Sergeant Lorraine Caddick
Job role: Caterer

Joined the RAF: September 1994

Overseas travel: Canada, Singapore, Brunei, USA

Career highlights:

• Acting as crew commander on a Green Goddess Army fire truck for six months during the fire services strike.
• Flying as cabin crew on aeromedical evacuation flights and getting the chance to help save lives.
• Doing a four-month secondment with the Prince’s Trust. I was a development coach working with kids who hadn’t had a chance to get into employment. That really opened my eyes.

“I joined the RAF straight from college. I’d wanted to be part of it since I was 11 – I don’t know why, it was just a feeling. I started as a caterer and that’s what I’ve stayed and it’s awesome – I couldn’t have made a better choice.

There are four different parts of my job as a caterer –the mess work, the flying side, VIP and mobile catering.

The mess is where officers and sergeants eat, drink and relax when they’re on base. We look after front of house and make sure everything runs smoothly. Then there’s the flying side, serving as cabin crew on aeromedical evacuation flights. Helping get casualties back to the UK for hospital treatment is incredibly rewarding.

In a VIP role, you work for a senior officer in the RAF. I worked for the Commandant of the College at Cranwell for 18 months. And then mobile catering is what it sounds like – catering in theatres of war. You’re some of the first people who go out there, setting up mobile catering units for the troops.

The variety is one of the best things about this job – you can apply for new tours all the time and move on, try something different. The travelling opportunities are fantastic, too. I’ve been to Darwin in Australia, Brunei, Canada, loads of places. It’s not always just hopping on and off a plane – I had ten days in Singapore, which was amazing. But my favourite place is Canada. We did whitewater rafting there and the scenery was just beautiful.

Next up for me is a new post back to Brize Norton for flying duties in October.

I can’t wait!”

Web Chat session with Sergeant Lorraine Caddick - Tuesday 25 January 2011

Flasks7347: You said in your info - you joined the RAF straight after college. So I guess you had all / most of the qualifications you needed already? Or Did you expand on those when in the RAF?

Lorraine Caddick: Yes I had all the qualifications required to join the RAF. The RAF gives you the opportunity to constantly learn year after year after year!!!! You're given standard learning credits (basically they pay you to go get educated - so it's sort of like sponsorship). I've recently done an ECDL course (European computer driving licence course) and the RAF paid for me to do that as part of my education. I mean to be fair you can do any education you want to do through the RAF - any courses. (But check on that first because there might be a few restrictions I don't know of!!!!!)

Tall Tree: How is the length of time you work in any given area of your job decided?

Lorraine Caddick: I'll go back to my catering world now let me think.... As a caterer we do three types of shift basically - earlies, lates and days. So obviously timings dictate there. We also have lots of functions in the mess which are usually outside of our normal working day which we'd still have to work. We have a summer ball once a year, therefore we'll have to work up to 24 hours in a shift as the function goes through to the early hours of the morning but that's just a one off once a year. The functions are absolutely fantastic to work though! I love that one in particular. You get time of afterwards. We tend to do barbecues / drinks after.

Dan: I have read that in the RAF your in a room with 14 people and have a locker and a cabnit, but in the videos on the website the rooms are individual with a tv, computer, sky, internet.

Lorraine Caddick: That first part of your question is when you're on basic training - and the reason you share is to help with team bonding that kind of thing! A lot of the individual items you just mentioned are individuals own property they've just bought it in to the room. And the rooms themselves are individual though (single person room once you've gone through training). A lot of the rooms are also en suite as well. That's camp dependant I can't speak for everybody.

katie: how long from your first application to join the RAF was it before you got your job and how many different interviews did you have to attend in order to be selected?

Lorraine Caddick: My gosh this is going back 17 years for me!!!! Let me think a sec... it took me 2 and half years to get in to the RAF, but that was because I was too young to join at the time. You had to be 17 and half when I joined up and I wasn't. However, once the process started, I was in probably within about six months. These days - the process is all dependent on the individual. There's lots of reasons why it could take a long time or lots of reasons why it could take a short time. e.g medical, fitness etc.

Tall Tree: Is a lot of your role to do with keepingg up people's morale do you think? And how do you keep up your own morale when you are working in difficult circumstances?

Lorraine Caddick: It is yes.... sorry my brain has gone to mush here for second!!!! It is definitely about keeping people'e morale up. And because we're a big team we all work together, and we all experience the good and the bad together. I think to keep my own morale going I think about my family at home. If we're on ops. the biggest morale booster is lots of letters and shoeboxes full of goodies!

jen.: how much did you prepare in terms of fitness and exercise before initial recruit training?

