(RAF) Operational Honours List - Oct 16

[Background Noise]

Previously notified by mmitch - but maybe lost in the Medals for All (http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/585281-whopee-medals-all-10.html) thread:

RAF list here: RAF - Operational Honours - October 2016Operational Honours - October 2016 (http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/OperationalHonoursOctober2016.cfm)

(Not found a generic MOD link yet)

[Wrathmonk]

"Acting Squadron Leader (now Flight Lieutenant)" - seems a bit harsh and public. Is this a result of the new promotion system? All the 'actings' I ever met just remained 'acting' until far enough up the list (or 3 years as acting IIRC) and became substantive.

[Melchett01]

"Acting Squadron Leader (now Flight Lieutenant)" - seems a bit harsh and public. Is this a result of the new promotion system? All the 'actings' I ever met just remained 'acting' until far enough up the list (or 3 years as acting IIRC) and became substantive

There have been some changes in recent years I believe. I picked up Acting rank for a year to start with as I jumped a few individuals on the PSL order of merit owing to specific experience required for a post, and was then substantiated a year later having not ballsed it up completely. Now, I believe Actings get thrown back in the promotion pot with the rest a year later if they haven't substantiated which does seem a tad harsh. However, it could also be due to very specific local circumstances outside of a promotion board e.g. the flt lt steps up to cover the sqn ldr post for whatever reason and is given Acting rank for the period he is covering before a new sqn ldr arrives and the individual reverts to rank.

There are probably other scenarios, but those are the 2 that spring readily to my mind. If the former, he's been unlucky, if the latter, well I suspect the next PSL should hopefully hold some good news as its rare these days that individuals would be given Acting rank without having scored on the previous Board.

[ian16th]

Might it be, Acting Squadron Leader RAF and now Flight Lieutenant RAF VR?

Or Acting Squadron Leader RAF VR on an operation, now Flight Lieutenant RAF VR, back at home?

[Alber Ratman]

A very well done to Disco and also to Piggy. :)

[Avtur]

What does "Local Acting" mean? I see a Local Acting Sergeant, now Corporal was honoured.

[Stuff]

Acting Squadron Leader (now Flight Lieutenant)

I doubt this is related to a promotion board. More likely it was a substantive Flt Lt who got Acting Sqn Ldr for the duration of an Op Detachment (common in the Joint world where the Army don't listen if you are the wrong rank). They were were recognised for derring-do during that detachment and have now returned to their permanent post and resumed being Flt Lt.

In any event - well done!

[obnoxio f*ckwit]

I had one of those. My Flt Cdr was the Det Co before me, so I was getting substitution pay in their absence. I then took over from them as Det Co, but as acting unpaid.

I was earning more at home as a Flt Lt than I did on ops as a Sqn Ldr...

[Old-Duffer]

Promotions can be a bit haphazard and always have been.

My stn cdr somewhere exotic was an acting Wg Cdr for a year but was posted to UK and reverted to Sqn Ldr, never to be promoted again. In retirement, he did not even retain the rank of Wg Cdr but appears in the Retired List as a sqn ldr.

As he did a decent job, it seems rather harsh and he certainly did not seem to upset anybody too senior during his tenure.

Old Duffer

[Wensleydale]

I was once asked, as a PAS Flt Lt, if I wanted substitution pay when my boss, an Engineer Sqn Ldr, PVR'd and I took over. Told them that I couldn't afford the pay cut!

[Jerry Can]

Nice one Clem and Sprokkit. Recognition well deserved.