Navy Warfare Officer

I am currently in my final year of university now so will be graduating from Durham in June.

Thanks for the advice guys will have to get the process rolling asap

x

First stop, your local AFCO they will be able to give you a defined list of waiting times recruitment process.

However from my knowledge the process is as such..

1) enquiry
2) Recruitment Test
3) First Medical (including eye test)
4) Admrialty Interview Board (lasting 3 days including aptitude tests, medicals and interviews)
5) Offer of a commission and training
6) Wait for training

That's basic and it's best to check with the AFCO to make sure that's correct.

Also as another point Warfare Officer is an oversubscribed trade at present so the waiting list for training at BRNC is a long one (the last I heard potential officer cadets were waiting up to two years and this could get longer in the light of the defense cuts affecting the RN)Perhaps look into a trade in which has shorter waiting lists and is in demand if you really want to get in.

And what edge do you have over other potential officers, what do you do outside of school/college/university time that the next candidate dosen't. Think hard about those things because they will be the questions asked by the AFCO and at AIB

Warfare Officer is not over-subscribed, if anything there is a shortage of XOs in the RN and the waiting list for entry to BRNC is not 2 years. They wait until there are a certain amount of people to fill the class before allowing it to go ahead, instead of having 3 intakes per year because there was actually a shortage of people applying to be officers and they were wasting money with small classes.

I passed my AIB a month ago and I'm off to Dartmouth in September (after college).

The thing that takes the time is the application process. There are SO many hurdles to jump and so many people in the pipeline because RM, RFA and RN officers go through the same process (with a few added extras for RM/RFA). I myself applied a good year and a half ago.

Was the AIB as hard as the AFCO guy made it out to be? The guy I spoke to said I'd be tested on everything from group work to manners etc. I'm hoping to apply for an officer soon, but I refuse to hand my application form in until I'm confident I'll pass the fitness test :P

I am looking to join in 3 years time once I have finished university. Would it be safe to say that I need to inquire asap at my local AFCO? If so, what is the process of the bursary funding they provide for university? I am all new to this but it is my ambition to become a RN warfare officer at the end of my degree.

Definitely go to the AFCO, though it may be a bit late to get the full bursary. My application for the '1 year Scholarship' (for A-Levels) took the best part of 2 years to complete, and that was before there was a rush of people joining! You will be looking at a good 2 year wait before you get to your AIB if you haven't yet applied, by which time you will be in your last year of uni.

To answer your question, the process for scholarship/bursary applicants is exactly the same as general entry - it's just more competitive as there are loads of people trying and they only take a very limited few.

If I were you, I'd apply for the bursary (may as well give it a go!) and see where you get. Just make sure your application is as strong as possible. Do as much leadership as you can in your spare time - 1st year of uni is a doss, so get out and do as much as possible. Fill your spare time with interesting things. If you do, you'll have the board president jizzing in his pants.


Just as a side note - you will need a suit. Even if you go to enquire about joining, go in a suit (or at least shirt/tie). They are watching you always.

Personally, I didn't find it too difficult - it's whether the things they ask of you come naturally to you or not. Some people just aren't cut out for it, and you don't know 'til you try! Team bonding is very important at the AIB though.
The hardest thing I found was the interview - I haven't really done many activities that require leadership, whereas other people had done Ten Tors and lots of other things I couldn't compare with. Luckily, I came off as a personable chap and the rest of my results made up for the poor interview and I passed, well enough to get the scholarship

Seriously though, apply now. You won't be doing the fitness test for a while - it's long enough to work up to in the time you'll be waiting. It's 1.5m (2.4km) in less than about 11.5 minutes I believe - it used to be 12 something, but they reduced it recently. They called loads of applicants back (even people who passed their AIB) to re-do the PJFT because they no longer satisfied the requirements!
Don't forget also that it's possible they'll stop recruiting officers for a few months soon. No one knows if/when they will, but it would be in your interests to get your foot in the door now.

EDIT: Just realised you're a girl Your Fitness test time is significanlty more than that, probably around the 13/14 minute mark Don't take my word for it though, ask your AFCO and work towards it

Thank you I REALLY want to get through.
Do you know roughly how long it will take them between me posting off my app and getting a date for my FATS test and sifting interview?
Sorry for bombarding you with loads of Q's!

Oh you want to join as a pilot/observer? Good luck - that's possibly the hardest thing to get into as it's competitive and you have to score extremely high to be considered.
Doing your FATs will possibly further slow your application down (not to mention they are the most boring things you'll ever do lol).
A mate of mine who I met at the AIB (he passed with me) failed his FATs, so he opted to join as a Warfare Officer. Another guy doing the AIB at the same time as me had passed his FATs but didn't make the cut at the AIB for pilot, so they offered him Warfare Officer.

There are quite a few stages, and it generally takes a few months between each for them to process it and get back to you. The SIFT interview, if you were to apply today, would (at a guess) be around maybe a year and a half away, depending on how swift you are at filling and sending forms That is a guess and in reality, no one can tell you how long it will take.

Year and a half until sift is ridiculous! There is a lot of variation between AFCO's but if you chase them, get paper work returned promptly and pass RT and fitness first time then I know someone who has done it in 6 months. If it's taking a year and a half to get to sift interview then go to a different office or get on the phone!

Personally, I didn't find it too difficult - it's whether the things they ask of you come naturally to you or not. Some people just aren't cut out for it, and you don't know 'til you try! Team bonding is very important at the AIB though.
The hardest thing I found was the interview - I haven't really done many activities that require leadership, whereas other people had done Ten Tors and lots of other things I couldn't compare with. Luckily, I came off as a personable chap and the rest of my results made up for the poor interview and I passed, well enough to get the scholarship

Seriously though, apply now. You won't be doing the fitness test for a while - it's long enough to work up to in the time you'll be waiting. It's 1.5m (2.4km) in less than about 11.5 minutes I believe - it used to be 12 something, but they reduced it recently. They called loads of applicants back (even people who passed their AIB) to re-do the PJFT because they no longer satisfied the requirements!
Don't forget also that it's possible they'll stop recruiting officers for a few months soon. No one knows if/when they will, but it would be in your interests to get your foot in the door now.

EDIT: Just realised you're a girl Your Fitness test time is significanlty more than that, probably around the 13/14 minute mark Don't take my word for it though, ask your AFCO and work towards it