Do we recognise promotion in the RAF?
Having done a few of the American promotion ceremonies, they have grown on me over the years as I see just how indifferent we are in recognising individual's success. Consequently, at my current unit, I rather like the way for each and every promotion board, regardless of service or rank, the CO gets the HQ staff plus the promoted individual, their other half and their boss up to the HQ and we toast their success with a glass of port or champagne and a few words of congratulations. It's the first time I have seen it done in the UK military, but it is definitely the right thing to do.
In direct contrast, and as an example of how bad we are as an institution at recognising success through promotion:
Plt Off - Fg Off: I was entitled to accelerated promotion owing to joining up with a postgrad MSc. Manning & Cranwell both knew about it, but I only got the extra seniority having been made to apply for it and wait for a letter to land in the Flt pidgeon hole half way through IOT.
Fg Off - Flt Lt: Informed I had been promoted early after several months of uncertainty over admin issues. Only found out when I rank Handbrake House on a separate issue only to be asked by the SAC on the end of the phone "did you say Fg Off sir? So nobody has told you you promoted early 4 days ago?"
Flt Lt - Sqn Ldr: board sits, results sent out to the lucky few. I heard nothing all day the day the results were announced despite having been told substantiation in rank was a cert. Had to email the Deskie to confirm that I had actually substantiated only to get a quick phone call at close to 1800 saying oh sorry has nobody told you?
Sob stories aside - the increased tax on promotion meant I could only afford smoked salmon three times as week - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced the abortion that is the RAF and promotions. All I can say is thank God we no longer do the whole investors in people thing; most organisations try not to publicize their lies so openly as putting a plaque up on the wall!
In direct contrast, and as an example of how bad we are as an institution at recognising success through promotion:
Plt Off - Fg Off: I was entitled to accelerated promotion owing to joining up with a postgrad MSc. Manning & Cranwell both knew about it, but I only got the extra seniority having been made to apply for it and wait for a letter to land in the Flt pidgeon hole half way through IOT.
Fg Off - Flt Lt: Informed I had been promoted early after several months of uncertainty over admin issues. Only found out when I rank Handbrake House on a separate issue only to be asked by the SAC on the end of the phone "did you say Fg Off sir? So nobody has told you you promoted early 4 days ago?"
Flt Lt - Sqn Ldr: board sits, results sent out to the lucky few. I heard nothing all day the day the results were announced despite having been told substantiation in rank was a cert. Had to email the Deskie to confirm that I had actually substantiated only to get a quick phone call at close to 1800 saying oh sorry has nobody told you?
Sob stories aside - the increased tax on promotion meant I could only afford smoked salmon three times as week - I'm sure I'm not the only one who has experienced the abortion that is the RAF and promotions. All I can say is thank God we no longer do the whole investors in people thing; most organisations try not to publicize their lies so openly as putting a plaque up on the wall!
Last edited by Melchett01; 8th Feb 2013 at 20:24.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Some COs have the touch, many don't. I think one reason for the poor recognition is simply overstretch. People just don't have the capacity and time for empathy. Now, when someone does show some glimmer of humanity you doubt their sincerity.
That said, there are also many outstanding senior officers but there are also others.
I remember returning from GW1 about three months after the rest of the Herkdet ' officially ' were welcomed home. This due to the fact that 3 aircraft and crews were sent off to Bahrain to maintain the round robin re supply. I'm sure there were still army, navy and fast jet people in theatre. Having returned at around 2200Z on the Tuesday I was telephoned at home ( on the patch) at 0830 on the next day by a WRAF Flight Lt from SHQ. Who said that if I didn't come and sign for these medals, they would be returned. I went in and duly signed for the two foreign Medals and the GW1 GSM jobby. I was duly lectured about what I could and could not wear. To be honest I got the impression that the young lady was annoyed that her draw space was being wasted by trash. After that I can say I lost respect for any and all medals, and also for any administrators who try to suggest that they even understand what their colleagues get such 'trinkets' for. I hope that my son will at least understand that I earned the blobs of metal I will leave him.
Smudge
Smudge
Should we make more of these events, or shall British stoicism reign?
Not promotion and not the Royal Air Force, but Whenurhappy's question above reminds of being present when the first submarine badges, or dolphins were being awarded to the crew of an SSBN by the local Flag Officer. As he pinned the badge on the breast of the Chief of the Boat, the latter visibly winced, only to be told sharply by the Admiral, "Keep still man - I'm sure my submariner father didn't wince when he was being awarded the VC by King George V", to which the Chief of the Boat replied, "Well, Sir, I don't suppose the King pinned the VC through your father's left nipple."
