HOPES AND WISHES FOR 2016

[KPax]

So what are our hopes and wishes for our Armed Forces for 2016?

[taxydual]

That we still have an Armed Force in 2017.

[Stitchbitch]

That all my friends that are still in have a great time and don't end up doing more with less. Again. Merry Christmas chaps and chapesess, of every armed forces, where ever you may be.

[MPN11]

Peace and quiet?



OK, I'm an optimist ;)

[Herod]

Hillary Clinton winning the Presidential Election. (off to foxhole)

[ShotOne]

That our forces are not committed to anything that isn't demonstrably in our national interest, nor without a clearly-defined aim.

[NutLoose]

To announce that they would double the military in size for the next 3 years, the carriers would be retrofitted with a catapult system and we would purchase a couple of land based ground attack F-18 Sqns to supplement the F-35 Sqns.... Then I woke up

[Thelma Viaduct]

I hope Tony Blair gets put away for 30 years for treason, or just manslaughter would do.

[NutLoose]

Hear hear..

[Danny42C]

That they be treated by their government fairly, and by the people of Britain with the admiration and respect they deserve, and which in former days they had in abundance.

D.

[Lima Juliet]

1. Dissolution of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
2. Give Stn Cdrs the ability to employ local contractors at half the price to manage our declining estate.
3. Reverse the 'in real terms' pay cuts in recent years through the savings from above.
4. Stop employing contractors to do our key work like recruiting.
5. Sort out the Air Cadets - they are an important recruiting function and also give others who choose not to serve a basic understanding of HMForces.
6. Sort out our flying training system - why does the early stuff have to be so very expensive?
7. Stop using the Defence Budget to prop up British Industry.
8. Stop political meddling at all levels in the running/equipping of HMForces - leave it to the Senior Leaders and Her Majesty.

That'll do for starters...

[JointShiteFighter]

8. Stop political meddling at all levels in the running/equipping of HMForces - leave it to the Senior Leaders and Her Majesty.

It's obvious that leaving the best until last wasn't an accident, Leon!

I wholeheartedly agree with you, but the last point I doubly agree with you. It is incredibly sad that the most senior Commander has absolutely no say in defence procurement.

[downsizer]

4. Stop employing contractors to do our key work like recruiting.


The RAF don't. Nor do the RN come to think of it.

[Lima Juliet]

Downsizer

I'm 99.999999% sure that Capita do our recruiting processing amd entry medicals for us?
See link:Defence (http://m.capita.co.uk/what-we-do/sectors/defence)

I'm also 99.99999% sure that we have not made the required recruit numbers processed and delivered for Pre-BRTC, BRTC and possibly IOT?

I'll gladly back down if you can fill in the 0.000001% that I'm missing. However, if I'm right then I suspect that SDSR2015 will be a spectacular failure for us as we fail to get the new people in to operate the lovely new kit we're being bought. Last numbers I heard are that we need nearly 4,000 people into the RAF alone to get the right people for the new kit - at present we struggle around the 2,000 mark. Furthermore, with an ongoing plan to centralise RAF recruit training at Cranwell, then we put an existing and proven manning pipeline at risk - sound familiar? Just look at what we have done to our flying training system which was once the envy of the world!

IMHO of course :ok:

LJ

[A and C]

By this time next year I would like to see the ATC cadets flying gliders and a new broom sweep through Syerston to ensure that the VGS flying program can continue into the foreseeable future.

The ATC cadets recruited and trained now are the future of the RAF, let's make sure the ATC has the infrastructure to attract the quality of people who can maintaine the standard required to assure the security of this nation.

MPA

The MPA program up and running very soon, if this requires leasing aircraft from the US Navy ( until UK owned aircraft are avalable ) so be it.

Red Tape Chalenge

The U.K. CAA ran a program of doing away with historic rules and regulations that had past their sell by date ........ The RAF could look at doing the same.

[downsizer]

Downsizer

I'm 99.999999% sure that Capita do our recruiting processing amd entry medicals for us?
See link:Defence (http://m.capita.co.uk/what-we-do/sectors/defence)

I'm also 99.99999% sure that we have not made the required recruit numbers processed and delivered for Pre-BRTC, BRTC and possibly IOT?

I'll gladly back down if you can fill in the 0.000001% that I'm missing. However, if I'm right then I suspect that SDSR2015 will be a spectacular failure for us as we fail to get the new people in to operate the lovely new kit we're being bought. Last numbers I heard are that we need nearly 4,000 people into the RAF alone to get the right people for the new kit - at present we struggle around the 2,000 mark. Furthermore, with an ongoing plan to centralise RAF recruit training at Cranwell, then we put an existing and proven manning pipeline at risk - sound familiar? Just look at what we have done to our flying training system which was once the envy of the world!

