My trip to stores

[fightingchickenplumb]

hey

heres a experience i had i thought might make you guys smile.

I went down to stores a few weeks ago with a ripped pair of denums to exchange,a knackered RAF rucksack, a pair o knackered steel toe capped basket ball boots and i had to pick up some special measure trousers (am a slightly rounder airman lol) so i goes in, i asked the wifey behind the counter if my new boots had arrived , yeah sure she said been waiting three weeks, "why didnt you collect them?' she asked,"well i didnt get a chit to say they had arrived" "yeah you have to phone us and check". I then had my trousers issued however my clothing book was showing the wrong numbers of light medium and heavy weight trousers upon which i was duly informed that this was my fault as it was my responsibilty to check it was correct (even although stores keeps it? ) , asked for a new rucksack, "we dont have any" "oh thats ok can i just return this as am out in 5 months" the wifey then accusingly said" your out in five months? so you completely wasted out time and money in getting special trousers?" at this point i explained to the wifey i had suggested the same thing when i origionally went to stores in the first place, to be told no i had to have blues!! incidentally the RAF wouldnt tailor my number ones because i was leaving , but wouldnt let me return my number ones because i have my reserve to do!:ugh:

The last part of this post had me was the real reason i posted this thread , i asked to exchange the coveralls, to be told i couldnt i hadnt washed them, i said they were washed the night before, no they are stained yeah i agreed they wont wash out, ah you need to take them to POL to get a chit to say they have destroyed them, why? because it classed as contaminated waste and if we put them with clean overalls it costs us more to recycle them?:bored:

Now i may be a simple plumber ,but it does strike me that if you work on aircraft your overalls will get stained, so what state do stores expect us to give them back? if your overalls are returned unstained i would suggest you didnt really need them to be issued to you. how much time paper and money has been wasted on that half baked idea?

Am i the only one that sees the stupitiy of the idea, anyone got any other ancedottes from stores?

[Ginseng]

i went to stores the otherday to ask for some punctuation marks why do you want some of them they says well says i if i dont use them thingies no one reading my posts on proone will have the slightest idea wot i is on about well you cant have any of them thingies they says cos they is only special punctuation thingies officers for the use of well i s:rolleyes: ays in that case can i at least have some of those capital letter thingies no they says why not says i cos weve only got one of them and someone might need it they says

Or words to that effect.

Regards

Ginseng

[Safety_Helmut]

Just another example of the tail wagging the dog, see the threads on JPA, plods, movers/stackers (same?) etc for other examples.

Oh yeah, and you are a simple plumber !

S_H

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

Now i may be a simple plumber ,but it does strike me that if you work on aircraft your overalls will get stained, so what state do stores expect us to give them back? You mean you didn't wear overoveralls to protect the overalls?

[clicker]

Arggh, clothing stores, appear to be the same where ever you go.

Once submitted a clothing request to an US based airline with a note to explain that the current items had been destoryed in a small fire. I got a note back saying that the items could not be issued without the old ones being returned so they got a small, well sealed, envelope with some soot inside. Got a bo##ocking for that one from head office but my own own head of department wrote in my annual review, "clicker obeys the company regulations with vigor". :ok:

[Gaz ED]

A - I'm an armourer! B - I'm a armourer C i is armourer ....ad nauseum!:}

[Pontius Navigator]

fightingchickenplum

<<to be told i couldnt i hadnt washed them, i said they were washed the night before, no they are stained yeah i agreed they wont wash out, ah you need to take them to POL to get a chit to say they have destroyed them, why? because it classed as contaminated waste and if we put them with clean overalls it costs us more to recycle them?>>

classed as contaminated waste this is a point I made earlier. My contractor had to install a washing machine and drier because the dirt in the overalls is contaminated waste.

