If Carlsberg ran Air Forces they would probably be the best in the world...
Right ho, there's lot of bickering about the RAF at present so what would YOU do differently? Let's have some ideas. Here's mine to start:
1. Flat rate allowances - no more receipts and caps, just a flat rate; win some, lose some. 2. Running capability requirements via the front-line, not just some rubber blotter jotter in the MOD who may not have touched an aircraft in years. 3. Carry more than 15 days of leave over or get recompensed for your daily rate of pay for every day you don't take. 4. Scrap all other branches apart from engineers, intel branch and aircrew - and then man to the right numbers. Rocks can join the Army, Coppers are MPGS and all others are provided by Serco or other type companies (Drs, Dentists, PTIs, Admin, Air Traffic, Suppliers, etc...). 5. Use civilian licences for aircrew and engineers. Type ratings and quals can be added via Service trg. 6. Axe DE&S to an absolute minima - I don't see an equivalent for BritishAirways when they buy a new fleet, or for the Ambulance Service when they buy new Ambulances, or security companies like G4S when they buy security vans, uniform, stab vests and helmets. So why do we need so many people to deliver so little these days? 7. Have 1 uniform for dress, 1 for Mess and 1 for work (No1s, No5s and either flying suits for all or Combat Dress that is flame retardent). 8. Gaff off MT white fleet and give a decent allowance for using one's own vehicle - so that we make money which will pay for the wear and tear. 9. Have an up or out policy after 10 years in each rank. 10. Return to work hard, play hard rules. I guess some of the above will not be to everyone's taste, but there must be some good ideas in there amongst you all? LJ |
11. Have some money to do any of the above!
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Have an up or out policy after 10 years in each rank. |
We should be permitted to elect our leaders, perhaps in the manner of a soldiers soviet, if you like. Then we could all vote for Leon J to be Air Chief General The First Sea Lord. I can get the ballot papers filled in as soon as you want the boxes prefilled.
Any 3 of the 10 items you list would be enough to put a sparkle in every serviceman's eye once again and give morale the shot in the arm it so desperately needs. You will probably get slated on here and told it is not possible to implement such systems. My counter argument to that is that it bloody well is. We aren't a very large organisation any more, it'd be fairly simple. Leon for Supreme Leader. |
And after the dry humour input above, on the allowances front many airlines pay by the hour.
For example, £1.25 per hour away logged from leaving a duty station or an aircraft steps. Time out logged, time rtb logged. Time in hours multiplied by £1.25 so that you get money for the exact time spent away. I'm fairly certain that would be very easy to administer and that for such a complicated computer program BAe could let us have a working model on a 286 processor in 5 years or so for a few hundred million. This sort of thing should not be difficult. |
There's some obvious flaws here:
1. Flat rate allowances - no more receipts and caps, just a flat rate; win some, lose some. 3. Carry more than 15 days of leave over or get recompensed for your daily rate of pay for every day you don't take. 4. Scrap all other branches apart from engineers, intel branch and aircrew - and then man to the right numbers. Rocks can join the Army, Coppers are MPGS and all others are provided by Serco or other type companies (Drs, Dentists, PTIs, Admin, Air Traffic, Suppliers, etc...). 5. Use civilian licences for aircrew and engineers. Type ratings and quals can be added via Service trg. 6. Axe DE&S to an absolute minima - I don't see an equivalent for BritishAirways when they buy a new fleet, or for the Ambulance Service when they buy new Ambulances, or security companies like G4S when they buy security vans, uniform, stab vests and helmets. So why do we need so many people to deliver so little these days? 7. Have 1 uniform for dress, 1 for Mess and 1 for work (No1s, No5s and either flying suits for all or Combat Dress that is flame retardent). 8. Gaff off MT white fleet and give a decent allowance for using one's own vehicle - so that we make money which will pay for the wear and tear. 9. Have an up or out policy after 10 years in each rank. 10. Return to work hard, play hard rules. Then there's Scuttled: For example, £1.25 per hour away logged from leaving a duty station or an aircraft steps. Time out logged, time rtb logged. Time in hours multiplied by £1.25 so that you get money for the exact time spent away. I'm fairly certain that would be very easy to administer and that for such a complicated computer program BAe could let us have a working model on a 286 processor in 5 years or so for a few hundred million. This sort of thing should not be difficult. Jesus, do you want an extra 50p/hr when you're wearing shiny boots, because you had to shine them in your own time? Gents, the story has been crystal clear for a couple of years now. THERE IS NO MONEY, TCBr gave it all away. |
Roadster.... steady tiger!
