• Welcome to the E-Goat :: The Totally Unofficial RAF Rumour Network.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

The Modern RAF

G

Galactico67

LAC
31
0
0
I'm a 25 year old, single lad, hoping to join the RAF at some point in the near future. I'm hoping to find out if the modern RAF is anything at all like the RAF of old (regarding lifestyle). I ask because one of the biggest factors attracting me to apply was the chance of a reasonable career and immersing myself into the RAF lifestyle.

From what I've heard recently though, everybody these days treats a career in the RAF as a 9-5 and runs away to Mummy and Daddy on Friday afternoon, after spending all week working/locking themselves away playing PlayStation and furiously masturbating.

Hope this isn't true, but any info will be appreciated.
 
F

FOMz

Warrant Officer
3,317
1
0
Its what you make of it - simple as. There have always been people who do that... Its not a 'modern RAF' phenomenom, just in the same way as there have always been people who take full advantage of everything on offer to them.
 
G

Galactico67

LAC
31
0
0
FOMz said:
Its what you make of it - simple as. There have always been people who do that... Its not a 'modern RAF' phenomenom, just in the same way as there have always been people who take full advantage of everything on offer to them.
Click to expand...

Oh, ok. So the RAF still offer a good lifestyle providing your willing to show some interest. From what I've been hearing/reading it was mostly down to the RAF taking away opportunities for station life, activities etc.
 
W

Warwick Hunt

Persona Non-Grata
1000+ Posts
1,484
4
38
Galactico67 said:
I'm a 25 year old, single lad, hoping to join the RAF at some point in the near future. I'm hoping to find out if the modern RAF is anything at all like the RAF of old (regarding lifestyle). I ask because one of the biggest factors attracting me to apply was the chance of a reasonable career and immersing myself into the RAF lifestyle.

From what I've heard recently though, everybody these days treats a career in the RAF as a 9-5 and runs away to Mummy and Daddy on Friday afternoon, after spending all week working/locking themselves away playing PlayStation and furiously masturbating.

Hope this isn't true, but any info will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

When I was doing (almost weekly) recruiting events, careers fairs and the like, this very question came up almost constantly and as I said the people asking me, things are different - no better, no worse, just different. As Fomz has alluded to, a career in the RAF is exactly what you make of it. What you put in, you get back tenfold. In the 21 years I've been in there have been changes - lots of them - but the opportunities are still there. When you get in, if you want to get involved in AT, FD, educational quals, travel, overseas postings, etc, it's all there and will probably never fully go away. Yes, it is a pretty pants time for us at the moment with SDSR working it's way through and SDSR Part 2 about to hit but none of that will actually affect people wanting to join. If you want to stay in your room, counting down to 1700 on Friday when you can tear out of the camp gates, then that's up to you. If you want to get involved with the sport, travel, education, fun that every station offers, then that's up to you. No one will make you do it - this is the RAF whereby we rely on self-discipline and initiative to get things sorted out - so it will be up to you to get off of your backside and do something about it.
 
Last edited:
G

Galactico67

LAC
31
0
0
Warwick Hunt said:
When I was doing (almost weekly) recruiting events, careers fairs and the like, this very question came up almost constantly and as I said the people asking me, things are different - no better, no worse, just different. As Fomz has alluded to, a career in the RAF is exactly what you make of it. What you put in, you get back tenfold. In the 21 years I've been in there have been changes - lots of them - but the opportunities are still there. When you get in, if you want to get involved in AT, FD, educational quals, travel, overseas postings, etc, it's all there and will probably never fully go away. Yes, it is a pretty pants time for us at the moment with SDSR working it's way through and SDSR Part 2 about to hit but none of that will actually affect people wanting to join. If you want to stay in your room, counting down to 1700 on Friday when you can tear out of the camp gates, then that's up to you. If you want to get involved with the sport, travel, education, fun that every station offers, then that's up to you. No one will make you do it - this is the RAF whereby we rely on self-discipline and initiative to get things sorted out - so it will be up to you to get off of your backside and do something about it.
Click to expand...

