Dear Beagle and Hawkman,
would just like to pull you up (in a friendly manner of course) on your use of the term 'Movements Officer'.
It is worth noting that the Movements trade does not in fact have ANY of its own officers.
The officers who come and 'guest' within the Movements Trade are actually Supply Branch officers who attend the Defence Movements School (DMS) at Brize Norton and attain a Movements 'Q' annotation on completion of the course.
Granted, there are some Supply Officers who gravitate towards Movements and do actually spend their entire career guesting in the trade (usually to the detriment of rank progression), but most of those DAMO's and UKMAMS Team Leaders you may have had dealings with in the past are just ghosts in the trade.
Some figuratively 'rape' the trade for what they need (Movements tour tick in order to go back to blanket stacking and subsequent promotion) and those of that ilk are usually sussed out pretty quickly by 'real' Movers. A lot only come into the trade because of the 'Gucci' tours like the RAFLO slots around the world, or because they joined up to travel (well, they joined up as wannabe aircrew mostly but got cut!) and it is easier to travel and see the world as a Mover, than as OC SCAF at Stafford...
The problem with not having its 'own' officers in the Mov Trade is that quite understandably why would a JO put his neck on the line for the trade at the risk of affecting his own career path for a trade he/she may actually feel no real affection for as it is a 'means to an end'...
Hence why, come AT aircraft delays, you will very rarely see an officer stand in front of a packed departure lounge briefing 200 grunts as to WHY they are delayed, even though said officer KNOWS the reason why as his/her office is situated within Ops/ Eng Ops and Load Control.
Instead they 'hide' behind a young SAC from the Passenger section, not in full receipt of all the info behind the delay, and said young 'un winds the pax up because they believe HE is keeping information from them.
After this occurs, posts appear on Aarse, here, and other websites relating to 'Nazi Movers' as well as subsequent whinges about Mover inefficiency in crewrooms and bars throughout the world.
Bit of a tangent I know, but if the trade had its 'own' officers, they may care a bit more and be a bit more proactive in certain areas which may court controversy, rather than gliding through a Movements tour without sticking their head above the trench and taking fire along with the lads.
CC
ps RAFLO slots are indeed, the best jobs in the RAF IMO and I agree with all other posts made with reference to them!!