JOINING INSTRUCTIONS FOR POTENTIAL REGIMENT OFFICERS’ COURSE (PROC)

1. The RAF Regiment Depot and the RAF Regiment Selection Centre are located at RAF Honington in Suffolk. The nearest railway station is Bury St Edmunds.

2. All correspondence regarding your visit should initially be made to your sponsor, i.e. your Senior Careers Liaison Officer, Careers Liaison Officer, or Armed Forces Careers Office.

3. Correspondence for the RAF Regiment Depot should be addressed to:

SO3 RAF Regiment Recruitment Support Flight (RRRSF)

PROC

Training Wing

Royal Air Force Honington

Suffolk

IP31 1EE

Telephone 01359 269561 Ext 7171 or 7938 (Orderly Room)

4. You are to travel to Bury St Edmunds train station by rail for collection at 2045 on day 1 of the course. You will then be taken to RAF Barnham where you will be accommodated for the duration of the course. If you are a serving member of the armed forces you may travel to RAF Barnham by car ensuring that you arrive at the RAF Barnham guardroom at 2115 on day 1 of the course.

5. Dress for the course is to be appropriate to the Officers’ Mess, i.e. jacket and tie. The following personal kit will also be required:

a. Running shoes, shorts and t-shirt, swimming trunks and towel.

b. One pair of broken-in walking boots or military boots.

c. A suitable amount of smart clothing to last the duration of the course.

d. Soap towel and shaving kit.

e. 2 personal passport sized photographs.

f. Pen and paper.

6. Any further equipment required will be supplied to you for the duration of your visit. However, if you possess DPM clothing, you may bring it with you. If you do not have a pair of boots, a pair can be provided but it is preferable to bring your own with you.

7. The PROC is mandatory for anyone who aspires to become a RAF Regiment Officer and its purpose is to identify candidates who display the potential to complete the Junior Regiment Officers’ Course. Therefore you will be assessed on the attributes you will need to complete that course; Physical robustness, leadership skills, academic capability and determination.

8. The course is split into two phases and only candidates who successfully complete Phase One will proceed onto Phase Two. Phase One of the course consists of a series of physical tests and is one day in duration. As a prospective member of the Royal Air Force you will be expected to comfortably meet the minimum standards of fitness required of the Royal Air Force; as a potential Royal Air Force Regiment Officer you are expected to meet these standards and illustrate potential for further training by exceeding them. The following guidance will give you an indication of the level of fitness that you should be at before coming on a PROC:

3 mile run in 24 minutes

20 press-ups in 1 minute

35 sit-ups in 1 minute

The job you are applying for demands a high level of fitness so only students who meet the minimum standards set for Phase One will proceed onto Phase Two of the course. If you are unsuccessful you will be constructively debriefed, accommodated overnight and returned to the train station the following morning.

9. Over two full days Phase Two of the course will assess your leadership skills and academic ability while continuing to push you physically. You will be expected to write, construct and deliver a group presentation, complete two runs (one in boots and one in trainers) as well as take part in command tasks. You will be introduced to life in an RAF Officers’ Mess.

10. A short history of the RAF Regiment can be found on the RAF Regiment website (http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/history/ ). On day 4 of the course you will be expected to deliver a 10 minute group presentation on an aspect of the RAF Regiments history. You will be chosen to deliver a presentation on one of the following topics:

a. Discuss the roles of the RAF Armoured Car Companies and their links to the RAF Regiment.

b. Describe the events that surrounded, and led, to the formation of the RAF Regiment in 1942.

c. Discuss the RAF Regiment involvement in Iraq.

d. Using current operational commitments as a starting point, and both traditional and non-traditional RAF Regiment employment as inspiration, speculate the future role for the modern day RAF Regiment.

You will have access to the RAF Regiment museum on day 2 of the course in order to finalise your presentations but it is recommended that you have fully researched all of the topics above before arriving at RAF Honington.

11. Successful completion of the PROC is your first step towards earning you Royal Air Force Regiment ‘Mudguards’ and joining the Corps’ Officer Cadre. You will still have a long way to go but you will have proven that you have the potential to complete the Junior Regiment Officers’ Course upon successful completion of Initial Officer Training at Royal Air Force College Cranwell. The course is a formal part of the RAF Regiment Officer selection procedure, therefore you are to ensure that you arrive fully prepared and fully fit to take part in all the activities on the course.

12. You are encouraged to make use of the RAF Regiment website (http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/) and other IT avenues open to you such as the Facebook forum where you can establish communications with other candidates on your course and discuss preparation for it.