Sir Jock to be new CDS

[tablet_eraser]

Apparently Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup takes over from Gen Sir Michael Walker as CDS today.

Sir Jock strikes me as a great leader who struggles to maintain a strong RAF despite Buff's pacifist- and Treasury-pleasing slashing of our Armed Forces. Every time I see him (Sir Jock, not The Lone Braincell) I'm impressed by the way he deals with the media - a great ambassador for the Service. And this time, I think we can be sure we have an RAF CDS who will not resign his Commission for playing around...

Good luck, Sir Jock!

(I wait with bated breath for TotalWar to rise up in defence of Buff...)

Oh... who for CAS?

[Archimedes]

Just a small point - Sir Mike Jackson is CGS; Sir Michael Walker is CDS.

[JessTheDog]

I can't find any mention of this on the MoD website, and it is about that time for CDS handover and it is the turn of the light blue.

New CAS - Burridge is surely out of the picture for his sh@gging around, or if no notice was taken of his dalliances it would send a clear message to everyone in a blue suit about core values and standards! What about Torphy - is he a 3* yet?

[tablet_eraser]

Good point, Archimedes - I hang my head in shame, having corrected someone at breakfast for making exactly the same mistake! Really, the pongos should know better than to employ two officers in close proximity who share the same christian name. If it can confuse an RAF officer, imagine what it must be like for the squaddies... :E

We also discussed Burridge at breakfast. I'm sure he would be in the frame if it wasn't for his... err... transgressions, especially given the record of the last light blue-wearing CDS. All the same, he defended himself well, declaring that thanks to AP1 he was entitled to a private life... I wouldn't write him off just yet.

Sir Glenn Torpy - now, there's someone we didn't think of! As CJO he definitely has the command experience required for the highest office in the Service. But isn't he still only an Air Marshal? Maybe he'll get it next time round.

[Always_broken_in_wilts]

Yesterday I read a reply, penned by Sir "Strap" himself, to a series of searching questions posed by a colleague. The one page reply did nothing to address the original questions and merely trotted out the usual platitudes whilst attempting to spin in typical political style. Whilst reading it the I was reminded of "Bliar" at the despatch box during PMQ's, so it's a real comfort to know we have the right bloke at the top looking after our interests:rolleyes:

all spelling mistakes are "df" alcohol induced

[KPax]

Has Sir Malcolm Pledger left yet.

[Oggin Aviator]

Interesting to see if CVF makes it through Initial Gate with an RAF chap at the top .....

[BootFlap]

Oggin

Interesting to see if CVF makes it through Initial Gate with an RAF chap at the top .....

Why wouldn't it? We are going to putting aircraft on it after all.

[Oggin Aviator]

Its just my cynical nature. I will only believe we are getting these ships when I see them launched by Queen Camilla.

[sangiovese.]

Camilla - The face to launch a thousand ships?

[BootFlap]

Oggin,

fair point. I personally have the same thought about the STOVL JSF, but that is another matter. As an aside, maybe we could re-introduce nose art, and feature Camilla! It could be an interesting physchological warfare tool?

:ok:

[MrI]

Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy is to be the new CAS. Top bloke. :ok:

[Stan Bydike]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/news_0503_09.html refers for both CDS and CAS appointments

[DuckDodgers]

AVM to CAS in two years! Yeap Torpy is a top chap...

[Jackonicko]

Always Broken,

That's the opposite of my experience with Sir Jock, who struck me as being the highest calibre senior bloke I've ever spoken to, and the most open, honest, and straight talking. Charisma by the bucketload, an inspirational speaker and decent to his core.

I don't think there will have been as good a leader as CDS for decades.

And I last spoke to him when I also met AOC 1 Group (Moran) who seems similarly impressive.

Congratulations Sir Jock!

[Wingswinger]

Glenn Torpy?!! I shouldn't have left!:{

[Shjustme]

So,,, Adultering Sh@@ger Berridge is finally getting his comeuppance and the order of the boot!! He'll probably stay long enough to get best pension rights and then PVR.. Proved he could fool some of the people at the top some of the time but not all of them all of the time!!!!!!
Berridge and Harding are/were complete disgrace to the uniform. Good riddance.. Hope Lady B sues him for every penny of his pension and gratuity!

[Flap62]

Jackonico,

Moran wasn't called TCM when staish at Witt for no reason!

[tablet_eraser]

According to some senior friends of my staish, Sir Jock runs rings around the other service chiefs and civil servants in meetings. Gen Walker was a decent chap, but we definately need more CDSs of the calibre of Sir Jock and Adm Boyce with a prat like Buff in Whitehall. We've been lucky with our recent CAS chappies - having met Sir Peter Squire I can vouch for his eloquence and leadership. Not met Sir Jock, but he strikes me as the man for the job.

He certainly won't meekly accept whatever the government throws at him, as did Gen Guthrie.

