Cornish, us mech tech tossers were scum and effectively bypassed the years of angst and waiting for the golden ticket fitters course
But to me that didn't take any of the shine off the rank. It was a great rank to have and one that earned quiet respect. I seem to remember the abolition of JT and CT was called for in the Betts report, although I can't find any reference to it.
My slightly biased view is that the RAF made a complete arse of the transition. The whole SAC prop with a circle is just crap and another way of identifying theoretical technical competence.
What the RAF should have really done is change JT to lance corporal and up skill the rank instead of diluting it. Of course at the time there is no way the self serving command blunties would have stood for this - just look at the erosion of technical pay against other trades (pay 2000) for further evidence of that self interest. The rocks have done well to introduce the rank of L Cpl and I recognise that JT or SAC T is 'allegedly' subordinate to that. My question to the rocks whenever they got all sensitive about the JT rank was 'so what rank did you get promoted to after SAC?' And that usually levelled the field a touch.
The demise of the JT rank and the loss of potential limited supervisory and additional tasks that could have gone with a technical LCpl rank is such a shame.
I saw a JT on the gate a few weeks ago, they can't be far off single figures now.
H