Lorraine Caddick: You cannot do enough fitness preparation before you go to initial recruit training! Because you're going to learn a lot of new things, if you can take pressure off yourself by being as fit as you possibly can that's something less to worry about during your recruit training.

Jiute Tupua: when you are in the RAF can you transfer to a different role, like if you were a Medic and after four years could you change to a PTI?

Lorraine Caddick: Every trade has it's own policies on this one - so this is out of my area sorry. You could go to your local AFCO (Armed Forces Careers Office) and I'd imagine they can give you some advice. It will vary a lot depending on what slots are available in each different trade / branch!

Dan: oh rite, so would you be able to bring in your own tv, laptop, game console etc. because the only thing that stops me from joining is even though its really exciting being in the RAF, i think i would get bored at weekends and some evenings. So could you bring like an xbox to your room after training?

Lorraine Caddick: You'll have your own room and you can bring in your own personal possesions. However, on the station there's lots of things to do there's a MASSIVE social life. Gym, clubs to join, the bar (I could go on). So you won't ever be bored. And I can't imagine you'd want to sit in your room with all that stuff going on!

sandy: Hi Lorraine do you actually have to cook food? If so, what kind of stuff do you make?

Lorraine Caddick: No I'm not a chef! I look after the.. well I'm like a hotel manager if you want a civvy comparison. I ensure the front of house runs smoothly, bars are run smoothly, accommodation is sorted out and plan and run / organise all the functions. Right from the basics speaking to the chefs, ordering food/ stock getting the layout of the mess right. Making sure we have staff for it. And basically getting that function to happen. It can be stressful especially when the customer wants something that you can't physically provide (eg room is too small). But we like to advise as a specialist unfortunately the customer knows what they want so it's all about compromise and negotiation.

Fahim: My sister is 14 at the moment and is picking her GCSE options. She wants to do catering and long term she is thinking of joining the raf after college. She wants to ask you what better benefits does the RAf offer over job opportunities in the outside world, i.e why is a catering job in the raf better then a catering job elsewhere ?

Lorraine Caddick: For me it's the best training she'll ever receive. Right from initial recruit training through to her specialist catering training. Once she's qualified, the job opportunities are terrific! For me you're always being pushed to produce the best. You're only as good as your last function!!! So you're always aspiring to be better. You've always got people around you that have done longer than you in the service, therefore have a lot more experience to pass on to you. I personally wanted to see all around the world which I've done. And doing something I am passionate about.

jen.: is there anything specific you would recommend doing to help with fitness before ?

Lorraine Caddick: Running for definite! You don't necessarily need to join a gym you can just run from outside your front door! And press-ups and sit-ups are extremely important. There is a fitness widget on the website on the application zone under "support for applicants" http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/applicationzone/rafregt_gettingfit.cfm there's all sorts of info there. The levels you need to get to for your pre joining fitness test "Can I join section" under "Fitness". Hope that helps! I personally did a lot of sports at school, football, athletics, hockey and cross country! I can't emphasise enough how important fitness is. It takes so much stress off you if you're already fit (or as fit as you can be).

sandy: Oh Ok, sorry! did you do any training in that kind of thing before you joined?

Lorraine Caddick: No I joined the RAF without any catering skills at all. I completed 15 weeks specialist training before being posted to my first camp. This is where your learning really starts! And it never ends. Even now as a Sergeant I'm always learning new skills.

Spooros: I don't have a RAF careers office near me, however i do have an army one. Would i be able to speak to someone about the RAF there?

Lorraine Caddick: All Armed forces careers office should actually be Tri service (Army, Navy, RAF). However, if you want to do chat online you can use the RAF Talk service (there are links for that on this careers website they're on little tab button thingies I think). And you'll be speaking directly to RAF AFCO staff who can answer your questions.

Dan: how much time do you actually get to see your family and friends. Is it possible to join the RAF and still have enough time to have a relationship? my girlfriend doesnt want to join or move anywhere.

Lorraine Caddick: Weekends and evenings are totally your own (when your'e not on duty). You get to see your family and friends lots of times when not on duty. And you can still have a relationship. Your girlfriend can come and visit you wheenver you're not working really. Unfortunately you will have to move around as the service needs require. (That's part of military life). How often you move is dependant on your trade at the time. Usually it's a 3 year tour. That means you'll be posted somewhere for 3 years. Most of the time to be fair that posting will be somewhere in the UK. However, you potentially do a 4 - 6 months tour overseas. Which is also again trade dependant.

Flasks7347: When you are working on formal events for officers - how much say do you have in the food you have to create?

