The Potential Regiment Officers Course (PROC) (Normally pronounced "Pee-Rock") is an assessment tool of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the United Kingdom, for males wishing to become an Officer in the Royal Air Force Regiment. It has been in existence since April 2008, where it was previously known as the Potential Regiment Officers Acquaintance Course (PROAC). This name was changed due to confusion over whether the course was assessed or merely an introduction to the RAF Regiment.
Contents
Requirements
Successful attendance at the course is required of any person who plans to train as an officer in the RAF Regiment. A candidate will be at least 17 years and 6 months of age at entrance, will hold a British passport, will have a minimum of 5 GSCEs graded A-C and 2 A-levels, or will have achieved a certified comparable education.
Content and location
PROC is a four-day assessment course, designed to complement the military's Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre, for men wishing to become an RAF Regiment Officer.
The course is held at RAF Honington, near Suffolk on the eastern shore of England. Some training may also be given at other airbases or facilities.
The course is designed to discover a candidate's leadership qualities and ability to provide continued command in stressful situations. One's ability to communicate effectively, and one's physical condition, are also assessed.
Gym session
Consisting of:
Assault Course
The candidates traverse the RAF Regiment assault course as an initial introduction, and are invited to try the obstacles individually. After the candidates are familiar with the course, they are ordered the run the course, which begins and ends with a 100-metre sprint around evenly spaced barrels. The course is timed and every obstacle must be completed to pass. Some candidates have difficulty getting over the nine-foot wall; to avoid this problem it is important that candidates practice over-grip pull ups.
Group Discussion
The candidates are taken to the Officers Mess, given current affairs topics and are invited to discuss their views on the subject. The Assessment Officers will occasionally prompt the candidates to steer the conversations in their desired directions.
Low Ropes
The "Low Ropes" are designed to test leadership skills. The course is split into two and each group is given mission requirements without the knowledge of the opposing team. Candidates are assessed on the extent that they assume control of situations, and how they communicate their ideas to team members.
Presentation
The course is split into groups no larger than three and together, after a visit to the RAF Regiment museum, they are expected to present a brief history of the RAF Regiment. This is designed to test communications skills, as well as physical presentation, delivery and control over a large group of people when delivering vital information. Along with the course contents detailed above, a potential officer is also assessed by less traditional means. For example, during time at the Officers Mess, for meals and drinks, candidates are evaluated on their social interactions in non-structured settings.