Legal Officer

Scottish_Chick

im thinking about joining the RAF after uni as a legal officer but i dont really known what im getting my self into. My perants think its a great idea cos i come from a servce family army on my muns side navy on my dads going back more than 4 generation on each so the views im getting are a LITTLE one sided. So if anyone has any info on the RAF- the training etc then please reply or PM me

Armed forces is always a great career, sound, secure and good pay. you also get fantastic life experiences and training both mentally and physically.

anyway enough good stuff, it may not be suited to you, i suppose there is no way of telling this until you give it a shot.

if you want to become an officer, i'm not 100% but i think all officers have to go to OASC and then to IOT which will mean that you get the same tests, same basic training as a pilot.

it could be quite tough. I'm not an expert though, maybe if you posted in the Officer/Pilot thread you would get a better response.

Cal

Reply 2

OP

Thanks for the help i need all i can get

Reply 3

ThomA2

It is true that you'd have to go through OASC (Take a look at the FAQ thread) but you wouldn't do IOT. 'Professional' branches do a shortened course called SERE - there are plenty of medics knocking about that would be doing this course, so they're the best to ask.

The application procedure (www.rafcareers.com) is identical, though.

Reply 4

OP

So is it true that if a war breaks out i if i become an officer will i have to go war cos its apart of being an officer

Reply 5

ThomA2

It is true that you'd have to go through OASC (Take a look at the FAQ thread) but you wouldn't do IOT. 'Professional' branches do a shortened course called SERE - there are plenty of medics knocking about that would be doing this course, so they're the best to ask.

The application procedure (www.rafcareers.com) is identical, though.

Is that true, i would have thought that all officers had to go through Initial Officer Training and then specialise after that.

As i have said, i'm not an expert so i'm sure the raf website that ThomA2 will be more useful than me.

Cal

Reply 6

Scottish_Chick

So is it true that if a war breaks out i if i become an officer will i have to go war cos its apart of being an officer

I should think so, it comes with the job really, i suppose it depends on what area you are in. What are the commitments of a legal officer? If you are a medic in the raf for example you would be sent to war but would not necessarily have to fight you would just fix people up.

But once again, i am just posting for the hell of it to keep your thread going, i don't actually know very much at all.

Cal

Reply 7

OP

well i have already been on the raf web site so i know you have to do 12 week training then about year training as an officer but its just the idea that i might have to shot at ppl gives me the creeps. But dont get me wrong i known that when you join the servce that you might end up some where like iraq but the reason why i choce the ref is cos the only area of this servce which is not open to woman is there regament devision.

Reply 8

ThomA2

mankyscot2

Is that true, i would have thought that all officers had to go through Initial Officer Training and then specialise after that.

As i have said, i'm not an expert so i'm sure the raf website that ThomA2 will be more useful than me.

Cal

SERE is like IOT, but shorter. I haven't just made it up, honest.

From www.rafcareers.com:

"Professionally qualified officers

If you join as a professionally qualified officer, such as a Medical or Legal Officer, you’ll train at RAF Cranwell for two months. Your course will include a thorough grounding in RAF knowledge and developing your physical stamina to make sure that you are fit enough to serve your community."

Scottish_Chick, it is incredibly unlikely that you will ever fire a shot as a legal officer, but that isn't really the point. If you couldn't handle it if you had to, then perhaps you should give some more thought to serving in a military organisation.

Reply 9

Scottish_Chick

well i have already been on the raf web site so i know you have to do 12 week training then about year training as an officer but its just the idea that i might have to shot at ppl gives me the creeps. But dont get me wrong i known that when you join the servce that you might end up some where like iraq but the reason why i choce the ref is cos the only area of this servce which is not open to woman is there regament devision.

well you would definately have to shoot at people if you were in the regiment.

As i am going in for pilot, it could one day turn out that i have to bomb entire encampments, and who would in their right mind think that killing ten's to hundred's of people is easy. But it will come with the job and i will be prepared to take orders of that magnitude.

but i agree with ThomA2, if you have doubts that you wouldn't be able to shoot someone if that situation arise then i wouldn't go into the ARMED forces. The police may be a good option because the british police force is the only one in the entire world who do not equip their officers with guns.

Reply 10

BlackHawk

17

Scottish_Chick the best thing that I can suggest you do is get yourself down to a locl AFCO where they can inform you best. If you are looking at joining the RAF as a legal officer then you will already know the raf careers site information about having a professional degree and a SERE course.

If you are worried about the chance of picking up a gun and shooting someone I think that it is very safe to say that you wouldn't. I can't imagine why anyone would send a lawyer to war to kill people. I think we would send the ATC first if we got that desperate. At least they practice shooting :wink:

Nobody likes the idea that they may potentially have to go to war, and those that say they do don't really have a clue what it is like to be honest. But you aren't thinking of joining a front line branch like pilot, regt, or FC so I don't think you should worry to much about it. Like I said though, pop into the Armed Forces Careers Office and they will be able to help you a lot.

Reply 11

BlackHawk

17

mankyscot2

if you want to become an officer, i'm not 100% but i think all officers have to go to OASC and then to IOT which will mean that you get the same tests, same basic training as a pilot.

IOT isn't specifically basic training for a pilot.

Reply 12

Wzz

11

mankyscot2

Is that true, i would have thought that all officers had to go through Initial Officer Training and then specialise after that.

Everyone does a form of initial officer training, be it the 24 week long course (not for long :wink:

) or the 8 week Specialist Entrants and Re-entrants one. Then, correctly, you're off to specialist training. You certainly won't do the same "Basic training" as a pilot, as basic's technically either the Tucano, King Air or Squirrel courses depending on your stream...

Reply 13

Wzz

11

Scottish_Chick

So is it true that if a war breaks out i if i become an officer will i have to go war cos its apart of being an officer

No, we're not going to give you a weapon and second you to the Royal Irish or anything like that. However, you'll be trained to use weapons, and you'll be trained to defend yourself.

You can be deployed; a lot of legal work goes into targeteering and rules of engagement etc, so you might well find yourself advising in a warzone. In which case, you'd be expected to stick on a gas mask when sirens go off, and pick up a rifle and defend the base as far as necessary if it were attacked.

If you genuinely can't handle that thought, then think carefully. It's an armed service; if you want to be a lawyer, fine, but if you can't be content with the idea of picking up a weapon and fighting, you probably shouldn't be one in the services.

Reply 14