IMHO of course :ok:

LJ

Leon

Capita do no recruitment processing for the RAF or RN. It is all handled by blue suits.

They do provide medicals, mea culpa on that, but that is their only involvement in our recruiting.

ITT is predicted at about 92% for this year, with some branches and trades much harder to fill than others. 92%ish historically isn't that bad and is miles ahead of the Army who do rely on Capita enormously.

Next years ITT will certainly be more challenging but recruiting is getting a significant uplift in service manning so time will tell.

[JointShiteFighter]

Downsizer - yup, I certainly didn't speak to any civilian RAF recruiters - they were all light blue.

[smujsmith]

I sincerely hope that those still serving achieve their aims and ambitions and continue to enjoy something that will stay with them all their days. That our youth continue to apply, succeed and join to become part of a service whose honourable traditions and history enhance their lives. Whatever your trade and wherever you serve, thank you all, and the best to you in 2016.

Smudge :ok:

[Lima Juliet]

Downsizer

Have a read of this, which saw the SoS admit that the Capita processing wasn't working well: IT Systems (Army Recruitment): 14 Jan 2014: House of Commons debates - TheyWorkForYou (http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2014-01-14b.715.0)

The IT system to which they refer was letting down a guy I know who applied to join the RAuxAF no less than 4 times in 2015 and then he just gave up. He then got a call in October (about 5 months after his last application and about 9 months after his first!) asking him if he was still interested and would he like to apply again?!! You can imagine his response!

So Capita very definately have something to do with processing as it is their system that was asked for, paid for and used. Also, they administer it as far as I know? If it takes 5 applications to get one guy through the door then we have truly blown it!

Finally, 92% during a period where youth unemployment rates are historically high is nothing to boast about in my humble opinion. We she should be at 100% and turning them away!

Maybe I gave the wrong impression in my clumsy use of 'recruiting processing' but it was the best way I could think of backing up my original suggestion of cessation of the use of contractors. In my many years of Service I have seen more and more bungles from contractors - ranging from getting 'full and free' in a Jet Provost with a hammer, to air-chiselling wing bolts out of Tonka wings and writing off two dozen expensive jets, to 'pay as you starve', to poor recruiting performance, to (un) cleaning contracts. It's not their fault, they are a business trying to provide a service - but they will do it as poorly as they can get away with it and take our money. They will claim 'pride' in their connection with the military when they secretly make as much 'profit' as they can get away with.

So I stand by my original point number 4.

LJ :ok:

[downsizer]

Leon

Capita have yet to introduce "their" IT system, all 3 services are still using the legacy system which capita pay to support as the new system is late.

I'd strongly suggest that your friends failure to get into the RAuxAF is more a failing of the individual Sqns concerned. Reservist recruiting is handled entirely by FTRS recruiters on the Sqns budget. Some are incredible, some are well, challenging. Not the first time I've heard that Sqns haven't been contacting their candidates. They seem to be improving.

As to 92%, well I'm not going to defend it, but you should see what gets turned away P3 and P2 just to get that! The sad fact is many are too thick to pass AST or OASC or simply haven't got "it" at interview.

I fully agree about the cancer of contractorisation, but as far as the RAF go, we have very little of that in recruitment and work entirely differently to the way the Army do as they are in bed with capita, not us.

[Lima Juliet]

Downsizer

Fair do's matey, you have filled in my 0.000001% of knowledge then! :ok:

LJ

[tmmorris]

Red Tape Chalenge

The U.K. CAA ran a program of doing away with historic rules and regulations that had past their sell by date ........ The RAF could look at doing the same.

If you'd seen the face senior HQAC officers made when I suggested that to the entire cadet organisation you will have an idea how it would go down...

[Melchett01]

4. Stop employing contractors to do our key work like recruiting.

I'll whole heartedly second that. What is equally concerning, and could even be a point 4b, is the increasing use of consultants alongside contractors. I'm currently working in an area undergoing yet another major restructuring as part of SDSR. Despite it being full of professionals, both military and civilian, who know their business better than any consultancy, we have had a firm, which I won't name as I'd rather not start the New Year defending a libel or defamation charge, foisted upon us to tell us the absolute bleeding obvious. And when they aren't doing that they're showing off the product of their puddle depth level analysis.

So, for 2016, I'd like to see these big brains at the top of Defence doing some of their own thinking and applying some of that experience, wisdom and the outputs of some rather expensive higher level staff training, rather than paying a bunch of Apprentice wannabes who know precious little about Defence to balls it up for us. We can do that ourselves without paying an eye-watering fee thanks very much!

It's one thing to pay people to do the jobs you don't want to do, but to pay them to do your thinking as well is frankly woeful. Save the money and set up a Joint Defence Management Consultancy to run projects and provide tailored, appropriate and non-partisan advice.