I would like to put a bit of a counter arguement for what Chuff has put forward. Please feel free to debate back Chuff as I am still fresh meat but here goes..
There are people in the RAF who are remember how it used to be, there was a huge difference in the way that it operated, for example, they used to do guard with pickaxe handles..These people joined up into that lifestyle and loved that lifestyle. As time has gone by, the jobs have evolved and some people don't like what the military has become.
I joined up 5 years ago, I am now the fittest I have ever been, I have been on to two deployable units, currently at a tri-service unit doing satcomms. I joined up at 23 after doing the usual college/uni/dead end job route. When I joined up my trade was under-going some change. A lot of the people who had done 9-12 years didn't like this.. they had not joined up for this, some tried to kick off. I personally think the RAF had to evolve, the jobs had to evolve as the civvi equivalent's did.
The first unit I was posted to I lived in a box room, I could touch both walls, but with a bit of digging about I managed to move into a much larger room. I then got posted up to North Yorkshire. My room was en suite with a massive storage compartment and my new post is the same, I will quite happily take pics of the accomodation if you like. I can do the same for the blocks at Brize as well if you want to see them.
If you are married there are various grades of accommodation and you will pay depending on the spec of the house you move into. You have the choice to turn down two houses before you decide to take a house. If there is no accomodation in your area then they will look to put you up in SSSA or family equivalent. Two of the lads with me have just moved into these, they get paid extra for the inconvience, one lives in a town house in the centre of Cheltenham and the other in a brand new build just outside.
There are pro's and con's to the military, I have done 4 tours in 4 years and I am going away the end of this month for 4 months, the plus side is I save a sh!t load of cash and splash out when I get home. I now work for 28k a year as an SAC plus all the extra such as Op Allowance, money when on exercises, petrol money for driving to work etc. I would never have been on that if i had stayed in Swansea working in the DVLA.
I play ice hockey for the RAF also, this is another thing to bear in mind. If you like the gym you are able to use most camp gyms 24/7, you get free dental care and healthcare.. It all adds up, the downside is that you could be away a lot, you could be sat about doing f**k all quite regularly and you have to party a lot.
If you want advice on the Gen Tech trade, I have 3 working with me at the moment an SAC a Cpl and a Sgt, I also have a friend working in a Deployable role who can also provide information and a Cpl up in Lossiemouth in Scotland who does station electrics.. So any questions you have I can find out the answers hopefully.
Dicky
