ASACS POLITICS

[shawshank]

SFC det at SCA? Discuss.
Should allow SCA to start operating properly and reduce the pressure on the B site personnel. No one can argue it didn't work when we last had two CRCs.

[gadgetbent]

Is there really anything to discuss? Having SFC personnel at Scampton would be make perfect sense and therefore it will never happen! ;)

It seems that there is a consensus that CRC Scampton is significantly under used considering the number of personnel that have been sent down here from Boulmer. This under use is mostly as a result of the demands and trg needs of the SFC at Boulmer which can't be ignored. I don't think that you would be short of SFC instructors volunteering to be det'd to Scampton.

GB

[SpotterFC]

No one can argue it didn't work when we last had two CRCs.

Actually, I can since I was the STO at one of them and did the majority of my training at the other. Notwithstanding the inter-CRC bickering that went on about the lack of work done by our Northern cousins and the press-on-itis stress-puppy mentality of the Southern poofters, the practice of splitting the SFC phase 2 course between the 2 sites left much to be desired.

History - IC course (WCs to those too young to remember) phase 2 was split between Buchan, Boulmer and Neatishead (and Staxton Wold? WIWACOLAS is an acronym that seems to ring a bell) pre-ICCS since West Drayton did not have the required facilities to support the live flying required.

The advent of ICCS saw the SFC move to B (OK a couple of years early, but ICCS WAS only 15 years late) and the Ph 2 course was conducted at Buchan and Neat once BL was wound down. (I guess Ph 2 could have been concentrated at BL - if ICCS remote tracking had been any good). Hence there were good reasons why we had to have phase 2 for WC at the time.

The IDROs (IDOs for those too young to remember) pre-ICCS were all trained on a single phase course at Boulmer up to CQ, then sent to the other places fully qualified. This only changed when ICCS came in and Boulmer wound down.

The result of this split on both sides of the house was similar to (and caused by) the result of the drift apart in operating practices between Buchan and Neat. On the IDO side Bu IDOs tended to be more inquisitive and tactically aware, whereas the Neat IDOs had tremendous workrate and could cope with a lot more going on simultaneously (ooh I'm gonna pay for that one!). There were similar differences with the WCs.

On another tack, the experience level of some phase 2 instructional staff left them ill-equipped to operate outside the cocoon of the SFC - especailly towards the end of the Phase 2 era. You know who I mean. Fortunately the instructional staff nearly always included vastly experienced SNCOs who generally kept their bosses out of the smelly stuff - but not always.

The single phase training plan was reintroduced after a good deal of consideration and planning - since it is the way IDO training had been done previously I throw your quote back at you Shawshank: No one can argue it didn't work when we last had two non-ICCS CRCs. (Boulmer only operated part time pre-ICCS)

Keeping the training centralised means that:

1. Everyone leaves training with virtually identical standards applied and knowledge taught, together with a common understanding of operational procedures. A spin off will hopefully be less of a personality difference (at least operationally) between the 2 CRCs.

2. Adults can supervise the children.

As for:

Should allow SCA to start operating properly and reduce the pressure on the B site personnel.

I have my own opinions about this, but I'm not stupid enough to share them here.

[Northern Circuit]

mmm ASACS politics?


a manifesto would be nice............

[shawshank]

I do agree with your comments regarding the differences between the two surveillance teams at Buchan and Nestishead but I believe that this no longer applies. The differences you highlighted resulted from the configuration of the system, meaning Neat had to manage the southern (busier) TPA whilst Buchan watched for the Russian hordes rounding the cape and the comparatively quiet NTPA. However, we can now manage either TPA from either CRC and therefore the whole ASACS surveillance team can keep current on the NTPA and STPA. The operating procedures issue will have to be controlled by the respective STOs to ensure commonality but by having the flexibility to swap operating areas frequently this should be easier to manage.

You also highlighted differences in the standards of phase 2 surveillance training. As you linked this to the difference in operating procedures between the CRCs then, in line with the last paragraph, this should be less of a concern. Just to make sure, however, it is now much easier for the SFC STO to keep any instructors on their toes as the CRCs are just 3 hrs apart and not a days drive as in the good old days.

I appreciate your last concern about the experience levels of instructors at the phase 2 dets but you made the point yourself that they were mainly kept on the straight and narrow (more often than not) by their experienced SNCOs. This is exactly how Junior Officers (in all branches of the armed forces) learn to manage. Give them responsibility and send a reliable Sgt to keep an eye on them. Keeping them huddled in the 'cocoon of SFC' is not going to give them the experience they need to develop as Officers. Yes, mistakes are made and one way conversations are had but this is all life experience. Many a senior Officer will spin a yarn of how they got caught doing some thing they shouldn't have. :\

In summary then, an SFC det at SCA shouldn't lead to differing levels of trg or base level knowledge as the system allows both CRCs to 'keep current' on the whole TPA. With proper supervision from the STOs and 'standards', JOs will be able to experience a higher level of responsibility and SCA will be able to contribute as planned to the ASACS task.

Even if you don't agree with my comments, you must see that the current situation of the tail wagging the dog can't continue ad infinitum.
(get busy with the 'quoting tool'):D

Ss