4 ms·

It's not a tech job. When they say war games, they mean guys running around a field. The ideal candidate is probably a retired soldier. In the UK, regular sol

by shubb 9y ago

It's not a tech job. When they say war games, they mean guys running around a field. The ideal candidate is probably a retired soldier. In the UK, regular soldiers are paid much less than in the US, and have far fewer benifits and protections after they leave, so this would be a good oppertunity for someone. Also, it's only 10% less than Atmel are offering graduate R&D engineers at their touch screen R&D facility down the road. Outside California and London, people just don't get paid very much.

chrisseaton 9y ago
You're talking absolute nonsense. > It's not a tech job "Develop and trial new technology for wargaming as well as maintaining existing capabilities, such as combat models, computer simulations and array of manual wargames" > they mean guys running around a field War games it not guys running around in a field. It's the absolute opposite of that. It's simulating, instead of running around in a field. > In the UK, regular soldiers are paid much less than in the US No, a UK private soldier is paid $24,631, while a US private soldier $19,198. A UK major $67,171, while a US major $55,231. https://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Ratesofpay-Regular.pdf https://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Ratesofpay-Regular... https://www.goarmy.com/benefits/money/basic-pay-active-duty-soldiers.html https://www.goarmy.com/benefits/money/basic-pay-active-duty-...
- Jtsummers 9y ago
  To be clear, your first quote ("devolop and trial") is what they (the lab as a whole) do, what the potential hire will do is listed lower: You will: - Assist in the design and development of wargames, translating customer requirements into practicable designs based on credible overarching scenarios and vignettes. They're wanting a wargamer to do wargaming and aid in the development of the technology, but not actually be the developer (programmer, systems engineer, tester, etc.). This is even clearer when you get down to the qualifications where they say they're open to people with history degrees amongst other options. They want experts in simulations, which can be computerized or not.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
gaius 9y ago
n the UK, regular soldiers are paid much less than in the US British Army Private £18,488 Lance Corporal £25,524, that's $24,633 and $34,007 respectively according to Bing. US Army is $19,198 and $25,066 respectively. Obviously cost of living etc is different, but British soldiers are comparatively well paid. have far fewer benifits and protections after they leave This is true. The way we treat our veterans is appalling. Upon leaving the Army they are basically disowned and discarded by the government (both parties) and it is up to the charity sector. Even discrimination based on veteran or reserve status is perfectly legal here[1]. One charity I actively support is https://supportourparas.org https://supportourparas.org [1] One reason the AR has no hope of reaching its target of 30k trained reservists. The TA 20 years ago managed 70k!
- robin_reala 9y ago
  If I leave a company I’m basically discarded by that company. I worked for the U.K. government and I’ve got a reasonable pension and nothing else. Why should soldiers be any different? It’s just a job.
  - gaius 9y ago
    Most jobs do not require you to undergo an institutionalising training process, nor to place yourself at risk of violent death, nor to move house or even country every couple of years, nor many other things.
    - robin_reala 9y ago
      But it’s your choice to undergo that. No-one in modern Britain is forced into military service.
      - gaius 9y ago
        Well, it was your choice to work for the UK gov, why should you be entitled to a gold-plated final salary pension? Because it's - supposedly - a reasonable expectation for the opportunity cost of taking a different kind of job than you would find working for a corporation. Nowadays of course public sector salaries outstrip the private sector, so probably the pension should be scrapped.
ben_w 9y ago
> and have far fewer benifits and protections after they leave Really? From what I’ve heard, the American benefits system is so messed up that literally everyone in the UK gets better benefits than anyone earning less than about $50k in the US can hope to afford even with assistance from their employer. And that’s just regarding health insurance.
- chrisseaton 9y ago
  I think crucially British soldiers do not get the funded university education that US soldiers do when they leave. But that's because the UK does not have the same culture of young men going into the Army for a few years before going to college. In the UK if you wanted to go to college you'd do that before you joined the Army, and there are bursaries for that.
  - ben_w 9y ago
    Hm. Student loans in the UK are certainly problematic. I think they’re better than US student loans, but UK loans might have become worse without me noticing. Edit: also notable is the UK has a (basically free) qualification between highschool and university degree, as UK “secondary schools” finish 1 year before US highschool, and university starts 2 years after secondary school ends.

