U need 2 know

[BigGrecian]

Strolling in the ante room today I stumbled across a new publication called "U need 2 know"
It features information on factors affecting the RAF including a nice timeline showing us how the RAF is planning to reduce.
It's a nice idea, where some senior officer has decided to make this publication "cool" by reverting to text message based language. I suppose that this is an improvment on the old communication based A4 job (Is it meant to replace these?), aimed at making us aware of the issues affecting the RAF nowadays, but most of the information contained within is News most of us are aware of anyway.
Any one else encountered this creation?

[L J R]

Does this mean that if you don't understand 'new vogue' text message abbreviation, you are considered redundant - and therefore can expect a huuuuuge payout????



,

[rej]

There is obviously way too much spare money in the pot these days as we got a copy each at Shrivenham - or are they eating into the redundancy payout budget to keep us all informed!!

[Jackonicko]

I need 2 kno. NE1 want 2 don8 one?

[Father Jack Hackett]

Now, now Rej, you've got to realise that good corporate comms are essential in any progressive, modern organisation.

Oh actually.......

[November4]

U Need 2 Know.......

That if you want to hear it first - read the papers



What a waste of money!! :mad:

[Jackonicko]

Quite apart from the embarrassingly inappropriate title, which makes the officer whose picture appears below it appear to have endorsed the whole shambolic publication, this leaflet could scarcely be any less trendy and 'with it', from its typography and layout to its phraseology.

Much more serious, in my view, is the way in which it continues to blur the line between proper corporate communications and New Labour spin.

The section on Support Helicopters was typical:

"The National Audit Office recently assessed the UK helicopter fleet as the most capable in Europe, and it has considerable operational experience from a variety of challenging theatres of operation. Over the next 10 years £3Bn will be invested in heliicopeters across the Armed Forces to replace and upgrade our capability. With the improved security situation in Northern Ireland, some reduction in helicopter numbers will be made."

It would take a very unusual mind to take away the fact that the "UK helicopter fleet is the most capable in Europe" from the NAO report, when the main thrust of that report was that the fleet was too small, dramatically over-stretched, and with a capability gap that would last for a decade. Which is why, before Mr Hoon's little cut-fest, more than £4 BN had been allocated. But 'U' presumably don't need to know that......

:yuk:

[JessTheDog]

The brain-rot that passes for corporate comms should go straight in the bin! I give more credence to what I read in the Torygraph or the Mail!

The worrying fact is that if you read AP1 on "ethos" (I think) it states that all members of the RAF are to play their part in corporate comms.

Telling such lies undermines the trust and respect that is supposed to underpin ethos.

Thank God for the chuff chart!

[Melchett01]

I still think that more could be gained by giving us proper bog role!

Still disturbed to read (as mentioned yonks back on PPrune) about the need for only 64 offensive and 16 AD ac in an expeditionary role.

But then again, having seen CAS's priorities for the rest of his tenure, I suppose thats about right for the 51 Air National Guard Expeditionary Reserve Wg!

[ChopRider]

Hi, this is my first post here so go easy on me.

I totally agree with what BigGrecian is saying, the title of the publication is completely inappropriate. I'm a young person and pretty handy with the old txt speak but used the context of a serious 'newsletter' (For want of a better phrase) the 'U need 2 know' title just looks stupid and is an obvious attempt to appeal to younger people and make the authors look hip and cool.

The Fathers 4 Justice group makes a similar mistake- using the text speak almost trivialises the important issues and causes the authors to lose credibility (In my eyes).

As for the actual meat of the newsletter, the information is rather vague and seems to have a large amount of spin attached to it as Jackonicko rightly said.

This just seems like another waste of money

[Trumpet_trousers]

.....that not only is yerman's 'vision' for the RAF to be the premier Air Force in Europe, but more disturbingly that we, apparently, are/are working towards being the 'coalition partner of choice' for good ol' Dubya's outfit too....

.......would sir like a Knighthood at the end of his tenure, perchance?

[BEagle]

If anyone wants to read 'u nede 2 no' or whatever its childish name is, you can read it here:

http://www.gapan.org/news/RAF%20%20Need%202%20Know.pdf

Nothing in it about FSTA - or any other AAR aircraft for that matter.

[TURNBULL]

Isn't it ironic that in the same section which claims that the RAF SH Force is the most capable in Europe they use a Merlin as the illustration !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone on Eagles Eye recently?

[Pontius Navigator]

We got THREE copies each!

[Doppelganger]

It reminds me of the Max Headroom style video that David Owen made a few years back, in order to be 'in touch with the yoof'.

BAD error.

[Twinact]

So what happened on EAGLES EYE? I'm intrigued.

[Oggin Aviator]

other ‘quality of life’ issues where real frustrations exist are being considered. Excessive bureaucracy, waste and inefficiency must be challenged

Like how much did this cost to produce?

Does Tescos have 2000 people in its HR depatment?

RAF PTC and RN 2SL (and I assume the army equivalent) empires should be made more efficient, with less spent on glossy b*ll*cks and more spent on the front line.

Just my thoughts.

[JessTheDog]

Would 1 AIDU not be better employed in the production of UK Mil ADPs and AIPs, en route charts etc?

At least these would fetch more on Ebay!:E

On a more serious note, I would have thought that with the advent of NEC (or Not Enough Cash) it would be appropriate to look at getting the paper information into electronic format.

Good to see where the priorities lie!