Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

What trade you thinking of going for Andy ? Certain trades are closed atm but it might be worth a run down to your local careers office and see what they say mate, don't expect an easy life though, the moneys crap, you will spend of time 'out of area' in other words, Afghan, and its not a democracy either, yoy will get messed about, however if you want to 'do your bit' learn a trade and make life long friends and experience life give it a go, good luck.
Google ' E goat ' for a bit of gen info

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

I echo what's been said before.

I spent just under 12yrs in the RAF, ex Pers Admin, (Personnel Administrator).

Like others have said, visit the offices & ask questions, lots of them & do your homework/research on what is available.

Make sure you know what it is YOU want & will what is on offer/open for recruitment satisfy YOUR demands.

I only urge this caution based upon my own experiences. While I enjoyed my time, I did leave with a slightly bitter taste in my mouth. I joined up 2 weeks & 1 day after my 17th birthday, it would've been even earlier than that if it hadn't been for having my wrist in a plaster cast for 6 weeks!!! followed by the all clear by the RAF docs.

At the time I joined (July 1986!!!!!!!! oooohhhhh so lonnnggg ago now) there was quite a lot of recruitment going on, especially within my trade - and looking back I think was "guided" in that direction by the recruiters, with hindsight I wonder if perhaps I should've waited a year (maybe even gone to college) & gone in as a different trade.

As well as looking at what trade you want to do, also look at what's likely to happen to that trade in years to come. A lot of trades might look rosy but is it a job that's likely to be civilianised or one that they could cut back on when yet more cuts are made to the defence budget????

What has promotion been like in the trade you want for the last couple of years, is a trade that's likely to offer reasonable prospects to either specialise or seek advancement. When I was in the RAF differed slightly from other branches in that you could only extend your length of service dependant on promotions.

Sorry if this seems a bit long winded, just my 2pence worth as I'm an ex shiny & it was my trade that did recruting, pay, postings, promotions and remusters (that's when an airman/woman applies to change branch.

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

ammended properly for you ;)

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

By the way don't be swayed by what they sat at the careers office, they will have quota's to fill and may try and guide you towards a trade that needs filling, for instance when I joined up I wanted to be an armourer but was put off and ended up becoming a 'rigger', an airframes mechanic, well I would have been if I hadnt failed the course and ended up as a driver #-o anyway I had a good 10 yrs at it, but what I'm getting at is find the trade you want to do and be prepared to wait for it to open, don't be afraid to question the careers guys thouroughly until you are totally happy with the answers you get.I had a brill 10 yrs as a regular from 76-86 and have just gone back as a reservist at a large secret airbase in oxfordshire ;), you will find a lack of morale at present because of the SDSR but that should hopefully come back once people know if they are to be made redundant or not, its still a good thing to do though so as others have said check it out, btw here is the the proper link to the goat
http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/cmps_index.php

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

I was in the RAF for 5 years. Meh. Not really very cool tbh. Forces in general will take over your life too much for my liking.

My main problems I had were;

-Understaffed all the time so spend most of the career doing 6 x 12 hour shifts then 2 days off.
-Promotion to Corporal was 10 years unless you enjoyed your office/nco's private bits.
-Lack of life due to positions available, and all the hours.
-Poor care in many ways, food was crap, facilities in general were ancient, id say 95% are still from before the 70's.
-Officers, the vast majority were jumped up *****s who loved nothing better than to prove you were their puppet.
-Sgts, a very large number of those were nearly as bad as the Officers.

Good parts, decent pay (well if you work "normal" hours). Erm, good initial at least training. Proud to be in a reasonably respected job, so bragging rights.

I was in Communication Information Systems, which is basically electronics, computers, phones, radio and radar.

Certainly wasn't a great experience over all for me. But then a lot of people seemed to like it so, if you like all the above its cool! Final point... I had to work an 18 month notice, so be warned, if you dont like it, well you are stuck!!!


Army all the way p-j, dont talk wet :p

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

I am in Her Majestys Royal Air Farce and have been for 20 years now.

So any questions you want to ask directly, as most people that have replied so far never managed to do their full service, then ask away young man!

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

I wouldnt even consider joining up at your age. If you realy want to join the services Army all the way. who wants to wear a blue uniform.

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

Yes I did all that that you so kindly ammended for me :smt016:smt016:smt016

What's all this JPAC stuff?????, I left in 1998 so this must all be after my time, when I was in if you had a pay problem we filled in a an actual paper form and sent it to PMC Insworth by "POST".

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

My Dad has been serving in the Army for the last 26 years and has given him a hell of a lot. He served 20 years as a soldier in the ranks and was then commissioned and became a Captain. You can whinge and complain about being a mere 'number' or 'cannon fodder' but it is a career that can give you a hell of a lot if you are willing to make the best of it.

I can only really speak from what its like as the son of a Soldier but there have been times when Dad has hated the job and times when he has loved it. It is definitely not for everyone and the only person that can ever know whether it is good or not is YOU. Go to a recruitment office, see what the opportunities are, listen to what the recruitment bloke says. Do listen to what people here say however remember people put a bias on their story depending on their own feelings. Try to balance this out and get a neutral opinion and decide whether or not it is right for you.

It is a lifestyle choice and not a job. A lifestyle choice that you make not only for yourself but for you family, and future family.

Re: Thoughts / experience of joining RAF please...
 

A friend of mine joined the RAF after his boyfriend passed away. He loved it for a while, but was away in scary places a lot. I know a couple of girls who are in the Navy, they report much unhappiness too, despite many years of service.

Armed Forces is not a career to be undertaken lightly, especially if you are hoping to get away from unhappy places.