MOD Diversity Chief

[VintageEngineer]

I roll my eyes as much as any retired serviceman when diversity and all the other woke buzzwords are mentioned. Times change though, as do the attitudes of the people that the services serve and recruit from. The services need to adapt to survive, as they have been doing ever since I joined over 40 years ago. Reviewing service ranks is nothing new, for example the merging of the WRAF in 1994 led to new gender-neutral ranks by dropping the W in women’s ranks.

For those interested, the MoD summary at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2020/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-1-april-2020 gives the state of play on the services’ composition in various identity politics categories. There are some interesting snippets, for example that the proportion of women that are officers is far higher than that for men and that only 20% of servicemen were willing to give a sexual orientation, most either objecting to the idea or thinking it was none of the MoD’s business.

The use of aviator rather than airman or airwoman seems to work well for the Canadians. One of my sons is in the MoD, albeit a civilian, and he tells me the servicemen he knows aren’t that bothered about such changes.

Perhaps it is time for a change. Whilst we’re at it, do we need to review rank titles, for example merging Flt Lt, FG Off and Plt Off into a single rank of lieutenant?

[Whenurhappy]

I roll my eyes as much as any retired serviceman when diversity and all the other woke buzzwords are mentioned. Times change though, as do the attitudes of the people that the services serve and recruit from. The services need to adapt to survive, as they have been doing ever since I joined over 40 years ago. Reviewing service ranks is nothing new, for example the merging of the WRAF in 1994 led to new gender-neutral ranks by dropping the W in women’s ranks.

For those interested, the MoD summary at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-2020/uk-armed-forces-biannual-diversity-statistics-1-april-2020 gives the state of play on the services’ composition in various identity politics categories. There are some interesting snippets, for example that the proportion of women that are officers is far higher than that for men and that only 20% of servicemen were willing to give a sexual orientation, most either objecting to the idea or thinking it was none of the MoD’s business.

The use of aviator rather than airman or airwoman seems to work well for the Canadians. One of my sons is in the MoD, albeit a civilian, and he tells me the servicemen he knows aren’t that bothered about such changes.

Perhaps it is time for a change. Whilst we’re at it, do we need to review rank titles, for example merging Flt Lt, FG Off and Plt Off into a single rank of lieutenant?

Yes, the Service has survived many changes which were described as 'cataclysmic' at the time, and is generally better for it. My concern about 'Aviator' as a term to replace Airmen is that:

Airman/men/women is an honourable and historic term for a rank that goes back to 1918, and I am sure that today there is no prejudice or unconscious bias by the interchangeable term Airman or Airwoman, as appropriate.
It sounds American, and sits up there with my favourite dislike of the use of 'Warrior' to describe soldiers.

[SASless]

It sounds American, and sits up there with my favourite dislike of the use of 'Warrior' to describe soldiers.

"Airman" is a USAF Rank.

Despite the "Woke: plague attacking us in the United States.....at least we have not gotten to the sordid lows of the RAF in worrying about pronouns, ranks, and such trivial issues.

We. have our own problems with CRT, White Privilege, and other racist agendas but that is another story.

So Colonel Blimp....you ever been shot at from up close with automatic weapons, RPG's, and direct rifle fire?

If not....you have no basis upon which to understand the Warrior Ethos of a Soldier, Salilor, Marine, or Airman.

Unless you have.....please don't lecture anyone about calling a Soldier a Warrior.

[Asturias56]

" the Warrior Ethos of a Soldier,"

wasn't that "Bushido" in 1930-45?

[SASless]

Now....now.....you know they are two quite different philosophies.

https://wavellroom.com/2018/07/19/does-diversity-dilute-the-warrior-ethos/

[Training Risky]

SAS,

apologies you are correct and I was incorrect with the numbers. I will edit my post to remove my error.

A report issued jointly by the DHS, DoJ, ODNI and FBI on Mar 17 said

(U) The IC assesses that racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) and militia violent extremists (MVEs) present the most lethal DVE threats, with RMVEs most likely to conduct mass-casualty attacks against civilians and MVEs typically targeting law enforcement and government personnel and facilities. The IC assesses that the MVE threat increased last year and that it will almost certainly continue to be elevated throughout 2021 because of contentious sociopolitical factors that motivate MVEs to commit violence.

Their assessment is Domestic Violent Extremism poses the largest threat to the US.

It is assessed that %13 of those arrested after the Capitol incident were either former or current military.

It is this, and the rising number of military personnel involved in DVE which may have prompted Secdef to do what he did.
Load of rubbish.

Politically motivated 'intelligence' assessments written by brown-nosing zealots with their eye on a promotion do not mean there is any real 'white supremacy threat'.

The real threat to the USA is Antifa/BLM groups battering Portland and other major cities, unhindered, for a full 18 months. The city police and feds are too scared to clamp down on them as they don't want to end up in a cell next to Derek Chauvin.

[Whenurhappy]

"Airman" is a USAF Rank.

Despite the "Woke: plague attacking us in the United States.....at least we have not gotten to the sordid lows of the RAF in worrying about pronouns, ranks, and such trivial issues.

We. have our own problems with CRT, White Privilege, and other racist agendas but that is another story.

So Colonel Blimp....you ever been shot at from up close with automatic weapons, RPG's, and direct rifle fire?

If not....you have no basis upon which to understand the Warrior Ethos of a Soldier, Salilor, Marine, or Airman.

Unless you have.....please don't lecture anyone about calling a Soldier a Warrior.




Steady there. I don't think that sort of language is necessary. Colonel is not a rank we use in the RAF.

Like many in the modern RAF, I have been under fire. I have also been held at gun point, besieged in a compound, and was commended for confronting, with my pistol, an EAG in the Balkans who had kidnapped two RAF personnel. Not many RAF personnel can claim that but I still don't like the term Aviator or Warrior and I am entitled to that opinion, thanks very much.