MrI

As was Peter Harding.

I can't understand either why anyone would have a professional gripe against Burridge. He was playing away from home, but other than that, he seems to have been well-regarded. I recall one occasion a few years ago in the bar at Strike when, after a NATO exercise, the PMC tried to clear the bar for a 3-star sponsored official function and Burridge (with his DCinC/CAOC commander hat or something like that on) resisted this on behalf of the unsuitably-attired and inebriated NATO contingent from the bunker! More beers all round!

tablet_eraser,

"He certainly won't meekly accept whatever the government throws at him, as did Gen Guthrie."

Of COURSE he will, that's his job! If he wasn't that sort do you think for one second he would be where he is today?

Sir Jock Stirrup is no more the new CDS than I am. As rumours go, this one is pretty wide of the mark.

Scud

See here

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/news_0503_09.html

TG

pr00ne, inasmuchas the CDS cannot overturn Buff's decisions - and probably not change his mind either - you're right. The CDS has to accept that if the Government decides to do something to the exclusion of all arguments to the contrary, it's going to happen. Adm Boyce was characterised by speaking his mind where required - "if we try to do anything more before 2006, we risk putting ourselves through a lot of pain", etc. It's the CDS's job to represent the views of the Armed Forces, no matter how disagreeable those views may be to whoever sits in the bog office at the Ministry. From what I understand, Guthrie never did so, wishing instead to serve out his final tour quietly and without incident in order to safeguard his payoff and pension. He was certainly a fairly political CDS.

Now we have a defence secretary who, it is openly acknowledged by people in MOD, told the service chiefs when he was appointed that if they stepped out of line he would fire them. Yet Adm Boyce still spoke his mind, to the point of savaging Hoon at a press conference. We need more of his calibre, and I do think Sir Jock might have the balls to do the same. Only time will tell!

As I said, Sir Jock Stirrup is no more the new CDS than I am. May 2006 (when Sir Jock Stirrup and, alas, not I, will be the new CDS) is over a year away.

V interested in the post re: Burridge. A man highly impressed by his own PR and characterized by his fatuous and risible 'management babble' and love affair with the command estimate. Clearly he was/is the RAF's answer to David Brent.

FACT :

Burridge ''played away from home'', thus proving himself a thoroughly dishonest, disloyal, disgraceful, and disreputeable individual, especially to his wife who no doubt played her duty in entertaining the Rat's sometime Sqn Co, Wing Co, Stn Cdr, and other senior officers which no doubt greatly assisted him in getting impressive annual appraisal reports which fooled the promotion boards time after time for decades.

Is such a person fit to be CAS ????????????????? How could he be trusted ?????????????????????? The very idea is ridiculous.

Shjustme

You're not Mrs Burridge by any chance? Like the Murphy's, you're not bitter!;)

Shjustme

So what is the Holy Order to which you belong?

So Burridge is caught out. What job is he in/going to if not the top light blue slot? Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for his 'closed door interview without coffee'.

That said, I always had huge admiration for Peter Harding for pulling that bird at his age (but not for his stand after making the tabloids). His opposite number in France would have shrugged the whole thing off rather than leave in disgrace.... always seems unfair when the sacking is done by a politician from very suspect collective moral high-ground. Hey ho!

PS wonder if PPRUNER 'Sir Peter Harding's Love-child' has a view on all this?!! Best 'handle' for ages IMHO.

Well, personally I'm all for stoning adulterers and castrating rapists.....

But BEagle, I won't be able to fit in

SirPeterHardingsOrphanLovechild

too many letters.......

or even

SirPeterHardingsDeadCastratedOrphanLovechild

Don't you just love the self-righteous rantings that come from some people?

How many of them are truly whiter-than-white and justified in casting the first stone?

So Burridge unzipped his fly - so what? How do you know the state of his marriage? How do you know how close the relationship was to splitting up? If all was so well at home, how come he went elsewhere?

Unless you know the answers, I suggest that in this day and age adultery is not the stick to beat someone with. You notice the rag that blew the headlines across the front page to sell a few more copies is no longer interested?

Shjustme - get rid of the vitriolic comment and judge the man on his professional abilities - they're almost certainly streets ahead of yours...

FJJP, You yourself may not believe in the virtues of HONESTY and INTEGRITY.

Contrary to popular belief millions still do.

You are obviously one of those who would vote Jack the Ripper in as Home Secretary, or Saddam 'Whoseinsane' as Minister of Defence.

How on earth can Burridge be trusted to exercise impartiality when making career make or break decisions of personnel who have transgressed??? He simply cannot, and never could from the moment his little secret was outed. Anyone punished by him would be fully justified in telling him, ''You are a complete hypocrite and you can shove your decision right up your own where the sun does not shine. I am off to see my lawyer, see you in Court and be sure to bring your cheque book to pay my compo''.

Shjustme

Adultery doesn't transgress the law of the land, and in case you hadn't noticed, the Forces don't make a song and dance about it like they once did [rightly excepting across rank/command chain boundaries].

The RAF are not going to hang cpl smith because he decided to commit adultery with someone outside.

Would it have made a difference if it was his [unmarried] partner that he cheated on? Or does it only matter when there is a sheet of paper called a marriage certificate involved? Or the rank of the individual - where do you start to get uptight - sac, sgt, sqn ldr, air marshall? Anyone?

Time to climb out of the dark ages and join the real world. Sh*t-canning someone from his professional job for a domestic sin does not make sense in any way, shape or form - that's when you end up cutting off your nose to spite your professional face.

The media delight in kicking anyone who would help sell a few extra copies - do you think they would care if it was cpl Smith and Mrs Jones?

Fortunately we are not (yet :( ) an Islamic Republic so what he did/did not get up to in his own time is none of our business or anybody else's apart from his wife that is.

He proved himself to be a capable leader.

but he did proulgate the 'Core Standards', Respect, Integrity, etc.

FJJP, yes cpl smiff or bloggs would be treated in the same way.

If its not ok across rank boundaries why would it be ok in any conditions.

edited cos too much info given

MrI - On Page One of this topic, I will acknowledge your comment.

"Air Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy is to be the new CAS. Top bloke".



I served under Glenn Torpy at Bruggen - He is the man!!!. Best Station CO I have ever known. Not many like him around anymore. And no more to come I feel.