The RAF regiment is a good choice. Its basically the advanced infantry of the RAF, nothing to do with planes to be honest. You will have some time to ride but it will be limited. Sorry Si, I like you and all but thats not correct, the only people that go through anything as close to that are the SAS and SBS. And even then that is innterogation training. Yeah Anzo raises a good point. When you leave the commandos you only have limited transferable skills so when you've left if you try to get another job the only skill you will have is leadership and some other general skills. Your right northern ireland is a lot calmer the Iraq and Afgan, but at the start of the campain out in NI its was just as bad and Iraq ever has been. Some of the stories I hear from my Dad are crazy. My Dads been to all three of the above mentioned areas and he said he would rather go to Iraq and Afgan again then go back to NI in its day. Anyway my 2 pence, I think if you want to, you should go for it. Some of the stuff people have said in here is utter tripe. I dont envy you though, just make sure you look at what you can do once your out aswell, you dont want to have done 15+ years of service and have nothing for it. Also if you dont get in to the Commandos look at: Paras, RAF Reg, Infantry All the above have good tracks into the SAS Whatever you do, good luck with it.