Most important decision I'll ever make

[the green bowl]

Hello all, I've wanted to join the RAF since I was 13 and now 13 years later I think I've convinced the missus to go along with it. I've been in the TA for just over a year and I'm thoroughly bored with civvy street! I'm just trying to crunch the numbers and I would really appreciate some answers to some questions I can't find the answers for, on the careers site or this forum.

I'm currently engaged and I have a 2 month year old baby. We should be married by time I enter the RAF. My ideal job would be intelligence officer

OK then here goes...

SELECTION AND BASIC TRAINING/IOT

1) If i fail OASC, how soon before I could apply for it again or how soon could I apply for the airman selection test?

2) If I do get into Cranwell, do I have to pay for food and accommodation and if so how much roughly? Is Officers recruit pay the same as Airman recruit pay (£13k approx?)

3) Do you have to pay food and accommodation at Halton? If so how much?

TRADE SPECIFIC TRAINING

4) Am I eligible to apply for married quarters at this point? Obviously this assumes that we are married.

5) Is trade training Mon-Fri 9-5? Do I get evening and weekends off? (if I'm not on exercise). Will I get to see my family at all?

6) Do I get a pay increase at this point?

7) If I can't get married quarters, do I now have to pay for my food and accommodation? If so is it the full whack for SLA?

IN THE RAF

8) How often am I likely to be sent on detachment, roughly? Does the intelligence branch do more dets than other branches?

9) How often do you change bases?

10) Whats the family accommodation like, really? On a par with civilian rented accomodation? I know that they are a lot cheaper but I wonder if the quality of the housing is reflected in this.

11) What's the delay between passing OASC/AST and starting basic training/IOT. What's the delay between passing Halton/IOT and trade training. Then how long before your first posting?

I'm really hoping to get some good news from these questions. I know that RAF life will mean some seperation from my family and I'm OK with that but if it means years on end without even seeing my loved ones then I'd have to think again.

Thanks for taking the time to help me out.

 

[Krusty_Crab]

You'll get the answers to all off your questions at the AFCO. Sorry to sound dismissive but that's what they're there for.
Married quarters vary greatly from station to station, some are good and some are sh*te. Rents are generally low in the crap ones though if they've been properly graded. You generally get a house size that meets your needs.

You're not generally entitled to Married Quarters until after you've passed your trade training, as part of your trade training is learning to live and work together as a team. Might be different from trade school to trade school so get the AFCO to find out for you. Trade training often involves evening work but weekends are generally free. Form-up for trade training can be as early as 0700 (definitely not 9-5).

Detachment frequency depends on trade so you'd have to ask at your interview. Expect to be away for 6 months (you may get 2 weeks R&R) every couple of years. However some guys are away 6 months back for 9 months and then away again. Postings again vary, if you go in as an Officer expect to move every 2 years for the first 10 years!! Airmen is usually 3-5years between postings, however in the early days you need to build up your experience levels so your first few tours may only be 2 years each.

Once again..get the info from the AFCO and then check back here if you need more info.

 

[Throatarea]

Be Flexable and open minded

Be Flexable and open minded

Mate,

As per the previous post , these are typical AFCO questions & they really are the people with the latest gen. There are no two people that have the same experience and time line through the application process, training and subsequent careers.

Why dont you take your partner with you to the AFCO and let her ask a few questions, cos she will be in it too as your No1 supporter/mentor.

Applying for the ground trades or commission/NCA are different app processes (I think!).

Try a visit an RAF station or two, you have your TA ID.

In training your are required to put a lot of work in in your own time and also work together as a team.

Good luck and be open minded.DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Stevienics]

If you go to Cranwell, remeber these things:

1. For the first 2 months at least, your ass is not your own, so don't count on getting home for weekends, even if it appears that they are free. They may or may not be, but they can and do take them back at short notice. After that they take a slightly more liberal view.

2. Mess fees. These can be rather a lot, especially as you will be expected to "perform" socially, and you pay for this; not them. Best ask the careers people. This is over and above food and accom, which comes extra.

3. IOT is not 9-5. Its pretty much all the time (I WONT use that bloody phrase!). Branch training is much less painful as a rule.

If I read between the lines, you are asking whether you will both have enough to live on whilst you are in training - I can only repeat others that you have to take these things up with the careers people whio have all the numbers, but suffice it to say there is very little left to play with after deductions.