WannaBeCrewman - you have to think this through and work out what you actually want from life. 5aday has said leave ASAP; to do what and on what wage or position? If you start again you will start from the bottom of a pay scale and lower position.
You will get numerous skills from the RAF, most of which you just don't realise you have. Things like confidence, public speaking, pride, strong work ethic, high standards, loyalty, leadership, problem solving, working under pressure, dealing with ambiguity, resource management etc.
You (if you are smart) will pick up numerous quals along the way such as SEREO, DIT, TRiM, HFF, First Aid, Uni Short Courses, another subsidised degree, the list is pretty long.
You have free dental, medical and gym. You have the potential to get on several courses/expeds such as gliding, diving, parachuting, mountaineering even try out for the bobsleigh team!
So what courses can you get on? Check DINs, SROs, the TDF, stations that have trg units that cater to your interests i.e. Air Warfare Centre - Electronic Warfare, Basic Air Warfare Cse, Aerosystems Cse, Human Factors, etc. Defence College - Flight Safety Officer, IT cses, Listening Skills and numerous more. RAF Valley - Mountain Rescue, SAR, access to Snowdonia. There are tons more if you take the time to look and think about it.
Try to broaden yourself as well, there are tons of holding jobs that people don't want but that actually develops you as a SNCO. Working for CASWO may sound like the most painful job in the world however, think about what you will learn. You will be exposed to the full spectrum of the RAF, very important staff work, very high profile exposure of NCA, dealing with very senior officers, make or break you as SNCO. Think of the bigger picture.
I wish I had a few yrs holding, I would use that time to get as much as I could for myself and more importantly to make me more employable both in the RAF and Civvie Street.
Looking at civvie street if you left in the next couple of yrs you could move back in with parents to save money. Buying your own place will cost, on a monthly basis, (very conservatively) £700 for mortgage/rent, £100 for council tax, utilities £60, £15 insurance, £100 travel costs to work, £40 gym, £10 dental = £1,025 pcm. That's very conservative and equates to around £12,000 a yr, a difference of around £9,500 extra costs over staying in the mess. So add £10k onto what you are paid just now, that is the minimum you would need to earn to have the same standard of living!
Think VERY long and hard before deciding to leave, you will not be able to come back. the grass isn't always greener, just a different shade of green
If its all too much then apply for ATC, Int Analyst etc.
