Here it is during the Commander-in-Chief's visit earlier this week.
https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net...97&oe=5EC935DE

The cut off point is obvious and consistent from place to place. One gate guardian per station... the one for which funding is provided.

Minor infrastructure faults costing less than a couple of thousand to fix are generally covered by a regional maintenance contract while major new build is typically delivered by centrally-funded projects not under the station’s direct control. Everything in between (which is a lot...) has to be funded from a limited pot of discretionary spending under the station commander’s control. Using it to maintain a collection of additional gate guardians instead of addressing infrastructure issues is not only a strange order of priority but is also potentially difficult if, for instance, there are health and safety deficiencies going unfixed. Which again is not uncommon.

I realise I’m taking a blunt approach to this but I think it’s reflective of the ‘enough is enough’ stance finally being taken after many years of failing to prioritise adequately. Hopefully more of the same to come on a much grander scale in the big review!

Whatever happened to "Tallest on the right, shortest on the left" ?

BVRAAM, thanks for that. I was struggling to remember from my odd visits to Marham exactly what was where.

Not just that, some females are in trousers, some in skirts, no standardisation, also looks rather shoddy and thrown together with no even height, is it me or doesn't it?.

Beards, a handful of white belts, Navy uniforms sprinkled in, it doesn't look smart and military, it just looks a bit shabby and shoddy.

Meanwhile, back in the day of the V Force, at RAF Waddington we had the regular Saturday night dance in the Raven Club with bands like the Bee-Gees attracting hundreds of civilians onto the camp from as far away as Scotland, all jigging away about five hundred yards from the bombed up QRA aircraft on Alpha dispersal. :ooh:

Cannot recall seeing a scruffier bunch,has the position of S.W.O. been done away with?

I can recall OC Eng Wing at Abingdon,being requested leave an A.O.C,`s parade rehearsal,by the SWO ,because OC Eng`s tunic had a red lining.This was back in the 70`s.

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Beards, if properly trimmed, are not untidy.
If the military is supposed to reflect the society it serves, then surely the military should look like 2020 and not 1990?
A "Joint Force" should surely have RN and RAF personnel among each other, and not segregated to either side?

There must have been a hell of a rush for them to break ranks so as to get the the parade square for the AOC's Parade.

Thought uniform meant uniform,well it did from 1972-1984 when I was an airman.

Oh for Gawds sakes..... get over yourselves.

I was proud to serve,and still am after 36 years.did you ever join HM Forces?

Yes I did. RAF from 1975-1994 but I'm not serving now and I don't think we should criticise those serving now for not meeting the expectations of our generation. Time to pass that baton on.

That is dreadful.
Just one up from a shambles.

That photo does nothing for my morale.

As much as that?

It looks like a complete sack of dung!

I am more than willing to be corrected IF someone can ~ allude ~ to just wtf is going on!

I think individually most of the airmen and women (and matelots) on parade seem to pass muster pretty well. It is just that no attempt to dress by height has been made, and I cant work out why some of the girls are wearing white belts. Can't imagine HM was impressed. Pleased to see the RAF station sign (a blue bull) visible just above the royal car in the photo.

That is just opposite SHQ (or at least where SHQ used to be). Last time I was there was when I handed in my final clearance card on my last day of service in December 1976. More than half a lifetime ago :(

Uniform - as in KD
 

Reminds me of an early morning in Malta. We had upset the AOC at dinner (tied his shoe laces together which, was taken as personal). xx Sqn officers were ordered to parade in uniform at 0630. We managed to have everyone in something different; KD shorts, KD longs, every colour of KD bush jackets, various colours of flyng suit, No 6, No 1, Bates hat, chip bag... You get the look of it! Well worth getting up early for.