Lorraine Caddick: The officers will give you an idea of what food they would like for a function. You and the chef will need to take in to account the type of function you are catering for. Which will then predetermine the type of food served. The chef gets the whole say to be honest and the final word (because he / she is going to have to cook it!) But we're very flexible and we'll always try and produce what the officers like.

Lorraine Caddick: There's been lots of questions about training - so I'm going to collectively answer here..... so once you've completed initial recruit training and specialist trade training, you are posted in to your first mess. You will then be shadowed by a more experienced member of the team who will guide you and help you in the first few months until you become more confidant and more experienced yourself. And then as time goes by, you then become the person who mentors new members of the RAF.

Dan: how often do you get promoted? and do you get a wage rise every year?

Lorraine Caddick: Promotion is competitive at every rank! There is no specific time limit. It's basically when you've showed the potential and the skills to be the next rank above basically is the way I'd look at it. You get your increment level (payrise).... now this is going to get complicated now - (there's job info on the site with basic starting salary after phase one training - so you could take a look at that to give you some idea). To expand on that - it's the day you get promoted or you start wearing the rank - that then becomes your increment level starts that day. And every year after whilst you're in that rank. However, there's only so many levels per rank. So once you get to the top level you will just mark time. (You'll then stay where you are until you get promoted and you get and you'll start a new level again then).

Lorraine Caddick: Had a few questions about the Prince's trust work I did.... so here I am general answering again (sorry!) I was recently seconded to the Prince's Trust for 4 months. To work with 16 - 25 year olds who have had a pretty rubbish time in life. And just needed a bit of a break. We spent 12 weeks with the individuals building back their confidance, teaching them life skills. And just helping them get on to the ladder of employment. I had a pretty preconceived idea that they would all be lazy with no direction. However I was completely wrong! We're all equals, it's just sometimes the choices that are made for us and the ones that we make ourselves take us on different paths. (I've suddenly got all philosophical here!) But it completely opened my eyes it really did!

jen.: what would you say the best thing about being in the raf rather than a civilian job would be for you?

Lorraine Caddick: The opportunities. The food!!!!!! The people you meet. And more importantly the friends you make for life! During my 17 years in the RAF, I've been fortunate enough to have travelled the world. And experienced things that I would never have DREAMT of doing. E.g - crew commander on the Green Goddess during the Fire strike. I'd never have imagined I'd be putting fires out. Not as a caterer! Causing a few maybe!!!!!! (No not really). I'm good at flambe really!

BlueCHEWingGUm: How do you manage if you are requested to do a dish for an event that you have never cooked before??

Lorraine Caddick: I just think you would have enough experience within the catering squadron to find somebody who knows how to cook that dish. It's all about teamwork in the RAF. Even from the lowest rank to the highest rank we've all got different skills and qualities to bring to the table. (no pun intended).

Pigeonics: How hot is it the kitchen in, say Singapore or Brunei?! (I see you've been to those places - wow!)

Lorraine Caddick: I was actually cabin crew when I went to Singapore and Brunei so sorry I wasn't actually in the kitchen. I saw a lot of the culture in both places. When I visited Brunei - we went to a funfare which is free to enter - but they prayed every 30 minutes and all the rides stopped while they prayed. Which we all found mind blowing! It's an awesome opportunity visiting all the different cultures from around the world. And experiencing lviing within that culture.

Dan: are you allowed to say on a friday night (so your not workin the next morning), go off base for a meal and spend a nite in a hotel so i could spend time with my girlfriend? in other words, can you leave base anytime and not stay in your room every night? Also do you feel free in the RAF??

Lorraine Caddick: As long as you report for duty at the appropriate time - you're free to do what you want (okay okay within reason!) People actually live off base. I personally have a house off base so I commute. As long as you're doing your daily job you are free to do what you've chosen to do. It's your own social life and free time after duty. It's exactly the same as having a job in civvy street. But your paid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so that if required yat short notice (this doesn't happen often).

cay: if i go in as chef would i be able to transfer to another job after a few years in the raf?

Lorraine Caddick: So it's dependant on lots of things - trade availablity, qualifications, age etc. Service needs at the time. And there are many other reasons you could factor in to it. But it's not impossible. There would be a cross over in basic training. Everyone does the same initial recruit training course at the start then you specialise. So you go on to your own trade specialisation.

Flasks7347: Do you get any time between postings to work nearer to home? Or is it pretty much always non-UK work that you do?

Lorraine Caddick: HOW QUICK DID THAT GO! Thanks everyone!

Views expressed during the web chats are those of individuals and do not necessarily reflect RAF policy.