i dont no what to expect

[abz87]

please excuse me this is the first thread i have done so sorry if its not right.

my partner is starting his dream job jan next year he is joining the raf im so pleased for him.

im alittle nervous for our little family (we have a three year old) what does it mean for us. how often will we speak, or see him, what about the finance side of it and also will it be hard to adjust to everything?

please let me no of any experiences anyone has :)

Hi abz87.
I'm not a RAF wide (army).
So aren't you married? If you are, then you can live in a married quarter, so unelss your partner is away on op tour, then you'll see him whenever (evenings/weekends).

If you are not married, then you aren't entitled to a married quarter and he will either live in single accommodation (if he's being posted somewhere not near you) or he can lvie with you in your civilian home.

Not sure about what the RAF working hours/op tours are like compared to the army but there is always a good support system for partners and wives who's partners are away on op tour and even if you aren't married, they should still take into account that you and your 3 year old are dependents of him and support you/welfare officer info etc.

Hope this helps a bit.

If you're not married and not averse to it, then getting married woudl entitle you to a quarter.
Unlike the army though, RAF postings are often in one location for a long time so wives/partners often stay living in their own house, rather in quarters .

thanks vintageteacups no we are not married but we getting married late next year so i can move to quaters. alittle unsure about moving though cos we rent a lovely house and would hate to give it up for a not so nice house and are there waiting list for them or do you get them as soon as you apply

well - it depends what your priorities are really.
We're currently living in our own home and hating it as DH is travelling 2 hours to work and we only see him at weekends. It's awful.
With quarters, RAF quarters are usually quite roomy but will generally be quite old I think (1940/50s).

You apply once you know your posting/when you know you'll be married and they allocate you a house. On army forms, we can say where we want or do not want to live; in ........road/not numbers 1-23 etc but don't knwo with RAF.

Also, if you stay in your own house for 2 weeks after you're married, I think, you're entitled to have removals paid, otheriwse you're not....unless this rule has changed but don't think it has.

No, they won't pay for a move from civvy to military housing, but will pay for all further moves after that. Your partner can move into an RAF home 2 weeks before the wedding (and you on the day of the wedding).

Forces homes are worth it for the money you'll save - so so much cheaper than renting in the private sector. Your partner can apply for a house about three months before the wedding and they will find you something - no waiting list to speak of, really. The houses are pretty decent - not very pretty but a good size and most of them are in good condition on the inside.

RAF postings can be as short as 2 years - it depends on what branch/trade your partner joins.

I can't tell you what the finances will be like as it depends on your current circumstances. But the savings on housing if you live in quarters makes a big difference.

whatwill You are correct if it's mid- posting but not if it's a move due to posting.

OP - so if your partner will be moving on posting, then yes, you are entitled to fully paid removals.

abz87 welcome to the forum! I am not a wife of I'm in the rn but have lived and worked alongside the RAF for a couple of years. Your partner will do his basic training first either at Halton or cranwell - during this time his weekend leave will be very restricted and his evenings very busy so time home or phonecalls will probably be short and sweet! After his basic training he will have his specialist or trade training somewhere - this varies in length depending on the trade. After this he will get his first proper posting somewhere which will normally be for about 2 years. As mentioned the RAF can have a couple of jobs in one location sometimes which gives some stability but this depends on the trade.

Money wise he will start on basic pay which will slowly increase as he becomes more "qualified" ie certain elements of training will attract a pay rise!
House wise I would agree with moving into quarters when you are married, they are much cheaper than private rentals and you have the added support of being in a military community when your husband deploys - the only thing is you will be away from the support structure of your own family and may get homesick for a while. Best advice is get involved even if it is only mums and tots group.
Good luck and feel free to ask anything else!
Mrs S

Hi abz87, my Dh is in the RAF.

I can only comment on what the engineers seem to do, which after basic training is then cosford (nr wolverhamton) for a bit more training, then on to a squadron somewhere for a bit (I think about a year but it's been a while since DH did that so I could be wrong, and the training's changed) and then back to cosford for a bit more training before going back on to a squadron.

With the RAF we're lucky in that at most stations there are more than one squadron so your DH could spend years and years in one place (my DH has been at his current station for 7 years, although he's moved about between squadrons).

The married quarters here are lovely and there are plenty of mum's and tot's groups around so you'll be able to get out and meet people (it's important to do this as when your DH is away it can be extremely isolating if you don't know anyone). You may also find that the squadron wives get together for coffee etc.

