Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

What is a Bluntie?

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

What is a Bluntie?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 24th Jun 2006, 09:45
  #61 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Too far North - hardly a RAF base that isn't these days...
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by glum
Wonder who's the sharpest on a UAV squadron?
Hmm, squadrons full of pasty-faced speccy tw@t computer programers with tin foil helmets, no girlfriend, dandruff and OCD. Should improve the publics perception of us
Confucius is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 01:55
  #62 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Southern UK
Posts: 372
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Perhaps there is a bit of insecurity here on the part of certain aircrew. I have commanded both aircrew and groundcrew on proper "shooting war" operations and I frankly can't see the difference. We have a lot to be proud of in the British forces - and by that I mean the people. If you haven't been on ops, then perhaps you should get some time in before you start spouting off about "those that fly and fight" - even if you have some medals, don't forget there are places where we don't count the round ones - and you don't hear "blunties" slagged off there very much if they have deployed too...
Occasional Aviator is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 02:49
  #63 (permalink)  
lek
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Melbourne
Age: 64
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
My special friend

Buntie is a friend of mine, she's always there with me when we do silly things.
Buntie makes me feel special, I love Buntie!


What?! Bluntie? Whaddya mean Bluntie? Who TF is asking about Blunties?
A bluntie is what chaps would get after lights out. Dirty Buggar!
lek is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 06:55
  #64 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,576
Received 429 Likes on 226 Posts
Is Wing Commander I.R. Blunt still around?

He once introduced the RAF's own magazine. I think he was an Admin Wallah.
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 07:48
  #65 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Too far North - hardly a RAF base that isn't these days...
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Occasional Aviator
Perhaps there is a bit of insecurity here on the part of certain aircrew. I have commanded both aircrew and groundcrew on proper "shooting war" operations and I frankly can't see the difference. We have a lot to be proud of in the British forces - and by that I mean the people. If you haven't been on ops, then perhaps you should get some time in before you start spouting off about "those that fly and fight" - even if you have some medals, don't forget there are places where we don't count the round ones - and you don't hear "blunties" slagged off there very much if they have deployed too...
Perhaps you should lighten up and take this thread as intended!
Confucius is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 08:25
  #66 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Temporarily missing from the Joe Louis Arena
Posts: 2,131
Received 27 Likes on 16 Posts
Everyone in the British Forces except the Infantry is blunt, we're all here to support the boots on the ground folk.

The RAF as an organisation in inherently blunt, we don't have any infantry (unlike the RN) who are primarily tasked with offensive operations.
The Helpful Stacker is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 14:26
  #67 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Tennessee - Smoky Mountains
Age: 55
Posts: 1,602
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by The Helpful Stacker
Everyone in the British Forces except the Infantry is blunt, we're all here to support the boots on the ground folk.
The RAF as an organisation in inherently blunt, we don't have any infantry (unlike the RN) who are primarily tasked with offensive operations.
I understand what you are saying, but it isnt that facile. I was Royal Signals, but it sure as hell didn't feel very blunt in Sarajevo BEFORE the infantry got there. Equally sure that the Herc crew that delivered us didn't feel like it was a blunt day's work either. In fact, I know that to be the case, because the Sqn Ldr captain came to brief us, and started with "Where's your f***ing flak jackets?". Short trip to Brueggen stores, and try again. I still have the flak jacket, and it did not feel blunt whatsoever when we did a scary dive type approach, and a hot offload. Herc on the ground less than 5 minutes.

Most of my career was blunt, but not on that tour.
Roadster280 is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 18:13
  #68 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Down South
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If the military does not need us 'blunties', why don't they make us all redundant then all of you at the 'sharp end' would be supported in your roles by civil servants. Then you can spend your time slagging them off instead.
Blue Suit is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 19:40
  #69 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by glum

The 'sharp end' is where the action happens, life gets blunter the further back you are from that.

Wonder who's the sharpest on a UAV squadron?

It's true, the future's blunt!



D
dantura is offline  
Old 25th Jun 2006, 21:48
  #70 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: ecosse
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Stacker
Not quite true - Churchill instituted the RAF Regiment to protect airfields, so the army could get on with their 'propper job'
As an aside - some of the sharpest people I have liaissed with over 42 years have been on the line or in the bays - some of the bluntest have been OCU students - until I trained them of course
buoy15 is offline  
Old 26th Jun 2006, 06:08
  #71 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Temporarily missing from the Joe Louis Arena
Posts: 2,131
Received 27 Likes on 16 Posts
Originally Posted by Deliverance
The Helpful Stacker,
Only a blunty could/would say what you have. Anyway, I thought the RAF Regt had a couple of infantry units.
As an ex-Infantryman I feel I can clarify my remarks.

Oh and next time you get bricked by locals whilst doing top cover on the way to Al Amara you can join me in the sharper part of the bluntie world. I guess you must be one of the grow bagged master race and feel a little miffed at being told a home truth eh?

