Joining R.A.F Regiment Gunners

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

hi people im 16 and when im 17and a half im gonna join the R.A.F regiment gunners now i have looked over the internet and went to my careers office but i still want more info......

Does anybody no any1 that has been or is in the R.A.F regiment
or has relevent information to my situation?

i need info on:

- The training (the 18 weeks) -

1) how often you aloud to go home?
2) is the living accommodation good?
3) are you aloud to bring a laptop CD player etc?

- Regiment gunner stage -

1) do you live in a R.A.F village? or do you have to buy your own house?
2) whats the holidays like? (time to go home?)
3) ho often you aloud to go home?

i know i might sound like a broken record, but these are the issues that are bugging me and i hope you guys can help me out, i have looked at many of the websites out there and i must say there crap, there mostly to do with the history of the R.A.F regiment.

Thanks in advance
Fee

[digrar]

I imagine that the Brits do it pretty similar to us here in Australia, so this is how I reckon you will find it. You won't want to go home, you will be too busy going out on the piss with your new best mates. You will find out that after all that training you will have more in common with your new brothers than you do with your old mates.
Recruit barracks are usually pretty spartan, but you will be too busy to notice, you will notice how clean they are though and you will probably spend a couple of hours a day maintaining them in that condition.
You could probably take your laptop and cd player but you will probably be too busy to use it more than a couple of times.

At regiment stage it would just be like any other nine to five job except when you are on exercise or opperations.

[East]

Hes right, once your older you won't want to go home.

[fantassin]

I don't want to alarm you but under the proposed last round of manpower reduction in the RAF (7000 to go) by Jeff Hoon, I think the RAF rgt is going to be especially hard hit (particularly the Rapier units) with the disbandment of several units.

I read in a Brit magazine,(can't remember which one now) that if the cuts went through, the RAF Regiment would "virtually disappear"

[The Clip]

Hi, from what I have read very few pass the selection! If you pass you are a tough cookie! Most people which are in the RAF regiment asked for a transfer into the regiment! The selection process is notoriously difficult because they are special forces and the front line troops of the airforce. They specialize in airport seisures(special forces capability) and Parachuting aswell as Defence. Don't let some fool discourage you from joining by saying "ohhhhhhhhhhh, they only guard airfields and such." Nah this is not true the RAF regiment has not had peace time since 1944 unlike the army they are constantly on standby and operation which is why the SAS think of them as one of the closest regiments to them. The capture and intarigation part of it is the same as the SAS one. The fitness is the same as the SAS (starting) fitness. I know a friend who is now in the parachute regiment but don't speak to him much anymore because he is in the forces. He went for selection and failed it, only because he was tripped up by another and smashed his nose. They went for a 3 mile run with full kit on. Sounds easy nah 3 miles is not easy but my time in the Russian army we needed to run 2 miles in 9:30. I could do it in 8:30 with a 10kg heavy body armour vest on but still very tiring after the second mile. RAF regiment I have no idea as to how the fitness is. Going home you will get an MOO travel warrant which is basically free travel, I think. You can go home occasionally but are you sure you want to sign your life away for 7 years??? If you don't liek it you need to buy yourself out. Me I love all the sneaking around and fitness stuff about some armies. Good luck! :D

[notmesir]

The selection process is notoriously difficult because they are special forces and the front line troops of the airforce.

SF my arrse. At the moment the duty rumour is that all GBAD will go over to the RA. Whilst there are plenty of other jobs that the Rock Apes do, GDT etc. GBAD makes up a large part of role and is almost their raison d'etre. Without it there is a good chance they will go. There is also talk (I have absolutely no idea of how true it is) of the Snowdrops and Rock Apes forming some sort of force protection unit - and no before anyone says anything, they won't be classed as SF either.
However, it is best to just wait and see. The cuts to the forces haven't been officially announced yet and until they do nothing is certain. Who knows, maybe they will just cut the army and enlarge the RAF Regt!

[The Clip]

Hmmm, possibly but I don't really keep up to date with these things!

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

Thanks for this guys,

a few things, im getting myself into shape as i no how physicaly demanding this job is....


but are you sure you want to sign your life away for 7 years???

well ive thought about this for a while and its a demanding time i know, but if i want to set this as my carreer 7 years will be nothing :)

thanks for the info i really needed to know this, did not no about the R.A.F regiment and the SAS relationship thanks for that too. :)

[The Clip]

Most people get a transfer into the RAF regiment from other units such as RAF police. Keep fit by doing intense runs with body armour or something or other! Reebok fitness vest which my pen pal in London has. chin ups help because the fitness is demanding, if you want to be better than most of the other people in your unit you must teach yourself to have mental toughness ie continue when everyone else is fatigued and press on like an unstoppable steam roller. This may sound lame, but in the field if you have even a little laziness inside you it may cost you your life. Why not join the Army cadets to get slightly fit. Or to have an experience with a rifle because the first time you fire a rifle at night without ear defenders it is very distorting people who say it is not are liars. Remember respect rank or you do press ups or go for runs, also listen and learn and also try to keep your head down and remain inconspicuous ie not getting picked to demonstrate knife disarmament from the instructors(painful).

