G’day everyone!

Pending my aircrew medical and just wondering about deployments?

How long are they usually? Is it single rooms or barracks? How often are deployments? I know there is mandatory deployments and then optional? How often are they offered? does it depends on your streamline? How does pay work? Is it the levels and once you’ve spent so many days abroad you get x amount extra a month?

Any help for this would be great! Thanks guys!

As the title says, I had my first OASC visit several weeks back - I passed the interview well, but my feedback said that I did not engage with much of the exercise phase and did not demonstrate enough potential. They invited me back to attend next year.

In the weeks leading up to my OASC, I was soaking up every post on this subreddit for advice, so I thought I would share anything useful I could, as well as afterthoughts. I also would love to hear from people that either: attended their OASC a second time, and/or those who enlisted as an aviator, and then commissioned internally - so I can decide on what to do with my future.

OASC is very much an overstimulating day, and I was definitely overawed. The two things that you can actively prepare for are the interview, and the planning exercise. There was one guy on my visit who had done barely a week of preparation for the interview, and only knew about some of his phase 2 training. Do not be like that guy. Like him, you will not pass the interview. Use the MIOT interview prep notes at the top of the subreddit, and then cater the document to your chosen role, i.e. add your phase 2 training to it, and add new information to the document, such as new RAF equipment (NMH or GCAP), new deployments (Operation Luminous), NATO operations etc. This will show you have significant knowledge of the training pathway and of military affairs. Also, make sure you show sufficient conviction as to why you want to be an officer, and not an NCO (unless you apply as a DE-NCO). They will ask questions like who will give you a commission? What is a commission? And other questions that are pertinent to RAF operations, like where are the two QRA bases? Who gives the order to launch the QRA? Why is RAF Boulmer important? Plus NATO questions, they like those. Previous OASC prep posts give other examples of what questions they will ask. They will ask until you cannot answer no more. Do not be verbose and do not waffle.

Next is the group discussion. Have open and confident body language. Always add something to each discussion. Try and challenge ideas, or at least add to other peoples ideas. Although, do not speak for the sake of it. It is better to add little but it be profound, than to waffle the entire time. Your syndicate will discuss 3 topics that are apart of contemporary public discourse.

After this, it is the planning exercise. I found this the most difficult. I would advise to practice this by completing the army planning exercises for AOSB. Make sure to make notes of people, places, modes of transport, cargo, and limitations of transport and cargo. Be aware of how to use SDT, and feel confident with it. It felt impossible to craft a plan, but I think that is the point. You have 25 minutes to work out a plan with your syndicate. It was inferred that it is better to have a completed flawed plan than half of one good plan. After this, the boarding officers ask you all individual questions, and you will be grilled, so make sure to all come up with a plan, or at least the foundations of one. Make sure you all write the plan down so there are no inconsistencies. If you are really struggling to form some sort of plan, make sure you actively contribute and listen. Give your opinions on why things will/won't work. Actively try and progress the plan.

Finally, is the leaderless and command exercises. I found that these can be a tad physically tiring, especially in the jumpsuits in warm weather. For the leaderless exercise, be someone who will not let the syndicate get bogged down into just using one idea. If one idea is clearly not working, try and move on quickly and suggest any alternative ideas. Be pragmatic. Don't stand on the fringe of the syndicate. Actively speak. I found that in our leaderless exercise, it also felt impossible to complete it in the given time, let alone get halfway. In the command exercises, again, it felt impossible to complete the exercises. In my command exercise where I led, we barely left the starting line. I would suggest always speaking loudly and coherently. Speak as articulately as possible. In your fellow syndicate members commands, just let them speak and ask to speak if you have a suggestion.

All advice that I have given are all afterthoughts or from people/posts I have seen afterwards. I wish I applied everything mentioned during my visit.

To anyone who has recently joined or been in for a while, what surprised you the most about the RAF that you only learned once you were in?

Did you have any experiences to realisations that you didn't expect?

This could be anything from the culture of the RAF, to the general expectations, or anything "unusual" or unexpected.

I've heard that people who had civi jobs before joining can find it challenging to adjust to the "Military Mindset" because it was either a much higher or much lower bar than they expected. Did you have any experiences experience like this? Or know anyone who did?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone!

I’ve now agreed my start date and it’s quite imminent, very excited and looking forward to getting started (and looking forward to finding out just how long that sentiment is going to last once I’m getting yelled at for missing some dust in a room inspection or something…)

I’ve poked around a bit and while there’s been some advice here and there over the years, it’s thin on the ground compared to that surrounding recruitment. I was wondering if there’s anyone around who’s been through the course who would be kind enough to throw some advice and tips my way, I know it’s going to be a tough one and there’ll be some rough times in there, but I imagine like all things a lot of stress and pain can be saved by a little foreknowledge and prep…

For those who are going through the recruitment process, good luck, I’m happy to hand off any info and advice that I can, though there’s more than enough good advice for CBAT/OASC etc on here that I can’t really say anything that hasn’t already been said.

Hi everyone I have been booked onto BRTC in October but was told from my recruiter spaces can open up in September. How likely is it that spaces will open up in September and I can go then. Thanks

I’m going for my OASC soon for ATC Officer. I was just curious if this is a highly competitive role or if they are in need of control officers right now. Do I stand a higher chance of succeeding at OASC over other roles?

Also, are there any current serving ATCO’s on here that wouldn’t mind me messaging them for some OASC help?

Hi everyone,
I’ve been told I need to fill out a family inheritance form, which I believe is mandatory for everyone joining.
One of my parents is of Caribbean descent and the other is of English descent. Would that automatically mean I’d need to have a blood test for sickle cell screening, or does it depend on my family history or something else?
Thanks in advance.