htm
http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma3_ENG.htm

[natalia19]

T_C there is no way you can compare service done 24 months and the service you are doing...The one you are going through is a joke & purely designed to make money for the army..

İ would like to add below links about military service in TC side.this will help rest of the TC's who are living abroad.As far as i can see many times this kind of the questions are asked by the TC's.

http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma_ENG.htm
http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma2_ENG.htm
http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma3_ENG.htm

Thankyou halil ... my initial post was really about the GC army but I've found these links quite interesting does anybody have any links similar to these for the GC army?

thanks,
natalia

[oranos64]

GET REAL AND SOUTHERNER ....DONT NEED TO TELL YOU THE REG I SERVED NOR ABOUT " THE REAL MILITARY " EXPERIENCE I HAVE ...I AM ON THE NATIONAL GUARDS THINK TANK AND SOON TO BE STATE SYSTEM TRAINING REVIEW BOARD ..LETS JUST SAY ...I KNOW THE PROGRAMS AND I AM TRAINING THE ELITE AND STUDYING PROGRAMS WITH U.S /UK/ISREALI AND E.U forces ... i give my blood ,time ,and life to make the soldiers i train the best ..i get a hard on when i see male and female soldiers train ..If Greek cypriots think the army you do is hard ...you are in for a shock in 2009 when i crack the whip

no more mobiles ,no more calls home .no more answering back ,you sign up you do less time but you will train and you will become men ..no more days out ...no more sleeping in bunks, community forces ,physical training ,team training , ...PURE MILITARY TRAINING ...no more reading greek manuals and sucking up to them ...
we have the budget time to spend it .... you will love me or hate ,,,i dont give a dam ,.,,the greeks love me ,the hungarians love me ..the U.S ,UK AND U,N KNOW ME ...
i love my country and my country derserves the best ...no more tank units that cant mobilise in under 10 minutes

D I S C I P L I N E
o your going love me ....

[oranos64]

BY THE WAY I DID NATIONAL SERVICE ..KEN WAS A WASTE OF TIME ...LOCAL WAS EXCELLENT ...I TRAINED INFRANTRY ...WITH ALL WEAPONS ...TECHNICAL WITH SPY SYSTEM ... DUE TO THE LENGTH I WAS NOT ALLOWED LOK .... BUT I WOULD EAT BULLETS SINCE MEETING ALL THE SENIOR MILITARY COMMAND AT A MEETING LAST WEEK ...MY VISION AND THEIRS ...
AS HITLER SAID BEST ARMY IN THE WORLD ...GREEK SOLDIERS ,TURKISH OFFICERS FOR DISCIPLINE

[Get Real!]

T_C there is no way you can compare service done 24 months and the service you are doing...The one you are going through is a joke & purely designed to make money for the army..

İ would like to add below links about military service in TC side.this will help rest of the TC's who are living abroad.As far as i can see many times this kind of the questions are asked by the TC's.

http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma_ENG.htm
http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma2_ENG.htm
http://www.mucahit.net/asal/askeralma3_ENG.htm

Thankyou halil ... my initial post was really about the GC army but I've found these links quite interesting does anybody have any links similar to these for the GC army?

thanks,
natalia

Check in here...
http://www.army.gov.cy/