Absolutely not talking about making money - nor is Leon. My (very minor) point was reference easy expense administration at no cost and less lost man hours waste on JPA (expense administration) etc. That's it. It would save government money and simplify personal administration. Not after a penny of government cash on the side whatsoever. I think you are a civilian, so apologies if I were not clear. This is to do with expenses incurred when away overnight on RAF business and responsible for feeding yourself, similar to any civilian job. Similar to OP's post ref using your own vehicle for service business......it's not to earn, but to cover the actual cost of using your own vehicle. In the uk forces, mma doesn't cover fuel costs any longer, let alone tyres, insurance etc. That's just a fact. Agree re leave buy back. Agree re other trades being abolished (think Leon was having a giggle) Umm don't understand your point on 10 years and out for one rank. I don't really agree, but don't understand your view...? For an airman 10 years to Cpl or out, an officer 10 years to sqn ldr from flt lt or out... Is that good or bad in your view? I know some great career flt lts and cpls. Progress for the sake of it is not, for me, the be all and end all for all our people. Work hard, play hard...... That's a given. Anyone who doesn't miss that wasn't doing it properly when it was permitted/given a good ignoring. |
Scuttled,
Your initial post did come across as a way of making money. Some background on me: I'm a retired soldier, was posted to a couple of RAF stations, RAF Sleepy Hollow (Upavon), and RAF Mad Busy (BZZ). Also had a bit to do with RAF Roermond and the nearbyish RAF Weeze. In my time (90s), the RAF blokes were always out to get their 1771s in, even if we stayed out later than we need have to get the next rate up. I realise 1771 rates are a thing of the past, but I see shades of that here, both with the 1.25/hr and the MT scheme. 10 years to a rank is a BAD THING. It doesn't happen in the other two services, and shouldn't happen in the RAF. It leads to coasting fat knackers who are career blocking up-and-coming young blades. This will become more important as the RAF shrinks. The 37 year career needs to be limited to those who achieve in their first 22. Or 16, whichever. Experience is obviously to be valued, but if after 5 years as an MT Cpl you haven't grasped and demonstrated what's required to get to Sgt, it's time to go. If by then the RAF is so small that there are only 10 MT Cpls in the entire RAF, perhaps it's time to expand their skill set. |
One to add to LJ's list - 14 days R&R should be 14 days R&R. The guys and girls of all 3 Services work extremely hard out in the sandpit with the current policy of R&R starting on the day you arrive at BZZ and ends the day you leave. To give one example. One arrived at BZZ, say for argument's sake on 8 Sep 11, at 15:30. For various reasons, we received our bags over 2 hrs later. it was 22:00 by the time I turned my key in my front door and having left BSN at 16:00 (BST) the previous day, scratch day 1 of R&R. My reporting time for my return flight on, let's say 21 Sep, was 02:00, having left home at 23:00 on day 13 of R&R, so, scratch day 14, leading to 12 out of the 14 days R&R. If Carlsberg Ran the MOD, as I'm aware this affects all 3 Services, R&R would start when the front door was opened and end when the front door was locked to return. Never mind, I get to do it all again tomorrow!
Now, a subject very close to LJ's heart - Uniform, and again across all 3 Services. I don't know about the majority but if I wear my No1s more than once a year, it's out of the ordinary. Do we need them? In my humble opinion no. Could they be pooled for those special occasions when the Soveriegn so desires, absolutely. Do we need No5s, of course we do, they certainly get much more use and abuse than the No1s will ever do, however, I realise that there are a number of individuals out there who rarely wear theirs! As for the plethora of working dress across the Military, aboslutuely no need whatsoever, how much would the MOD save if we all went MTP, kept our headress and our Service Stable Belts to distinguish the Services, if the rather large badge stating Royal Air Force or Royal Navy and the TRF wasn't a big enough clue! Thereby getting rid of blue, shirts, white shirts, brown shirts, long sleeve, short sleeve, 15 different Mks of Jersey various colours of trouser etc etc etc ad infinitum! Trust me, wearing MTP day in, day out, for the last 9 months has been extremely comfortable in all weathers! |
... Willard, I don't think either of you are currently serving My apologies if you are Just about. |
SCRAP JPA !!!