[MrI]

Shjustme,

The vitriolic manner of your post must be of a personal nature. I have worked with Burridge and found him a very capable officer and man. What has he done to you to deserve your ranting? :confused:

[jindabyne]

MrI

As was Peter Harding.

[JessTheDog]

I can't understand either why anyone would have a professional gripe against Burridge. He was playing away from home, but other than that, he seems to have been well-regarded. I recall one occasion a few years ago in the bar at Strike when, after a NATO exercise, the PMC tried to clear the bar for a 3-star sponsored official function and Burridge (with his DCinC/CAOC commander hat or something like that on) resisted this on behalf of the unsuitably-attired and inebriated NATO contingent from the bunker! More beers all round!

[pr00ne]

tablet_eraser,

"He certainly won't meekly accept whatever the government throws at him, as did Gen Guthrie."

Of COURSE he will, that's his job! If he wasn't that sort do you think for one second he would be where he is today?

[Scud-U-Like]

Sir Jock Stirrup is no more the new CDS than I am. As rumours go, this one is pretty wide of the mark.

[The Gorilla]

Scud

See here

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/news_0503_09.html

TG

[tablet_eraser]

pr00ne, inasmuchas the CDS cannot overturn Buff's decisions - and probably not change his mind either - you're right. The CDS has to accept that if the Government decides to do something to the exclusion of all arguments to the contrary, it's going to happen. Adm Boyce was characterised by speaking his mind where required - "if we try to do anything more before 2006, we risk putting ourselves through a lot of pain", etc. It's the CDS's job to represent the views of the Armed Forces, no matter how disagreeable those views may be to whoever sits in the bog office at the Ministry. From what I understand, Guthrie never did so, wishing instead to serve out his final tour quietly and without incident in order to safeguard his payoff and pension. He was certainly a fairly political CDS.

Now we have a defence secretary who, it is openly acknowledged by people in MOD, told the service chiefs when he was appointed that if they stepped out of line he would fire them. Yet Adm Boyce still spoke his mind, to the point of savaging Hoon at a press conference. We need more of his calibre, and I do think Sir Jock might have the balls to do the same. Only time will tell!

[Scud-U-Like]

As I said, Sir Jock Stirrup is no more the new CDS than I am. May 2006 (when Sir Jock Stirrup and, alas, not I, will be the new CDS) is over a year away.

[fagin's goat]

V interested in the post re: Burridge. A man highly impressed by his own PR and characterized by his fatuous and risible 'management babble' and love affair with the command estimate. Clearly he was/is the RAF's answer to David Brent.

[Shjustme]

FACT :

Burridge ''played away from home'', thus proving himself a thoroughly dishonest, disloyal, disgraceful, and disreputeable individual, especially to his wife who no doubt played her duty in entertaining the Rat's sometime Sqn Co, Wing Co, Stn Cdr, and other senior officers which no doubt greatly assisted him in getting impressive annual appraisal reports which fooled the promotion boards time after time for decades.

Is such a person fit to be CAS ????????????????? How could he be trusted ?????????????????????? The very idea is ridiculous.

[An Teallach]

Shjustme

You're not Mrs Burridge by any chance? Like the Murphy's, you're not bitter!;)

[jindabyne]

Shjustme

So what is the Holy Order to which you belong?

[fagin's goat]

So Burridge is caught out. What job is he in/going to if not the top light blue slot? Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for his 'closed door interview without coffee'.

That said, I always had huge admiration for Peter Harding for pulling that bird at his age (but not for his stand after making the tabloids). His opposite number in France would have shrugged the whole thing off rather than leave in disgrace.... always seems unfair when the sacking is done by a politician from very suspect collective moral high-ground. Hey ho!

PS wonder if PPRUNER 'Sir Peter Harding's Love-child' has a view on all this?!! Best 'handle' for ages IMHO.

[BEagle]

Well, personally I'm all for stoning adulterers and castrating rapists.....

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

But BEagle, I won't be able to fit in

SirPeterHardingsOrphanLovechild

too many letters.......

or even

SirPeterHardingsDeadCastratedOrphanLovechild

[FJJP]

Don't you just love the self-righteous rantings that come from some people?

How many of them are truly whiter-than-white and justified in casting the first stone?

So Burridge unzipped his fly - so what? How do you know the state of his marriage? How do you know how close the relationship was to splitting up? If all was so well at home, how come he went elsewhere?

Unless you know the answers, I suggest that in this day and age adultery is not the stick to beat someone with. You notice the rag that blew the headlines across the front page to sell a few more copies is no longer interested?

Shjustme - get rid of the vitriolic comment and judge the man on his professional abilities - they're almost certainly streets ahead of yours...

[Shjustme]

FJJP, You yourself may not believe in the virtues of HONESTY and INTEGRITY.

Contrary to popular belief millions still do.

