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FEATURES


The Journey to Joining InitialOfficer Training


By Sqn Ldr Geoff Leech Senior President, Officers and Aircrew Selection Centre (OASC)


The scene is acocktail party at the Commandant’s residence and agroup of Initial Officer Training (IOT) cadets is talking to an officer from the OASC. There is afamiliar line of questioning: “How do you choose the current affairs questions?” “Are all the exercises achievable in the given time?” “Is there aCCTV camera in the Candidates’ Mess?” To share the answers to these questions, Iwould like to tell the story of a typical OASC Selection Board.


Prior to their arrival, all candidates will have gone through abasic assessment to satisfy general ground- based medical requirements. Those


12 Envoy Spring 2017


who are applying for aptitude-related branches (aircrew,controllers and potential intelligence officers, for example) will have visited previously to take the relevant aptitude tests. The results are then made immediately available to the reviewing staff who must be prepared for acomplete polarity of emotions. There can be relief and joy or desolation and tears. For those who have made the grade for their particular branch there is no issue; they are through to the next phase. For those who don’t, there are some options open to them. They may have asecond or third choice that they can still pursue or the erstwhile aspiring pilot may have an impressive


aptitude score for Aerospace Battle Manager and may express an interest in that branch. For some, though, their dreams may have to be put on hold and the reviewing Officer will chat through arange of options for them depending on their individual circumstance. They may try again the following year,they may consider another branch, they may apply for a university place or may see if Easyjet is interested in them.


The first time all the candidates on the newly arrived board will meet one of the Boarding Officers (BOs) is when they are assembled for the arrival brief in the Candidates’ Mess. Out of the 24 individuals booked on the board, two


www.raf-ff.org.uk


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