What PGSC is

The Potential Gunner Selection Course (PGSC) is a 3 day course which is mandatory for anybody wishing to join the RAF Regiment. It is held at RAF Honington, Suffolk, the home of the RAF Regiment. It is designed to give applicants a chance to see if the RAF Regiment is the right career for them. It is used as a tool by RAF Regiment staff to select the best possible candidates to start training.

The PGSC gives candidates an excellent, informative and up to date look at what life in the RAF Regiment is all about. The propose of the course is two fold. Firstly it assesses a candidates suitability for training; areas of assessment include their physical fitness, knowledge of the RAF Regiment and motivation for applying. Secondly it gives candidates the experience of day to day life in the military and how well suited they would be to service life.

Throughout the course candidates will have the chance to interact with serving Gunners and Trainee Gunners currently undergoing the TG course. They will also receive presentations on the TG course and life in the RAF Regiment, welfare and current weapons.

The course is physically demanding, with lots of emphasis on an individuals physical fitness. Candidates are put through a series of fitness tests which they must pass to make themselves eligible for selection. All of the tests are carefully structured and are a good introduction to the type of physical training they will encounter on a TG course and throughout a military career.

The PGSC is there to ensure that the best possible candidates are put forward to start RAF Regiment training. It is a very rewarding course, with many candidates discovering a bit more about themselves during the 3 days, as well as gaining a sense of achievement if they pass and are selected.

What PGSC is not

PGSC is not an easy course. Just turning up does not guarantee a candidate a place on the next TG course. A lot of preparation is required in order for them to be successful, as well as demonstrating to the instructors their full potential.

The course is not an Acquaintance course, it is there to inform candidates about life in the RAF Regiment and what is expected throughout training. All the physical assessments are Pass or Fail, to continue with the process candidates must pass all the physical tests on the course. Preparation is the key to achieving a successful outcome.

PGSC is not just physical. Although the course is physically demanding, just like on the TG course, to be successful a candidate requires mental strength. The course, as with the RAF Regiment does not run 9 -5. There are early starts and late finishes, so the ability to remain switched on when candidates are tired, is essential. Also a candidates attitude, social interaction and sense of humour are taken into account when deciding on whether they are suitable.