Can Wigston survive the onslaught?
Says it all really. Wokeston, you have simply been the worst CAS ever. You should have done the decent thing and resigned last summer. Look below what YOU have done to the RAF from the AFCAS 2023 results.
Thank God we have Sir Rich coming. I have so much hope that he will reverse and re-boot some of the awful things that you and your naked 3-star did. At least Sir Rich is starting at rock bottom; it can’t get any worse from this point onwards!
Thank God we have Sir Rich coming. I have so much hope that he will reverse and re-boot some of the awful things that you and your naked 3-star did. At least Sir Rich is starting at rock bottom; it can’t get any worse from this point onwards!
For those who haven't found it, here is a link to the Front Page Summary of 2023 AFCAS Report.
AFCAS Front Page (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Having left the Service 13.5 years ago, I was absolutely staggered at how bad some of the stats are - certainly not how I would have rated my own situation at the time I left.
For instance:
Satisfaction with Service Life in General: only 52% for Officers
Satisfaction with their job in general: 56%
RAF personnel satisfied with the standard of major equipment: 34%
RAF personnel satisfied with the availability of major equipment: 35%
RAF personnel that agree change is managed well: 17% - not really surprised at this one having gone through several reviews / drawdowns / re-orgs in 20+ years in posts above unit level when the last major change wasn't even fully implemented before the next started.
Attitudes towards RAF senior leaders:
- Keen to listen to subordinates' feedback: 26%
- Communicate decisions: 25%
- Understand the impact of change on personnel: 15%
Confidence in the leadership of the RAF has halved in the last 2 years: 36% > 18% now - lowest since the question was first asked 8 years ago
Satisfaction with pay has returned to the lowest level ever: Officers 42% / ORs 29% / Overall 31%
Satisfaction with allowances down 19% in 2 years to from 57% to 39%
AFCAS Front Page (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Having left the Service 13.5 years ago, I was absolutely staggered at how bad some of the stats are - certainly not how I would have rated my own situation at the time I left.
For instance:
Satisfaction with Service Life in General: only 52% for Officers
Satisfaction with their job in general: 56%
RAF personnel satisfied with the standard of major equipment: 34%
RAF personnel satisfied with the availability of major equipment: 35%
RAF personnel that agree change is managed well: 17% - not really surprised at this one having gone through several reviews / drawdowns / re-orgs in 20+ years in posts above unit level when the last major change wasn't even fully implemented before the next started.
Attitudes towards RAF senior leaders:
- Keen to listen to subordinates' feedback: 26%
- Communicate decisions: 25%
- Understand the impact of change on personnel: 15%
Confidence in the leadership of the RAF has halved in the last 2 years: 36% > 18% now - lowest since the question was first asked 8 years ago
Satisfaction with pay has returned to the lowest level ever: Officers 42% / ORs 29% / Overall 31%
Satisfaction with allowances down 19% in 2 years to from 57% to 39%
Last edited by RAFEngO74to09; 2nd Jun 2023 at 00:11.
If this scandal started and stopped with ACM Wigston it would be of some comfort. Sadly it didn't. It is what happens to any military after prolonged periods of peace, by which I mean without major or World Wars. Instead of leaders being brought to the high command out of necessity, career seekers bring themselves, often with some agenda or other but always with a single minded determination to make it at the cost of everyone else. Shortcuts, bullying, and downright lies achieve what the lack of leadership cannot. The cost is invariably paid by subordinates, usually at one star or below. Hence these unfortunate male candidates who never made it to IOC, but even more tragically those who died in avoidable air accidents because the mandated airworthiness regulations were subverted and suborned on the orders of other VSOs from the Star Chamber.
The cost in blood and treasure is scandal enough, but it pales in the future cost of trying (and failing?) to gain Air Superiority from a rival hostile air power with a lack of airworthiness riddling our Air Fleets. Someone suggested a future engineer CAS, which would be a great start. Whatever race, creed, or sexual classification of future air crew, it will be of secondary importance to the lack of airworthiness suffered by our aircraft.
The leadership of the Royal Air Force has utterly failed the Service and the Nation. Reform is urgent. It should start with the removal of Air Regulation and Accident Investigation from the maw of the MOD/RAF (and each other). Only then can the long journey to reform commence.
The cost in blood and treasure is scandal enough, but it pales in the future cost of trying (and failing?) to gain Air Superiority from a rival hostile air power with a lack of airworthiness riddling our Air Fleets. Someone suggested a future engineer CAS, which would be a great start. Whatever race, creed, or sexual classification of future air crew, it will be of secondary importance to the lack of airworthiness suffered by our aircraft.
The leadership of the Royal Air Force has utterly failed the Service and the Nation. Reform is urgent. It should start with the removal of Air Regulation and Accident Investigation from the maw of the MOD/RAF (and each other). Only then can the long journey to reform commence.
I imagine most of our combat fatalities will come from poorly prepared pilots unable to think and aviate outside a “safe” environment.
the single biggest blocker to aviation innovation (akin to the rapid activity the Ukrainians are going through) are “airworthiness regulations”.
I imagine most of our combat fatalities will come from poorly prepared pilots unable to think and aviate outside a “safe” environment.
I imagine most of our combat fatalities will come from poorly prepared pilots unable to think and aviate outside a “safe” environment.
What 'innovations' did these deliberately VSO directed actions achieve? If you mean that in war rules and regulations may be secondary to military necessity, then we are in violent agreement! If intervening in a fire fight by clinging to the outside of an attack helicopter to enable wounded to be withdrawn, so be it. Such is war. Ukraine is at war. That is why they 'innovate' as you put it. We are at peace and need to preserve our precious aircrew and aircraft as much as possible for going to war. We also need to ensure that the list of airworthiness related fatal air accidents listed above are avoided by ensuring that our aircraft are airworthy. An unairworthy air force going to war will not fare well at all. All that has to go hand in hand with realistic peace time training. Not an easy mix, but throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not the answer. What is needed is leadership, the elephant in the room conspicuous by its absence today.
This is not thread drift, this is the same issue as highlighted by this thread, the scandal of poor and incompetent leadership in the RAF's High Command.
The following 8 users liked this post by Chugalug2:
This is the RAF I joined.....
Until something as appealing is restored for today's youngsters, I can't see applicants falling over themselves to join, particularly given the woeful state of pilot training.
Until something as appealing is restored for today's youngsters, I can't see applicants falling over themselves to join, particularly given the woeful state of pilot training.
Last edited by BEagle; 2nd Jun 2023 at 09:23.
"It is what happens to any military after prolonged periods of peace, by which I mean without major or World Wars. Instead of leaders being brought to the high command out of necessity, career seekers bring themselves, often with some agenda or other but always with a single minded determination to make it at the cost of everyone else. "
Which is why when most big wars occur most of the So's are fired within 6-12 months in any armed service, anywhere. And they're replaced by people at least one, sometimes two generations, younger
The skills needed to fight a war are different from those need to "administer" - determination, willingness to accept risks, ability to concentrate on one aim........... none of those get you anywhere in peacetime
Which is why when most big wars occur most of the So's are fired within 6-12 months in any armed service, anywhere. And they're replaced by people at least one, sometimes two generations, younger
The skills needed to fight a war are different from those need to "administer" - determination, willingness to accept risks, ability to concentrate on one aim........... none of those get you anywhere in peacetime
"It is what happens to any military after prolonged periods of peace, by which I mean without major or World Wars. Instead of leaders being brought to the high command out of necessity, career seekers bring themselves, often with some agenda or other but always with a single minded determination to make it at the cost of everyone else. "
Which is why when most big wars occur most of the So's are fired within 6-12 months in any armed service, anywhere. And they're replaced by people at least one, sometimes two generations, younger
The skills needed to fight a war are different from those need to "administer" - determination, willingness to accept risks, ability to concentrate on one aim........... none of those get you anywhere in peacetime
Which is why when most big wars occur most of the So's are fired within 6-12 months in any armed service, anywhere. And they're replaced by people at least one, sometimes two generations, younger
The skills needed to fight a war are different from those need to "administer" - determination, willingness to accept risks, ability to concentrate on one aim........... none of those get you anywhere in peacetime
Jack
The following users liked this post:
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 32,923
Received 2,847 Likes
on
1,217 Posts
So when he is gone does this mean the other bunch off lemmings will still be there, or can his replacement help them over the cliff?
The following users liked this post:
That was the short course...the full course included `the spoon`...
`Once heard at the dining table in an OM,,`Peas and beans are not Officers vegetables``
`Once heard at the dining table in an OM,,`Peas and beans are not Officers vegetables``
The following users liked this post:
The statement that there is a clear out in almost all armed services after the start of a major war is a historic fact
Good riddance to an embarrassment of a CAS, hopefully we can now get back to concentrating on the important things rather than endless D&I targets.
The following users liked this post:
And the inevitable ‘very sub-inflationary because we can’t strike but will cover everyone else who has been on strike’ pay rise will do absolutely nothing to reverse those figures.
Most of those issues are long term structural and have been around for years. The only way you’ll see a rapid improvement is by throwing money at pay and factors affecting the lived experience. Creating Thunderbird 2 might have to wait if you want to head off even greater discontent.
No doubt the ‘Independent’ PRB will recognise the issues but be over ruled by their political masters.
Most of those issues are long term structural and have been around for years. The only way you’ll see a rapid improvement is by throwing money at pay and factors affecting the lived experience. Creating Thunderbird 2 might have to wait if you want to head off even greater discontent.
No doubt the ‘Independent’ PRB will recognise the issues but be over ruled by their political masters.