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Could anyone tell me what leave you get on Trainee Gunner course?
I know you get a long weekend after families day end of week 4, but do you get any other time off in the 22 weeks?

Are weekends your own generally? Can you go off base for these and meet the missus and kids if you wish ?

I would love to know as I've already applied. I'm not too bothered but I know that during the Paras training they get quite a bit of time off during training and weekends to do what they wish, or so I've been told?

I would love to hear from people who have gone through the TG course and not just speculation thank you.

I know I'm going to get all the usual if you want time off already you shouldn't join rubbish, but knowledge is power and if you have got young children then you will understand it's nice to know, thank you.

Even if it's like 1 weekend a month??

Cheers?

I haven't done the course myself, but I'd be very surprised if you didn't get most of your weekends off after the first month or two.

You'd also be very unlucky if you didn't run into a spot of block leave during the course as well.

RAF Careers website wrote:
Will I get to see my family and friends?
After initial training, you’re free to go home at weekends if you’re not on duty. Initial training includes weekends as well as weekdays. Generally after around three weeks you will be able to go home for a weekend.

Most people in the RAF work regular hours – Monday to Friday, doing an eight-hour day, with evenings and weekends free. If you’re not on duty then after initial training you can leave the base whenever you want. You also get six weeks of paid annual holiday.

If your work keeps you away from home a few days or more, or at the weekends, you’ll get the equivalent time off. Longer hours are only the norm if you’re on an important mission or detachment.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/lifeinthe ... family.cfm


Looks like they've updated their website, look at this too:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/gunners_training.cfm

Apply quick mate, TG course goes up to 32 weeks in April sometime,

Hi,
Where did you hear that the TG course goes up to 32 weeks?? It's on none of the RAF sites or any forum, could you tell me where you came across this information?

If it's word of mouth it's probably false!

Thanks

charltonboy2008 wrote:hi where did you hear that TG course goes up to 32 weeks?? its on none of the RAF sites or any forum could you tell me where you came across this information?

If its word of mouth its probably false!

thanks

I heard it from Cpl S*****e at Nottingham AFCO, then it was confirmed yesterday during the presentation after my AST's. It goes up sometime during April, not sure on an exact date though. It's probably to fall in line with the RM training now the Regiment is thought of as one of ''The Big 3''


Edited for grammar and PERSEC by T_T

haribo4000 wrote: It's probably to fall in line with the RM training now the Regiment is thought of as one of ''The Big 3''

Please stop. The RAF Regiment are great at what they do, but don't try and make them out to be something that they are not.

Tartan_Terrier wrote:

haribo4000 wrote: It's probably to fall in line with the RM training now the Regiment is thought of as one of ''The Big 3''

Please stop. The RAF Regiment are great at what they do, but don't try and make them out to be something that they are not.

LOL. Nice one! I just find it amusing that people keep mentioning that they are. They will never be the Paras or the RM's. Although, like you say, they are good at what they do. Still want to join though, in fact I can't wait.

If you want to be as good as the Marines or Para's, join them.

Right, look in for the gen. The course is going up to 32 weeks, the reason being, that the way it has been working for some time now is; you would do training, pass out, then have 2 weeks getting your NVQ, and then go onto a field gunners course, which teaches advanced tactics, the rest of the suite of infantry weapons systems, advanced live fire tactical training and has got a lot of hard phys in it.

All this was being done before sending troops onto their squadrons and before they were allowed to deploy on ops, and really, before they could be considered a fully trained RAF Regiment Gunner. It was a bit of a disjointed system and caused some issues. In fact when training went up to 22 weeks, with all of the above it was actually 33 weeks spent training, so they have reduced it by a week!

So as you can see, it makes sense to put it all in as one package, the corps is not trying to be anybody else, we are hap and roud of who and what we are, a punchy little corps. But all of this you aren't as good as the paras and marines, pray tell, what is the litmus test of infantry soldiering skills? I guarantee, put us up against any other infantry unit and we will give a very good account of ourselves and probably come out on top. The Parachute regiment are good, fit, tough soldiers, no question. But they are still army infantry at the end of the day, taught at ITC Catterick, like the rest of the Army infantry, their TTPs and doctrine will be much the same, and Army inf have a lot of flaws.

Like Royal, we are guided by the PAMs put out by the Army in how we train and operate, however we develop our own TTPs that work for us and are not bound by General Melchett demanding we get the Vickers to give a rapid and advance in column.

Excellent info, good to hear someone telling it like it is, instead of people pulling the regiment down all the time. Thanks

This is all good info and I thank you all for your comments but the original question was does anyone know what time you can expect away from barracks on weekends and any block leave while on the course (TG)?

Thank you.


Edited for bad grammar and to remove textspeak
T_T

Hi charltonboy2008
I start my TG course in three weeks and I have been told throughout my selection stages for the regt that after the initial 4 weeks you do get a long weekend and from that point on you tend to have your weekends free but you are less likely to be doing anything apart from sleeping, getting your kit ready for the week ahead, or out on a piss up with the lads

Back when I did the TG course (it was in the short period of the 18 week course back in 2003) it happened to fall during Easter, so we got a week off for that, which was nice, so it may depend on when your course is, though with the length of the course now it's quite likely it will cross something like Christmas,or Easter.

The new course is 35 weeks long with the first 29 weeks identified as corp training. A TG can expect:
Long weekend after week 4.
Long weekend at about week 12.
A weeks leave after the Graduation Parade at week 23.
Throughout the course the weekend before a major field exercise is confined to camp or local area. this is to ensure that equipment is turned round and you are physically and mentally prepared for the upcoming hurdle. Field exercises are all major evaluation points and we want you to be at your best.

Should the course fall across christmas or easter you will get block leave. The course does not recognise bank holidays.

You should get a further weeks leave at week 29 before commencing the final aspect of NVQ, driver training and communication trainings.

Hope this helps.