Green Endorsements ?
Surely the wrong way around - Air Force Cross, Queen’s Comm, Green Endorsement and Good Show.
Whilst I appreciate it is neither British or RAF to boast about such matters, why is there such a general reluctance to:
1. Award such things?
2. Publically recognise such things (such as on uniforms, etc...)?
3. Publically talk about such things (eg. i have to search and find Sharpend’s AFC on a 3rd Party amateur website)?
I know we don’t want to go down the route of some nation’s medalic recognition, but surely there is a compromise? I always thought it odd that we don’t have a ribbon/badge for CAS/DCOM/AOC Commendations and Green Endorsements.
But obviously we need to avoid this happening!
Whilst I appreciate it is neither British or RAF to boast about such matters, why is there such a general reluctance to:
1. Award such things?
2. Publically recognise such things (such as on uniforms, etc...)?
3. Publically talk about such things (eg. i have to search and find Sharpend’s AFC on a 3rd Party amateur website)?
I know we don’t want to go down the route of some nation’s medalic recognition, but surely there is a compromise? I always thought it odd that we don’t have a ribbon/badge for CAS/DCOM/AOC Commendations and Green Endorsements.
But obviously we need to avoid this happening!
2nd from right is General Gong on Dong...
When a chum found out which (ex-Vulcan) co-pilot with whom I'd had to fly in 1991 during the Gulf War, he commented "Did they give you an AFC for having to go to war with that idiot?".
Harsh..........but fair! And the answer was no.
When a chum found out which (ex-Vulcan) co-pilot with whom I'd had to fly in 1991 during the Gulf War, he commented "Did they give you an AFC for having to go to war with that idiot?".
Harsh..........but fair! And the answer was no.
Pretty sure the 'Off-spring' got a GE for his handling of an engine failure in his Jag whilst tanking from a VC10 on the Iraq/Turkey border in '92. He's on his travels somewhere so will confirm later - but he does not like PPRuNe so may not like me posting about him!
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When it comes to medals and awards the parsimonious British have an innate moral superiority over those ridiculous foreigners...
Last edited by Brain Potter; 18th Mar 2018 at 16:17.
AFAIK they are still awarded. It seems like they are heading the way of the VC though. I think you’d need to singlehandedly save half the country to spur anyone into actually recommending anyone for one.
That was uncharacteristicly pessimistic for me. Let’s hope someone can prove me wrong.
BV
That was uncharacteristicly pessimistic for me. Let’s hope someone can prove me wrong.
BV
I wrote up a student a few years ago and he got a Good Show.
A chap I knew at Duxford got a GE in his logbook-he was flying a Meteor 8 in a pair with a JP who panicked whilst climbing through cloud and gave him a bump which jammed his rudder.
He made a wheels up recovery back at base using asymmetric power to control the aircraft IIRC.
Another chap at Duxford (a former TP and CO at Boscombe) managed a bar to his AFC (I don't know why he was awarded either).
He made a wheels up recovery back at base using asymmetric power to control the aircraft IIRC.
Another chap at Duxford (a former TP and CO at Boscombe) managed a bar to his AFC (I don't know why he was awarded either).
I think Fred Robertson RN eventually got his well deserved AFC on the totting up principle. He was awarded GE's for v hairy SAR work, SK SEWTO and a string of other things. He was also a bloody good Beefer.
N
N
I’ve received a couple of Brown Endorsements.......
Concur with the comments re attitude and quality of command chain to whether or not an incident is determined if it merits uncapping the pen - mixed in with Sqn politics, naturally.
Concur with the comments re attitude and quality of command chain to whether or not an incident is determined if it merits uncapping the pen - mixed in with Sqn politics, naturally.
A long time ago I wrote up a winchman for an 'honour or award' for going above and beyond to rescue a casualty at the base of a cliff in very heavy seas.
I then got a short missive to tell me that: a. As I hadn't been written up (as Capt of the aircraft) he couldn't have one, b. I hadn't been on the flight long enough to know bravery!! (this was my seventh flying tour) and c. It wasn't the done thing anyway.
Needless to say I was a bit miffed (actually very p...... off) and spoke at length to the sender, pointing out that I had done little more than sit in the hover whilst my crewman had been at the end of 300ft of cable wedged in rocks and being battered by very large seas, and I had enough experience to recognise when someone deserved an award. Nothing was done until just before he retired - he received an AOC's commendation (for services rendered!). I believe he went on to a successful career as a commercial pilot.
I should add: A few years later I was awarded a GE, but I never thought I deserved it. All I did was use prior experience/knowledge and self preservation and we all walked away.
I then got a short missive to tell me that: a. As I hadn't been written up (as Capt of the aircraft) he couldn't have one, b. I hadn't been on the flight long enough to know bravery!! (this was my seventh flying tour) and c. It wasn't the done thing anyway.
Needless to say I was a bit miffed (actually very p...... off) and spoke at length to the sender, pointing out that I had done little more than sit in the hover whilst my crewman had been at the end of 300ft of cable wedged in rocks and being battered by very large seas, and I had enough experience to recognise when someone deserved an award. Nothing was done until just before he retired - he received an AOC's commendation (for services rendered!). I believe he went on to a successful career as a commercial pilot.
I should add: A few years later I was awarded a GE, but I never thought I deserved it. All I did was use prior experience/knowledge and self preservation and we all walked away.
Last edited by Shackman; 19th Mar 2018 at 22:14. Reason: Later addition
I refer to the two photographs sent in by Brain Potter.
In fact I've changed my mind. I don't want to refer to them at all.
Have they no shame. They are just so despicable.
In fact I've changed my mind. I don't want to refer to them at all.
Have they no shame. They are just so despicable.
Green endorsements are definitely still awarded. The recipient gets two rather corporate-looking certificates with a brief citation, one A4 and one logbook-sized, and also a RAF Safety Centre coin...
It’s not about the ‘tat’ though, it’s about the recognition, and as with honours and awards the following are required:
- An event which offers some potential of being written up (the least important thing on this list);
- Someone in the chain of command finding out about it;
- That someone caring enough about their people to devote time (often hours) to crafting a recommendation instead of fretting about whatever irrelevances their own Boss is interested in that week;
- That someone actually being able to write: note the demise of ISS a decade ago;
- That someone knowing how to structure and (truthfully) embellish a recommendation to maximise the chance of success.
The last is common corporate knowledge in the Army but not in the other services, meaning that effort has to be made to learn it, preferably from someone with a track record of successful recommendations. I would go so far as to say that honours and awards tell you as much about the recommender as the recipient.
It’s not about the ‘tat’ though, it’s about the recognition, and as with honours and awards the following are required:
- An event which offers some potential of being written up (the least important thing on this list);
- Someone in the chain of command finding out about it;
- That someone caring enough about their people to devote time (often hours) to crafting a recommendation instead of fretting about whatever irrelevances their own Boss is interested in that week;
- That someone actually being able to write: note the demise of ISS a decade ago;
- That someone knowing how to structure and (truthfully) embellish a recommendation to maximise the chance of success.
The last is common corporate knowledge in the Army but not in the other services, meaning that effort has to be made to learn it, preferably from someone with a track record of successful recommendations. I would go so far as to say that honours and awards tell you as much about the recommender as the recipient.