All oil stained clothing should be laundered in an approved facility and that is not with the wifey's smalls or in the block. Follows you need several pairs of coveralls. Not enough? Then you can't work can you :}

[VH-GRUMPY]

Whilst working for the Oz CAA some years back I was issued with an All Airport Airside security pass. Just before its two-year expiration I went to our security office to have it re-issued.

They asked for ID - I presented my pass complete with picture only to be told it was not an acceptable form of ID and asked whether I had a driver's licence.

Go figure !!!

:ugh:

[teeteringhead]

I think I can almost beat that VH-G

A coupla years ago when I was thinking of pulling the black and yellow, I applied for and was shortlisted for an MoD civil servant job (which I didn't get!) in an RAF HQ (details fuzzy to preserve some anonynimity).

The interviews took place in the AVM's (2-star) office, and he chaired the interview panel. In the outer office, his PA was doing the admin for the shortlisted candidates, self and 2 others.

PA asks for proof of identity, so Teeters proffers his 1250 (RAF ID card), to be told it wasn't on the list of acceptable proof, did I have my passport or driving licence!!!!

[PhoenixDaCat]

The Air Cadet Organisation is currently implementing a new system of basic checks when someone pitches up asking to join the staff. All unit commanders have themselves to provide ID to WHQ, in order for them to be able to verify the the IDs of potential staff.

I presented my 1250, and was told the same as teeteringhead. A 1250 wasn't good enough, and I would have to show my passport. In order to join the ACO I had to undergo DVA and CRB checks, which meant I provided 5 forms of ID in order to get my VR(T) commission and therefore my 1250.

I was also at MoD recently, with a Gp Capt who used to work there, and again our 1250s were not sufficient ID, even though we were booked in for an appointment.

Go figure.

[ratty1]

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have we dropped into a parallel universe? What have the above three posts goto do with going to stores with contaminated overalls?

[Rigga]

'Ovies' get stained no matter how you wash then - that is their purpose.
Take em back and ask them to put them with all the other used overalls.
Or cut the name out of them and leave them outside, in a bag marked "Hazardous Waste".

I showed my ID to my contaminated overalls...and they didn't get it either?

Editid fur spellin

[Northern Circuit]

thats why some camps call them stores - others call them supply

They do have some strange practices still though, especially on the clothing front. They could do with being dragged by the saturday night fever stylie collar into the 21st Century.

NS

[airborne_artist]

In 1979 I went to stores, and boy what a good job they'd done storing things. They issued me with brand new pair of long johns that had been made in 1953.

I think it's a record, but surely a Ppruner can beat it - BEagle, perhaps?

[KPax]

We must be a one off. The Clothing Stores section at the secret Wiltshire airbase is the best I have ever used. Walk in, ask for items, receive items walk away. No signatures for most of it. Wonderful people.

[Strictly Jungly]

Where is (Un) Helpful Blanket stacker when we need a measured response to this chaps stores experience???????????

[Roadster280]

In 1979 I went to stores, and boy what a good job they'd done storing things. They issued me with brand new pair of long johns that had been made in 1953.
I think it's a record, but surely a Ppruner can beat it - BEagle, perhaps?

Yep. 12" steel rule, marked with crow's foot 1945, issued 1993ish

[EC Does It]

Did it have WD stamped on it?

[WhiteOvies]

Have never had any problems getting ovies cleaned, just leave in basket with the rest of the Squadron's and it's all done under contract. The magic of RN Chinese laundrymen on board seemed to always get even OM15 out, but they always managed to shrink by 1/2 an inch as well. :suspect: When they got too tatty just went to stores and got new ones, no fuss, no bother. Old ones went into the stackers bin IIRC.
Suspect fightingchicken came across a rather green and uber-zealous stacker who didn't like plumbers! :{

Did get picked up once by a FOST fishhead who only wore ovies on exercises and hence they never got dirty. His had beautifully pressed creases down both arms and legs which looked V odd. :rolleyes:

[fightingchickenplumb]

yeah the reason i was taking the ovies back was because they were ripped not because they were dirty like

[RileyDove]

Been out a while - however turning up to stores with overalls in a plastic bag with the subtle arroma of Avtur was always enough to receive a new pair and directions to the skip for the old pair.