Bring back WSOs. Form a union. CNN |
If carlsburg ran the RAF it would be a rusty old can of flat weak beer half drunk with a fag put out in it
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If we're going to bin all the other Air Combat Service Support trades and branches why retain the engineers? After all the only deploy to the same places that the other trades go to so there is no military reason that they too can't be contractors (are they at any greater risk than the contract chefs in Bastion/KAF?).
While we're at it. Do we really need our AT/AR crews to be regular service personnel. Don't they do the air equivalent if the RFA's maritime role? So let's bin them too. If we do that, then the policy could be extended to the non-Fast Jet ISTAR lot too. So we'd be left with was a Royal Air Force comprising Fast Jet Pilots, the odd Tornado WSO, and Support Helicopter aircrew. :} |
If we're going to bin all the other Air Combat Service Support trades and branches why retain the engineers? After all the only deploy to the same places that the other trades go to so there is no military reason that they too can't be contractors (are they at any greater risk than the contract chefs in Bastion/KAF?). While we're at it. Do we really need our AT/AR crews to be regular service personnel. Don't they do the air equivalent if the RFA's maritime role? So let's bin them too. If we do that, then the policy could be extended to the non-Fast Jet ISTAR lot too. So we'd be left with was a Royal Air Force comprising Fast Jet Pilots, the odd Tornado WSO, and Support Helicopter aircrew We could of course take the nest logical step and give the army SH too? An RAF of FJ and AT? Imagine that crazy idea!! |
Or of course you could give the tiny amount of air assets that the Army have to the Airforce which would leave us with an Army which just did soldiering and an Airforce that just did flying, imagine that crazy idea :p
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Yep, you could do that. But remember, this thread was started by members of the RAF, telling us why the RAF isn't working. If that's the case, why would we want to give you more assets, particularly those that really are working very well?
;) |
If that's the case, why would we want to give you more assets, particularly those that really are working very well which answers your original notion quite nicely:ok:
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If Carlsberg ran Air Forces
The Tuna in the packed lunches would be replaced with Pickled Herring on Danish Rye bread in a Smørrebrød. Beer would be bloody expensive and so would Spirits. And the HomeGuard would look like this http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty...s/marie-2b.jpg And not like this http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/...34_233x423.jpg |
Why not just fix the current system/ MOD instead of Thatcherising the rest of the RAF?
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Do we really need our AT/AR crews to be regular service personnel. And as for 9. Have an up or out policy after 10 years in each rank. |
Does Billy Smart's know about Carlsburg's intentions
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Fly this. Every day. Single seat. No WSOs. No whinging. No bluntness.
http://media.gizmodo.co.uk/wp-conten...ad060fbd27.jpg |
A 27 ship formation take off - that I'd like to see!
Presumably they briefed as a 40 ship, walked as a 35, & only 27 made it to the runway? |
Rocks can join the Army, |
" A 27 ship formation take off - that I'd like to see! "
In 2 years time that will be the whole of the RAF FJ's on one runway:O |
if we all went MTP, kept our headress and our Service Stable Belts to distinguish the Services, if the rather large badge stating Royal Air Force or Royal Navy and the TRF wasn't a big enough clue! Thereby getting rid of blue, shirts, white shirts, brown shirts, long sleeve, short sleeve, 15 different Mks of Jersey various colours of trouser etc etc etc ad infinitum! Trust me, wearing MTP day in, day out, for the last 9 months has been extremely comfortable in all weathers! I can remember just how far back to common uniform idea went, Mountbatten I think. The principle was to be: 1. All wear the same. 2. If not then all the cloth to be the same, just different colours. 3. All patterns to be the same with embellishments if necessary. Naturally the RN stepped sideways which left the RAF and Army, oh and the RM. The RM could not wear either the same colour or same cloth as the Army. The RN had a different flying coverall from the RAF and the AAC was different too. The woolly pulley at last was an item where there should be no problem except for the colour. Except the RAF went from ribbed to plain, round neck to V, to round neck and ribbed with the RN and Army unable to keep up. |
"If we're going to bin all the other Air Combat Service Support trades and branches why retain the engineers? After all the only deploy to the same places that the other trades go to so there is no military reason that they too can't be contractors (are they at any greater risk than the contract chefs in Bastion/KAF?).
