Needing some questions answered :)

[EmoYoda]

Hello forums! I'm 22 years old in may and started thinking about a career in the RAF, ive thought about it sinse school but never really thought seriously about it. The main concern I have is basically what is it like to live at work so to speak.....

I'd like to know the "general" shift patterns of officers, particularly intelligence officers and weapon systems officers. Is there anyone here that can tell me first hand what these roles involved aside from he actual job? What other "duties" or responsibilities do you have? Where are they typically sent on tour? Do officers have better accomodation when on tour than those of the lower ranks?

Just after some answers. Thanks guys.

P.S I will go to the careers center next week but I would like some answers from people who are actually doing these jobs.

 

[Warwick Hunt]

Hello forums! I'm 22 years old in may and started thinking about a career in the RAF, ive thought about it sinse school but never really thought seriously about it. The main concern I have is basically what is it like to live at work so to speak.....

I'd like to know the "general" shift patterns of officers, particularly intelligence officers and weapon systems officers. Is there anyone here that can tell me first hand what these roles involved aside from he actual job? What other "duties" or responsibilities do you have? Where are they typically sent on tour? Do officers have better accomodation when on tour than those of the lower ranks?

Just after some answers. Thanks guys.

P.S I will go to the careers center next week but I would like some answers from people who are actually doing these jobs.

The questions you have asked have such wide-open answers because the situations vary from unit to unit. Weapon Systems Officers are aircrew and you will be required for work as long as the flying programme says you are required for. Int officers generally work a normal working day (8-5ish) however, that will vary from not just unit to unit, but post to post. When you deploy OOA to locations like Afghanistan, you may work shifts but that will depend on what job you are doing.

Other duties depend again on location and post. You can reasonably expect to do Orderly Officer a couple of times throughout the year, which means you will be in charge of keeping a station ticking over outside of the normal working day. You will probably be nominated to be OIC of a barrack block, section T-Bar fund, a station sport, something like that. A lot of posts have a role specifically set aside for when your station takes on an operational role so you could be one of those. That's only a small snapshot of what you extra activities you could be doing.

You will be sent on tour to the same places the ranks go to - Afghan, Oman, Qatar, Falklands, etc. When you are deployed you will live in the same conditions as the ORs. This will mean sharing accommodation with someone else, using the same communal ablutions, eat in the same mess, etc. You won't get to have a single room generally if you are below the rank of Wg Cdr, so sorry but you're going to have to muck in!

Hope this helps.