Army TA - Air Despatcher

[NDW]

Evening one and all,

Just been browsing the Army TA website for any careers in Aviation and came across the role of 'Air Despatcher'.

I'm presuming that it would be working as a member of Aircrew?

Any help or advice would be appreciated as the website details are a little vague.

Kind regards

[Two's in]

AD is a trade within the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC). The role is straightforward and details are on the webpage below;

Role Finder - British Army Website

You prepare provisions, equipment and vehicles for delivery by planes and helicopters. Once safely loaded, you accompany them into the air and drop them by parachute onto the combat zone. You work as part of a despatch crew, and together you learn to operate, drive and maintain a wide variety of vehicles, including cargo handling equipment.

I'm sure some kindly ALM will tell you how the Aircrew/AD roles interact when airborne.

[Like This - Do That]

You might want to search the RLC forum over at ARRSE. There are a couple of regular posters from 47 who will be able to answer your queries; search on --- ooo I don't know --- "despatch" ?

[barnstormer1968]

From my experience, most folks from 47 are a good bunch too.

There was one exception who liked to tell you he wore the same overalls as the bloke at the sharp end, so was just about the same as him! I do remember one occasion when he mentioned he was aircrew three times in one sentence!

As per above, he was the complete exception to the rule, and many of the lads there were ready to work very hard, and often put in 18 hour days when working in disaster situations etc.

If you are a bit of a spotter, you also get to wear a nice little picture of a Dakota too

[Roger D'Erassoff]

You also need to be adept at starting fights in the NAAFI, drinking your bodyweight in beer most nights and plumbing the depths of depravity amongst the munter section of WRAFs at the station you are posted to...

( Yes, I know, WRAFs don't exist per se, term merely used for dramatic effect)

[Sook]

Air Despatcher - do you mean something like this?

[BEagle]

You also need to be adept at starting fights in the NAAFI, drinking your bodyweight in beer most nights and plumbing the depths of depravity amongst the munter section of WRAFs at the station you are posted to...

With such an accurate job description, including the fringe benefits, who needs professional recruiters?

[Grimweasel]

No need to trawl ARRSE - there are a few serving and ex-dispatchers here!

They are doing some very good work in Afghan at the moment and there are some good videos on you-tube and the BBC news websites.

I saw the light 5 yrs ago and defected to the blue side, but I have never regretted my 13 years at 47AD - good bunch of lads, who all need to have some modicum of sense about them to pass the assessment course to even get into the unit. Great work ethic and 'can do attitude' often matched by an equally great passion for extra curricular activities in the bars and nightclubs of the world!

There was always a good spot of banter with the crews down route or on Ex and we enjoyed doing the Movers job for them AND our own job - it used to wind the movers up all the time and step on their precious toes - so we used to do it even more to wind them up!!

Lim Bang and Arnhem troops always used to have a great spot of inter-troop rivalry on the go which made for some great sporting and social events!

I believe though that the last RSM of 29 Regt RLC stopped the blokes wearing the famous yellow Dakota -which we all found odd considering he was an ex-dispatcher himself! (Yido!!)

Still, there will be 2 'defectors' from the 47AD ranks back at Lyneham soon...both in positions of authority - what was Cranwell thinking LOL!!!

[Echo 5]

Grim........Has the Mover baiting started again ? You're starting to sound like ISITD.