Force Development Squadron
 

Just heard from a mate in the SW - they had a very interesting chat about new Force Development Sqn being formed on the Station (under Admin Wg of course)

Sanctioned by the AFB and soon to come to a stn near you (if not already there):

Lots of tree hugging including customer care courses for blunties
More drill - to instil a sense of belonging
Table top leadership exercises
Turn up to work in cabbage kit days (1 per month)
Admin Wg issueing "well done" certificates
More Stn Exercises
Battle of Britain Week (I thought that was considered not PC to mention the War)
etc

Anyone else got any more morale boosting bright ideas?

FDS.....
 

..........f*ck me, as if we didn't already have enough b*llsh*t to contend with.......whatever next?

Oh God, please tell me this is a joke????

Tree hugging, customer care? the scribblies can't even spell it, let alone do it!

More drill?
That should please the Regiment then

Tabletop leadership exercises
That will be good for the so-called leaders then!

Cabbage Kit?
Great, more Rock $hit!

Well Done certs by admin wg?
Who the f*ck would want to win one of those?

Station exercises
Thats good, it will give us something to do if and when we ever get a day off eh?

Battle of Britain Week
Good for the soul, and to show us just how much worse things have got in the past 40 odd years!

I just can't believe this, Anita, please put us out of our misery and tell us that this is a spoof?? Pleeeeeeaaaaase

Kind regards
The Swinging Monkey
ps I expect that someone will get a promotion out of this, let me think...I'll bet its a bl$$dy Scribbly or a Rock or probably both!!

Unfortunately it is most definitely true.

Mmmm. Don't things like courses on tree-hugging and producing certificates cost money (the former potentially costing a small fortune if validated by an outside body)?

And if they do, what exactly do they contribute to effects based operations (you know the thing - fewer platforms needed since technology requires smaller numbers of platforms to achieve effect, etc, blah, etc)?

If achieving an increased rate of PVR is the desired effect (I doubt Mr Hoon has a strategic endstate beyond regime survival) then it's spot on. If not, then... Oh dear.

Noooooo you're all wrong if this is true(?) then its great...

We can have airman/officer/civilian of the month/year etc

Collect goldstars on a badge, presented by OC A

I'd love some more tabletop exercise (ok it was on the snooker table in York House with a Lincoln bird)

Drill........god I'll c:mad: m in my pants.

Ohh this is all so exciting:8 Sign me up till 55 pleeeaasseee

Lionel Old Chap,

Have you submitted yourself for drug testing yet????

This must be a spoof, either that or I'm a Chimp!

Kind regards
The Swinging Monkey!!!!!!

Force developement training already happening at a secret RAF base in Shropshire. Gets all the execs and course members hugging each other. Usually results in retiring to the bar.

We are obviously not happy so we are to be *made* happy whether we like it or not! I have heard similar rumblings and have noted committments in the forward diary and some section name changes that bear this one out.

This country is turning into Airstrip One, with the attendant thought crimes! Or East Germany! Unfortunately, as a uniformed service, we are going to be in the front line of all the bullsh!t the government comes up with. I am so glad I will not be around in uniform to see this happen....hopefully!

This will only cause friction at unit level between those being forced down this route and their bosses. Watch for increased sickies (the sick parade has gone out of the window at most units because of a shortage of med-staff and one-day self-certifications are routine), increased PVR rates, a reluctance to take on secondary duties, more courts-martial (if they are allowed) and general signs of indiscipline and discontent on a RAF-wide basis.

...next think our kids will be asked to join the "Blair Youth" and if they don\'t, it\'ll reflect badly on our OJARs and we\'ll need to undergo "re-education" and public "self criticism"!

I have not heard anything less likely to improve the fighting ability of the RAF since a certain stn cdr of Wattisham put on free beer and, whilst it was being enjoyed, proceeded to tell a junior officer who needed a haircut to get one - well, to be fair, he first told one of his sen offs to tell him but he refused.

Now it really is becoming an Air Farce:(

Lionel Lion is right.......

