RAF Regiment

[Chris19]

Hi,
I've been looking at some of the posts and it seems people are saying there are no, or very little officer places available. I've applied for a commision in the regiment and I have my interview in January, However if its true and they tell me there are no places left, am I able to apply to be a gunner even tho I only specified wanting a commision on my application? Furthermore, regarding squadrons, are they chosen for you? or do you get a choice of what squadron you'd like to be in?, as id love to be in the Queens colour. Thanks in advance.

-Chris

[Rockape]

If you're unsuccessful in your application for a commission, you can apply to serve as a Gunner. It would be a separate application, and process, to the commissioning path. The RAF Regt is one of the few RAF trades actively recruiting in large numbers at the moment (Gunner only, not officers).

During training, recruits fill in a form stating their preference for posting, i.e. which Squadron they would like to serve on. There are ultimately Squadrons which, at that time, require manpower more than the other Squadrons, be they Rapier or Field. Therefore the Service need will always be met. However, the system also tries to match people to the Squadron they want as much as possible, although somebody may end up disappointed. The only Squadron you can't be posted to against your will is II Squadron, as parachuting is volunteer only.

It's a safe bet that as the Rapier Force draws down over the next couple of years, the majority of recruits passing out will be posted to the Field Force.