RAF Regiment - or Army?
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The Regt was actually my sixth branch choice at OASC
Passed pilot, failed nav (2 down)
Failed Fighter Controller (3 down)
Failed ATC(4 down)
too young for Provost Officer (21 then, so 5 down)
But I wanted a commission, and having looked at it long and hard, it allowed me to be in the service I wanted to be in, doing something 'operational' rather than blunting.
As it turned out, my lickle legs were never built for all that running about, and I ended up a pensioner. Great bunch O' lads, and offers something a little bit different on the CV. Ed C was a case in point, rather than joining some Army outfit with more silver than long John himself.
Anyone out there went through IOT with him? I am just wondering what eventually happened to a chap on his flight, who was chopped pilot and went Nav. PM me if Uthink you can help
Passed pilot, failed nav (2 down)
Failed Fighter Controller (3 down)
Failed ATC(4 down)
too young for Provost Officer (21 then, so 5 down)
But I wanted a commission, and having looked at it long and hard, it allowed me to be in the service I wanted to be in, doing something 'operational' rather than blunting.
As it turned out, my lickle legs were never built for all that running about, and I ended up a pensioner. Great bunch O' lads, and offers something a little bit different on the CV. Ed C was a case in point, rather than joining some Army outfit with more silver than long John himself.
Anyone out there went through IOT with him? I am just wondering what eventually happened to a chap on his flight, who was chopped pilot and went Nav. PM me if Uthink you can help
Bill O'average
Are you trying for a bite? You'll have to get up a bit earlier if you want some sport......
Incidentally it appears that your information is a little out of date as far as where the Regt works: in the current spat a Regt Sqn was in amongst it in the Al Rumalya oil fields and other Sqns were securing forward HLSs and refuelling points etc well beyond the reach of most laundry services... does this count as a bite?....bug#er!
Whatever, 'tis fun and we're usually pretty far forward. In GW 1 a certain unnamed Regt formation cw refuellers outdistanced the forward recce elements of UK armour!!! That was a bit of an error but none the less we were in front and actually could have done with the forward laundry service!
Are you trying for a bite? You'll have to get up a bit earlier if you want some sport......
Incidentally it appears that your information is a little out of date as far as where the Regt works: in the current spat a Regt Sqn was in amongst it in the Al Rumalya oil fields and other Sqns were securing forward HLSs and refuelling points etc well beyond the reach of most laundry services... does this count as a bite?....bug#er!
Whatever, 'tis fun and we're usually pretty far forward. In GW 1 a certain unnamed Regt formation cw refuellers outdistanced the forward recce elements of UK armour!!! That was a bit of an error but none the less we were in front and actually could have done with the forward laundry service!
My reason
I joined the Regt for several reasons, one of the minor ones being a point my Father raised. He used to tell me that the mark of a service was how you were addressed. In the Army it is "Oi, YOU! Swear swear etc.". Whereas in the RAF it is, "Gentlemen.......". So far, (20 years and 6 months later), he has been proved right.
As an ex-Stn and Recruit Training GDT Rock I worked it out that I have gassed approximately 30,000 people! What job, and I get paid!!!
Now I just strip them down and have "chats" with them in Cornwall amongst other places.
B.U.S. Where you ever OC of the Winged Wheel Flight?
Regards
ss
PS It is nice to read the comments dishing the praise out. Thank you.
As an ex-Stn and Recruit Training GDT Rock I worked it out that I have gassed approximately 30,000 people! What job, and I get paid!!!
Now I just strip them down and have "chats" with them in Cornwall amongst other places.
B.U.S. Where you ever OC of the Winged Wheel Flight?
Regards
ss
PS It is nice to read the comments dishing the praise out. Thank you.
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My brother is the son of a 2* fighter pilot, the brother of a truckie pilot, and spent 17 years in the RAF Regt., rising to the dizzy height of Corporal. He retired (medical) about 6 or 7 years ago, yet he has more friends in more branches of all the services (and at all ranks) than his Dad and brother put together. He fought in a number of wars (very much at the sharp end where people get Hurt), and loved every minute of his service.
Through direct contact with him and his colleagues, I can vouch that the RAF Regt. is one of the most respected, professional and highly-motivated elements of any of the Armed Services, and that, pretty much to a man, none of them would rather be doing any other job.
I can't think of an outfit I'd prefer to be a leader of.
Through direct contact with him and his colleagues, I can vouch that the RAF Regt. is one of the most respected, professional and highly-motivated elements of any of the Armed Services, and that, pretty much to a man, none of them would rather be doing any other job.
