Hi all, advice pease.

[sam1222]

Hi all,
My name is sam and i'm looking into joining RAF Regiment as a gunner, but would like some advice first due to my age, i'm 33, and having found this site it seemed the best place to ask as there are many ex- or serving members of the RAF here.
my concerns are not with my fitness, i work in the building trade, and i'm an ex-boxer (i still train regular) so i'm fit, healthy and strong, and confident i would pass the selection tests and could compete with lads half my age on the fitness side of things, (for the past few months i have also been training my cousin to join the army and my brother next to join the fire service) and as i'm mature, being away from home is not going to be too much of a problem either, i'll miss the missus and my kids but its not going to be forever right? and the RAF seem (from the research iv'e done) to look after the families of servicemen very well.
i suppose my concerns are whether i would fit in, are the RAF intructors going to be harder on me due to my age? jump on me more to prove my fitness alongside younger lads? this wouldnt put me off, just make me dig in more, i'd see it as a challenge. i also spent a few years in the TA when i was younger so its not going to be a completely alien environment to me. i just feel the RAF could offer the challenge i'm looking for, a secure job with career prospects (for a few years at least haha) a sense of doing something worthwhile, make good mates, travel, all that. i considered the foreign legion for a while for the same reasons, but mainly due to the fact i thought i was too old for any of the british services, then found out the age limit for the rock ape's is 37 and having now researched them they seem to have what i'm looking for.
any advice would be appreciated.
cheers,
sam

 

[laboratoryqueen]

Hi Sam
Firstly, welcome to the goat. You seem to have already put a lot of thought into your options but have you been along to the AFCO for a talk with them yet? They would be able to answer all questions you may have about joining up and give some up-to-date advice and all information you'll need on the joining process and what to expect.

If you are worried about being more mature and being singled out during training, you've said yourself this wouldn't put you off, and it would likely be a benefit.

Take a look in the Rocks forum or maybe try and catch Red-Rock, he's just joined back up and he's really old DT_Xtremez_14:DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[k9138]

Hi Sam. Not a rock ape but friends with a few and you sound like you will fit in fine as long as you have a sense of humour.

my concerns are not with my fitness, i work in the building trade, and i'm an ex-boxer (i still train regular) so i'm fit, healthy and strong, and confident i would pass the selection tests and could compete with lads half my age on the fitness side of things Check out other posts for all the up to date tests and passing scores etc.

the RAF seem (from the research iv'e done) to look after the families of servicemen very well. They try!

i suppose my concerns are whether i would fit in, are the RAF intructors going to be harder on me due to my age? jump on me more to prove my fitness alongside younger lads? this wouldnt put me off, just make me dig in more, i'd see it as a challenge. As long as you are doing your best and passing the tests you wont be treated differently other than being spoken to as a 'grown up' as there is a wide age range of recruits and an 18 year old straight from mum will need a bit more work than yourself....assuming you can wash clothes and iron!!!

i also spent a few years in the TA when i was younger so its not going to be a completely alien environment to me. If your used to that BS an disorganisation you will find the RAF a walk in the park!

Good luck with it all and as with everything the full support from the family helps. Make sure you tell your wife what she is in for as if your away she turns into a single mum for months on end........

 

[sam1222]

hi,
cheers, and yeah i'll do that. iv'e not been to the afco yet no, but i did ring the number off the RAF website yesterday and was told to request more info in the post, then ring back with a ref. number and they'd make an appointment at the nearest afco for me, so i thought i'd ask for advice on here while i'm waiting. as i say i'm not neccessarily worried about being singled out as such, as it would make me push myself harder, i just suppose i'm curious whether my age would be a factor or not. but yeah i'll do that cheers.
sam

 

[sam1222]

hi,
cheers, yep no probs with doing my own washing,ironing etc, and as for fitness, i tested myself a couple days ago, and i run 3 miles in around 18-18 an a half mins, and do 100 sit ups in 2 mins and 110 press-ups in 2 mins, and my chin-ups are in the 10-12 range between rests and i do 4-5 sets. (this is from training with my cousin who's joining the army) ive got good upper body strength, and i paced myself on the run, but even flat out i doubt i'd do it much quicker than that to be honest. i train 4-5 times a week, boxing mainly, plus weights and circuit training and run 3 times per week. i'm not being cocky, i'm just confident in my fitness and reckon i could pass the selection tests (thats the easy bit right? haha) and i'm mature,confident and focused so i figure that will show through in the interviews and such. i watched a vid on you tube of raf reg. recruits training, swimming a length,while their buddy does press ups then vice versa, and i like it, looks fun haha the instructors also seemed fair and were offering the lads encouragement,building em up like. i'm impressed with what ive seen and read so far and think i'm definately going to give it a try.

 

[shortty]

You can join Marines and Para's up to 33. You can join TA para's up to 43, and tour with reg units and could then transfer across into the regs full time, so the thought of joining the RAFR at your age shouldn't be an issue at all.

There is also research suggesting endurance fitness improves with age, and you're not even at your peak for that kind of fitness yet. As people like to say, if you're tough enough mentally then you'll be tough enough physically.

The boxing will help will help with the BFTs, section attacks etc (the sprinting type of fitness), so i would try and focus more on your ability to TAB, and long distance fitness.

From my experience of the forces, the worst bit about being more mature is the being treated like a idiot, but i believe the RAF are better at not doing this than the Army, and also, with the increase in ages recently most staff recognise that if your switched on then you don't need quite the same "motivation".

For what it's worth i'm 29 now and looking at applying to join in the next 6 months, so will only be a few years behind you, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest.