Armed Force's Day plans outlined

[Gainesy]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1986039/National-Armed-Forces-Day-plans-being-finalised.html

Includes suggestions to go Clubbing and Pubbing in uniform.:uhoh:

[Roland Pulfrew]

I may be one of the greatest advocates of wearing uniform whilst at or travelling to/from work :ok:, particularly in the Monastry of Defiance, but pubbing and clubbing?!?!? I can see the only clubbing coming from pi**ed up football fans.:rolleyes:

[VinRouge]

Was thinking about this, on top of relatively good discounts available, (Fords in particular) how about BA/Virgin offering free upgrades to business/First if there are seats available if the person is travelling on holiday (IE not on official duty?) It wouldnt cost much, if anything, but the goodwill it would generate would be amazing.

How about free tesco/Sainsburys home delivery whilst the other half is deployed to the sandpit? I see the van drive past every day, it wouldnt take much to throw in an extra house or two on their rounds.

How about free tickets to TV shows such as "Strictly dancing" (for the missus!!!) etc, again, they could donate 2 tickets to every base for each programme in the country per series, amazing goodwill, very little cost.

How about free daytime cinema tickets for kids of the lowest paid squaddies deployed to be donated to local hives?

There are plenty of things that could be done to increase the goodwill between the nation and her armed forces, it doesent take much imagination. Furthermore, most "discounts", whilst they may have a very minor effect on profit, would do wonders for morale in the forces.

Oh, if customs and excise would turn a blind eye to squaddies bringing back say 1000 tabs instead of 200 after a long tour would work wonders as well!!!

[Gainesy]

I'd put money on it that the politicians will present you with nothing more than some sort of big parade/flypast. IE more bull**** and another weekend working to polish/practice etc.

[Yellow Sun]

If there is a serviceman in uniform behind me in the supermarket checkout queue I invite them to go in front of me. I think that that is the kind of basic recognition we should seek to bestow upon them.

BTW Gainsey, I regret to say that I think that you are probably correct.

YS

[windriver]

I propose a Public (Bank) holiday on the Monday following Remembrance.

Benefits:
1. As winter approaches an extra day off would be Welcome
2. Readily Identifiable By Everyone as The "Armed Forces Bank Holiday"
3. It would give The Furniture & DIY stores a much needed boost at a quiet time. (and therefore attract their sponsorship in kind)
4. It would present a unique opportunity for "Soft Attractions" like Museums and Associations to open their doors at an otherwise quite time.
5. It wouldn`t cost the Govt anything

[Gainesy]

The wx in mid-November is crap. Have the Bank Hol the Monday after Trooping the Colour, that'd nail it in the Civvy mindset.

[tezzer]

Have it in Spring, Summer, Autumn or deep mid Winter, but have it !

Not because I want another day off, but because you guys deserve recognition and the gratitude of the Great British public.

Bollox to those mamby pamby bastids who say it's "too British" or it might offend the "minorities". Cock to them, let's celebrate what we still do the best.

C'mon, it's stand up and be counted time !

[Melchett01]

As much as I feel that all the Armed Forces - regardless of branch,trade or rank deserve far more recognition than we get now, the cynic inside me can't help but agree with Gainsey.

This will be another bank holiday / day off for everyone in the country apart from those in the Forces who will be forced into best uniform, parading up and down the high street or forced to re-live their experiences on ops by being paraded round their own station / barracks / ship for people with relatively little interest in what we actually do.

If the govt really wants to acknowledge the Forces, just fund, equip and pay us properly; point us in the general direction of the country you want invading / people that need our help and let us get on with it in the knowledge that we won't be up before a show trial for doing your bidding when we get back. Then I think you'll find the Forces to be generally a much happier bunch than we are now.

[Jackonicko]

One of the problems identified is the lack of connection between the civil community and the military, and the lack of awareness and knowledge of the military among the public.