[fightingchickenplumb]

ah riley, apparently I now hav to go to POL and get a chit from them and have that signed by my line manager to say i need new overalls , then go to stores to be issued a new set

[Samuel]

My experience of Clothing Stores was that they somehow contrived to be never open at any time you were free to attend! Quite ingenious really.

I recall one very funny Dining Out of a very experienced aviator with many years in and hours in the book, who delivered a wonderful punchline by stating that the highlight of his career was going to the Clothing Store and finding it open.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Having worked in Clothing Stores in the past and currently working in F&L I just thought I'd clear up a few points.

Although it may seem a pain Clothing Stores are correct (to the letter of the law) when they say that they can't accept 'dirty' coveralls. Scrap clothing is sold by tender to textile companies/surplus shops etc after we have finished with it and if a batch were to be contaminated the MoD would find itself liable to large financial penalties.

The point of visiting F&L to get a chit is to ensure that hazardous waste isn't just dumped in the nearest skip before you wander off down to clothing stores for a new romper suit, another source of potential financial penalties.
Yes it may seem a ball ache but (un)fortunately the MoD isn't above EP regulations and careless dumping of contaminated clothing could lead to large fines which if taken into the context of the whole military could seriously chip into an already tight budget.

I am a little confused at the 'fact' you need to have your line manager countersign your contaminated clothing chit though. The chit is a standard format along the lines of the waste transfer note and only F&L personnel are required to sign it as having received the 'product' you are transferring.

Anyway, its no good pointing as USAS says its not there and if it was you couldn't have it as someone else might want it.:p

[GolfSierra]

So why don't clothing stores have a seperate bag for contaminated kit that they take to POL either weekly or when full?

Any section can have a "can do" attitude, just takes a bit of thought.

[buoy15]

Makes one wonder what they did with the exchanged "Drawers Cellular Airmen" issued in 1962 with a crows foot and a manufacture date of 1947, but still smelling of moth balls after 3 years of wear, tear and washing
From the 'Concise' and for benefit of the new boys - definition of drawer -
"a 2 legged undergarment suspended from the waist"
In those days, every item of clothing was exchangeable - even De-Mob suits for the incumbent National Service chappies!
More better! - I believe present day day grow bags are "Made in China" or somewhere in Asia:ouch: Going there soon:)

[SASless]

Any section can have a "can do" attitude, just takes a bit of thought.


Care to reconsider your comment and try it again?:ugh:

[Glass Half Empty]

Care to reconsider your comment and try it again?:ugh:

sounds good to me what's your point?

[The Helpful Stacker]

So why don't clothing stores have a seperate bag for contaminated kit that they take to POL either weekly or when full?
.

Because the 'chit' that is signed by an F&L supplier when you hand your contaminated and double bagged kit to one of us is a waste transfer note (something required under civil EP law) and only a supplier who has undertaken the correct civilian accredited EP courses can sign it.

Just like the large amount of civilian accreditations/regulations creeping into the world of the Cosford master race there is also a large amount creeping into the lowly world of stacking. It has to be complied with unfortunately, with the threat of large fines to individuals (not the MoD as a whole) the not so subtle carrot hanging off the stick.

[Farmer 1]

You chaps seem to have completely missed the point about stores. They are for storing things. If they were for issuing things they would be called "Issues".

[The Helpful Stacker]

You chaps seem to have completely missed the point about stores. They are for storing things. If they were for issuing things they would be called "Issues".

If that were truely the case we'd all be called storemen (like the Army) rather than Suppliers.:p

As it is in the RAF only civilians are called storemen, which in my (you may say biased) experience is more true to form.

[cazatou]

Maybe someone should consider re-issueing the 1960's Flight Safety film "Frustration".