Jack
Not promotion and not the Royal Air Force, but Whenurhappy's question above reminds of being present when the first submarine badges, or dolphins were being awarded to the crew of an SSBN by the local Flag Officer. As he pinned the badge on the breast of the Chief of the Boat, the latter visibly winced, only to be told sharply by the Admiral, "Keep still man - I'm sure my submariner father didn't wince when he was being awarded the VC by King George V", to which the Chief of the Boat replied, "Well, Sir, I don't suppose the King pinned the VC through your father's left nipple."
Jack
As a manager of both civilian and military personnel, I have a simple rule that as people leave each day, I try to make a point of saying 'thank you for your help today' and ensuring that any positive comments by seniors about their work are passed directly to them.
similarly, I ensure that I take every chance to praise and name check my team for their efforts with seniors, not to brown nose, but to ensure they know who put the effort in at the last minute to dig them out of a hole.
My other cardinal rule is to refuse to say something about a member of my team to another that I would not say to their face.
I only wish my peers (civilian and military) behaved in a similar way, and I can but hope that when appropriate my own seniors would do the same for me.
similarly, I ensure that I take every chance to praise and name check my team for their efforts with seniors, not to brown nose, but to ensure they know who put the effort in at the last minute to dig them out of a hole.
My other cardinal rule is to refuse to say something about a member of my team to another that I would not say to their face.
I only wish my peers (civilian and military) behaved in a similar way, and I can but hope that when appropriate my own seniors would do the same for me.
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TBH in the RAF the only true promotion for our cadre is Flt Lt to Sqn Ldr. It is not competitive promotion before that so does not really factor. After Sqn Ldr it is simply who can kiss it more, and for each rank after it is who can forget where they originated from first and can try to re-invent the wheel !
In our air force these promotion's would not be recognised or attended because most could identify immediately the majority are service writing knob's rather than the 'good stick' that isn't a mess sec !
In our air force these promotion's would not be recognised or attended because most could identify immediately the majority are service writing knob's rather than the 'good stick' that isn't a mess sec !
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I dunno what its like today, but when I was a squadron and unit commander I had a pin-on ceremony for every one of my personnel awarded a medal, with photographer present. Awards are an event worthy of recognition.
Bob C
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Maybe we don't celebrate the promotion of others in the RAF because the only promotion we're interested is our own. That may be a difficult thing to contemplate, however with the odd exception, I have seen plenty of evidence to suggest that it may well be the case.
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As a Pusser's brat I well remember the half-yearly promotions signal, and the importance of being near the telephone that morning. Pere Artist was a Signals Officer so normally managed to get a copy dropped off from HMS Mercury which was a couple of miles away.
The form was that those on the list (for Commander/Captain as this was in the days of automatic promotion to 2.5) hosted a party that would start at 12.01 and finish much later.
Unofficial perhaps, but certainly memorable
The form was that those on the list (for Commander/Captain as this was in the days of automatic promotion to 2.5) hosted a party that would start at 12.01 and finish much later.
Unofficial perhaps, but certainly memorable
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Uncle Sam is a bit better a some of this stuff than we are, but there are more than few downsides over the water as well, so don't just cherry pick it. None to keen on the "show up ten minutes before your boss, leave ten minutes after" mentality...and as for being a dry old do on dets...
As for departing plaudits....I got all the recognition I needed in my bank account the next day!
As for departing plaudits....I got all the recognition I needed in my bank account the next day!
Last edited by The Old Fat One; 9th Feb 2013 at 06:03.
Thread Starter
Perhaps I'm happy to cherry-picked what the Americans seem to do as a matter of course, but what impressed me about this otherwise informal ceremony was the deliberate inclusion of family - stressing (as they do in the US Army) that it's the family that is serving, and in these days of high op tempo, that has never been truer. Some of you here might remember the promotion of a USAF Lt Col in MB a few years ago - in Mem Court. His daughter sang both National Anthems and the service was attended by ACAS. I Doubt there was a dry eye about!
Perhaps that might have been regarded as a bit OTT, but I wish I was back in a Command Appointment and I would institute regular, family recognition.
Perhaps that might have been regarded as a bit OTT, but I wish I was back in a Command Appointment and I would institute regular, family recognition.
Only three times in 24 years did I see some actual occasion being made for the announcement of promotion:
Falklands - at a beercall
Germany - at a beercall
Odiham - at a tea break
But the best occasion was a couple of months ago when, in a not so small office with two other people, all that was said was:
"The Job's yours if you want it?"
Falklands - at a beercall
Germany - at a beercall
Odiham - at a tea break
But the best occasion was a couple of months ago when, in a not so small office with two other people, all that was said was:
"The Job's yours if you want it?"
