This is a long answer to the question but the rules are complicated and it's important you know what they are so please read on.

You can no longer 'buy yourself out' of the armed forces.

After the first 28 days of paid duty and before six months had passed since you enlisted, you could leave the RAF if you applied in writing to your commanding officer. This is called 'Discharge as of Right' (DAOR) and if you left in this way you wouldn't have to serve in the reserve. The six month deadline is absolute as far as your legal right to leave is concerned, but see below.

Once your six months for DAOR were up you would have no legal right to leave the RAF until three years after you'd finished training. The length of your training would depend on the job you enlisted to do. To leave then you would have to have given 18 months' notice in writing (so if you wanted to leave on 13 November 2012, you would need to have given notice on 13 May 2011). If you left the RAF in this way you would have to serve in the reserve for six years. Reserve service means that you may be called out to serve on active duty at any time.

If you received extra training or education or another benefit, you might have to sign a form to extend your minimum term.

If your six months for DAOR had passed but you were still under 18 you could apply for special permission to leave if you were 'genuinely unhappy'. Permission is normally granted but you would have to apply to your commanding officer before you turned 18. Your CO could delay departure if he or she wasn't convinced that you were permanently unhappy in the RAF, but normally you would be allowed to leave and you would not have to serve in the reserve.

If there were a time of 'imminent national danger', for example if the country were attacked, you may not be allowed to leave the RAF for the duration, whatever your circumstances.

If you tried to leave without the right to do so, you would be deemed Absent Without Leave (AWOL). This is an offence under military law and can be punished with a long prison term in some cases.

If you are thinking of joining, ask your recruiter to tell you in detail about the rules for leaving the RAF - it is very important that you know exactly what you would be signing up for.

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