I can't think of an outfit I'd prefer to be a leader of.
Thread Starter
Thanks for all your help, peeps, the youngster who PM'd me to ask for this info has been courteous enough to express his thanks to you all!
..and I've never EVER seen a scruffy Rock! More than you can say for some eccentric cavalwy wooperts, I regret to say!
..and I've never EVER seen a scruffy Rock! More than you can say for some eccentric cavalwy wooperts, I regret to say!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Rock guard airfields are REMF?
No, many airfields are so far back that the country between the forward elements and the airfields is essentially empty and available to be contested. The very potential of the RAF Regt to patrol this middle ground keeps it safe.
My daughter was in the Aux. When on exercise in the US they were treated as SF.
Incidentally the exercise was called Rolling Rock. Sense of self-humour? The yanks had an SofH too, let her drive a tank and lead a section. She got three 'kills' before her position was over run. Only because on of the US reservists had compromised the OP when he came back with some cokes!
No, many airfields are so far back that the country between the forward elements and the airfields is essentially empty and available to be contested. The very potential of the RAF Regt to patrol this middle ground keeps it safe.
My daughter was in the Aux. When on exercise in the US they were treated as SF.
Incidentally the exercise was called Rolling Rock. Sense of self-humour? The yanks had an SofH too, let her drive a tank and lead a section. She got three 'kills' before her position was over run. Only because on of the US reservists had compromised the OP when he came back with some cokes!
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When on exercise in the US they were treated as SF.
The Yanks treat the Salvation Army as SF. Not exactly a plus point is it?
Remarkable that everyone is blowing smoke out of the Rocks botties.
In the Army, we have what used to be called the Royal Pioneer Corps.
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An interesting thread, I thought we all disliked them in equal measure but clearly they do have their fans.
However, amongst all of this apparent adulation I can't bring to mind a single person who has achieved fame in the RAF Regt. I can reel off hundreds of famous soldiers and even aircrew types. Can anybody put me straight on this?
However, amongst all of this apparent adulation I can't bring to mind a single person who has achieved fame in the RAF Regt. I can reel off hundreds of famous soldiers and even aircrew types. Can anybody put me straight on this?
Bill O'Average,
Were you frightened by a Rock early in your life or are you just ignorant (and I mean that to be taken in the context of it's true definition - ie not knowing) of what the Regt really do? As a Corps they are employed in a wide variety of specialist roles and have proved their worth in all of the recent spats in all areas - front line, rear areas, at home with mum, bits in between and very significantly embedded in high level combined/joint HQs.
The USAF at the behest of Gen Jumper have even formed specialist units - Contingency Support Groups - based on RAF Regt lines although they have all the toys the Regt can only dream of - A sqn of transport aircraft, 1 or multiple Coys of specialist highly mobile (and RANGER trained!!!!!! - tongue firmly in cheek) defence forces, a HQ Group, force protection assets up the ying yang (incl med techs, flight surgeons, OSI (sneaky guys), fire and rescue, EOD etc) and material without end...
As for famous Rocks, we tend to be modest don't you know and actually don't need the smoke blowing thingy 'cos we know we are that good!
Check out recent London Gazette Honours Supplements (the operational ones) and you may be surprised by the number of Rocks listed there ...
Were you frightened by a Rock early in your life or are you just ignorant (and I mean that to be taken in the context of it's true definition - ie not knowing) of what the Regt really do? As a Corps they are employed in a wide variety of specialist roles and have proved their worth in all of the recent spats in all areas - front line, rear areas, at home with mum, bits in between and very significantly embedded in high level combined/joint HQs.
The USAF at the behest of Gen Jumper have even formed specialist units - Contingency Support Groups - based on RAF Regt lines although they have all the toys the Regt can only dream of - A sqn of transport aircraft, 1 or multiple Coys of specialist highly mobile (and RANGER trained!!!!!! - tongue firmly in cheek) defence forces, a HQ Group, force protection assets up the ying yang (incl med techs, flight surgeons, OSI (sneaky guys), fire and rescue, EOD etc) and material without end...
As for famous Rocks, we tend to be modest don't you know and actually don't need the smoke blowing thingy 'cos we know we are that good!
Check out recent London Gazette Honours Supplements (the operational ones) and you may be surprised by the number of Rocks listed there ...
EJ Thribb,
I think you may have something there - as you well know we are employed guarding the laundry etc so what chance does one have of becoming famous.........
Any further banter would be welcomed. Oh and please name all of those hundreds of famous aircrew and army types......go on I dare you!
Pontious Nav,
Served with some Aux Regt girls in Kuwait - very good at what they were doing, in some cases putting the regular young lads to shame. Top lasses.
I think you may have something there - as you well know we are employed guarding the laundry etc so what chance does one have of becoming famous.........
Any further banter would be welcomed. Oh and please name all of those hundreds of famous aircrew and army types......go on I dare you!
Pontious Nav,
Served with some Aux Regt girls in Kuwait - very good at what they were doing, in some cases putting the regular young lads to shame. Top lasses.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
BUS, I know one who should have been there. She did SS but decided to press on with her civ pol career even though her Chief Constable supported her for DS. Her GF was in the SAS and she was 6 foot plus!
My girlfriend
I can't help it.
I can't help it.
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Beagle wrote
I have never EVER seen a scruffy Rock.
You should have seen the tribe of misfits that represented the Rockapes on the display team last season. To punish them for thier scruffiness I swiped to Body locking pin and Cocking handle on thier SA80 & 9mm pistol and hoyed them in the sea
They perform a beach assault like the towns womens guild assault a fruitcake.
Always Gobby in Wilts would do well on the Display team, getting up by spotty children could be not only his hobby but his occupation too
I have never EVER seen a scruffy Rock.
You should have seen the tribe of misfits that represented the Rockapes on the display team last season. To punish them for thier scruffiness I swiped to Body locking pin and Cocking handle on thier SA80 & 9mm pistol and hoyed them in the sea
They perform a beach assault like the towns womens guild assault a fruitcake.
Always Gobby in Wilts would do well on the Display team, getting up by spotty children could be not only his hobby but his occupation too
Perhaps we were just lucky in the SH world - the Rocks we used to have looking after us were usually the best you could hope for. The ones with Soft and Fluffy Flight in GW1 proved themselves very capable; after our (second-hand, clapped-out) M134s were delivered the Regt lads volunteered to become our LHS gunners. Came with us on all the later, interesting jaunts - very much part of the crew. Same with the gentlemen in Croatia in 1996.
I also worked for/ with an ex-Sqn Cdr of 2 Sqn when he was a Contract Officer in the Sulan's Armed Forces in Oman. He was running the Security Forces in the northern, Musandam Peninsula - the bit that sticks up into the Straits of Hormuz. As competent, professional and downright pleasant an officer you could ever wish to meet. He still does ultra-marathons (or whatever they're called...) despite being respectably over 60.
Fame? You'll be pointing out - like the Americans did with their USAF Security Police in Vietnam - that if units aren't getting high body-counts or other attention-grabbing results, then they aren't worth keeping. The fact that the SecPols had prevented squillions of dollars worth of damage from NV/VC sapper/mortar attacks didn't seem to occur to their detractors.
RAF Regiment? Top job choice if you don't feel like going aircrew - but please PLEASE don't go Provost! (only advice my dad gave me after his 26 years as an RAF pilot was "all coppers is bastards" - he was right!)
I also worked for/ with an ex-Sqn Cdr of 2 Sqn when he was a Contract Officer in the Sulan's Armed Forces in Oman. He was running the Security Forces in the northern, Musandam Peninsula - the bit that sticks up into the Straits of Hormuz. As competent, professional and downright pleasant an officer you could ever wish to meet. He still does ultra-marathons (or whatever they're called...) despite being respectably over 60.
Fame? You'll be pointing out - like the Americans did with their USAF Security Police in Vietnam - that if units aren't getting high body-counts or other attention-grabbing results, then they aren't worth keeping. The fact that the SecPols had prevented squillions of dollars worth of damage from NV/VC sapper/mortar attacks didn't seem to occur to their detractors.
RAF Regiment? Top job choice if you don't feel like going aircrew - but please PLEASE don't go Provost! (only advice my dad gave me after his 26 years as an RAF pilot was "all coppers is bastards" - he was right!)
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I understand that the Regiment is doing an outstanding and very professional job at Basrah. Well done lads, ignore all the cr@p in this thread.
BFB
BFB
Famous Rocks
I do believe the following esteemed gentleman once bore the Mudguards for Queen and Country:
Max Bygraves
I am happy to be corrected if someone knows differently though
Regards
ss
Max Bygraves
I am happy to be corrected if someone knows differently though
Regards
ss
TAC Int Bloke
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owever, amongst all of this apparent adulation I can't bring to mind a single person who has achieved fame in the RAF Regt.
-Nick