by shubb 9y ago

chrisseaton 9y ago

You're talking absolute nonsense. > It's not a tech job "Develop and trial new technology for wargaming as well as maintaining existing capabilities, such as combat models, computer simulations and array of manual wargames" > they mean guys running around a field War games it not guys running around in a field. It's the absolute opposite of that. It's simulating, instead of running around in a field. > In the UK, regular soldiers are paid much less than in the US No, a UK private soldier is paid $24,631, while a US private soldier $19,198. A UK major $67,171, while a US major $55,231. https://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Ratesofpay-Regular.pdf https://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/Ratesofpay-Regular... https://www.goarmy.com/benefits/money/basic-pay-active-duty-soldiers.html https://www.goarmy.com/benefits/money/basic-pay-active-duty-...

Jtsummers 9y ago
To be clear, your first quote ("devolop and trial") is what they (the lab as a whole) do, what the potential hire will do is listed lower: You will: - Assist in the design and development of wargames, translating customer requirements into practicable designs based on credible overarching scenarios and vignettes. They're wanting a wargamer to do wargaming and aid in the development of the technology, but not actually be the developer (programmer, systems engineer, tester, etc.). This is even clearer when you get down to the qualifications where they say they're open to people with history degrees amongst other options. They want experts in simulations, which can be computerized or not.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

gaius 9y ago

n the UK, regular soldiers are paid much less than in the US British Army Private £18,488 Lance Corporal £25,524, that's $24,633 and $34,007 respectively according to Bing. US Army is $19,198 and $25,066 respectively. Obviously cost of living etc is different, but British soldiers are comparatively well paid. have far fewer benifits and protections after they leave This is true. The way we treat our veterans is appalling. Upon leaving the Army they are basically disowned and discarded by the government (both parties) and it is up to the charity sector. Even discrimination based on veteran or reserve status is perfectly legal here[1]. One charity I actively support is https://supportourparas.org https://supportourparas.org [1] One reason the AR has no hope of reaching its target of 30k trained reservists. The TA 20 years ago managed 70k!

robin_reala 9y ago
If I leave a company I’m basically discarded by that company. I worked for the U.K. government and I’ve got a reasonable pension and nothing else. Why should soldiers be any different? It’s just a job.
- gaius 9y ago
  Most jobs do not require you to undergo an institutionalising training process, nor to place yourself at risk of violent death, nor to move house or even country every couple of years, nor many other things.
  - robin_reala 9y ago
    But it’s your choice to undergo that. No-one in modern Britain is forced into military service.
    - gaius 9y ago
      Well, it was your choice to work for the UK gov, why should you be entitled to a gold-plated final salary pension? Because it's - supposedly - a reasonable expectation for the opportunity cost of taking a different kind of job than you would find working for a corporation. Nowadays of course public sector salaries outstrip the private sector, so probably the pension should be scrapped.

ben_w 9y ago

> and have far fewer benifits and protections after they leave Really? From what I’ve heard, the American benefits system is so messed up that literally everyone in the UK gets better benefits than anyone earning less than about $50k in the US can hope to afford even with assistance from their employer. And that’s just regarding health insurance.

chrisseaton 9y ago
I think crucially British soldiers do not get the funded university education that US soldiers do when they leave. But that's because the UK does not have the same culture of young men going into the Army for a few years before going to college. In the UK if you wanted to go to college you'd do that before you joined the Army, and there are bursaries for that.
- ben_w 9y ago
  Hm. Student loans in the UK are certainly problematic. I think they’re better than US student loans, but UK loans might have become worse without me noticing. Edit: also notable is the UK has a (basically free) qualification between highschool and university degree, as UK “secondary schools” finish 1 year before US highschool, and university starts 2 years after secondary school ends.