The main selling points for me to join the RAF were the huge variety of roles available in a single branch in the UK and overseas, with the opportunity to move between them every 2 years, and the additional opportunities offered outside of normal work such as AT and clubs.
I do not come from a military background.
With such a long term commitment, I was anxious that I wouldn’t enjoy the role and be unable to leave. However, I have since learnt that you are never “stuck” in a role or in the RAF and have enjoyed all the roles I’ve had to date.
OASC was the most challenging part of the process for me as it was an intense 2 days in which you had to perform at your highest ability.
I’m not sure there is any advice I could give myself to do better in the recruitment process but I would have benefitted from being confident. Unfortunately confidence isn’t something you can instantly have but I have developed it further since being in.
The exercises are what I remember most of the Initial Training as they were physically and mentally challenging while being very enjoyable. The comradery you build with your section/flight is unlike any other I have experienced.
“You will be broken down and then built back up as a robot of the military”. It’s often believed that military training is trying to create identical people in the image of the military, but this is not the experience I had at all. MIOT enables the students to learn about themselves and their personalities, and use them to their advantage to lead in their own style.
EOFT taught me technical aspects of the role including RADAR, networks, and space, while giving you a feel for what it’s like to be an officer.
I found myself developing significantly from the start of MIOT to the start of my first posting, and haven’t stopped since. However, I did find that aspects of EOFT were out of date and didn’t align to the output of the branch.
I am an Engineering Officer (Communications Electronics). In my opinion, it is the widest ranging branch in the RAF, responsible for cyber operations, IT services, satellite communications, software development, deployable airfields, networks… and the list goes on. As an officer, your role is either to manage cyberspace specialists who undertake technical work, or generate improvements by changing governance, managing projects, etc.
Having been a University Air Squadron student, I had a longer transition into military life. Putting aside the uniform, acronyms, and mindset, I found it relatively similar to civilian life.
I am the Officer Commanding Deployed Airfields Flight, Expeditionary RADAR and Airfields Sqn, 144 Signals Unit, Air C2.
At the moment, there are two main parts of my role:
In my role, I hold engineering authorisations to make engineering decisions, a responsibility that wouldn’t be given to someone of the same age in civvie street. I am also responsible for more personnel than anyone else I am aware of at my level in a civilian job.
The best part of my current role is being able to influence the future of the RAF both through recommendations made up the chain and through developing the personnel in my flt.
For this role, am required to complete the following courses:
I am currently working towards achieving professional accreditation - IEng
It is very much dependent on the individual and chain of command. I have been fortunate to have had CoCs that support getting involved with things outside of work such as AT, sport, etc and I have taken full advantage of that while maintaining a useful output in my day job.
I have lived mostly in messes, which vary on quality everywhere you go, but have also taken advantage of surplus SFA for a year when I wasn’t enjoying the mess.
The benefits package makes life more convenient and supports in ways that civilian companies normally wouldn’t. Medical and dental provides a high level of service at your local Stn which is convenient and free. The amount of leave awarded for being deployed is very useful and further improves work/life balance.
I use the Officers Mess facilities weekly and am part of the committee. I occasionally use the shop and Subway.
I have taken part in sailing, offshore and dinghy, gliding, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, to name a few. In addition, I use work time a couple of days a week to do sport.
I delivered a course in Cyprus at RAF Akrotiri for a week, allowing me to see what the lived experience was like there. I was deployed to the Falkland Islands for 6 months and then used my PODL to travel Chile, Peru, and Colombia for 2 months. During my time in the Falklands, I also had the opportunity to visit Ascension Island as I was also responsible for a section there.
I enjoy the flexibility of being in the RAF – being able to manage my own time, choose what roles I want every 2 years and where I want them, and have a plethora of opportunities to contribute to the RAF and local community.
The people I work with are also a highlight of working in the RAF. Most of the people I have worked with since being in have been amazing and hard working, making my life easier and making me feel welcome.
MIOT was one of the most memorable experiences, partly because of how intense it is, and how close you get to the others on the course, but also due to the added stresses of COVID19.
Working in the Falkland Islands, and the travel thereafter, was the most incredible experience of my life. It was challenging and busy but rewarding, sociable, and so different from anywhere else I have ever been.
There’s not one place I’ve worked or been trained that I am not still in contact with friends and colleagues. Additionally, I am yet to go to an RAF station and not already know someone there from some previous training or posting.
Having just started in this role, I am hoping to facilitate the smooth transition to new equipment and ensure that Deployed Airfields Flt has a useful Defence output going into the future. After this posting, I will likely look to do another overseas deployment or an overseas posting before starting another post in the UK. In the next few years, I would like to return to Cosford or Cranwell to be an instructor for the next generation of officers.
