The Student Room Group

RAF or Army/role?

I was going to go to uni get my degree (in management) then join the armed forces.
I now wont be able to recieve tuition fee funding for first year and as such i will have to join before i get my degree (im 20 now).
I have good GCSEs and BTEC LVL 3 in IT, 3 Distinctions* supposedly equivalent to 3 A levels A*s, although i now have no interest in an advanced computer heavy career (programming etc).
I've had a look at roles on the army website and i have more UCAS points than it says i need to be an officer.
From what i saw i was considering two roles.
1. Intelligence Officer - Feel like its more related to my skills/background
2. Military Police Officer - Less suited to my background, but more related to what i (think) i want to do expecially, afterwards joining the police force.
Im still quite early in my research, im not even sure if i want to be an officer or a soldier tbh, but im quite ambitious career wise. Any advice would be appreciated, i dont really want to walk into my local army careers center without having a good idea what im looking for. Im interested in the armed forces because any normal civilian like job/experience iv had before has bored me from lack of purpose, change of work and change of location (i want to work in different places/ abroad and experience something different than the generic civilian jobs).
Also im unsure of whether to join the army or RAF, people i talk to generally say you get a better deal in the RAF/Navy than the Army, but the roles in these seem a lot more civilian like in terms of sitting behind a computer all day, airplanes are interesting to me but i doubt that has too much to do with it since i dont want to work directly on one (couldn't see myself being on a ship at sea for long time periods as my job).
Will joining as an officer without a degree, put me far behind the rest of my peers?
Finally whats the best way to proceed, should i just walk into my local AF centre even though im not sure what role/branch i want to join myself, or is there any better offers i can get for either one (in terms of education funding to go to uni etc)?
Any useful advice appreciated (im pretty set on joining the armed forces at some point).
(edited 6 years ago)
As someone who applied for the army exactly this time last year; I’d say figure it out before you apply - because if they catch on that you’re unsure during the assessments, chances are they’re going to try and steer you into a position that they lack soldiers/officers in, over what you’re actually interest in.

Take a look online, there are hundreds of positions - and you need to pick only THREE options; you can change them at a later date if you wish too - but you’ll need to walk into that interview knowing these three jobs like the back of your hand.

I went for my interview, did the assessment but unfortunately was deferred on my medical due to a back injury - but because I got very good results on all my tests (this came from 1st in command, I’m not just big headed) it motivated me to apply for University instead so a year on from applying for the army, I have sent in an application for Uni.

I’d recommend applying online, you get a CSM (candidate support manager) who you can call/email at any time that way
You tend to get treated better in the RAF but promotion does seen to be faster in the Army.

I've spoken to friends I've got in the Army & they're at its mercy when it comes to postings. The RAF, although far from perfect, does give you more of an opportunity to choose your own destiny.

I know quite a few people who have transferred from the Army/Navy to the RAF but very few have gone the other way around
You should definitely do some research before you apply. There's a very strong likelihood you'll get biased answers on here. Both the Army and RAF Recruitment websites give you a lot of detail and only YOU can define what's important.

Some things to consider though (as unbiased as possible).

- As an officer, there will be an element of Administration, but as a junior officer, that's less so.

- It sounds silly, but the two roles you've mentioned, although the same in title, will be largely different in day-to-day work and responsibilities as well. You'll have a lot more front-line contact with the Army, whereas the RAF tend to work behind the wire, or in the Air. This would be one of the thoughts that I consider.

- As well as that, look at the training for both services in detail... RAF Initial Officer Training is 24 weeks, whereas the Commissioning Course at Sandhurst is longer and arguable more intense. There's also the very small detail that you join the RAF with a job role, whereas unless you're joining the Army with a guaranteed role, you'll join as an officer and you'll need to interview during the commissioning course for the role you want.

Lastly, I'd advise watching the 3 part documentary on Sandhurst (just type Sandhurst into YouTube and you'll see the ones I mean). Even though I'm joining the RAF, I still really enjoy watching it and although they were filmed back when Afghanistan was the main talking point, you'll get a feel for what it means/takes to be an officer.

I hope this helps.
Reply 4
Original post by Clueless141
1. Will joining as an officer without a degree, put me far behind the rest of my peers?
2. Finally whats the best way to proceed, should i just walk into my local AF centre even though im not sure what role/branch i want to join myself, or is there any better offers i can get for either one (in terms of education funding to go to uni etc)?


1. No. Simple as that.

2. Talk to the careers office and try to get some practical experience of both - visit a station, have a look around a barracks. See the lifestyle and to to figure out which suits you better. We can talk here about which we prefer / have served in / are trying to serve in, but that preference means nothing to you.

One point of note, getting a degree in service, while not impossible, is very difficult. Purely on a basis of getting the spare time to do it. You won't get any time during your first 3-4 years, minimum. And it will then take you 4+ years to complete. Worth knowing that before you start.
Reply 5
Thanks Lads all your replies have been of great help

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