Career in the RAC?

[Mr.Brown]

To start off I'm a newbie to the forum. I've applied to join the British Army as a foreigner and I've already started a thread in the personnel section to get advice on that whole process. Anyway I havent made my mind up about which job to go for really, although my first preference was for Gunner OP Assistant, however I've read around the forum that this is hard to get into from civvies (fair enough too). Basically I want something in the "teeth" triad, so my other preferences are Infantryman and Tank Crewman. There is one point that I have a eustacean tube dysfunction that would prevent me from parachuting or diving, although I'm totally cool with flying as a passenger and climbing mountains and all that.
Anyway I wander from the point, which is this: if I go RAC, how long to I have to be a driver for? Not that I have a problem with the job (I'd have to learn to drive for a start but I gather this is taken care of), but I'm interested in being a Tank gunner more. I know it's not kosher to become one from the start, but how long does it usually take? Oh and so you know I have 20-20 vision and full colour perception and all that so I don't see anything medical keeping me from non-para roles.

 

[scarletto]

Well, how longs piece of string??? Driver to Gunner, Gunner to Driver, depends 1 week i was driving then swopped round so was gunner, whys it not kosher to be a gunner straight away???

Not sure about your eustacean tube dysfunction, but i still had to drive back to camp after finding i had crabs, so dont think youve a problem

Honestly depends on your first trade training be it goonery or oil and rag, before you get your next trade, but no doubt some whippersnapper will put you right

 

[matty198622]

so if i have crabs ill be ok too??

 

[gallahad]

Be careful you don't end up in this mob
http://www.rac.co.uk

 

[Mr.Brown]

Be careful you don't end up in this mob
http://www.rac.co.uk

I'm pretty sure the recruiters will know the difference. Then again, the recruiters here probably wouldn't since they're all from Manpower Intl' rather than the actual Military.

So it's possible to jump into Gunner fairly quickly if you're good and you play your cards right then?

 

[wayner1970]

Its a fair assumption (based on the fact that i am also assuming you are 18 or older), that you are more likely to do your Dvr qual first and arrive at the regiment in that role. The Gunners tend to be trained from the junior entrants (16 yrs old).

As a rule of thumb, you can expect to complete the other two trades within 18 months of arriving at the Regiment. However there are many variables not least the fact that the 18 months will almost certainly be interupted by a trip somewhere sheiite.

Also if my lot are anything to go by you will be cross trained on just about every other vehicle in the spectrum, so far this year we have converted to CVR(T), Bulldog, Mastif, all the WIMIKS ever made and of course where there was time we saw pictures of our core role platform MBT.

Proof if it was needed that the RAC soldier is probably the most adaptable in all theatres on any given vehicle or on shank's pony, you can dumb down but you cannot dumb up.

 

[Mr.Brown]

Cross traning is never a bad thing I guess. Anyway as I said I'm undecided, and yeah I'm 19 and a half but I have three more months to decide so I guess I'll see how I go on the aptitude testing and work it out from there.
Cheers.

 

[Forks]

When you get to your phase 2 training, it will be decided there which course you will do. From my experience, they seem to put some of the younger guys on the gunnery courses , although I am 22 in a month and was put on it. Also, I think the results of your BARB test can determine this also. Mine was fairly high (okay, it's like the top in the whole training sqn, but now I'm just showing off), so if you are quite intelligent they seem to push you towards gunnery.

Even if you get put on a driving course, depending on regiment, they'll get you gunnery training fairly quick anyway. My regiment aims for 12-18 months before they get you on the other course. So I'll be driving soon enough regardless.

But with the various conversions and changes going on anyway, you could be doing anything, so it's certainly going to be varied!

 

[Mr.Brown]

Sounds good. Like I said I don't mind waiting a year or two, I just didn't love the sound of being a driver only for 4 years. Then again, I might do well, I've sat many an exam in my time but I have really no idea what to expect in the aptitude testing for something like that. On the ADF test I got pretty much told to go for officer entry though so I must have done alright. Not that I wound up getting taken for it, and I won't be going down that rabbit hole again.