RAF Reg officer training.

[Rogerio]

Hey guys i am dead set on a career in the military but i am not sure wether i want to enlist with the RAF regiment as an officer or the army as a Military policeman/Officer.

I have checked the educational requirements of an RAF Officer and i have the correct qualifications apart from my Maths GCSE. I am currently doing a night course at college to amend that however.

My question to you guys is, would i be able to begin my application process now so that i wouldn't have to wait till June when my qualification is due to come through as i know it can take a long time?

Any help would be appreciated and yes i will be going to the recruitment office on monday after work.

 

[True Blue Jack]

I'm afraid you cannot begin your application until you meet the educational criterion. There is some flexibility but not when it comes to Maths and English at GCSE unfortunately.

Get your qualification and use the time to make yourself the best possible candidate. Get as fit as you possibly can (search for 'PGSC' on youtube for an idea of the fitness levels expected), research the RAF and the RAF Regt (try to arrange a visit to RAF Honington) and fill your spare time productively. Good luck!

 

[Rogerio]

Thanks for the reply, i have applied to become a RAF Reg gunner.

Is it worth adding that i do have 2 A levels and a degree? my dad has told me that it would help me with the application process or that id be applicable for something else with better pay but i really want to join the regiment.

My problem is that im 25 now and i wouldnt get my results until i am 26 and quite possibly enter training at 27 which for me is a long long time away. I would prefer to become an officer but if i cant then i will go for gunner and i have been informed that after a term of service i can go for a commission?

 

[Climebear]

Thanks for the reply, i have applied to become a RAF Reg gunner.

Is it worth adding that i do have 2 A levels and a degree? my dad has told me that it would help me with the application process or that id be applicable for something else with better pay but i really want to join the regiment.

My problem is that im 25 now and i wouldnt get my results until i am 26 and quite possibly enter training at 27 which for me is a long long time away. I would prefer to become an officer but if i cant then i will go for gunner and i have been informed that after a term of service i can go for a commission?

Commissioning from the ranks could well be well within your scope. The last Commandant General of the RAF Regiment (who will be the next Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands) was commissioned after serving as gunner. That said, I have also worked with some excellent gunners who have degrees but did not wish to apply for a commission.

(You may wish to work on your standard of written English (‘I’ instead of ‘i’, I'd (or preferably ‘I would’) instead of ‘id’ etc). If you do choose to apply for a commission from the ranks then you will be under assessment at all times and 'text speak' has not - yet - made its way into our vernacular).

 

[True Blue Jack]

Thanks for the reply, i have applied to become a RAF Reg gunner.

Is it worth adding that i do have 2 A levels and a degree? my dad has told me that it would help me with the application process or that id be applicable for something else with better pay but i really want to join the regiment.

My problem is that im 25 now and i wouldnt get my results until i am 26 and quite possibly enter training at 27 which for me is a long long time away. I would prefer to become an officer but if i cant then i will go for gunner and i have been informed that after a term of service i can go for a commission?

The degree trumps A Levels but we still insist on the GCSE. I know it seems mad but that is the way it is. Yes, you can apply to be a gunner now and look to commission internally later but even then you will need to have your GCSE to be eligible!

 

[Rogerio]

The degree trumps A Levels but we still insist on the GCSE. I know it seems mad but that is the way it is. Yes, you can apply to be a gunner now and look to commission internally later but even then you will need to have your GCSE to be eligible!

I fully intend on attaining my GCSE Maths this year that is for sure. Basically my main problem is age, should i wait until i am 26 and apply to get in as an officer or should i just go ahead with what i am doing and going in as a gunner.

The officer at my AFCO said i may have to complete a term of service first before applying for a commission which is understandable. I feel that if I go in as a gunner then I could gain some valuable first hand experience of how an officer should operate and the sort of things I would need to know to become one in the future.

Wages and future prospects are important for me obviously and I think that as an officer i would have a good wage and a career but I conscious of my age etc.

 

[Stevienics]

On the other hand, you might just fall by the wayside and remain a gunner, like the countless hundreds who have also been sold that approach.

Everything about J Rock is harder than gunner training; think of it like this - if you do go for Regt Officer and fail at some point (and this is statistically likely), you may still go for gunner. If you go for gunner first, you will be copping out through fear of your own lack of ability, which will then remain an unknown forever.