RAF Job

G-G_4

Ok, in my turmoil of what job I will ever find that may interest me slightly, I have decided that the RAF may be what I am looking for.

I'm a tomboy, love going rifle shooting with my friend in the RAF. Have loads of friends in the RAF which I go snowboarding with. I'm into sports and that, although I need to lose weight and get fit before I apply.

I don't want an office job, always been into planes / jets, so was thinking avionics (fixing planes) or weapons (fixing weapons onto planes)..

My only consideration is that:

1) I'm female and 25, so what about kids one day?
2) I'm in a long term relationship
3) Our house is mortgaged and so moving around wouldn't be easy
4) Nearest base is 45miles, would I def get a posting there?

Apart from that, if I can get fit enough then I'm gonna go for it.

I've always wanted to be in the forces since I was a teenager, and i'm starting to feel like my time is running out, and i'm sat at home getting fat and unfit and i'm sick of it. I like being active and I just want some excitement in my life.

Any advice would be great.

dmg24

What does your partner think of your plans?

If you were to have children, how would you feel about leaving them for long periods of time?

Would you be comfortable living in shared accom for long periods of time (a shared bedroom, not just bathroom)?

No, there is no guarantee that you will get placed near home.

I doubt many people in the armed forces, short or long term, would describe it as exciting.

I would visit your local recruitment office, and get some realistic advice. At the moment you do seem quite idealistic about it all.

G-G_4

I think my OH doesn't really think i'm serious. Like I say, I need to get a much better level of fitness first and I think he just presumes I won't and will get bored of the idea. (he might be right, I don't know yet).

As for kids. Well, I wouldn't have them whilst in the RAF. But I do want kids one day.

Living in shared accomodation isn't really a problem, but ideally I would like to come home when I am in my 'normal' job. i.e after training.

I have spent a lot of time on air bases with my friends and I find it fine. The accomodation is good, and I think I would really like it in a lot of ways.

I know I am being idealistic, but this is why i've posted. I want to get a good all round idea of what I might be getting into. I do know quite a lot about RAF life though, so I think in that way I am aware of things.

Going away for a couple of months would be difficult, but the way I see it is that it is a million time better than watching Jeremy Kyle and sitting on the sofa wasting my life.

FROSTYFRECKLE

Hi G-G,

My friend's son is in the RAF - an engineer and loves it. He is married and they have had to move a few times, they always live on base. So when a move comes around they pack up all of their belongings and the two dogs and two cats. My friend's son loves it. His next assignment is in the Falklands. If you want to join the RAF - go for it. As regards your house - sell and invest the money, or rent it out?

Get your trainers on! :j

Conor_3

G-G wrote: »

1) I'm female and 25, so what about kids one day?

When they come, they come.

2) I'm in a long term relationship

This can be a bit of a problem depending on how the OH is with you being away for long periods. You're going to be away at least 8 weeks for your basic and only home on weekends for 1-2 years for your trade training.

3) Our house is mortgaged and so moving around wouldn't be easy

You have no choice. |At best you'd be given a shortlist of postings which you would have to choose from.

4) Nearest base is 45miles, would I def get a posting there?

No. In fact it's pretty much a guarantee you'll get anywhere else but.

The Forces is an ideal job for a single person with no ties. It's quite an unsettled life and if operational demands require it, you can be away from home and even the UK for months on end. All of the Forces consist of weeks of routine tedium interspersed with the odd week of excitement. There's a common saying in the Forces which is "rush to wait" because waiting around is what you do a lot of.

Savvy_Sue

From some of your other posts, you do sound like someone who struggles to commit - and I think you've indicated yourself that if you get bored or fed up, you get out. I'm sure you think that if this is 'the job' that won't be a problem, but if it IS a problem then you will be stuck. Yes, you can buy yourself out, but it's not easy.

Plus, you will have to do what you're told, whether you agree with it or not. Especially in the early stages. You haven't given the impression elsewhere that you'd find that particularly easy to do.

And I agree with Conor - it's an ideal job for single people with no ties. At least it could be.

If there's a local ATC, would you be too old to join that? I think that's the way I'd go, and maybe if you had sufficient excitement in your life outside work, you wouldn't feel so dissatisfied, if that makes sense. Plus it would only improve your chances of getting through the RAF selection procedures!

LillyJ

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

If there's a local ATC, would you be too old to join that? I think that's the way I'd go, and maybe if you had sufficient excitement in your life outside work, you wouldn't feel so dissatisfied, if that makes sense. Plus it would only improve your chances of getting through the RAF selection procedures!

She would be too old for ATC....but not as an adult instructor!

I am an adult instructor for the Army Cadet Force, and I love it beyond belief! I joined as I got rejected from the Army on medical grounds due to lung disease, but there are no medical (or fitness restrictions) on adult instructors.

I can only speak for ACF and not ATC, but we parade 2 nights a week, for 2 hours each time, and we don't get paid for this. However we do a weekend a month or so (not compulsory) and get paid 2 days Army Sargeant pay (approx £100 for the weekend) for this. It is great fun, all rolling about in muddy fields in the dark eating rations. May sound like some people's idea of hell but I can't think of anything more fun.
The best thing is seeing the change in the kids from when they join to when they leave. They turn from kids on the verge of a criminal career into police officers, soldiers, firefighters, hairdressers, lawyers....to name but a few of the careers our ex cadets have gone in to! That is very rewarding.

The time spent there sort of satisfies my urges for the military life, but you have to remember it is just "playing" at being a soldier cos some people get carried away

It does sometimes make me feel desparately sad that I got rejected from the Army, as it was my lifetime's ambition (I am also a female with a long term boyfriend), but at least I get to play soldier, fire weapons, get muddy, wear cam cream and sleep in the rain, but I get to go home at the end of it to my OH and the dog in a warm house!

Conor_3

I did that for a bit when I came out the Army, LillyJ for H&SY ACF. Got the same out of it as you did. Nothing better than seeing a kid who has basically been written off as a troublemaker turn around.

LillyJ

Conor wrote: »

I did that for a bit when I came out the Army, LillyJ for H&SY ACF. Got the same out of it as you did. Nothing better than seeing a kid who has basically been written off as a troublemaker turn around.

Alot of my friends are ex army too, and I am quite rare being totally unexperienced but they trained me pretty well.
I am with West Mids and Warwickshire.
We actually now get sent kids who have ASBOS as the police have developed a relationship with us due to our reputation.
As far as the rumour mill goes though, ATC kids tend to be a bit more "middle class" than the ACF ones. Or so my cadets tell me!

Conor_3

It's true. Its mainly due to the fact the ATC is based around academic subjects such as Principles of Flight and Air Navigation so you tend to find the more academically intelligent kids in there.