Travel really depends on where you end up being posted and what job you're doing there. For example guys on Tactical Supply Wing generally spend 6 to 9 months a year away on various exercises and deployments, whereas someone working at a main operating base with aircraft not currently involved in operations may only go away on one 2-3 week exercise a year. The 4+ month deployments to Afghan/Falklands etc are separate and work on a 2.5 turn around (you'll go roughly 2.5 years after you got back from your last one). But to give you a rough idea, I've spent most of my 11 years working on aircraft squadrons and other jobs directly involved with their support, and I've done just under 500 days overseas. That includes Afghanistan (and other) deployments which are generally 4 months (about 123 days) each, as well as a fair few 2-3 weeks exercises in various places. Most exercises and shorter deployments are arranged by your local management so it's easy to volunteer for as many as you want. You can also volunteer for operational deployments it you'd like to go away more often.
Basic trade training is exactly that, it gives you the very basic knowledge and understanding you need. Most of your training will happen on the job at your first unit. I do see plenty of newbies coming through, I've got one under my wing at the moment and the best advice I could give is listen to the guys who've been in for longer than you have, regardless of age. Something I've seen over the years is that older guys join up and struggle when guys 5 years or more younger than them are giving them tasks and or teaching them. Avoid that and you'll do fine. Also just make sure you put the effort in when it comes to learning jobs you've not done, and never be afraid to ask seemingly stupid questions.
By high profile I refer to the fact that you may find yourself dealing directly with high ranking officers and MoD civil servants on a regular basis, as well as doing a job which directly affects the ability of the RAF to provide air power. Basically if you don't do your job properly, aircraft don't fly.
My job at the moment is managing/storing/delivering and managing the repair process for all Typhoon avionics and major mechanical components including the classified assets. It's a bit of office work, a bit of warehouse some delivery driving and a lot of dealing with British Aerospace and other contractors. It's far more involved and varied than I could really explain via this medium to be honest, to some degree because without a working knowledge of the trade many aspects of it would be hard for you to appreciate. It's also a shift work job, as are many parts of supply, although there are also plenty of day jobs if that's what you want. I'm on nights this week, which is 1600 - 0230.
The thing to remember of course, is that you don't choose your job and then stay there unlike in the civi world. You will spend around 2 years (on average) in a job before moving somewhere else (while staying at the same unit). You simply join the trade and can do any job whatsoever within it at any time during your career, if you can bored in one job you can just ask to move somewhere else. In addition every 4-6 years you'll be posted to a new base so everything will change again, and all the while you'll be doing deployments on which you'll do different jobs again.
Oh and Movers are just the people who weren't good enough to be suppliers
. But in all seriousness, they spend most of there time just loading freight onto aircraft (C-17, Hercules etc). They do spend a lot of time away, but always doing the same job and they are also pretty much limited to RAF Brize Norton and Lyneham.
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- However we will do our best
. I have been posted all over the Uk and travelled to most places in the world so if you want any general advice i can help. When i joined up you just swore on the bible did some incredibly simple tests and signed your life away, I joined with no GCSE,s or anything just willing to serve....