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
I recall a New Year's Eve ball at Cottesmore - we used to return to work after Boxing Day - at midnight the band was quietened, the dancers stopped, and the statish produced the SIGNAL.
Promotions, honours and awards were all read out in front of both recipients and wives. One engineering officer, single, had retired early. He was ordered to return and he did, still sleepy, wearing his issue pyjamas and woolly dressing gown and slippers - panache if not style. He was then told of his promotion to sqn ldr and his posting too. In those days postings followed promotion with neither choice nor notice.
There was also perhaps discontinuity between the issue of medals post-WW2 and their effective resumption 30 or so years later.
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As for me it was a week before anyone noticed I had been promoted to Cpl - they only did when someone pointed out that I was wearing the wrong colour dustcoat in the bay (Jnr Tech and below wore brown, Cpl and above wore white). No one handed me my Flt Lt tapes on promotion and no one noticed when I wore SO2 tapes either (although one kind sqn ldr did point out that I wasn't calling him Sir any more 
). No one noticed when I had turned down assimilation and sign on to 55. Maybe it was just me? I made a point of ensuring that if promotion ever happened to any one whom I was responsible for then they would be appropriately recognized.
I had the pleasure of presenting promotions to two Jnr Techs. Both times they were marched in by the WO and a charge sheet read out - neither picked up that they were called Cpl instead of Jnr Tech. Then a heart felt well done by both myself and the WO and into the tea bar for a round of applause by the Flt/Sqn. In another situation one of my guys was in the FI when I found out he was being promoted to Sgt. Went to the effort of a similar 'well done' to find out that the deskie had already told him. Bumped into the deskie in the bar and asked about it - apparently they had (still the case?) tell the individual first so he already knew!!
We can moan when there isn't a system to do this or we can get on and do it ourselves. Call it leadership / man management - or as I did - just plain politeness and gratitude towards the individuals.
). No one noticed when I had turned down assimilation and sign on to 55. Maybe it was just me? I made a point of ensuring that if promotion ever happened to any one whom I was responsible for then they would be appropriately recognized.I had the pleasure of presenting promotions to two Jnr Techs. Both times they were marched in by the WO and a charge sheet read out - neither picked up that they were called Cpl instead of Jnr Tech. Then a heart felt well done by both myself and the WO and into the tea bar for a round of applause by the Flt/Sqn. In another situation one of my guys was in the FI when I found out he was being promoted to Sgt. Went to the effort of a similar 'well done' to find out that the deskie had already told him. Bumped into the deskie in the bar and asked about it - apparently they had (still the case?) tell the individual first so he already knew!!
We can moan when there isn't a system to do this or we can get on and do it ourselves. Call it leadership / man management - or as I did - just plain politeness and gratitude towards the individuals.
Last edited by themightyimp; 9th Feb 2013 at 08:21.
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The most valued promotion I look back on was when an officer I had respect for caught up with me outside a hangar one morning and informed me that I was improperly dressed from that point onwards, shook my hand and sent me on my way to stores for the insignia. Low key, but well done and meaningful.
Fg Off Courtney Mil was bollocked in the "Officers' Wardroom" onboard the TEV Rangatira in Stanley Harbour for being improperly dressed and ordered to buy a round for all those there present. Flt Lt Courtney Mil then had to borrow appropriate insignia from a phellow phlyer. Very fitting really.
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 9th Feb 2013 at 10:21.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Or on posting:
Compare and contrast:
After 4 years in one post, come the Friday, I thought I should say good bye to the boss. He looked up from his computer "Oh, you're off then, good bye."
With
Al Bowman, CBFASI, who had a dining out night brought forward, the shift patterns changed, and insisted I attend. After 6 months and numerous dining in nights my tropical mess kit was looking distinctly shabby but a great night and you felt valued.
Or in more recent memory, the staish at Coningsby had very regular presentations in the BB suite for medals and awards with everyone invited.
After 4 years in one post, come the Friday, I thought I should say good bye to the boss. He looked up from his computer "Oh, you're off then, good bye."
With
Al Bowman, CBFASI, who had a dining out night brought forward, the shift patterns changed, and insisted I attend. After 6 months and numerous dining in nights my tropical mess kit was looking distinctly shabby but a great night and you felt valued.
Or in more recent memory, the staish at Coningsby had very regular presentations in the BB suite for medals and awards with everyone invited.
at midnight the band was quietened, the dancers stopped, and the statish produced the SIGNAL.
" I have received the half-yearly promotions signal and it would appear that tonight we are celebrating the feast of the passover! Let's get on and drown our sorrows."
YS