E3scumbag:
An appropriate nickname, and certainly different from the usual 'gastarbeiter' or 'mongrel' that I have heard before. Anyway to your point.
The AAC invite other arm soldiers, officers and even other service chappies to apply for pilot selection, with a view to infecting, er I mean injecting the AAC with military experience and thereby tapping the vast pool of talent the rest of the Army/Services has to offer, in recognition that many potential Army aviators out there. Army aviators are made up of direct entry officers, enlisted AAC soldiers, E3 officers and other ranks, and surely that mixture is one of the reasons Army Aviation is successful and as colourful as it is.
In my short time with the AAC I have seen an RAF busdriver, female Cpl TA, SAS soldiers, cooks, bandsmen and even a draughtsman or two not only apply for selection but successfully pass the Army pilots course. All bring something to the party. Thankfully once they have completed a tour, not all are sent back, but each can apply for transfer. The transfer system is simple, with good confidentials, good form 2/3 reports, they are thrown at the mercy of a board and some, are successful; not all, because some are not good enough, and some are not needed.
What it has to do with rank is absolutely naff all. It is hardly the fault of the soldier/officer what rank they are, when the selection process loads them for a course and spits them out as a pilot. What kind of system would it be that callously takes 18 - 24 months to train a pilot, 2 year frontline minimum and then send them back without the chance at transfer?
As a true blue AAC chap myself, I have had many E3 aircrew take my rightful postings/promotions and cushy appointments. However, I am rather proud of the fact that the AAC is so equal opportunity in that respect. Once within the Army Aviation family, and particularly once transferred, everyone is treated on a level playing field. What other arm/regiment, even service would allow outsiders/newboys such a luxury?
E3, you sound like one of them chaps that enjoys the level playing field you have been given, but want to make it less level for others. One of them chaps that looks at the results of a board and complains about some of the names you see, probably because of some personal incident between you and the individual over the years. Thank goodness for the AAC boarding system, not perfect, but at least it has kosher transparancy.
Oh and for your information, uwchporfa is exactly who I think he/she is.
Devildawg:
As the QHI in question (as per the original thread), uwchporfa accused me of not only badly interpreting JSP318 rules, but of making auth sheets disappear. At no point did he/she accuse me of altering them.