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Rating, Soldier, Air/Ground Crew or Officer in the British Armed Forces?

Step 3: Choose The Right Path

Enlisted Or Officer

On the face of it the question of whether to join the UK Military at the rank level (which, for those that don’t know the terminology at rank level you would be a soldier in the Army or Air/ground staff in the RAF, a rating in the Navy or a Commando in the Marines) or officer level seems quite obvious. Officers get paid more, have more responsibility and have more chances of finishing their career at a senior level. However, it’s not quite as simple as that. Some people prefer a more hands on approach to their daily tasks rather than supervising other people. The Armed Forces have a well established promotion policy that promotes on merit so it’s possible to rise through the ranks at a pace to suit you.

The officers are the senior managers of the Armed Forces so it’s equivalent to joining a corporate company as a line manager, or even a section head. It’s a big step up and carries lots of responsibility. However, all ranks are given management and leadership training and it’s the non-commissioned ranks that do a lot of the man management. There is also a lot of specialised and technical knowledge in the lower ranks – the British Military uses some amazing equipment that needs to be understood, maintained and repaired.

If you are academically gifted it makes sense to apply to be an officer. If you apply while you are still studying you can get grants to help pay for your education before joining the British Armed Forces.

If you have technical abilities but don’t fancy further education you need to weigh up the advantages you could get by joining the Armed Forces from school and being trained while you work and earn, or pressing on with your studies.

If you have no interest in continuing school you might be surprised by the qualifications and knowledge you will gain once you join the Armed Forces. Some people are suited to learning in school classroom conditions, while others prefer the more hand-on approach of the Military.

Joining as an Officer

The Armed Services offer a number of different ways of earning the necessary qualifications to enter as an officer. See the Education Benefits Overview section.

When you have completed your officer training you will need your management skills from the first day you start work. Here’s a summary of the different officer training routes.

Army Officer
RAF Officer
Royal Navy Officer
Royal Marines Officier