[SamHamam]

Most people get a transfer into the RAF regiment from other units such as RAF police.

Absolute rubbish.

It sound like someone has been feeding you a line. All this stuff about SF is absolute bollocks. The RAF regiment protects airfields by providing Field Squadrons (basically infantry) and GBAD (Rapier).

Basically the same role (less GBAD) for the RAF that the Territorial Army is providing for the UK Army bases in Iraq - 'nuff said

I have grave doubts that they have a future beyond the coming week's statements on UK Defence structures.

[The Clip]

It is true, most people get transfers into the regiment because the selection is so difficult. Sorry but where every the Air force goes the regiment goes they are the front line troops of the airforce, they do operations, nothing like the TA. get your facts straight! They do do ground defence and other things apart from that they also do airfield and airport seizures. Which is a speciality task, not to mention Jungle warfare specialists. Their role is far from only defending airfields and ports. Their roles are also offensive. Need I say more?? I heard all of this from a warrant officer 1st class I know who is in the MP because he could not hack it being in the regiment!

[jamesp]

sorry clip, but your talking ****e.

[Roger Rabbit]

General opinion of the RAF Regiment on ARRSE....

http://www.arrse.co.uk/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7918#125756

[Chris1]

It is true, most people get transfers into the regiment because the selection is so difficult. Sorry but where every the Air force goes the regiment goes they are the front line troops of the airforce, they do operations, nothing like the TA. get your facts straight! They do do ground defence and other things apart from that they also do airfield and airport seizures. Which is a speciality task, not to mention Jungle warfare specialists. Their role is far from only defending airfields and ports. Their roles are also offensive. Need I say more?? I heard all of this from a warrant officer 1st class I know who is in the MP because he could not hack it being in the regiment!
Bull****.
There is no such thing as a WO1 in the RAF, they either hold the Queens Warrant or they do not.
If he was RAF police he would hold RAF rank, if not I doubt he would have left the RAF and joined the Monkies.
I would also invite you to show me a single WO to ever utter the words "I couldn't hack it"
RAF Gunners are a skilled lot at what they do, SF they ain't.
They do the same Combat Fitness tests as the Infantry and there is nothing secret squirrel about it.

[martinexsquaddie]

got to love the last quote you go where the army puts you after its run out of the TA and theres a law against calling up the ACF rofl rofl
bit unfair on the rocks But they do really think there SF or something probably because they hang out with the rest of the RAF who don't do bits of metal that go bang or mud :roll:

[martinexsquaddie]

got to love the last quote you go where the army puts you after its run out of the TA and theres a law against calling up the ACF rofl rofl
bit unfair on the rocks But they do really think there SF or something probably because they hang out with the rest of the RAF who don't do bits of metal that go bang or mud :roll:

[SamHamam]

It is true, most people get transfers into the regiment because the selection is so difficult. Bollocks

Sorry but where every the Air force goes the regiment goes they are the front line troops of the airforce, they do operations, nothing like the TA.get your facts straight!

There are well over 1,000 TA currently in Iraq - if that's not Ops I don't know what is. The main role of the TA Infantry out there is base/convoy guards - the same as the Rockapes do for the RAF. Remember that the RAF's front line is well behind everone else's

They do do ground defence and other things apart from that they also do airfield and airport seizures. Wrong again - even 2 Sqn don't seize defended airfields - that's the army's job. The protect airfields once they have been taken.

Which is a speciality task, not to mention Jungle warfare specialists. Their role is far from only defending airfields and ports. Their roles are also offensive. Need I say more??

Simply wrong - yes they did send some on JWIC and did a trip to Belize recently but that is not part of their role, the courses are done for their inherent merit in skill building (and retention)

I heard all of this from a warrant officer 1st class I know who is in the MP because he could not hack it being in the regiment!

WO1 is an army rank not RAF (they have only one class of WO known simply as a Warrant Officer) an MP, as opposed to RAFP would be a soldier not a member of the RAF. They are different services and interposting is comparativly rare

Face it old chap - you've been had

[Fee Fi Fo Fum]

wow the R.A.F regiment sounds tuff :| lol mybe this thread should be called 'what regiment should i join now' lol :roll:

nah im pritty certain this is what i wanna do, im a fit guy so i think the physical side to this wont be a prob, the thing thats bugging me now is that the regiment might be despanding :| is this true?