While we're at it. Do we really need our AT/AR crews to be regular service personnel. Don't they do the air equivalent if the RFA's maritime role? So let's bin them too. If we do that, then the policy could be extended to the non-Fast Jet ISTAR lot too. So we'd be left with was a Royal Air Force comprising Fast Jet Pilots, the odd Tornado WSO, and Support Helicopter aircrew." ....and dont forget each one would have his/her own 1*,2*, and 3* of course! ;) |
the odd Tornado WSO, |
@Ken Scott. Chap, I was taking the p*ss; it was never meant to be taken as a serious proposition. Unless, of course, you agree with the original post about the ACSS branches and trades being civilianised. In which case, I've been shot at a few times (direct and indirect) and I'm a Blunty!
@Oldman. You are, of course, correct; however, those stars would also be FJ or SH pilots (maybe with an odd Tornado WSO for E&D qouta reasons). @Kreuger. Fair point. My ISS Tutor would have, probably, highlighted my apparent tautology. Are you my ISS Tutor? |
In which case, I've been shot at a few times (direct and indirect) and I'm a Blunty! however, those stars would also be FJ or SH pilots (maybe with an odd Tornado WSO for E&D qouta reasons). As FJ pukes are allegedly to be allowed to command AT squadrons (not enough FJ ones to permit the 'right' people to have a command) then an AT background presumably will no longer be a bar... Provided of course that all the AT pilots don't just say 'f**k it, I'm leaving for BA/ Cathay/ Jet2 etc'. |
The CS peeps who deploy seem to get rather large allowances for being there which would seem to negate the savings from civilianising the post in the first place. NB. Both of these scenarios have already happened in AFG and Iraq. |
Being in harm's way is not unique to military personnel and therefore, while there are pros and cons regarding affordability and reliability, it is perfectly feasible for contractors/CS to fulfill these tasks.
However, what is unique to military personnel is the authority to kill and inflict violence. Thus civilians (some exceptions, such as the Prime Minister) are excluded from being part of the kill chain. |
If the RAF ran a bewery it would campaign to shut down the Rum distillers on the basis that it could the same job better and more cheaply with its brewing kit. Once the distillers wee shut the RAF would admit it couldn't distill, but would claim there was no demand for Rum anyway, so why bother making it?
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RLE - of course it is perfectly feasible (and appropriate) to use contractors on deployed ops. My point is that their use is not a way to save money vice uniforms and, if things are too kinetic, they may not be there.
However small the support tails gets in relation to the teeth, there will always be a requirement to have all bases covered by an as-small-as-practical cadre of military personnel, especially at the start of an op when the metal is flying. |
Ken
In the words of Michael Winner - calm down dear. It's irony. The original post postulated a binning of all of the people perceived as being a supplementary. My post in extended the pretext ironically. This is not a sensible post. The answer to the star point is that in this threads make-believe ironic world the RAF would only comprise of FJ and SH. |
In the words of Michael Winner - calm down dear. I thought we were having a discourse on the merits (or lack of) of your suggestion.... no calming down required thank you. An interesting suggestion your 'ironic RAF' where one of the two fleets (the other being SH) that have done their real job continuously for many decades should be excluded but the one that had spent virtually all its time until fairly recently only practicing should be included. I'll go and have a lie down before the nasty man makes me any more cross....! |
Jamesdevice,
If the RAF ran a bewery it would campaign to shut down the Rum distillers on the basis that it could the same job better and more cheaply with its brewing kit. Once the distillers wee shut the RAF would admit it couldn't distill, but would claim there was no demand for Rum anyway, so why bother making it? |
oops.. too much beer
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the one that had spent virtually all its time until fairly recently only practicing should be included I could enrage you further by saying, IMHO, the only fleet within the RAF that has really been doing their proper job continuously for many decades is the SAR force.... |
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