Realise it's not good form to cut & paste your own threads, but I originally posted this in the PVR thread; having only just read this thread (I can only take so much bad news in one day!), it seemed a more appropriate location:
Quote:
When AVM Loader visited recently his pep talk, (allegedly), to troops in Basra was that being in RAF these days was like being on the *train to glasgow. Its a bit rough and if they dont like it they can just get off the train!
Yet another infantile comment from an Air ranking ************** (fill in own descriptor - I refuse to use the word officer to descirbe someone who has all the leadership abilities of David Brent) should know better. Try coming down to JHC and saying that - see how far you get. That is exactly why we are in the state we are in at the moment - politicized yes-men. Well AVM Loader, what if we don't mind the trainride so much but don't trust the driver ??? If the ride is a bit rough, then I would put that down to the agricultural handling of a precision implement by a numpty! That was originally a comment on my flying abilities from one of my UAS instructors - despite having left the RAF 10 years ago, he seems to have been prescient in his assessment of the abilities of the AVM Loaders of this world and those around him.
"I asked myself if all were well today with the health of the Services, was the Royal Air Force in a position to discharge its responsibilities in the event of an emergency, and what were the things which really counted and contributed to Air Force efficiency and fighting quality. Straightening my thoughts, I turned to morale. Morale is a state of mind. It is one of those intangible things which cannot be measured ...... It is more like electricity, which everyone knows exists but few can explain clearly. All you see is the manifestation of its effect. Morale is the great force influencing the minds of men, which helps them to rise to heights of achievement beyond the grasp of normal beings. It is the steadying factor in the crisis of battle, and makes men give their all without counting the cost or expecting any return. It is, in fact, the most important single weapon in the armoury of a fighting service. Unfortunately morale is never static and cannot be just built up and kept in cold storage until the day it is wanted. It is a force extremely suscpetible to outside influence and must therefore be watched, carfully guarded and constantly sustained. Above all else, it must be built on durable foundations if it is to withstand the shock of war........
It may appear to be high, but if it is not built on solid foundations it will not survive real strain. And so I asked myself this question: Is the standard of leadership throughout the Royal Air Force satisfactory, or are there men in positions of authority who lack first hand practical knowldege of jet aviation or experience of operational flying in the last war."
That was written by ACM Sir Basil Embry GCB KBE DSO*** DFC AFC after he left (was retired from) the RAF in the 1950s. Sounds like he had more of an idea than Loader ever has, had or is likely to have. Notice there is nothing in here about the 'just in time' supply philosophy about morale that are current 'leaders' seem to think morale is linked to. Also implicit in Embry's comments are the suggestion that in the Armed Forces of 2007 the politicians, management consultants, bean counters and war dodging senior and air officers with nothing more than a QGJM are in positions of authority that they should probably not be in, and are arguably there not because they are proven war fighters but because they are arse kissers and yes men.
So is the RAF (or Army & RN) of Jul 2007 in a position to discharge its responsibilities ??? Somehow I doubt it - certainly not in the way they were intended to. Morale is being whittled away bit by bit and I certainly do not know of anyone whose morale is so high that they would to paraphrase Sir Basil give their all and expect nothing in return. Int Or Wot hit made a very valid point in another thread - numbers are not everything, experience counts for a huge amount. Are we soon to get to a similar state to that the German military was in in 1945, sending old men and young boys off to war because the experienced fighters had been captured or killed? For captured and killed, read experience warfighers PVRing / not signing on due to morale being non-existant and actually wanting to be treated fairly by an organisation that one day (possibly sooner rather than later) will expect them to put their lives on the line for nothing in return other than spin, lies and deceit of the 'leadership'.
Loader et al, I sugget you read Sir Basil's book - you might just learn something. Lions lead by donkeys ..... an insult to donkeys!
Last edited by Melchett01; 22nd Jul 2007 at 15:15.