Where will the next Chief come from?
 

So, CDS will stay in post until 2011, effectively barring all of the current single Service Chiefs from the post, by default also barring the only other RAF 4*. To my knowledge there has never been a CDS that has not formerly been 1SL/CGS/CAS so it is feasible that the next CAS could also become the next CDS.

The more immediate question for the RAF is where will the next CAS and CinC come from? We only have 6 x 3*, of those only 4 are pilots (which I would suggest will remain the Branch of choice for the foreseeable) and of those 4 only 1 has more than 12 months seniority. Can we expect both CAS and the CinC to be extended to allow someone to "grow" into the role? Who of the current crop of 3* would best represent the needs and aspirations of the RAF and it's people?

Some time ago the RN was looking for its next 4* as 1SL - the 3*s were all put forward and none deemed suitable by the politicos. They bypassed the 3*s and promoted the best of the 2*s straight to 4*, step forward Admiral Essenhigh. It could happen again?!

This looks like a classic for a pprune poll. The names are all in the public domain, even if not widely known.

Pool rules:

Run poll for one week. Top man eliminated as clearly too popular.

Run poll for second week. Eliminate anyone with 50% of the vote.

And so on.

Bottom man wins.:ok:

That'd be about right in this post-Pink Wednesday era of political correctness....:hmm:

For the sake of the future existence of the Royal Air Force I would seriously suggest a far more comprehensive head hunting project is called for than merely invoking "Buggins turn". The RAF needs a new Trenchard to arrest its decay and ensure its survival into its next century, never mind beyond that. He was ex Army. The only chiefs prepared to stand up and be counted are Army, now where might we look....?

I say, steady on old chap, Pongo or not, he did invent the Royal Air Force.

...and the Brats to keep it flying.

I don't think HRH William got a go of being CAS during his 4-month visit to the RAF. He's a pilot*, has connections and is clearly far more talented than most of our lot who take years to do what he managed to do in weeks.

William for next CDS! (maybe with a week as CAS beforehand).

*terms and conditions apply.

Who really cares?

It will just be a stepping stone towards a nice little earner in civvy street, an autobiography (entitled "How I did nothing really for the my boys and girls in the Armed Forces") will follow where the individual will spout on how bad things were during his tenure (but where he failed to do anything about it!).

When they do speak out they are lambasted...don't even mention Harriet H, she is a joke in politics and makes me want to vomit whenever I see her on TV spouting the usual politico bolleaux.

No it wil be a promising senior officer who will toe the party line...........as usual...yawn.........:oh:

C'mon - you're all thinking it...............

clicky

True enough, Blacksheep. Did he not also state that it would be lucky if it survived to be 100, or words to that effect? Did he secretly know that the structure that he invented held the keys to its own destruction? Did he know something that we do not? So many questions, so little time!

So Jock gets an extension with the remit to combine the 3 services to form the 'BRITISH FORCES' before he departs to head up the new defence cell located in Spain sponsored by that well known Bank.
Uniforms will be Cerise with different a different coloured piping to denote which side of the room you live in.:ok:

Spot on, Kiwiconehead.

They even use such ringing phrases as vision driven organization and achieve synergistic teams. Just the thing for an aspirant CDS but let's have some subtitles, please!

Rufus D Dufus - or words to that effect.

I personally would like to see Dannatt get it, but then I would say that wouldn't I?

For the most part, he has the respect of Pongo's and is seen to put his neck on the line when something that we all think needs saying. He is rarely slagged off on here (what better endorsement is there?!) and is regarded within the Army ranks as a good egg who tries to do the right thing.

Probably why it won't be him then!

*There was an interesting piece in the Times about it a couple of weeks ago. The Journo that wrote it compared him to someone (can't remember who!!) who would bang is fist on the table when Churchill said something he disagreed with.

How about Torps?

In the spirit of jointery, we shouldn't keep his inspirational leadership to ourselves.

:eek:

To be strictly correct he didn't invent the Service (a chap called Smutts has a greater claim to that); indeed, as Commander of the RFC in France, Trenchard argued against the formation of a seperate service. He did though ensure that the Service survived in the Post WW1 era.

Although a great man in many respects, he had a tendancy (like many other airmen of his era) to be doctrinally blinkered and tied to the primacy of strategic bombing (the bomber will always get through). This was partly as a result of his time in command of the Independant Force(IF) (of 'strategic' bombers) in France after he resigned from his first stint as CAS. Even though the IF had little proven operational effect. This focus was often at the expense of other elements of air power - in particular fighter development.

Points taken Climebear, but at least he claimed paternity, and saw the offspring through its infancy. As to being...
Enough of our bombers did get through in the ensuing nastiness to contribute greatly to final victory, though at awful cost to all concerned. Contrast that to being doctrinally blinkered to the primacy of fighters...at the expense of other elements of airpower- in particular AT and RW, as if!

What use are fighters?

Oh? For shooting down bombers. I taut so... :E

Does this mean the next CDS should be a fighter pilot?

Is that a loaded question intended to exclude Harrier pilots?:}

Actually, General Sir David Henderson has a greater claim to paternity of the RFC than Trenchard. He learned to fly a year earlier and was influential in the steering committee formed to develop military (and naval) aviation in 1912. It was also Henderson who promoted Trenchard from Major to Lt Col and appointed him 2 ic of the Central Flying School. In Aug 1913, Henderson was appointed the first Director General of the Military Aeronautics Directorate which became the RFC.

How many brats wondered why the Gymnasium at Halton was called the Henderson Gymnasium?