From the other side
I was a TACEVAL "inspector" (DI STAFF)!!
The job was very lucrative as we all qualified for ODR rather than the lesser PTR, plus Rate 1's for the duration. Consequently the slots normally went to those higher up the food chain than me.
I get a phone call from a fellow JNCO at a different RAFG station. He says he has heard I can speak French and that if I could then OC 4 Wing RAF Regt was offering me the job as one of the DI STAFF for the Part 2 TACEVAL of a Belgian Air Force station. I assured him I had a qualification in both written and spoken French.
A favourable assessment of myself and this other JNCO might be "a pair of coniving rogues".
Travelling down to Belgium the venerable (and awesome bloke) OC 4 Wing was front passenger, driven by my Sgt. Myself and the other rogue were in the back of the green Cavalier (I think) staff car. We had no hope of finding the place first time as the joining instructions used the French town names but the local maps and signage was in Flemish.
Finally we found a large fence and in time honoured fashion we turned left and drove round it in a clockwise fashion. SUCCESS, we happened upon a gate complete with sentries, sangars and weapons. It was a small affair and clearly a crash gate.
OC 4 Wing turned round, looked me directly in the eye and said "OK ss find out where the main gate is."
I wound down my window and enquired in a clear voice audible to all "Oi mate, ou est le main gate sil vous plait?"
"Sgt sort that wan*er out will you" bade the Wing Commander. My mate snorted with laughter and I said "O level grade D mate."
My exercise was awful, all the worst jobs possible.
The cash bought me a schrank though.
Last edited by sittingstress; 2nd Aug 2013 at 22:52.