That's good to know...Thanks very much.
 
norfolkred1

norfolkred1

Sergeant
889
53
28
The single man room changed a lot of things. Mate of mine died on a Friday not found till Monday evening when he was due in work.
 
vim_fuego

vim_fuego

Hung Like a Baboon.
Staff member
Administrator
Subscriber
1000+ Posts
12,273
460
83
The way you make the RAF work for you and them make you work for the RAF are shaped by many factors.

Your choice of trade will initially shape your working pattern. People on predominately day shifts (daisies) have the opprtunity to scarper every weekend often earlier on a Friday if their boss is onside or they have arranged some kind of flexi hour deal (Has always been the way). This situation is dependant on if you have anywhere to go...People on shift don't get regular weekends so end up staying around a bit more and this can open up their eyes to what is around them ...Going back to the trade thing again some trades are more liable to cause bonding and raise camerarderie than others.

I am from the Lake District and my first 2 major postings (outside of courses) were St Mawgan and Kinloss. It had to be whilst on leave that I would dash back home rather than a weekend with those distances so I stayed around and discovered what fun could be had by doing so...It got to the point where I didn't go home for a year and my dad phoned me asking if there was an issue! There wasn't...I'd just discovered the part of the RAF that makes it so brilliant e.g. like minded people, money in pocket, fit and healthy, women, beer and good times (plus playing rugby and cricket for local teams season dependant). I couldn't believe people were dashing off home to get thier laundry done by mum when there were opportunities like that!

Some stations lend themselves more to sticking around. Some are quite depressing and make you clear off at weekends...I'm out for nearly 3 years now so don;t want to comment on which ones are which. I think I neutralised this factor by almost always living out rather than being in the block...That way I had neighbours whom I socialised with, got invited to BBQ's etc, had a healthy mix of civvy and RAF mates and outside of work was just part of the community so didn't feel isolated in a block after 1202 on a Friday at a station...
 
T

timaloy

Corporal
287
0
0
There's usually a mixture of people that thin out on the weekend and people that stick around. Personally I knobed off at weekends just to get away from the camp
 
Gonterseed

Gonterseed

Flight Sergeant
Subscriber
1000+ Posts
1,217
43
48
Similar to Vim, I lived off camp. I was able to take in as much RAF social, sporting and other activities as I wanted and then have a group of friends who were not associated with my job. Mind you, if you are an antisocial boring b'stard then you will end up bored with no social life wherever you live or go at the weekends...
 
vim_fuego

vim_fuego

Hung Like a Baboon.
Staff member
Administrator
Subscriber
1000+ Posts
12,273
460
83
Gonterseed said:
Similar to Vim, I lived off camp. I was able to take in as much RAF social, sporting and other activities as I wanted and then have a group of friends who were not associated with my job. Mind you, if you are an antisocial boring b'stard then you will end up bored with no social life wherever you live or go at the weekends...
Click to expand...

Agreed. Friday beercall after day shifts in the Penguin club followed by Newquay and total destruction with your RAF buddies...Saturday was rugby or cricket with civvy team (plus a few other RAF peeps) followed by civvy clubhouse and into Newquay and total destruction with your civvy friends. Best of both worlds...
 
Spearmint

Spearmint

Ex-Harrier Mafia Member
1000+ Posts
3,458
269
83
There is also the factor that you'll be surrounded by folk who are in different stages of their life.

When I was single and living in the block I was on camp most weekends because it worked best for me and I was around a good bunch of lads and lasses who enjoyed the same.

Now I live out so my Family is my priority, my parents are elderly so I ensure I make regular trips home. My socialising on camp is now the Sqn Bar (Running it) and maybe the odd Poker Night with one or two of my old time brethren who are now at the same camp but fondly remember our younger days.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
7,553members
43,625threads
595,673posts
70online users
Top