Don't ya just love the Army. I mean, advertising for recruits in the commercial breaks during Blackhawk Down on ch 5 the other night, priceless.

Has JHC gone mad? Dear DAAvn have you contemplated whatl the impact will be to the AH program when those AH pilots with limited time until time bar life-ex who are at dishfroth leave (and they will; just ask them)

Would someone at HQ explain how by closing dishforth money will be saved (its not being sold) in either the short or long term. It will cost a small fortune to move AH to wattisham; what with ATIL contracts and AH pilot resignations (guaranteed) this stands to be the worst decision that has been contemplated in the past 20 years of aviation.

If the centralization of the AH assets at Wattisham is a tactical plan (support Ops, pool man power, etc) then from a G1, infrastructure and training area point of view it is flawed; ask the people involved in all the above.

Either way if it doesn't save money then to disturb the delicate harmony that exists within a fraught, stretched and extremely tired AH community it is a bad decision. Almost as bad as the one to make a CO of an AH Regiment platform trained (well sort off trained!) and nearly as bad as the one to put AH pilots on board ship, but not as bad as allowing A2 QHIs to test weapons because the sqn SWO is only a B1 beefa (HF)!

Enjoy!

PP

Nice one. I think you can delete HF and insert GS on that one. Happy to take the hit.

On a more cheery note. If there are any AH drivers that wish to receive Boeing recognition of their hours totals with a nice little Apache pin and certificate, then email me your hours/date achieved/Sqn/Name/Rank and I will include them on my request.

PM me or email at work. They are available for 500/1000/1500/2000 and upwards. I personally pin mine to my Stetson, but each to their own taste.

Jeep (GS)

PP,


You wanted AH, you've now got it so get on with it....and Remember quite a lot of the recent fracas have been supported from the Sea.

I cant believe that JHC are considering pooling AH aircrew as early as easter 07 at wattisham to support operational tempo and nobody at Dishfroth has been informed (well not the men anyway). Perhaps the whole move is speculation?

Doubt it, MIDDLE WALLOP was informed of the centralization of manpower and equipment as the Op tempo has become unbearable both to manpower and budgets. Don't operations cost so much these days! all these bullets being used, how much fuel; no-one told the MOD that we would actually use this stuff they bought us, its normal that things get to shelf life and are re-worked until they are out of date.

For **$$ sake oh fantastic leaders of men (Not) wake up and inform your beloved chain of command (CDS) that HM forces is rapidly going down the tube and has almost become non effective in many areas, the very fact that bases are closing, Regiments (hundreds of years old) are being disbanded, key training exercises cut, adventure training binned and operational ready training reduced beyond minimal is a drastic sign that we have got things drastically wrong either with commitment (long time) or budgetary requirements and it is now costing men and womens lives!!

God help UK Plc if anything else should occur that requires a military response to secure mainland UK or protect assets abroad (Ex Pats etc).

And please no one say that despite all of this we are still doing a great job, I know we are, thats because the men doing the job are first class soldiers and airmen. Unfortunately they are not given the support, protection, equipment, money, respect or rest they require. Just because we are making do doesn't make it right, nor should it be a green light (Gordon/Des Brown) to reduce budgets again.

PP out.