New Year Honours 2012

[Spit the Dog]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/30_12_11overseasmilitary2012.pdf

Well done to Gladis... 3 more letters to add to the door.

[Willard Whyte]

When I look at what one of the first names on the list got a KCMG for:

For services to the enlargement of the European Union

One thinks the whole thing has become a joke.

[Tankertrashnav]

One thinks the whole thing has become a joke.


With a few notable exceptions was it ever anything else?

[Capetonian]

Someone who does deserve it :
One figure who made her name in television – but in far less glamorous circumstances – is the Sky News war reporter Alex Crawford, who is also made an OBE.

New Year Honours 2012: full list of recipients - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/honours-list/8985135/New-Year-Honours-2012-full-list-of-recipients.html)

[MrBernoulli]

Have I been left off the list? Again? :hmm:

[Grimweasel]

Spit the Dog - I will second that. Top man destined for Airship!

[Union Jack]

Well done to Gladis... 3 more letters to add to the door.

On a point of order, Mr Spit, actually one different letter! Congratulations, Sir, on your "elevation".:ok:

Jack

[wokkamate]

MBEs for 'The Shad' and Mikey O - nice one guys! (and Spats & Biggers too!)

Good SH representation (again)

:ok:

[taxydual]

But very poor representation from the 'Rank and File'.

Twas ever thus. Sigh.

[fabs]

Perhaps if their Jnr Subordinate Cdrs started recommending and writing up their rank and file they'd be more represented.
Have done so a few times and glad to say that Harry staish agreed with me on a couple of occasions

[Easy Street]

The majority of military MBEs tend to be awarded as a recognition of meritorious service over a prolonged period, rather than as a reward for a one-off achievement. A majority of the 'Rank and File' already get recognition for Long Service and Good Conduct - guess how?

Therefore it seems fair to me that officers, who do not have the opportunity to be recognised in the aforementioned way, take more than the proportional share of these discretionary awards.

As an aside - just as with promotions, it's the quality of a nominee's reporting chain that determines success or otherwise on these lists. I have known some very deserving cases lose out over the years because their CO couldn't / wouldn't / didn't write a suitably strong recommendation (too busy or just didn't care enough). Similarly I have seen examples where moderately-deserving candidates have been written up as the best thing since sliced bread, just because they were the only nominees and hence the only opportunity for the CO to demonstrate his man-management credentials. Cynical, moi?

[November4]

The LS+GC medal is to recognise er Long Service and Good Conduct. It is not to recognise "meritorious service over a prolonged period" that is what the Meritorious Service Medal is for.

Are you really saying that the MBE should be considered as the Officer's LS+GC medal because they don't get a medal in their own right?

[SOSL]

I think you may be crediting more kudos to the long distance gong than it merits (important, and highly respected though it is).

Also, don't forget that John Major abolished the separate streams of awards for "officers" and "the rest". Whereas, before, a meritorious Sgt could qualify for a BEM, afterwards he had to qualify for an MBE.

It was difficult, in the transitional period, for the chain of command to understand the difference; junior officers, who usually initiate citations for other ranks were poorly briefed about the change and didn't always understand it.

In terms of ultimate reward, the other ranks could aspire to Warrant Officer, whereas the officer corps could aspire to 4* (5* being put into suspense). Which would you prefer?

All possible candidates for honours should be considered equally, under the current arrangements. There is no excuse for a bias towards "officers" and I notice that there are only 7 armed forces females on the list.

Best wishes SOS


P.S. "awarded as a recognition of meritorious service over a prolonged period, rather than as a reward for a one-off achievement". Check out recent operational awards!

[SOSL]

Well said; you got in ahead of me but I agree with you!

[Easy Street]

I am actually bored enough (on New Year's Eve, damnit) that I had a quick look on the Defence Stats website. That revealed that on 1 July 2010 the RAF had about 2600 Sqn Ldrs and 130 officers of Air rank - so roughly only about 5% of Sqn Ldrs can expect to reach Air rank (and with only 2 ACMs then it's a 0.1% chance of reaching the actual 'top'). With 6300 Sgts and 1180 WOs, about 19% of Sgts will reach WO. Broad-brush figures, intended to show that 'reaching the top of the tree' is a much more realistic aspiration for Other Ranks at their mid-career point than it is for officers. The vast majority of officers know by their early 30s that they have no chance of reaching 'the top' and the promotion system treats them accordingly - this is emphatically not the case in the Other Ranks, where 'late bloomers' can still reach WO. Once 'reaching the top' is gone as an aspiration, then things like MBEs seem like a fair way to reward those who continue to give their all despite the reduced career motivation. (Incidentally, this is why it tends to be WOs who collect MBEs - they can't get promoted any more, so exceptional individuals get the gongs. An exceptional Sgt is more likely to be rewarded with a Spec Rec than with an MBE).

Operational awards can either be for one-off events or aggregated over a campaign - but the critical difference is that operational awards are about more than simply excelling at your job. However I think sustained excellence in primary duty is more than fair enough as a criterion for the Birthday and New Year's honours.

November4: good point about the MSM - more details here (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/Msm.htm). The text of its criteria indicates that it overlaps significantly with the MBE. Since 60 of these can be awarded each year (to NCOs only) that might also explain why NCOs are proportionally under-represented in the MBE stakes - but it doesn't mean they have not been recognised with an award.

Time for the pub. Happy New Year, one and all!

[Pontius Navigator]

One of the first SNCO to get an MBE had actually been written up for a CinC commendation. It was assessed that the writeup merited a far higher award and he got an MBE.

Now why are the nBEs rank associated? How many sqn ldr get an OBE? How many wg cdr get an MBE? My old man in the merchant navy could have been in line for an OBE but not an MBE as he was a master mariner. In the sports and entertainment arena there does not appear to be this rank associated lick list.

[Biggus]

Easy,

No doubt it's a subject for a different time and thread, but, using your 2600 Sqn Ldr figure, the idea that on average a Sqn Ldr is in charge of less than 15 people in the RAF is a frightening, indeed appalling statistic......


Happy New Year to one and all... :ok:

[threeputt]

Congratulations to 4dy, not before time I might add.

3P:D

[muttywhitedog]

Have done so a few times and glad to say that Harry staish agreed with me on a couple of occasions

So in effect, you are saying that the reason the Honours List is so heavily dominated by the commissioned minority is because the commissioned minority make sure very few of the "great unwashed" get recognition aside from a good SJAR at the end of the year.

[Lima Juliet]

Congratulations to SIDITIO - Mike Hale as well. This must be on his retirement as one of our last remaining Lightning Jockeys. :D

[Wander00]

Blimey, I remeber MH arrivinbg at Binbrook as a stude on LTF. Good wishes (from an ex Handbrake House occupant)

[Phoney Tony]

Congratulations to SIDITIO - Mike Hale as well. This must be on his retirement as one of our last remaining Lightning Jockeys.

Also many years of support to Gliding. Well done and many thanks for your continued outstanding support to CGC.