RAF 🇬🇧

Does anyone have a partner who is in the RAF or military and have any advice on how to cope or if they know how things work in the RAF? A bit of back story (thank you to anyone that takes the time to read)💕 I am 7 months pregnant, my partner is going on Monday for his training for the RAF. He will be away for 10 weeks for this, with only possible phone calls as and when he can. During this time he will be away for the birth and has been told he won’t be allowed time to come home for birth or to meet her. He is then away for 15 months straight away afterwards only allowed home on weekends, originally the plan was for me to move with him during this time as it is 3 hours away from where we currently live. But during the process we have found out no accommodation will be given to us and baby he will only have single accommodation for himself. I have a few worries: 1. He will not bond with baby 2. Our relationship will not work out 3. I will technically be a single mum for 2 years until he is permanently based somewhere Just for reference he will be at RAF Halton for 10 weeks phase 1 training, and then 15 months at RAF Cosford for phase 2 (We live in Kent at the moment) X

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Sadly as it is freshly new training that he is in the beginning of you would not be allowed to be houses until he is at regiment. Could he push back on his start date for the first phase of training??

They did offer to push the training back to the end of the year he asked what I would prefer but I opted for him to just do the training straight away 1. Because then the process is over sooner 2. I didn’t want to have the baby, get used to him being around and then be left like a deer in headlights as I’d have gotten used to having him around x

Hi Sarah, my husband and I are still very new to RAF life (my husband only qualified in June 2023) But the best advice I could give you because we've had a few issues is to make sure your partner always speaks to more than one superior (we've been told different information from different people all the time 🙃) and definitely get him to speak to the padrae as they are the one who deals with welfare issues. I've also spoken to the charity Saffa and they're really helpful too. Please feel free to give me a message anytime aswell, I'm new to RAF life too and a soon to be first time mum too 🩷

@Sarah sadly that is military life, but personally if he's doing training now, you and little one can be at his pass off parade at the end of the 10 weeks, then him visiting at weekends. If you have friends and family around reach out to them for help, yes it might be tough in the beginning but as you said the sooner the better then he will be a regiment before you know it.

@Zoe Naomi thank you! We have said we will do weekends but My only concern with weekend visits is it’s a 3 hour journey so may get too much in the long term as he will be there for 15 months

@Sarah phase 2 training is slightly more relaxed, he could be finished early on Fridays. also remember he has the holidays off as well(like schools do)

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