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What a waste, what a fool.

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What a waste, what a fool.

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Old 18th Dec 2014, 14:16
  #161 (permalink)  
 
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dervish

No, not me.

Edit to say:- Even if I had, which I hadn't, would me being a disloyal tw@t make it ok for others?!

I'd hire him, but I wouldn't hire the rest of you.

Last edited by Tourist; 18th Dec 2014 at 14:32.
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Old 18th Dec 2014, 15:00
  #162 (permalink)  
 
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Steady on Tourist.....

Sorry, just realised I can't be bothered to put you straight.
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Old 18th Dec 2014, 18:22
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At a secret airbase in Wilts, we found out that one of our guys was a serious cocaine user rather late in the day (when it came to crisis point)

It was a bit startling to find out that he was being treated - the Med Centre was fully aware of his problems, but it was treated as 'Medical in Confidence.' So he was still working on aircraft for a considerable period right up to when he was arrested.

'Medical in Confidence' apparently trumped letting his management know.
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Old 18th Dec 2014, 18:41
  #164 (permalink)  
 
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That is really rather scary, and tends to indicate a severe disconnect between RAF Med staffs and the Service they work for.

However, what do I know about Med in Conf?
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Old 18th Dec 2014, 19:30
  #165 (permalink)  
 
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Senior officer who happens to be a pilot caught using cocaine, why should we have any more sympathy for him than for other military personnel booted out for failing a drugs test? It may have cost a lot more to train him, but it doesn't make him above the law!
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Old 18th Dec 2014, 20:50
  #166 (permalink)  
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Sir Peter, I am surprised. I am as surprised as I was when I first learnt that the SMO confers with OCAW, [Base Spt].

We once had a person posted to us with no Admin history. We soon experienced problems and our MO was quite open and read out the previous consultant' s report. Sadly it was too late to take effective remedial action. Had we known at the outset then things could have been handled differently.

Ps, ah Sir P, that could explain it.

Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 18th Dec 2014 at 21:17.
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Old 18th Dec 2014, 21:09
  #167 (permalink)  
 
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PN. I believe this was a civilian locum (ex-RAF) doctor who kept it all to himself
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 07:50
  #168 (permalink)  
 
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4everAD, good post!

One sincerely hopes that Tourist won't be involved in any pilot hiring, if he'd be happy to employ someone who wilfully disregarded the UK Armed Forces' clear policy on illegal use of drugs - and flagrantly did so in front of subordinates.
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 12:03
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I'd treat him the same as I'd treat the abuser of any other drug like alcohol.

He got caught.
I would have dobbed him in myself if I had seen it. Not because I believe myself that there is any difference between drugs and alcohol, but because thats the rules.
He has paid the price for his disregarding the HM Forces drug policy.

That does not mean the rest of his life should be ruined and cheered along by his ex mates.

Did the crime and done the time.
Now why not let him get back to doing what his career suggests he does well?
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 17:50
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Now why not let him get back to doing what his career suggests he does well?
When Junior Ranks lose at least a year of their life in the Military Correction Centre for committing exactly the same offence. Officers committing such offences should be tried by Civil Court which would permit a custodial sentence. If there is not a medical get-out clause then he does not deserve to be in a position of dust yourself down and move on.

Caveat:- it remains unknown if there is a mental breakdown mitigation present.
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 18:26
  #171 (permalink)  
 
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Tourist wrote:
I'd treat him the same as I'd treat the abuser of any other drug like alcohol.
If you cannot understand the difference, you must either be an illegal drug user yourself, or extremely naïve....
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 18:31
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Officers committing such offences should be tried by Civil Court which would permit a custodial sentence.
A Courts Martial can sentence an officer to a custodial sentence. However, an officer cannot (AFAIK) be a guest at MCTC but must serve their time in a civilian prison.

Furthermore, had he been tried in a civilian court, and given he was "only" convicted of possession, his previous good character may have meant he would not have been given a custodial sentence but more likely a fine (click here).
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 18:40
  #173 (permalink)  
 
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I was asked to take on an airman on to my sqn who had been in MTC for a month ... he'd been mixing with the wrong crowd, so he said. In his words, "Seeing people shaving their blankets to get something to smoke was a real wake-up call'. He was nervous at first, tiptoeing on broken glass. He became one of my best SACs, and when I left he got a High Recc for promotion. Indeed, we exchanged emails only a year or so ago!

So ... yes, people can turn their lives around. But it's the starting point that, IMO of course, shades the issue. None of these things are simple.

Referring one of my JOs to the Stn Cdr for Court Martial for bonking a brother officer's wife wasn't a pleasant experience, but straightforward. Nor was it pleasant when I had to start the process to Admin Discharge one of my airmen, but he was utterly useless in every respect. ISTR I had to dob an SNCO heavily as well, although my memory fades on the detail. All in one Tour.

If we don't have fundamental standards, that we are all expected to adhere to, where are we?
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Old 19th Dec 2014, 19:10
  #174 (permalink)  
 
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Custodial sentence? For possession? First offence? Not going to happen. Ever. Never ever.


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Old 19th Dec 2014, 19:25
  #175 (permalink)  
 
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I think that is the point being made. A (Military) custodial sentence can and does get 'awarded' to Junior Ranks.
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 12:05
  #176 (permalink)  
 
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A (Military) custodial sentence can and does get 'awarded' to Junior Ranks.
If you want to back up a broad, sweeping statement with an equally vague and pointless statement, then you may as well go and work the Daily Mail military news desk.

Admin Discharge statistics for failing the Compulsory Drug Test:
Armed Forces: Drugs: 25 Apr 2013: Hansard Written Answers - TheyWorkForYou

Court Martial results from the military court centres for the last 5 years:
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...-O.csv/preview

I'll save you some work. Of the 2620 court martial cases, there were 73 involving drugs. There were 4 x Officers in there and one of them was found not guilty.
Of the 73 drug cases, 28 resulted in detention, be that MCTC or prison (it doesn't differentiate). One of those with 120 days was a RN wife. 10 of those detentions did not result in dismissal from HM Service.

The simplicity of the charges presented against the severity of the punishment shows that 'it isn't that simple'. For example, an Army Private was charged with '1 x Possessing a controlled drug with intent to supply' and was imprisoned for 7 years and dismissed. I'd guess that he had done substantially more than just being caught with drugs.

So if you want to keep making broad and sweeping statements, crack on.
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 13:59
  #177 (permalink)  
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Originally Posted by Mr C Hinecap
I'd guess that he had done substantially more than just being caught with drugs.
I was going to say nothing to do with the OP but who knows.

Often a CM is the one chosen or provable event amongst others but there is no way guilt or punishment can be linked to any thing except the charges under consideration.

Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 20th Dec 2014 at 14:41.
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 14:24
  #178 (permalink)  
 
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Court Martial list is quite interesting, especially the Gp Capt fined £1500 for "Negligently performing a duty" - Que??
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 14:55
  #179 (permalink)  
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And the number of women guilty of battery suggests they could indeed hold their place in the front line.
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Old 20th Dec 2014, 15:27
  #180 (permalink)  
 
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And the colonel fined £1500 for "disobedience to standing orders", probably his!
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