Copper or Aircraft Techie??

[FlyerBike]

Hi all,

When I first looked into joining up just over a year ago, I was dead set on joining as an ATM because I love fixing things and work as a Motorcycle Technician at the moment. I am also a Special Constable in my spare time and love it. After a conversation with my ex-Navy best mate, he warned me to chose my Military career with caution as it would be wise to choose a role which I was move straight into when I return to civvy street for when I'm older, as this is not what he did and sometimes regrets it. He advised me to consider whether I really want to still be getting covered in oil when I'm 50. I'm 24 at the moment.

The reason I joined the Special Constabulary is I have a passion for keeping people safe, but in particular, road safety and eventually want to specialise in roads policing within my constabulary.

My question is; what is really involved in RAF Police? Is it as diverse as civilian policing and do you go anywhere near roads policing as part of it? I notice there are opportunities to specialise fairly early on, I have always had a love of dogs and want to look into dogs handling too..

Also, does a role like this get you shipped straight out to hot sandy places?

Any thoughts welcomed.

 

[JTforever]

Join as a techie. You won't be getting covered in oil at 50 if you are any good - you'll be organising and managing the younger guys doing the dirty work.

If you want to be a policeman (civvy) then go straight for that. Being an RAF policeman won't help you get into the civvy police. Civvy police will be much more diverse.

A RAFP role will get you deployed, as will a techie job.

 

[I Look Like Kevin Costner]

Join as a techie. You won't be getting covered in oil at 50 if you are any good - you'll be organising and managing the younger guys doing the dirty work.

If you want to be a policeman (civvy) then go straight for that. Being an RAF policeman won't help you get into the civvy police. Civvy police will be much more diverse.

A RAFP role will get you deployed, as will a techie job.

Concur with that..

 

[Vushtrri]

Techie.....

Many forces years ago were eager to take on ex servicemen with a few years service like myself. I did thirteen and a half as an A Tech E before leaving and joined the Police. That is no longer the case..they prefer degrees to common sense! Many forces now require applicants to be studying for foundation degree in Policing before they will even entertain an application I believe..

 

[FlyerBike]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I was thinking that my Special Constable experience will help with getting into the regular civvy police in the future anyway if I choose to do that. Funnily enough several police colleagues are ex army, seems to be a lot of ex military in the police. But it's absolutely true about studying. I'm having to study like mad just to be a volunteer. Some forces won't even accept an application unless you've got a £2k policing qualification before you even touch a set of cuffs.

I just really want to travel and do my time in the military, I feel I would be missing out on a huge experience if I didn't. My thinking is; what's the harm in having a career in the military in something I enjoy (mechanics) leave with a world of experience and go do something completely different in civvy street after? (Police).

It's a sensitive subject I know.. but, for a female techie wanting to see the world, what do we think is the best bet: RAF or RN? RAF you live on a base apart from being deployed, RN you could be posted to an air base but likely to be on a ship? I hadn't even considered the RN until I went to a careers tent last week and spoke to an Air Engineering Officer of the Fleet Air Arm and it got me thinking about RN as an option..

Thoughts?

 

[JTforever]

The navy haven't got many ships these days. You won't spend the majority of your time at sea. You'll get some sea time (if you're lucky, many navy jobs are land based dont forget) . You might enjoy spending weeks on end at sea, I know I wouldn't!

Officer vs airman is a different question only you can answer. Depends what you want? You won't do any hands on spannering as an officer though.

 

[FOMz]

RAF, we have proper aircraft and from what I've seen of RN aircraft techies, they are only slightly less dangerous than the REME.

If you want to sleep in a coffin in a crowded room in a floating tin can and work on junk and abide by archaic rules.. Join the matelots. If you want to work with real aircraft, have decent accom, be treated like a thinking human being...join the RAF.

RN tends to attract those that weren't intelligent enough to join the RAF, but were a little bit to bright for the brown jobs.

 

[FlyerBike]

Cheers guys. Starting to get an idea that it's very cramped living conditions in the RN.. My mate was telling me all about the mad rush in the mornings to get showered with 40 other blokes waiting for you to get out and night shifts while others in your mess party and make noise etc..

My understanding of RAF basic training is you're in a several person room for the duration. What happens for phase 2 training and beyond? Do you still share accommodation?

I've also found out that with RN, Military Police is a sideways step career once you're in so that rules that out.

On average, how much travelling do you get to do with the RAF? I wouldn't have thought it would be as much as RN, but I could be wrong?

 

[FootTapper]

On average, how much travelling do you get to do with the RAF? I wouldn't have thought it would be as much as RN, but I could be wrong?

That very much depends on your postings (which you have some say/influence over, but not complete control)

Some people will do 22 years and essentially never leave the country. Some will be away for a couple of months each year they're in.

There's aircraft techies out in the USA for a few years as part of the JSF program (which must be hell) as well as operational tours etc. Ground Engineers (techies who fly away with the aircraft, what the USAF call flying crew chief) will be away several times a month to all sorts of destinations. I used to fly away with the C-17s and managed to do visits to Diego Garcia, Reunion Island, Nairobi, Romania, Turkey, Germany, France, Oman (as well as lots of trips to Iraq and Afghanistan) in the space of about a year.

I know an RAFP lad who has done a couple of tours of Diego Garcia (6 months each I think?) amongst other places.


There's also still some great opportunities to travel outside of regular duty- expeditions can have you skiing, snowboarding, parachuting all over the world. But again, a lot of it often depends on you deciding it's something you want to do and sometimes putting in the effort yourself to make it happen.

 

[FlyerBike]

There's also still some great opportunities to travel outside of regular duty- expeditions can have you skiing, snowboarding, parachuting all over the world. But again, a lot of it often depends on you deciding it's something you want to do and sometimes putting in the effort yourself to make it happen.

Ah thanks, I hadn't thought about "extra-curricular activities" I'm all up for putting 110% effort in, I just need the right surroundings and I reckon I could fly (no pun intended!).

I'm being very focused on accom because after a hard day's work I do like to know that if I want to, I can have some alone time and have a chill out. Doesn't seem like you can do that on a ship.. I take it on foreign deployments you could be either in a camp or whatever your hosts have? (I'm thinking of Afgan when I say camp).

 

[JTforever]

A deployment could be anything from tents to hotels. It obviously depends on the location you're in.

Accommodation in the UK will be single rooms (after training) or you can always buy your own house....

 

[FlyerBike]

Thanks for all your replies guys. I want to ask more about the techie role but will start a thread in the relevant section.