RAF Kinloss mountain rescue team 'to relocate'

[ricardian]

BBC reporting (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18752720) that Kinloss MRT relocates to Lossiemouth on 26 July

[oxenos]

Lucky its not going to Norfolk.

[exblanketstacker]

BBC got it wrong again saying that the Sea Kings were based at Kinloss too. No mention of the ARCC.

It's a pity for the MRT guys as they had a relatively new purpose built facility just beside the MRA4 simulator building.

[Biggus]

....a very good facility....as long as the roof stays on!! :ok:

[Rossian]

...the very expensive building and training facility that was built for them? Will that be replicated at Lossie? Surely they're no going to go back to some old buildings that nobody else wants? After all they spent some people's lifetimes in those old green sheds left over from WW2.
Best of luck in the future guys.

The Ancient Mariner

[allan907]

Suppose they'll also be back to hessian rope and boot nails.

Happy days!

[Walrus75]

Surely they're no going to go back to some old buildings that nobody else wants?
There's a recently vacated Mess that immediately springs to mind! :)

[Rossian]

...is there an empty mess at Lossie?? Will it have a suitable abseiling wall?
I suppose it's a variation of the old theme of "Resurface the runway" "Close the airfield."

Was the special building at KSS a PFI contruct? Seemed suitably shoddy in that the roof blew off with a stiffish wind (as did the OPs block roof).

The Ancient Mariner

[randyrippley]

Why move them?
Wouldn't it make more sense to transfer the group to the army and leave then where they are? They could become a specialist mountain warfare / survival school for the special forces

[ArthurR]

Randy thats done already, different terrain, different conditions, keep mountain rescue in the RAF, re-location, not good, but they will adapt, mountain rescue was started for downed aircrew, and that should be done by the RAF.
From Wickipedia : mountain rescue teams were first organised during World War II to rescue aircrew from the large number of aircraft crashes then occurring on high ground.

ex valley MR

[randyrippley]

"the large number of aircraft crashes then occurring on high ground"

But that doesn't really apply now does it?
And if they ever had to go to war and try to retrieve downed aircrew, then in two years there won't be any helicopters available to lift them anyway.
Better the task be folded into another group where the skills are likely to be used / saved. As it stands, with the number of civilian volunteer MRT teams, its a candidate for the budgetary chop

[ArthurR]

The skills are different from mountain warfare and special forces, since when do they carry a stretcher up a mountain and then bring a casuallty down to a waiting ambulance, or in a number of cases a body, its is a different case, we carried no weapons, just back packs with the kit we needed, as for helecopters, yes they are useful if they can get in, often the conditions (then 1969 in my case) the weather prohibited the use of choppers, and it takes more than 2 men to bring a stretcher down. Also would the special forces or mountain warfare spend a lot of time practicing falling leader, ect.

[Shackman]

...the very expensive building and training facility that was built for them?

A bit of reverse engineering here - the Valley MRT also moved into a very expensive building and training facility that was built for .........SARTU.
In turn SARTU were forced to move into the old SECO huts that were the old unit 'previously known as STCAAME' (as no one could remember what its new name was).

But at least this allowed the MRT to park all their vehicles in the car park next to the beach - average life about 2 years before the salt and sand laden winds write them off.

[Finnpog]

Having done an MR course with some members of the RAF MRT I can do nothing but praise them. There is a lot of commitment and sacrifice to the role which for some (many?) is in addition to their normal duty billet.

I can see how the bean counters in binning MoD derived SAR might also seek to look at the MRT; however they do also have a function regarding the security of the site of the crash site - which might not be best filled with some of thev(excellent IMO) volunteer civilian MRTs or even the Duty Officer and whoever they can rustle up.

Still, if they opened up a trade akin to the USAF PJs this might be the best of all roles for both CSAR and MAC P.

[Easy Street]

^^ AGWOEU

[Walrus75]

Bless you mate, here have a tissue.



...is there an empty mess at Lossie?? Will it have a suitable abseiling wall?
Yup, the SNECs mess, it's 3 storys tall.
(Soon to be a heap of rubble tho.)

[Oor Wullie]

Shackman,

Your post # 13 could give the impression that the MRSHQ and Valley MRT were delighted to move from the former STCAAME/AGWOEU site into the SARTU complex; in reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

The STCAAME/AGWOEU site was converted (at considerable expense) in late 2004 to suit the needs of the MRS (including undercover vehicle parking). Whilst not perfect it was more than adequate. Subsequently, higher authority (including some in SARFHQ) decided in 2008 (against the wishes of the MRS and I suspect many of the SARTU staff) to enforce the swap over of the 2 facilities.

[Shackman]

My meaning was that it is very rarely at the wishes of the actual units involved, but more likely someone elses 'great idea'!

[Oor Wullie]

Shackman,

Fully concur with that. SARTU and the MRSHQ/Valley MRT were pawns in someone else's game! I suspect that Kinloss MRT will end up taking a backward step wrt infrastructure when they move east, whilst the Army will inherit a luxury 'post room' with attached 'stable block' at Kinloss. It's a great shame.

Regards

OW

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

And if they ever had to go to war and try to retrieve downed aircrew, then in two years [sic] there won't be any helicopters available to lift them anyway.


Err I think you need to check your facts about RAF SAR helicopters as well as the MRS!

[TAC2]

If anyone is still interested, without the thread creep, only the name is changing. MRT will still be based at Kinloss but will now be called RAF Lossiemouth MRT.
Hope that answers the original question...:)

[sturb199]

Just a wee point to note with respect to getting shot of the RAF MRS, they currently fulfil the MOD's duty to the DOT, ensuring the UK's land SAR element of the 1944 Chicago convention (Annex 12) is adhered too. In short, to maintain the UK's signatory status to this convention then the government would have to pump money into the civil side of Search and Rescue to provide a 24/7 UK wide SAR service. Given the current MRS budget of about 2 Mil per annum I feel it would be slightly optimistic to expect all of the UK SAR teams (low land and mountain) to provide the sort of cover provided by the RAF MRS at present for the sum of money they would receive.

StuMc