Fewer and fewer of us have family who served in the war (they're all dying now!) and fewer and fewer of us have direct experience of the military thanks to the end of National Service and the shrinking size of the Forces since 1945.

But much of this is a self-inflicted wound. If the MoD and individual service's PR agencies tried to deliberately alienate the press (especially the on-side specialist and enthusiast press who could help bridge the gap and enhance understanding) and tried to make it prohibitively difficult and expensive to give the forces good coverage they could hardly do a better job than they are doing now.

Don't hold families days that are closed to the local community apart from well-connected liggers like me.

Treat the local community with the consideration you'd want to receive.

Flying programmes could so easily be planned with more consideration to local communities. Plan your night flying in December, and you can get four hours in before anyone's in bed, and even if they are, they have their windows shut tight. Do it in June, and you can't even start until you're going to be a nuisance, and everyone has their windows open. Spread the helicopter night flying around the main bases AND a few disused bases like Abingdon, and at representative field sites in the countryside and you spread the pain, and don't drive local residents in Odiham and Benson round the bend.

[D O Guerrero]

Heaven forbid that the defence of the UK should be a nuisance to anyone Jacko.

[Chugalug2]

What has a Bank Holiday (which has little to do with Banks now, versus any other commercial enterprise) to do with the Armed Forces? It's just another long weekend added onto all the others. Do people associate the May Bank Holiday with the Labour Movement? Seems to me it'll be another 10% off weekend at Homebase. Great for the civilian population, and business as usual for the Armed Forces, unless God forbid they have to take part in more of those strained "celebrations" like the recent London and Windsor ones. Until it is common practise for those serving to be out and about in uniform they will remain a remote and unknown part society. Initiatives like this simply underline that I'm afraid.

[Bo Nalls]

I'd put money on it that the politicians will present you with nothing more than some sort of big parade/flypast. IE more bull**** and another weekend working to polish/practice etc.

Seems you may be closer to the mark Gainesy, same report advocates the return of the Royal Tournament. Linky (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1982833/Royal-Tournament-%27should-be-brought-back%27.html)

[BEagle]

My suggestion would be the closest Monday to September 15th.....

Surely the late holiday in May is actually the former Empire Day (24 May) - until the political correctos banned the idea of an empire.

[BackfromIraq]

I'm with Gainsey and Melchett. Much as I'd like to see recognition from the wider public, I don't feel that anything will happen except more duty for us. What we need is more, and decent, kit and an understanding that, while technology may help win wars/conflicts manpower is essential for the post-war/conflict reconstruction of the region.

I thought the idea was that there would be less Moo Poo because we're on such high tempo ops: even when I'm at my unit I'm working my whatsits off and much longer hours to support ops. Going away is often a (admittedly unpleasant) break from the norm; there's certainly much less to worry about, because it's all outside your control so why worry.

Equally, I'd love to pick up some of the offers mooted here but there seems to be very little in the way of patriotism in the way the Americans demonstrate it. Most British companies want to know why they should do this, as they've shareholders to satisfy and dividends to pay, notwithstanding the obscene profits they make. If the government (deliberately small "g") wanted to do something for us, they could consider giving us some tax-free perks, such as the opportunity to purchase duty-free vehicles and fuel: a drop in the exchequer's ocean but a fantastic recruitment (and perhaps retention) opportunity.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

This is yet another "quick, must be seen to be doing something" stunt from a Prime Minister and Government that doesn't actually give a flying f**k for the Services. If this is supported, It will simply enoble a regime that does not deserved it. It will also be a nutter magnet for everyone and anyone who is either a pacifist or simply dislikes Government foreign policy. Very importantly, as many of you have said, it will become just another Bank Holiday with extra duties for those serving.

Looking on the positive side, off duty in rig has some merit, so long as there is sufficient backbone to make it so. It will, of course, require some off duty discipline fom those in rig.

Jackonicko. Remind me how many hours and over what period it takes to become or remain night current?