Let's have more badges/certificates etc. across the board. We could even have more medals awarded too, then we might start to catch up with/look more like our American cousins, and hence bring us even more into line with the Dubya/Bliar 'special relationship.'

Why stop there? Let's go back to the good 'ol days of painting kerbstones around the camp....we could even start to paint the sidewalls of the aircraft tyres, and pick out the writing on them with tyre pens, ooh...dunno...let's say white or even nice silver or gold colours?

Oh, and let's ask workshops to produce a nice sign for the new OIC of this scheme........OC Cake and A*se, anyone??:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

I recall where I heard of this type of event actually happening....a certain large stn near the western end of the M40, where big aircraft fly out of, and which has a Gateway.

Any gen, anyone???

What about the Red Arrows as a team-building icon? Go on, merge this with the other thread!!!!:E

But this whole concept is being driven by aircrew - ie. the men at the top. From what I have seen you can do Force Development one of 2 ways:

a. Adopt the tree hugging, let's pretend we are doing lots of good things type approach

or

b. Accept that as a military force we train in peace for war and that fundemental to warfighting is leadership. Ensure that the skills you are teaching people are relevant to doing the job and Force Development seems OK.

What Force Development should be about is honing our military and leadership skills. Some of this can be achieved through exercises and TACEVAL, some through team building exercises (ranging from IOT type rope stuff to a walk in the country to an exped) and some through individual development. In all, alot of it seems to go back to the basics of leadership - task, team and individual. Not rocket science.

The problem seems to be that Force Development does not appear to have been briefed well and the only bits that have been seen are tree hugging bits. But if you have done SLT or about to do CT, that's Force Development, as is going to the Early Learning Centre on station to do a self study computer course.

But I draw the line at under water basket weaving!

Force Development Squadrons
 

Yes its true. Force Development Sqns will be popping up at your RAF Stn over the next few weeks or months, if one doesn't exist already, as they are required to be in place by 1 Oct 04. Whilst I can see arguments for and against their introduction, much of what they do will formalise activities already ongoing and they form part of the ongoing plan to try and make the RAF less "cold war" and more "expedition war". FD Sqns offering customer care for blunties is a new one I must admit I hadn't heard about!:8

This *could* have been a good thing and *might* even turn out OK. High-powered executives pay to run around playing paintball and things like that - we have armories with blank firing attachments and rifles that can be used to much greater effect. We have well-trained PEd staff that could take us out hillwalking, abseiling, orienteering or kayaking or whatever. Normally, it is getting the time to do these things that is the problem. So, this sort of thing should (in theory) be embraced!

However, I have a looming sense of dread that the fcuk-around factor will inexorably rise to the surface like a large steaming....well, you get the idea, particularly after the post mentioning more drill! We may have to endure the pine pole and lashing type b@llocks exercises like in officer training! I suffered greatly on these types of leadership exercises because I just could not get excited about making a tripod and being seen to "lead". Best part of IOT was graduating and thinking "no more drill or pine poles, real world here I come" - how misguided I was!

Maybe the airships are wallowing in nostalgia and thinking "aahhh, Cranwell taught me to lead, lets have some more of that..." Nooooo!!!!!:{

Don't know about anywhere else, but down our way they've just take the old Trg & Dev Sqn and called it FDS instead.

Jess, as far as your P Ed Staff are concerned, can you get a day off to go hill walking, abseiling or any of the other things you suggest? If so think yourself lucky and keep your head down or the thought police will get you!

Sorry Jess, just re-read your last post and missed the all important word "could" silly me and damn that alcohol clouding my brain!:ok:

Well, overstretch is now official! "MoD slammed on troop overstretch" was reported this morning - so these wonderful morale-improving gestures will just rub yet more salt into the wound....
See http://www.epolitix.com/EN/News/2004...e39bd56cf2.htm for more information.

But no doubt Teflon Tone and BuffHoon will smarm their way out of this one.....yet again!

Bruce George's blunt, clearly spoken manner is a welcome change in the sea of spin and half truth more normally typical of this government.

Do those of us who wear a suit in London get a chance to play? If not, I demand a refund.