I was in 1312 Squadron of the ATC in the late 70's as a young lad growing up in Southend. They taught me some great self-discipline and we had some cool adventures in flying and shooting, just what a young lad needed. Plus, the military training came in handy when I served 4 years in the US Air Force starting in the mid-80's, although I had to re-learn how to salute, march, and dress for parade (they do it a little differently in the US military).