How much time your partner spends away will depend on where he is posted, eg. my DH did 2 months away every year until last year when he did 4 1/2 months, and next year he'll do 3 months. This is in addition to the jollyholidays training they do away in between.

Good luck xx

thanks loads its put my mind at ease abit. he going in as a chief so other than the basic training i dont think his training should be to long as he going in as qualified as long as he passed some test or something as my understanding is.

sound really daft but not all up with the raf languge what do you mean when you say more than one squadron.

chief? do you mean chef? raf stations are fairly complicated, but as a chef i'd say he'd be working as part of the catering sqn in one of the messes, or something like in-flight catering. some flying stations also have an aircrew feeder type place.

training is at halton i think, for chefs.

if you really meant chief, then i'm stumped.

i'm sure it will all be fine - but i would def move into quarters as soon as you are able to. particularly if you are renting at the mo. unless you are working full time and don't want to leave your job.

hi have just found al these comments very use full i was searching the internet trying to find out how soon you can move in to married quaters as my partner is going on his basic training in oct we have two young boys and another baby due next yr. i would be gratfull if any one no's the answer or can give me advice on how soon me and the boys can move into married quaters? do we have to wait tilll his based or can we do it well his training? thankyou

Get yourself up to where we live - most of the people round here aren't married and seem to have quarters!

thanks saltire but we have been told i cant move on to base untill were married.

I think different camps must have different rules then. There are at least 6 couples that live round here in quarters aren't married.

If there are Saltire they are doing it illegally, SFA and OFA are only for married people, or civil partnerships, the regulations are quite clear on this. I have known couples get round it by saying the girlfriend is the au pair for the single serving parent with custody of a child. Or the single serving parent moves a partner in without telling anyone, but it is strictly against the rules and could land them in lots of trouble if they are found out.

like i say we have been told we have 2b married can't even do it if ur only engaged! Whats the waitin time 2live in married quarters?

nina, thats worth double checking. If you've been living together for a certain length of time and can prove it, it used to be that you were entitled to a house. However so much seems to be changing with the RAF that I'm not sure what the rules are anymore.

SSAFA are the best people for you to talk to about it

As far as I am aware there is a massive housing shortage in general throughout all the services, so I would be shocked if unmarried coupled were living fully legally in MQs unless there is a huge surplus of housing on that base.

With BFG being vastly reduced and returning to the UK the government forgot to factor in exactly where all these families would be housed. There are currently hundreds of Forces families returning to the Uk totally homeless and even places like the Cotswold Centre are full to over flowing. I have even heard of families being put into hotels for several weeks.

Likewise currently the Army are taking over some of the closed RAF bases such as Kinloss and Cottesmore (and others I beleive). RAF families are being moved out to make for them. This alongside the closure of RAF Lyneham where all the squadrons have moved over to a now very over crowded Brize Norton has caused housing chaos. Brize was the MQ estates you used to see on the news because apparently it was some of the worse in the country. From personal experience I can say they were not the best, very very ugly from outside and they were not without problems but alot nicer inside than out. Anyway - most of Brize housing is pre-fabs and lots are condemned. It seems to be when people MO the houses are sometime automatically condemned - so not all people leaving are freeing up a MQ. There are lots of new houses being built nearby and families are being allocated SSFA but there is a very very long waiting list. Some families are housed very far away from the bases and many service personnel are having to do forced MU because of the shortage. I also beleive Benson has similar housing shortage but not sure of the reasons behind this.

You only have to look at some of the FB groups like MQ R US amongst others to read some pretty horrible stories about very real housing issues.

Its a grim time for SFA allocations atm at most bases, although some do seem to have plenty of surplus. I am dreading our next posting (despite not knowing where it is yet) because I am expecting it just to be a nightmare with allocations etc.

Sorry to paint such a grim picture but with so many cuts over the years and BFG closure decison amngst other mergers/closures, it seems there are real pockets of housing shortages.

You have to be married. It's always been the case. Or they'd be giving houses to everyone in a "relationship" Ofc it now includes civil partnerships.

If they are living together unmarried. They won't have declared it. So I'd be reporting it. As its hell getting allocations for those who are entitled.

The loophole is - if DP has custody of a child full time he can get a quarter and the rules for guests staying is no more than 48? days at a time continuous. i.e. you go to family 1 weekend per month! I am married btw But I know how