When you become a Regular in the Royal Air Force you don’t just get unrivalled training and career opportunities, you’ll also make friends for life, go on endless adventures and challenge yourself daily.
WORK SCHEDULE
You work normal five-day weeks and have evenings and weekends to yourself. That said, regulars are not nine-to-fivers; they do what’s needed to get the job done, which could mean working round the clock, going on a mission at a moment’s notice, or transferring to a new location.
RELIGION
We do everything we can to cater to your personal requirements, including religion. Religious counsellors are on hand and you will never be too far from a multi-faith prayer facility. We’ll adapt your uniform, catering and duty roster to meet your religious requirements, where possible.
ACCOMMODATION
As a regular you have plenty of options when choosing where to live: a barrack block or ‘Mess’ on base, commute from home, or rent nearby – all of which are subsidised by the RAF. Most Regulars choose to live on base with hundreds of others and their families. Along with subsidised food and great sports facilities, there are also lots of socialising opportunities.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The RAF recognises the value of a person’s ability no matter their ethnicity, nationality, national origins, social background, religion or belief, gender identity, sexual orientation or marital status or civil partnership. We believe the talents and skills of individuals from different groups make for a more efficient RAF.
However, the RAF does have eligibility criteria for entry which everyone needs to meet (Medical and Nationality/Residency etc). These are listed on each role page throughout the website.
SHORT TERM POST
As an RAF Regular you could be sent on short-term overseas duty to use your skills to help with specific, temporary projects. Overseas duty can vary in length from a few days to a few months, depending on the job.
Past short-term missions have included airlifting supplies to a snow-bound mountain village, rescuing stranded crew from enemy territory and providing help to victims of natural disasters.
As part of a short term post you could see people and places you’d never normally see, and find yourself stretched and challenged in ways an average civilian job could never offer.
LONG TERM POST
As an RAF Regular you could be posted at locations all over the globe for two to three years, sometimes getting the opportunity to work alongside our coalition partners like NATO.
Life on long-term post tends to be similar to living on a base in the UK. You’ll find the same comfortable accommodation and quality food. Beyond that you’ll get to experience a place you normally wouldn’t, and have the opportunity to travel during peacetime posts.
We also provide a network of support for your partner and children while you’re away from home, but most regulars tend to take their dependent family along with them.