You are obviously one of those who would vote Jack the Ripper in as Home Secretary, or Saddam 'Whoseinsane' as Minister of Defence.

How on earth can Burridge be trusted to exercise impartiality when making career make or break decisions of personnel who have transgressed??? He simply cannot, and never could from the moment his little secret was outed. Anyone punished by him would be fully justified in telling him, ''You are a complete hypocrite and you can shove your decision right up your own where the sun does not shine. I am off to see my lawyer, see you in Court and be sure to bring your cheque book to pay my compo''.

[FJJP]

Shjustme

Adultery doesn't transgress the law of the land, and in case you hadn't noticed, the Forces don't make a song and dance about it like they once did [rightly excepting across rank/command chain boundaries].

The RAF are not going to hang cpl smith because he decided to commit adultery with someone outside.

Would it have made a difference if it was his [unmarried] partner that he cheated on? Or does it only matter when there is a sheet of paper called a marriage certificate involved? Or the rank of the individual - where do you start to get uptight - sac, sgt, sqn ldr, air marshall? Anyone?

Time to climb out of the dark ages and join the real world. Sh*t-canning someone from his professional job for a domestic sin does not make sense in any way, shape or form - that's when you end up cutting off your nose to spite your professional face.

The media delight in kicking anyone who would help sell a few extra copies - do you think they would care if it was cpl Smith and Mrs Jones?

[Navaleye]

Shjustme - get rid of the vitriolic comment and judge the man on his professional abilities - they're almost certainly streets ahead of yours...

Fortunately we are not (yet :( ) an Islamic Republic so what he did/did not get up to in his own time is none of our business or anybody else's apart from his wife that is.

He proved himself to be a capable leader.

[L1A2 discharged]

but he did proulgate the 'Core Standards', Respect, Integrity, etc.

FJJP, yes cpl smiff or bloggs would be treated in the same way.

If its not ok across rank boundaries why would it be ok in any conditions.

edited cos too much info given

[SRENNAPS]

MrI - On Page One of this topic, I will acknowledge your comment.

"Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy is to be the new CAS. Top bloke".



I served under Glenn Torpy at Bruggen - He is the man!!!. Best Station CO I have ever known. Not many like him around anymore. And no more to come I feel.

[An Teallach]

Shjustme

!!!!!!!!!! GET OVER IT !!!!!!!!!!!!

and please, stop SHOUTING

[Shjustme]

OK, rant over:( :( :(

[FJJP]

Shjustme

Lots of examples there, and if you note the tone of my last I indicated that in certain circumstances within the Service I agree that it is unacceptable because it could lead to problems that could affect the efficiency or working of a unit.

For example, it would be highly undesirable for an officer to became involved with an SAC or SACW [ok, I'll qualify that and say 'on the same unit'] because it could lead to disciplinary problems.

It is unforgiveable for a serviceman to become involved with another serviceman's wife [on a par, say, with stealing from one's comrades - betrayal of trust, etc].

But whose business is it, and how does it affect the Service, if the Reds leader gets involved with a civi?

The honesty and integrity aspect I don't dismiss - it's just that after so many years in the Forces, having seen things like 'breathalise positive and it's admin discharge before it goes to court' change over the years to '3 positive court episodes and finally we'll take away your Sqn' - I have been dragged into recognising that things do change and have had to accept that. I don't necessarily subscribe to all the changes, but have had to accept, nonetheless, that change has happened.

30 years ago, who would have thought that you would eventually be able to get family accommodation if you were unmarried [but stable relationship] or homosexual?

[Circuit Basher]

Shjustme - do you have any names and addresses of the ladies involved, just so's I could maybe offer 'counselling' and support??!! ;) :D :E

[Lima Juliet]

A 4* who got lucky?

Little known Kipper pilot (without combat experience) is bright enough to be a 2* when his Gp is merged with Fighter Command and gets to be AOC.

Then goes off to write doctrinal rubbish at the Joint Staff College.

Comes back as 3* deputy commander of the pointy end of the RAF.

Becomes commander of the pointy end and also leads the last big push - with great doctrine but no combat experience. The push going pretty much to plan.

However, he lets his PSO push out cr@p like "don't use AP as an abbreviation for Air Power as it demeans its importance..." - now that's important!

Would I like to see this man as CAS...I could think of better. In summary, bloody nice chap, good brain and good at getting younger birds but b@gger all pointy-jet combat experience and doctrine-centric - no thanks!

Sorry Sir B but GT gets my vote...If I had one!

LJ
;)

[fagin's goat]

Leon Jabachjabicz. Spot on! *urridge is no hot shot. Seems he got to the top by force of luck and timing. He is full of management speak and has a PHd in gobbledegook. The RAF deserves better and sharper. He also let his MA/PSO routinely wear a clip on tie; that is all one needs to say in assessing his judgement.