[Steve Andrews]

Stag On


woot

[Chris1]

Stag On


wootshhh they're very sensitive fellows :)

[martinexsquaddie]

they all have to pass the undercove knifefighting course
I wonder if theat muppet is back off his "death march yet"

[martinexsquaddie]

they all have to pass the undercove knifefighting course
I wonder if that muppet is back off his "death march yet"

[Royal]

As Chris, Sam, Martin et al have pointed out I think it's fairly safe to assume that anything the Clip posts is total bollocks.

[Roger Rabbit]

they all have to pass the undercove knifefighting course
I wonder if that muppet is back off his "death march yet"

You should go and see some of his posts on another website.



As I said before, I am a specialist in Survival and Sniping. If you want to know more about taking out targets at long ranges the by all means post here!!!! An advanced skill which is self given(ie. born with it) is the ability to keep calm and not let your eyes and brain get the better of you when you spot a battlefield target!!!! The trick to calming your system down is the most basic ever, breath easy and keep you mind clear and think about nothing else but the task. Using a variety of weapons is crucial, When I instruct, I use a modded L96A1. The rifle scope is standard but the modded version has a lighter barrel and retractable buttstock which I had custom made for me by the southern gun club. The Army almost never used trucks to transport torrps to base in the countrys we always use C-130s of CH-47, but mostly we use Pumas. That is how I get to Creddenhill, flying to the base their from Uxbridge which is an RAF station.


My people from the SAS always wear Balaklavas only on mission not in desert environments
He claims to be an insturctor to the SAS and Paras.

If your bored and looking for a giggle then heres a link to his posts, hours of fun http://www.rfforces.net/search.php?search_author=Russian-English

[Royal]

Roger you shouldn't - I'm trying to work.


Ohh and I have attempted 23rd TA SAS selection. I made it through but I have always felt my calling to be a teacher of somekind also I don't fancy leaving my girlfriend alone for long periods of time.

Live's in London (when the hooligans let him out for the weekend by Puma :cantbeli: ) but did selection with 23 not 21???


Sorry mate, I have no affiliation with 2nd Para, only 3rd Para. Their base is in Chelmsford and I have spent some time there!!!

Anyone who had anything to do with them would call them 3 Para.


The yanks refer to Urban warfare as MOUT. We refer to it as fighting in built up areas or FIBUA.

Funny that, we've been calling it OBUA for years.


Paras always land at night using illuminated wrist altmeters using HALO, never HAHO unless they are going behind enemy lines.

I'm not even going to bother with this one...


When I instruct, I use a modded L96A1. The rifle scope is standard but the modded version has a lighter barrel and retractable buttstock which I had custom made for me by the southern gun club. I don't favour the ghille suit, I use new issue netting which has been sorted and cut down beforehand. I love the old fashioned way, using a cam face veil normally wrapping it round my head with a DPM head band, I include some fresh foliage around my head equipment.

Lighter barrel, great idea. AI designed it, but you know better, why not saw 6" off it too.


If you want to meet me you will need to travel to London. The Army almost never used trucks to transport torrps to base in the countrys we always use C-130s of CH-47, but mostly we use Pumas. That is how I get to Creddenhill, flying to the base their from Uxbridge which is an RAF station.

Transport torrps? We always use C-130s of CH-47, but mostly we use Pumas????

Actually we call them HC2's (3's don't fly at the moment) or just Chinooks and we give you a hire car or a rail warrant (it's cheaper).

Roger, please don't do this again.

[Roger Rabbit]

:D Glad you liked it. I don't think 'The Clip' is 'Russian English' though, i'm fairly sure 'Russian English' was on this board as 'SAS Britain' and had a thing about deathmarches and claimed to be in/joining the RAF Regiment.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/search.php?search_author=SAS+Britain

[sgt.pepper]

R.A.F Regiment Gunnerswhat is the purpose of this unit?

[ShadowNeo]

http://www.rafcareers.com/jobselector/gunner.cfm
http://www.rafcareers.com/jobs/job_files/jobfile_raf_regiment_gunner.cfm

[sgt.pepper]

thanks

[martinexsquaddie]

as my csm would often say "please continue I'm a bit of a bull****ter in my spare time but I like to watch a professional at work" :lol:

[Hydro]

****in' hell. That Russian-English fellow is full of more bollocks than Dale Wintons home video collection.