RAF Regt are airfield defence NOT infantry. They are scaled too light to fulfil the infantry role effectively.
The Helpful Stacker is offline  
Old 26th Jun 2006, 13:36
  #72 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 2 m South of Radstock VRP
Posts: 2,042
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Relativity

Originally Posted by Blue Suit
If the military does not need us 'blunties', why don't they make us all redundant then all of you at the 'sharp end' would be supported in your roles by civil servants.
It may be opportune to point out that the Navy has been supported from shore-side by Civil Servants for a few hundred years. At sea, of course, it's Civil Servants and Merchant Seamen. The concept of Bluntie is a peculiarly Air Force thing and is probably due to the ratio of weapon Platform operators to weapon Platform supporters (do they wear coloured scarves and bobble hats while waving flags and chanting/singing?). In a warship, the "name game" grinds to a stop because the "jack dusty" in the store shares the same coffin as the boss fellah on the bridge.

I also note that the H Stacker has grasped the jointery end point;

Everyone in the British Forces except the Infantry is blunt, we're all here to support the boots on the ground folk.
If you look carefully at each single service doctrine, he's pretty close.

G-BZ transmitting for QDM back to Thread!
GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU is offline  
Old 26th Jun 2006, 14:30
  #73 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: UK
Posts: 887
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Blue Suit, you don't really want to be made redundant, do you? If so, you would not be able to join the sharpies in slagging off the Civil Servants. That's when the sharpies and the blunties show that, despite all that has gone before, they really are on the same team.
Zoom is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 04:49
  #74 (permalink)  
Cunning Artificer
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The spiritual home of DeHavilland
Age: 76
Posts: 3,127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Everyone in the British Forces except the Infantry is blunt, we're all here to support the boots on the ground folk.
An old Chiefy of mine served in the Western Desert during WW2. As Rommel advanced, the airstrip wasn't far enough behind the lines anymore, so the aircrew took the aircraft off to the rear while the ground crew set fire to the petrol, blew up the ammunition and drank all the beer. Then along came the retreating infantry. Protesting furiously, the RAF 'Blunties' were immediately incorporated into the infantry and joined the brown jobs at digging in. Gerry attacked and were beaten off; then came the order to counter-attack. That's how 120 RAF Blunties found themselves taking part in a bayonet charge during a frontal assault on German defensive positions.

In reality, whether you're wearing a dark blue, light blue or brown uniform, there's no such thing as a full time Bluntie. Anyone can find themselves in the front line.

I also knew a Flight Sergeant Air Gunner who was turfed out of his 205 Sqn Flying Boat to make way for a Bluntie Officer when 205 were ordered to Palembang. Left behind in Singapore he fought alongside the infantry at Woodlands until captured and imprisoned. Building railways is Bluntie work I suppose...
Blacksheep is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 06:02
  #75 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Midlands
Posts: 745
Received 25 Likes on 8 Posts
Tourist, fist let me appologise for my choice of words. You dangled the worm and I was halfway through rush packing my bluntie kit for another OOA.
On a (not too) serious note, us blunties were across the border FOB'ing with the other 'none sharpies' in 2003...and we sure as hell felt pretty sharp.
Regards

Stitch
Stitchbitch is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 12:16
  #76 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: London
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by ShyTorque
Is Wing Commander I.R. Blunt still around?

He once introduced the RAF's own magazine. I think he was an Admin Wallah.
Ian Blunt retired as a Group Captain (at least) in the early nineties. And he was an engineer (and a great bloke too).

Back to the thread, you guys really are spouting a load of cr@p. I am so glad that I left the RAF a good while ago and let the two-winged master race sort out who was sharpest on their own. Most aircrew I knew were never team players at the best of times.

BTW, does being called "grow-bags" still annoy you? I notice no-one has mentioned it amongst all the other names you have used for everyone else.
possel is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 14:32
  #77 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I believe all those who are blunt are the ones who stay in beyond their option point as the sharp ones get out and do something else for more money
Glass Half Empty is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 17:34
  #78 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: wiltshire
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What is a bluntie?

Well, it depends on where you sit in your self perceived food chain does it not?
e.g. A Harrier pilot maybe thinks that he can call everyone else a bluntie. However, an F3 or GR4 pilot would feel able to refer to only truckies (of which I am one) and below by the same tag.

Us truckie types then feel that we have to find someone to pick on too and so, more often than not, the movers cop it. It arises from the fact that every trade feels that it must be superior to some other trades in some way and continues down past PTIs, Admin staff, RAF Police and er, um ....

Well, you tell me
Lara crofts pants is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 18:11
  #79 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Highlands
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
SERCO???!
rock_dove is offline  
Old 27th Jun 2006, 19:22
  #80 (permalink)  
Registered User **
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Cambridge
Posts: 556
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Happy to let the growbags debate this one, let them have their own views on who/what constitutes a blunty. Then some @rse posts this b0ll0cks:
Everyone in the British Forces except the Infantry is blunt, we're all here to support the boots on the ground folk.

The RAF as an organisation in inherently blunt, we don't have any infantry (unlike the RN) who are primarily tasked with offensive operations.
Well I'm as blunt as one can get, working at sunny Wyton, but there are many others who aren't.

Safety_Helmut
Safety_Helmut is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.