Nice to see that things haven't changed though.

[FormerFlake]

Yep. 12" steel rule, marked with crow's foot 1945, issued 1993ish

That wont keep your legs warm on guard though:}

I once got told by stores that the GS Jacket that I had been waiting for for 4 months could not not be issued as I was leaving the stn (not the RAF I must add). I was not amused, but still have the jacket.

[Lou Scannon]

About 40 years ago at RAF Colerne (Yes another place that the Army inherited) we had a stores boss called Mr Pearce. He had been a war time navigator and started the concept that stores were there to supply and not to keep.

He hit on the idea that the flight engineers could all have two pairs of aircrew flying gloves, they could then keep one pair for the dirty jobs (plenty of them on the Hastings) and another for sitting up front and moving fuel cocks and other levers.

Previously the engineers had to change their gloves every few weeks. Within months under Mr Pearce's system the demand for gloves had dropped amazingly.

It would be nice to know if he has any followers in today's Service.

[camlobe]

Been out for ten years now, so somewhat out of touch with the 'lean', modern, over-stretched, under-equipped RAF.

Sad to see that somethings haven't changed though. It was nigh on impossible to get stuff out of the stores system before they were integrated into engineering to become Eng and Supply wing. Like most, I was optimistic that this change to the command structure would elliminate the 'stacker bottleneck' that ensured you would never get what you were entitled to. Didn't work.:{ Seem to remember the best inadvertant humour poster was the one about three foot by two and said 'If you are entitled, get it!'

Still laughing about that one all these years later.:D

Also found over the years that the civvies were more amiable if you paid them at least the minimum respect you would hope to receive yourself instead of just slagging them off.

Anybody remember the other 'jobsworth' line of 'I can't give you the last one, its for AOG only.:bored: ' Or, how about 'you're not scaled for that':hmm: , or trying to get a hold of a 'duty supplier' after 2100 hrs.:rolleyes: Anybody remember what happened when the Army took over a lot of the responsibility for procurement in the late '80's/early '90's e.g. torch batteries? I can still see the look on OC Supply's face when ordered by OC Eng Wg to go and locally purchase these when the Army refused to renew the contract or release what was held.:ugh:

On a more serious note, I really do hope that our guys and gals at the front lines arn't suffering from this pathetic short-sightedness these days.

[Maple 01]

Yes, I remember the pongos taking over the supply net - took six months to get a pair of DMS shoes - Army didn't understand why there were so many in the system and cancelled the follow-on contract - doesn’t everyone wear boots all the time? :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

[BEagle]

Tried to get some Sqn Ldr rank braid when I was told that I was being promoted.....

None in stores...

Dumb grunts at Bicester say there's 'no demand'.....

:confused:

[Thud_and_Blunder]

In 1979 I went to stores, and boy what a good job they'd done storing things. They issued me with brand new pair of long johns that had been made in 1953.

I think it's a record, but surely a Ppruner can beat it - BEagle, perhaps?
During the 1991 punch-up, boxes of kit arrived for our customers to pick from. Most highly-sought-after item was the sand-coloured, bone-buttoned windproof jackets dated 1942. Nice to see them doing Stirling service after a gap of a generation or 2.

[The Real Slim Shady]

When I was clearing just prior to leaving I checked with Stores on what they wanted returning,thinking that they wouldn't want next to skin items e.g socks,long johns. No chance on that one. They wanted every pair of socks and LJs that were in my book. When I had a gander through the book I discovered that I had a pair of leg restraints in my possession which weren't listed. Did they want them back? No because they didn't officially exist!!! Helluva a job to get them to take them back, but God forbid if I didn't have all the socks!!!! Mind you, the requirement was only to return 1 from each pair;)

[Melchett01]

I went to stores whilst out in the Sand Pit last year. Am going back again this year ...... might finally have my order in stock!

On a slightly different but stacker-related point, you will be pleased to know that it isn't just our own "beloved" UK stackers that get it spectacularly wrong.

