6 months in Afghan

[sidewayspeak]

Sitting here in the stinky Afghan desert, 3 months into a 6 month tour. It's bloody rubbish and still 3 more months to go. Working with the anal, self-righteous, British Army idiots too - hat and shirt-tucked-in police everywhere.

Why have we pandered to their 6 month torturous regime? Some people have also been spammed with 9 and 12 month tours. What the :mad: is that all about? I could just about tolerate 4 months, but I'm not leaving the family again for 6 months.

In a stinky sh**hole, with no interest whatsoever in the Afghans and their 12th Centuary mentality. I think it's time to leave. :ugh:

[Charlie-Bomb]

Sorry to hear your holiday isn't much fun.
Oh no, wait, it's not a holiday, it's an operational tour you're on. You know, that thing you signed up for.
Are you in a FOB? Have you got enough water and rations? How low are you on ammunition? Are you having grenade battles over walls with Taliban? Bayonet fixed, is it?
IEDs? How are they affecting you?

Or are you more irked by tucking your shirt in and wearing your headdress? Looking like a member of Her Majesty's Armed Forces. Maybe just looking like an individual with a bit of discipline.

Actually, maybe you're a journalist fishing for a bite. Hard to tell.

[wokkamate]

Sidewayspeak - grow some!

Plenty of people worse off than you mate. Think of that £5k plus Op Allowance, plus LSSA etc etc. Hope the Wi-Fi broadband isn't too slow for you either, its terrible when that happens, or when Timmy's runs out of ice for the Frappicinos.......

On the other hand if you are fwd deployed, good luck and keep yer pecker up!

:ok:

[barnstormer1968]

I would possibly have had some empathy for you, until I read "anal, self-righteous, British Army idiots"

Maybe they should all go home, and leave you there to be slowly cut into little portions by Terry!

I can't help thinking that this is the more correct reply for you:

"Sorry to hear your holiday isn't much fun.
Oh no, wait, it's not a holiday, it's an operational tour you're on. You know, that thing you signed up for.
Are you in a FOB? Have you got enough water and rations? How low are you on ammunition? Are you having grenade battles over walls with Taliban? Bayonet fixed, is it?
IEDs? How are they affecting you?

Or are you more irked by tucking your shirt in and wearing your headdress? Looking like a member of Her Majesty's Armed Forces. Maybe just looking like an individual with a bit of discipline.

Actually, maybe you're a journalist fishing for a bite. Hard to tell".

[Nomorefreetime]

I'm sure there are as many 'anal, self rightous idiots' in the RAF and the Navy. I am a minority RAF person on an Army base, all of my Army work mates know what the RAF can bring to the party.
Maybe if we all did shorter tours, we would have to wait for another month for the airbridge to catch up with demand

[Sun Who]

TW@T.

Sun

[pebble_hopeful]

So how often do you leave the comfy gates of KAF or BSN?


You sound like a right screamer!!!

[Whenurhappy]

I've got to agree with most of the other posters - this is what we joined up to do. If you don't like it, get on JPA (ha ha!) and hit the early release button, or what ever.

I'm currently working with wery, wery Cavwee chaps at the moment. Top blokes - high standards, bonkers uniforms, give the RAF huge amounts of banter - I just joke about their freely-admitted shallow gene pool. The US chaps here are aghast at these guys and hold the RAF in high esteem as well! Many RAF NCOs - and officers - could learn a bit from their younger green compatriots when it comes to man-management!

The arguement of 4 v 6 v 9 v 12 month tours could go on for years; suffice to say a 6 month tour fits nicely with in with the Army RIP plot (after all, it's their battle) and it provides continuity. Staff appoitnemtns are 9 - 12 months for the same reason.

Think what you can do to improve your lot - or those around you. Yep, I know its 45 C, but everyone is in the same boat. Yep, we all get pissed off with op tours, but best we keep those concerns on the tour (or speak with your TRIM chap - or the Padre!). Not in a public forum, please.

WP

[VinRouge]

Sideways,

Take it as a 6 month lesson on why anyone who votes socialist should be shot!

Whilst I agree that the locals are generally very smelly and have a penchant for young boy bottom, I would agree with the other posters who are encouraging you to grow a pair.

The norse of army life is a pain I accept. But thank your jolly stars that its the worst of your worries; some who are 10 years younger than yourself have life changing injuries to deal with, not to mention those caught up with mental scars for a lifetime.

My thought that got me through 20+ rockets a day in Basrah was "there is someone British in this ****hole that has it worse than you". Worked wonders. If that doesnt work and you find yourself biting your tongue at the RSM, why not volunteer to go on convoy duty?

