I welcome the opportunity for rear crew to get commissioned within branch. Although, as pointed out they will probably not fill the same old loadie leader slots etc they used to. However, for young ambitious and eager lads to get ahead and fill SO2/3 jobs then that’s great for them, but also the RAF. I'm fed up deploying and having some numpty making critical decisions who have no idea what they are on about, having no OP experience or the ability to listen to the experts. Clearly you will never stop this but by having commissioned NCA who have been have been deemed suitable by OASC then it has to be a good thing.
The thread has drifted slightly towards pilot selection. As an ex ranker and a 10 year crewman I would rather see the current system stay as is. It has been said already, why anyone would want to be a pilot and not be commissioned? I don’t understand it. There are NCA who would not make suitable officers but there are also officers who should not be officers, that is the way of the world. If someone is prepared to undertake 3 years of arduous training then they would surely be prepared to do IOT, if suitable.
Just because the Army do it one way it does not mean the RAF should do it too! Would it really save money, I don’t think so.
Last edited by Door Slider; 19th Mar 2009 at 22:09.