Since I was in secondary school I had made a decision that I wanted to be part of the British military. I joined the Air Training Corps when I was 14, unfortunately the squadron I was in wasn't very big and activities were limited so I eventually left.
Before my GCSE's I decided that I was going to join the Royal Marine Commandos. I requested information packs and filled in forms showing my interest, I even had a phone call from their recruitment office asking about my plans when I turned 16. I had to think, but I decided I was going to stay on at school and complete my A Levels, so I would contact them again when I had completed them.
During my A Levels, which I focused on computing, I changed my decision about joining the Royal Marines, instead I would join the British Army, use my computing knowledge and get a trade. That's what I would do when I left school.
So my A Levels came along, and like everyone else in the year I filled in my UCAS form about going to university. I picked a fairly local one, got a conditional offer and was pleased about that, but I had no intention of going, I was going to enlist when I got my results from my A Levels.
Between the time of sitting my exams and getting the results I had several talks with my family. My parents are divorced had each had partners. At this time my father was the only person who was not against me joining the Army. My dad's partner at the time advocated university, as did my mum and her partner. My mum was against me joining the army, thinking I would be cannon fodder. Now here is the worst mistake I ever made, I listened to them and decided not to join the army.
I passed my exams, got a B in computing and was excepted into university. Computer Studies BSc was my subject of choice, and I set in for a 4 year course. I passed my first year and got started on my second, I then decided I was going to join the Territorial Army, that way I could continue with my studies.
I went to my local TA centre, applied and on the 20th April 2004 I pledged my allegiance to Queen and Country and became Gunner Faulkner. I was part of something. For the next few months I took part in everything I could, I went on every training night and weekend, if the Regiment went on manoeuvres I volunteered to go, I ever got to go to France for some training. They taught me to fire a rifle, they caught me fieldcraft, they taught me how to be a soldier.
I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more than university, so my studies got left behind. I didn't turn up for my exams when they came around, instead I had made the decision to join the 'regs', The British Army, full-time. I wanted to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. I wanted to be deployed, I wanted to be out there with the other men and women that chose to defend this country. I wanted to do something with my life.
I went to the army recruitment centre and filled in the paper work, completed the BARB (British Army Recruitment Battery) test and told them I didn't want to be an officer. My scores were impressive and I was told I could take any career path I wanted. The sergeant suggested Military Intelligence or Signals, I'd had my eye on Signals, I wanted to be an Area Systems Operator, be one of the first on the ground, setting up the communications. That's what I wanted to do. That's what I chose to do.
So time went on, I was still attending the TA whenever I could and was just about to set off on my 2 weeks training at Lichfield when the unthinkable happened. I received a letter from the army saying that in my medical records I had been diagnosed with Osteochondritis dissecans, I had problems with cracking, and flaking of the cartilage in my left knee. I had completely forgotten about the condition as it was no longer causing me problems, and as such I forgot to declare it in my application to join the TA. Somehow when I joined the TA it never came up, but on applying for the regs it was noticed. As I had this condition it was determined that I was unfit for military service, in the TA or the regs and I was to be medically discharged.
To be fair to my regiment they didn't want me to go, they tried to keep me in greens. I had performed better physically then the majority of the people I was going through training with. I was sent of my 2 week training course, hopefully on passing the course I could stay in.
So I went, managed all of the physical test with no problems, performed with excellent skill with the rifle and survived the gas chamber.
Unfortunately my training took place in November, the ground was hard and icy and we had to crawl over it. My knee became inflamed and had several cuts on it. I could still walk on it, it didn't hinder me in any way but I was still ordered to see the nurse. Due to me having OCD she wouldn't let me continue and I was returned to my unit. My military career was over. I spoke with one of the captains on my return, they would sort out my discharge, I could come by and see mates I had made, but no more training. I was going to become a civilian.
I never wanted to anything else except fight for my country, I intended to do 22 years service. I wanted to be part of the best military force in the world. But that was taken from me, and that I have never really been able to live with.
If I hadn't listened to the people who convinced me to go to university I would never had been diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans, I wouldn't have had any problems with my medical records and I would still be a soldier of The British Army. If I had been diagnosed will in the army it's possible that my medical status would have been altered, I might have had to sit behind a desk, but I would have still been in uniform.
At times I envy the men and women who serve our country, but at the same time I have a massive amount of respect for them. They put themselves in harms way to defend the freedoms we have grown to love and take for granted in this country. And it saddens me to see people displaying hatred towards those men and women.
Remember they volunteer to fight so you don't have to!
Not a day goes by where I don't wish I could still be in the army. True I may not have met the people I know now, but then again, I may have.
A final word, if you want to do something you love, do it. Don't listen to people who think you should do something else because it earns you more money or because you're good at it. I made that mistake, and it was the biggest one I ever made.
Do what makes you happy and don't do things to make other people happy. Easier said than done most of the time, but only you can look out for you!
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