In, Out, In, Out, Shake It All About - MTP PCS

[BEagle]

How hard can it be to sort out a standard uniform instruction for your natty combat jim-jams?

This reminds me of the nonsense when the wretched wooly-pully first appeared in about 1973. Was the shirt to be worn with or without tie? Was the stable belt to be worn over or under the pullover?

That stupid, cheap and nasty badge must surely be a pi$$-take?

[glad rag]

I think it's a great way of identifying the service as they never wear their hats today anyway

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Originally Posted by MG

In the 1920s, when we were having fun 'Air Policing', there was a toned-down two-tone brown and sand version of officers' rank. It seems that we've missed a trick by not looking at history agin.

Have a care; why risk creating a tradition when you can seize the opportunity of creating a fashion.

That bloody awful "logo" says it all really.

[diginagain]

Roll-on the end of March 2018..................

[MG]

Have a care; why risk creating a tradition when you can seize the opportunity of creating a fashion.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. There seems to be some people in clothing policy who forget that we're not on a fashion parade and that we are, despite what some would have you believe, a military force. This is uniform, not a race to see who can be trendiest.

[orgASMic]

My understanding is that the RAF logo badge is just for the Olympics to identify RAF personnel to Joe Public. If 'corporate identity' is so important, they should be wearing blues.

I am also led to believe the that TRF is to be replaced by (wait for it!) a roundel! 10 out of 10 for a waste of effort and money The TRF works just fine now that we have been wearing them for the best part of a decade.

(Source - A4 mate at Halton)

I am completely dumb-founded by the decision to wear PCS in a manner which is neither in concert with the other two Services nor with the designers' intent. Utterly pointless, especially when the advice from the Project Team and the intial guidance from the RAF was 'the lightweight jacket is designed to be worn outside the waistband of the trousers'. Again, a pointless waste of staff effort. The only sensible decision is the wearing of blue rank slides in camp.

What is even more pointless is the lack of rigour with which any of this will be applied. Northwood is a fancy dress party at the moment; even the Army cannot agree how to wear the new CU and they have had very clear direction from CGS.

[jamesman]

Only just issued my new spangly 'toned down' rank slide prior to my all inclusive MOD holiday. On my recent IPDT I was asked by one of the boys if I was in the Navy!!!

At least I wasn't mistaken for a brown job.

[Pheasant]

That bloody awful "logo" says it all really.

Let's hope the embroiderer puts an "O" in and not an "A" instead in FORCE.

[TheWizard]

It's really not difficult.

All participants of the RAF not on VSF duties at the Olympics ARE TO wear No2 HD except for ceremonial duties where No1 HD with medals is to be worn. So says the admin order (that includes travelling)
Makes sense really, searching vehicles and patrolling in blues is not really practical.

[MFC_Fly]

I think it's a great way of identifying the service as they never wear their hats today anyway

No, we are not talking about the Army

Just remind me how many times did the RAF Kinloss CO have to tell the Pongo's that were starting to arrive over the past few months to put their hats on? Oh yes, LOTS!!


[Edited to add]
Also reminding them of the need to salute his car when it went by whilst it was flying his pennant - oh that caused lots of confusion for the poor lads, who were then often seen saluting his car when it was parked up outside his office

[Lima Juliet]

(Source - A4 mate at Halton

OrgASMic

I believe the roundel is for PCS "blues" about to be trialled by Supply and Movements Trg Wg (SMTW - or A4 at RAF Halton). There is no other A4 at RAF Halton as the rest are Serco! The blue PCS is supposed to be similar to that worn by the D-Boats (DARING, DIAMOND, DUNCAN, etc...) who wear the Ship's crest on their right arm - I would expect this is what the roundel will replace?

LJ

[Lima Juliet]

RN blue PCS for anyone who is not aware...

[The B Word]

I note that the RN are "tucking in" then...

...also the 2011 DIB states quite clearly

Lightweight Jacket. A shirt that can be worn over a thermal or sweat-wicking layer. It can be worn either tucked in to trousers or loose depending on environmental conditions

That's that then, no more bollox about "it wasn't designed to be tucked in" - get it tucked in you scruffy herberts. Next you'll be wanting to grow mullets and beards to look like the SF

The B Word

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Leon Jabachjabicz. I was about to say; "please let this not to have taken over from AWD when I thought; Google. I wish I hadn't as it gets bloody worse:



No wonder that Subbie looks like she's just had her iPod stolen.

Seriously; I hope that those involved have given sufficient consideration to fire retardancy, colour fastness and dimensional stability. In the '90s we had problems contracting for soft furnishing fabrics for Aunty Betty's war canoes. We thought we would ask the, then, Defence Clothing and Textile Agency for help. The closest experience they had was furnishing underground accommodation and proved a complete waste of effort.

[alfred_the_great]

I'm wearing Dark Blue MTP now - it's much, much better than 4s, especially in hot weather. DARING's **** badges need to go - we have a dark blue version of the ship's crest and it makes a coherent statement about who we are. In effect everyone is wearing their cap tally, all of the time.

Tucking it in is uncomfy and pointless, if only because there is a huge wodge of velcro where most people's waist is. Remove that and then you wouldn't get the ridge formed midriff which just looks horrendous. I've also cut all the velcro out of my sleeves to make the sleeves roll up properly.

[Whenurhappy]

Not to be a party pooper GBZ, but the fire standards for underground facilties are very, very close to SOLAS regulations; indeed for those who served at Rudloe Manor (yes, THAT site) and other, ahem, underground facilites would remember that much of the fire safety equipment (and the 'civilian' fire officers) were drawn from the Navy. Indeed, one site I helped to clsoe down in the late 1990s still had 'Admiralty Instruction on the Event of a Fire' posters lining the companionways.

But I agree. Baseball caps should be consigned to the sartorial dustbin of history. The TRF (spookily similar to the Gds Div patch) has sort of grown on me over the years. Roundels look a little silly on uniform - some of you will recall that they were worn on hi-viz tunics issued to the Special Safety Teams in c1995 and they looked rubbish then.

[Just This Once...]

Yep, cannot wait for the roundel.



Someone is having a laugh at our expense.





Artists impression of the roundel design on MTP - sorry I only had my ribcage, paintball gun and several minutes of bruising to achieve the effect

[orgASMic]

LJ, thanks for the input re the roundel. My contact (A4 as in the staff branch ie Air Cmd at Halton) seemed to think it would replace the TRF in toto, but we shall see.
The blue PCS might work out ok for lineys, workshops and such but it will be far more expensive than coveralls. The PCS instruction specifically says that CU should not be worn in place of coveralls for dirty work which can only be due to the expense of replacement (and lead time during rollout).

[Big Bear]

I have just checked AP 1358, following the link from the RAF homepage on DII, and it appears that it is back to Amendment 14, which says that the PCS lightwieght jacket is designed to be worn outside of the waistband of the trousers. Does this mean that their Airships have withdrawn the riduculous tuck it in rule or more likely, our information management is so bad that we can't even get the correct edition of APs on our main website

Bear

[Willard Whyte]

'twould all be solved by wearing



Particularly the shades. And no hat.