Quite frankly, anyone from arrse witnessing this thread is going to tar the rest of the air force with the same brush.

[Blighter Pilot]

Having done numerous 4-month tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, working alongside our primary customer (ie the Army), I am glad that we are moving onto 6-month tours.

It means that the SME (me) gets to spend the whole rotation with my green colleagues, get to know them and what they want from 'Air'.

If fellow RAF Officers are winging and moaning I know a certain Manning paper/SDSR which will glady accept their early retirement.

We are in the war business, either as teeth or supporting arms - if you don't like 6-months in KAF Vegas, complaining about having to look military, then hit the PVR button, do us all a favour and f:mad:k off.

[Lima Juliet]

Personally, I would sooner do 5 months straight through than get the nausiating RnR in the middle - by the time you get home, and upset the wife and kids who have just adjusted to you going, it is time to jump back on the bus at BZN again. :yuk:

I did 4.25 months straight through in preference, for this very reason!

LJ :ok:

[Pelikanpete]

Pathetic self indulgent winging. Grow up and start setting an example or PVR.

[minigundiplomat]

Working with the anal, self-righteous, British Army idiots too


You mean our customers...the ones travelling through Wootton Bassett in increasing numbers. The ones who need our support, and without whom we'd all be looking for jobs.

Another poster suggested you PVR, however, if you can't grasp a simple concept such as the fact we exist to provide someone with a service, then I suspect you will spend the rest of your life on the dole.

On the other hand, if you can't grasp that concept, we don't want you either.

Time to zip up your man suit, put down the handbag and keep your peurile opinions to yourself.

[gijoe]

I think your colleagues have summed it up nicely...

Dig in, do it (for the 4th or 5th times in many cases) or poke off.

G:hmm:

[LooseArticle]

Sidewayspeak has a valid point - don't compare him to the Army, he didn't join the Army. He probably made a decision not to and he chose the RAF.

I'm very proud of the British Army and what they do. They are the best - but they chose that way of life and most of them love it that way.

The RAF way of life is different and we should not be afraid to recognise it.

I don't know Sidewayspeak, but he may be very good at his job, and his job may make a serious contribution to the 'effort'. He happens to have a sharp focus on his family's needs and and he won't do a 6 month tour again - so he takes your advice and leaves. That's one less good aircrew/engineer/supplier/admin/regt/medic in the team.

War Fighter first specialist second - the phrase is dead. The fat JT that mends the jet on the line and gets it airbourne is worth 10 slim sport playing techies that are never there 'cos they are on exped! You can't have it both ways.

Recognise that we don't have to be all the same..........

[minigundiplomat]

Recognise that we don't have to be all the same..........


Agreed 100%. However, what is required is unity of purpose, and in this case that is support to the British Army.

He may wish to wear is beret at a jaunty angle, refer to weapon systems as guns, rounds as bullets and respirators as gasmasks, or wrap himself in an ensign as he walks to the DFAC. Noone has a problem with that.

However, the British Army he describes in such depreciating terms are his customer, and he (we) forget that at his (our) peril.

[Flugplatz]

Normally I dislike the RAF term 'Blunties', being ex-Army where everyone is at least conscious that they are all in the same game. This time I am making an exception and I can now see how that whole 'Sharp-end' vs. 'Bluntie' division has come about in the RAF. Having said that I too have also met many good servicemen and women in the RAF, whom I respect.

I think you do need to hand your papers in now, marked 'TERMINALLY BLUNT - MAG TO GRID ASAP', in fact I think you should be shipped back to Brize and used as a wheel-chock

Flug

[Trim Stab]

British Army he describes in such depreciating terms are his customer


Thanks - I wish I had known I was considered a "customer" to the RAF a few years ago. I would have kicked up a lot more stink at the service..

[minigundiplomat]

And now you do......

[BSweeper]

Guys - just calm down. It is clearly a wind up. Read what's at the bottom of the page:

As these are anonymous forums the origins of the contributions may be opposite to what may be apparent. In fact the press may use it, or the unscrupulous, or sciolists*, to elicit certain reactions.

But I could be wrong!!

[gijoe]

Loose,

I suggest that sideways will be one of those that dutifully does his CCS (or whatever it is called today) before sitting in a stage 4 pit for 30 mins and then before tells everybody that he has been to war.

The real war is a different matter for sideways.

My previous comment stands irrespective or skills, rank, ad trg or anything else.

Dig in or poke off and save us the redundancy cash later this year.

G:D