During the current bout of unpleasantness, back in 2003 I had the misfortune of finding myself in the MNF HQ in Baghdad. I was chatting to a Danish guy who told me a story about when the Danes rocked up in MND(SE). Having spent weeks slumming it in the desert, their logs chain finally caught up and to everyones' delight the first batch of supplies arrived in country. The ISO container arrived and was opened to much pomp and circumstance to find ............ a couple of snow ploughs and dozen lawn mowers!!!!:D

Only if we'd all taken lawn mowers with us, we could have been home by Christmas!:\

[TrembleInAmf]

After many a idle hour reading other peoples thoughts and stories i thought i would through my hat into the ring (or i would if the supply chain would issue me one).

During the last adventure in the sand was the first time i had seen a certain rigger snco speachless, (most people at scotland finest fighter base will know him). As we waited for the bully off and as more kit than we had ever seen before rolled into PSAB, a rather young SAC stacker wandered into rects control and asked for the Rects Controller. On getting his attention he informed him that "his de-icing equipment had arrived". :ooh:

Stunned silence reigned for the minute before the rects controller asked for his DEFCON meter to be moved up a notch, and we made a hasty retreat to the "Rolling Bland".

A few weeks later we noticed that the permy staff were wandering around in rather gucci white high wicking t shirts whilst we melted in our lovely thick green t shirts designed for more northerly climes. A visit by our resident "time bomb" soon found out that these t shirts had run out as the permy's had been issued 2 each. Unfortunately nobody could get the "timebomb" a brew quick enough to calm him down and he exploded. The next day however we were offered desert dpm field jackets they had found in am ISO :confused:

[Samuel]

I recall an RNZAF exercise some years ago when "losses"of aircraft were to be referred to in signals as "Teacups", and eventually a demand was sent back for three replacement "Teacups"; which is precisely what they received, standard bone china ones at that!

[TwoDeadDogs]

Hi all
There is definitely a hoarding mentality in storemen.I remember one time we made up a wooden frame out of scrap timber, to help restrain a Cessna on a truck bed.The errant Cessna was duly retrieved and unloaded and the frame cast aside.A few weeks later, I get an angry missive from the Stores, asking why I hadn't returned the frame to stores and what was I going to do about it? I eventually unearthed the frame and dragged it back to the stores.It turned out that the storeman had gotten all spontaneous, for the very first time in his life and decided to issue the frame with a stores number. Therefore, it became official property and was lost! The brain believed that it had been issued to me and not returned. Because I'd made it and had been seen to be using it, I was fingered for it.Storeman Mao absolutely refused to believe it was just made up out of scrap.It took ages to persuade the **** that it was not an official item.To top it all, he had issued a number for a spurious item and now wanted to write it off:rolleyes: .......I went outside with the frame and kicked the **** out of it.Then it fitted nicely into his pot-bellied stove and was no-more.:D
regards
TDD

[foldingwings]

Tried to get some Sqn Ldr rank braid when I was told that I was being promoted.....
None in stores...
Dumb grunts at Bicester say there's 'no demand'.....
:confused:
Clearly, BEags, they had been tracking your career and hadn't anticipated you ever being promoted!!!!!








only joking...........

[foldingwings]

Stacker,
Because the 'chit' that is signed by an F&L supplier when you hand your contaminated and double bagged kit to one of us is a waste transfer note (something required under civil EP law) and only a supplier who has undertaken the correct civilian accredited EP courses can sign it.
Sounds like the cart being allowed to lead the horse to me rather than flexing within the regulations to better meet the needs of the customer!
Second point:
If that were truely the case we'd all be called storemen (like the Army) rather than Suppliers.
You young fool you! When I were a lad, it was called Stores in the RAF and you were a sub-branch of the Engineers. The sensible decision was taken to change the name to Supply in an effort to stop you all storing and start supplying!








It didn't work!:p