View Full Version : Politics - Armed Forces - Tarring & Brushes
Canary Boy
21st Mar 2005, 20:31
Following the publication of the Adult Learning Inspectorate report into training in the military, the BBC has this to say:
The report - commissioned after four soldiers died at Deepcut Barracks - is the second in a week to criticise bullying in the Army, Navy and RAF.
and later in the item:
Other concerns were that training and welfare should be more professionally managed, that some living conditions were "little better than slums" - and that storage of weapons could be lax.
A secret training base in Shropshire has had first-hand experience of the Inspectorate, and I'm told came out of it very favourably indeed. Given that the MoD invited them to review our processes, could not our lords and masters have managed the inevitable press coverage rather better? I'll bet the dark blue and a large proportion of the khaki are less than happy to be lumped-in with the (justifiable?) criticisms levelled at Deepcut.
Discuss...
Training Risky
21st Mar 2005, 21:15
I doubt I could care less if yet another quango has a pop at HM Forces... I wait for a return to National Service.
I'll be waiting a while then:zzz: :zzz: :zzz:
Read the report in the last RAFNews, we came out of it fairly squeeky. However, (always a however) what is going on in training, we seem to be turning out a bunch of pantywaisted nancy boys (and girls) who burst in to tears/threaten to redress as soon as you criticise them! When I was a trainee (groans from the back of the audience, pontius was a pilot, didn't have numbers we all knew each other etc etc) We were shouted at, ridiculed, beasted and generally run ragged. Those that couldn't hack it left, those that could invariably made something of themselves. We started Swinditz with 3 flights per intake, average of 64 per flight, we passed out with at least 55 to 60 per flight. The last RAFNews listed 2 flights with around 20 passing out on each. Anyone thinks I am just a grumpy old man, correct! However I am a serving grumpy old SNCO who passes his fitness test, spent the last 4 years deploying once a year with the RAF Regiment, passeing all their fitness tests in the process, am a member of several professional bodies in logistics and stil happy with my lot! (I also have a life outside of the service before we get the comments on "get a life" etc) So maybe we don't bully our trainees (a good thing) but we don't particulary turn out a well rounded serviceman, personal opinion, feel free to disagree.
WorkingHard
8th Apr 2005, 17:58
Well put Stax. Dont bully but do make proper service men and women out of them. Remember your life may depend on them one day!
SASless
8th Apr 2005, 18:40
'Ere Sarge....I am feeling a bit stressed....I better pull out my little yellow card and take a time out!
Try that on the road to Baghdad as the RPG's whizz in...or going up a hill with fixed bayonets in the Falklands or handling a flooding casualty on a sub...or .....
Jobza Guddun
8th Apr 2005, 20:34
Completely agree with Stax, and I should imagine most of us ground pounders over 25 would do too. Too many gobby little ****es around at the moment, who are yet to learn:-
a) what service life is about
b) their place
But I DO detect a bit of a change......
ScribblySimon
8th Apr 2005, 22:11
Was looking for the original report and found that another inspection has been carried out on the RAF training. Doesn't make pretty reading (http://docs.ali.gov.uk/Inspreps/23/5993DET.PDF) . The overall judgement reads
The quality of the provision is not adequate to meet the reasonable needs of those receiving it.
The RAF's leadership and management are unsatisfactory as are its quality assurance arrangements.
Although we all have own opinions on how good or not the the RAF's leadership and management is this actually refers to the way that TGDA manage the recruits doing Apprenticeships and NVQs.