[Roland Pulfrew]

If anyone is interested, the full report can be found here (http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/69519F89-9630-4D5F-92CF-B834FAB0FBD2/0/recognition_of_our_armed_forces.pdf)

I love the bit about wearing uniform in the MOD - like most other NATO nations - and then the bit about requiring some leadership from the top.:\

[L J R]

Saw the report, but page one has Gordon Brown on it, so I continued no further and I binned it and wasted 50 odd pages....

[johnny99]

"Mr Davies has also recommended that the Forces gain a higher profile in civilian life by troops being encouraged to wear their uniforms in public and off-duty, even on nights out to bars and clubs"

Wear uniform while off-duty - in bars and clubs! Mr Davies you are having a larf, there is a clue in the words off-duty! While I applaud
the concept of an Armed Forces Day, please take the time to find out what the services are about in 2008. Your image, I suspect, draws heavily from black and white movies, people called Johnny buying farms and toddle piping to the soundtrack of the Dam busters!

[Melchett01]

Realise it's generally bad form to start quoting your own posts, but I have to say told you so:

This will be another bank holiday / day off for everyone in the country apart from those in the Forces who will be forced into best uniform, parading up and down the high street

And from the report on how the country can best recognise and honour the armed forces ...

Para 5 We support the call for an Armed Forces Day .... take place in summer, preferably at the end of June on a Saturday (so that school children and most working adults would be available to attend events). If the Government were minded to propose to Parliament the creation of another public holiday .... on a set Friday or Monday at the end of June....The aim of British Armed Forces and Veterans' Day should be ... an occasion for scheduling public events involving the Forces, including Open Days and 'freedom' parades'

Supplementary Note ...would enable the maximum number of people including school children to attend ....Service personnel required to be on duty tha day should receive another day off in lieu. An Armed Forces and Veterans' Day which was a holiday for everyone but the Armed Forces would be a cruel irony.

Freedom parades???! They really just don't get it do they? If this is supposed to show recognition and thanks, then I'd rather we didn't bother. The focus appears to be on everyone else in the country having another jolly long weekend mid-summer - just when many forces personnel would be looking to take family leave. The only people I can hear getting excited are the store managers at B&Q as they see another weekend of budding DIYers heading their way. As for the time of in lieu - fat chance of that happening, we can't even get the leave in we're supposed to get let alone another day in lieu.

But not only have they come up with this stunning idea, they would like military ID cards to have more value as a general form of recognition. However, it appears that once again the military has to bow to the demands of some civilian organisation, as our ID cards are not good enough to be used as a general form of ID. Apparently hey don't meet all the requirements of a PASS card (proof of age cards used by spotty 18 yr olds trying to buy a bottle of cider in the local off licence) and need a PASS hologram and an address.

For fks sake - those things can be knocked up by any teenager half competent on a decent computer, and what's to say that the data you put on the application form is true??? But being in the military and having to undergo positive checks and vetting before being given an ID card isn't enough?

God this sort of rubbish makes me incandescent :mad: Rant off!

[JPA-HATER]

Freedom parades???! They really just don't get it do they? If this is supposed to show recognition and thanks, then I'd rather we didn't bother. The focus appears to be on everyone else in the country having another jolly long weekend mid-summer - just when many forces personnel would be looking to take family leave. The only people I can hear getting excited are the store managers at B&Q as they see another weekend of budding DIYers heading their way. As for the time of in lieu - fat chance of that happening, we can't even get the leave in we're supposed to get let alone another day in lieu.

I could not put it better myself. Can't wait to spend another 4 days practicing for a parade at the expense of family time. Who is gaining from this ? Certainly not the troops. I say "you can bin your pubic holiday", save billions and give us the kit to do our job !

:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh: :ugh::ugh::ugh:

[Ballast]

Well done to the Navy Girls wearing uniform whilst travelling through Paddington station this morning, it got suitable (and unsuitable ;) ) comments from passers-by:ok::ok: