Military Skills
I can still remember how to strip, clean and reassemble a 7.62mm SLR, as well as all the correct handling drills and stoppage drills (Weapon firing, weapon firing, weapon stops. Cant, Cock, Hook, Look)

Action on contact - Dash, Down, Crawl, Observe, Sights, Fire

I remember my phonetic alphabet.

Most of the things to consider when camouflaging yourself, or a vehicle (Shape, Sound, Silhouette, Shadow, Sudden Movements, Aircraft)

Oh, and correct radio voice (slightly slower, slightly louder, slightly higher), which I still use now when I'm on the phone and want to make myself understood.

Good to know that 4 and a half years, training to defend the country against the Russians (when they were already becoming our 'friends') wasn't completely wasted
(lardyboy Next stop, Fissplap Central, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 9:23, 10 replies)

Alpha Charlie Teakettle Barbecue.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 9:27, closed)

Colostomy Ubermeister Norwich Tanglefoot

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 9:36, closed)

in my civ job
I still have to read out and repeat long strings of seemingly random letters and people making up their own phonetic alphabet really annoy me!

Especially these recent examples: knickers for N, and (even less helpfully) what sounded like "eye" - E? I? Nope, it was "Aye" for A. I work with morons... and it's your lives in our hands!
(jugglinbob Not giving a damn since:, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 10:59, closed)

Maybe it was you I spoke to the other day. I recited my postcode in *proper* phonetic alphabet, and the guy, relieved, said "I'm so glad you know the phonetic alphabet!"

I would like to say I have a cool story for why I know it, but no, Ive just seen way too many films / played too many FPS games.
(tyrellsOwl, Mon 4 Jul 2011, 13:17, closed)

Why
Its Mr Balovski
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Mon 4 Jul 2011, 14:45, closed)

Radio voice...
You can spot ex-Signals guys a mile off, be they on amateur radio or commercial PMR stuff. Very distinctive.
(gordonjcp, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 9:46, closed)

It's still useful
Phones still tend to clip the lower frequencies and when I have to give numbers over the phone, if I do it properly, I rarely have to repeat myself, even when I'm talking to call centres in far off forrin places, like Glasgow, or Newcastle.
(lardyboy Next stop, Fissplap Central, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 9:50, closed)

that reminds me
Of all the skills I learnt as a cadet in 1993, when I went back as an instructor in 2005 thought I'd forgotten it all but it soon came back :)
(mr_spongmonkey, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 11:16, closed)

Phonetic Alphabet
Us ex-signals type still say "Niner" for that number after eight. And we never say "Repeat", it's always "Say again?".

The correct response to "Repeat" is "Shot, Over."
(Maclir, Fri 1 Jul 2011, 15:22, closed)

Repeat
I know that and why and I've not been in military.

Can't remember where I picked that up.
(Yellow Car is now red, Sat 2 Jul 2011, 7:58, closed)