**British Armed Forces Discussion Thread**

[steve45]

Transfer documents. Every pongo I meet lately seems to be transferring to one of the other services.

Is it any wonder when we are busier now with more commitments than back in the HERRICK days, with less blokes, lower morale and having every perk and benefit of being in the forces slowly and systematically stripped. Its all stick no carrot these days guys, I dont blame the lads that want to jump ship to other arms or civi street.

 

[dowie]

always seems a bit ironic when the RAF use the word 'pongo' - I mean AFAIK it stems from the Navy or rather more often the Marines due to their supposedly bigger emphasis on personal hygiene as a result of having to serve in cramped conditions on ships... the marines also pride themselves on supposedly better hygiene in the field too and think the Army are a bunch of stinking 'pongos' in comparison

however when it comes to the RAF most of them are basically civilians in uniform who would be in an absolute **** state after any period of time in the field and even the 'elite' RAF regiment don't like to stray too far from Pizza Hut thus I'm not really sure why any of them would have the audacity to use the term

 

[tom_e]

I feel like you're totally overthinking it.

 

[Begbie]

He's pretty accurate though

@steve45 are you a siggy? I see you guys have been knocked down an NEM level to follow us. Another kick to the *****.

 

[steve45]

Nah mate, dropshort, Sup2 Targetting, no sign of that changing just yet. Sappers seem to be getting a raw deal of the NEM at the moment though. One of their stripy's was whinging about it last week.

 

[xldeane]

always seems a bit ironic when the RAF use the word 'pongo' - I mean AFAIK it stems from the Navy or rather more often the Marines due to their supposedly bigger emphasis on personal hygiene as a result of having to serve in cramped conditions on ships... the marines also pride themselves on supposedly better hygiene in the field too and think the Army are a bunch of stinking 'pongos' in comparison

however when it comes to the RAF most of them are basically civilians in uniform who would be in an absolute **** state after any period of time in the field and even the 'elite' RAF regiment don't like to stray too far from Pizza Hut thus I'm not really sure why any of them would have the audacity to use the term

Spot on.. Month at Sennybridge Training Ground would sort the men from the boys....

 

[arctine]

That's easy... get him a Leatherman Tool. Every soldier should have one...even the officers

Don't do this, he will be laughed at until it is confiscated as an uncontrolled tool. Especially if he puts it on his belt.

Though actually, if he's an officer, he's going to get laughed at anyway so...yeah, maybe get him a leatherman. That or some used CS95s so no one can tell he sits in an office all day when he has to wear them.

 

[ivrytwr3]

however when it comes to the RAF most of them are basically civilians in uniform who would be in an absolute **** state after any period of time in the field and even the 'elite' RAF regiment don't like to stray too far from Pizza Hut thus I'm not really sure why any of them would have the audacity to use the term

But why do the RAF 'need' to have field skills?

I was army for 4 years and 20+ years RAF - only thing i use the stars for is to rate my hotel.

 

[RoboCod]

Dowie talking usual horse *****.

For my first 7 years serving I deployed every single year, it's not like the "good ol days" of hotels and champagne that it supposedly was. I slept in holes, stinky tents and dusty dreary places. A pongo deploys for 6 months once in blue moon and brings his stench (and dozens of equally smelly boyfriends) with him

@steve45, busier than ever? Not in my experience. Probably busier just filling time, justifying jobs more like.

 

[John40]

As it's looking very likely a major part of the armed forces is for the cut where will the cuts come ? my guess is the Royal Marines who I think are going to be totally abolished in one hit.
HMS Ocean is already going and I think Bulwark and Albion will be next.

 

[dowie]

Dowie talking usual horse *****.

For my first 7 years serving I deployed every single year, it's not like the "good ol days" of hotels and champagne that it supposedly was. I slept in holes, stinky tents and dusty dreary places. A pongo deploys for 6 months once in blue moon and brings his stench (and dozens of equally smelly boyfriends) with him

not sure what the frequency of tours or the state of the accommodation has to do with my post, next you'll be telling us that you went to that magical/mythical place (in the eyes of the RAF): "outside the wire"

nothing wrong with boyfriends either - tis a modern army now!

 

[arctine]

As it's looking very likely a major part of the armed forces is for the cut where will the cuts come ? my guess is the Royal Marines who I think are going to be totally abolished in one hit.
HMS Ocean is already going and I think Bulwark and Albion will be next.

More cuts?

Quit and double your salary.

 

[John40]

These major incoming cuts are going to be called reorganisation.

 

[lemonkettaz]

RE is definitely busy.

As of pay, they have recently changed the which band some trades fall in, whereas before they said every trade would be supp 3, they now decide actually no some trades are going supp 1, lets be honest how is that not a slap in the face. The NEM was supposed to help with "recruitment and retention", or so it read within the first paragraph.

Who is smoking what?

edit: imagine this happening within any other industry...

 

[RoboCod]

RE is definitely busy.

As of pay, they have recently changed the which band some trades fall in, whereas before they said every trade would be supp 3, they now decide actually no some trades are going supp 1, lets be honest how is that not a slap in the face. The NEM was supposed to help with "recruitment and retention", or so it read within the first paragraph.

Who is smoking what?

edit: imagine this happening within any other industry...

Yeah, I think the terminology was simply more horse ****. Any change is usually bad change isn't it. They're not going to change things for our benefit now are they?

 

[I_M_Weasel]

We've been hammered with the pay of late - Now a delay on the 2018 pay award, I really wouldn't be that surprised if they said that due to increasing Police and Prison pay by more than 1%, extra savings will be made by the army so we get 0%!

I'm a bit fed up with the chain of command sugar coating the pay nonsense. The latest housing costs had an adjustment to a fairer system - fairer for who? How did my quarter, bottom bracket on old system shift to the second highest band on the new? Rent increased 3 fold. NEM now puts you a year behind on your increments, sure you end up in about the same place but lose money every single year until you max out - that's apparently not a pay cut though.

And I don't know where they're heading with this flexible employment model, but the survey they produced for it just looked like a way for them to build evidence that its what we wanted, when it was really a choice between bad options.

Why is it that the MOD accepts hardware is very expensive but thinks the staff should work for less and less.

 

[arctine]

RE is definitely busy.

As of pay, they have recently changed the which band some trades fall in, whereas before they said every trade would be supp 3, they now decide actually no some trades are going supp 1, lets be honest how is that not a slap in the face. The NEM was supposed to help with "recruitment and retention", or so it read within the first paragraph.

Who is smoking what?

edit: imagine this happening within any other industry...

I left a little while after the NEM was brought in, it was a complete kick in the nuts and got rid of any incentive to stay for me. Now you're saying they've made it worse yet again?

Seriously, I don't think I'll ever look back. Why anyone wants to stay in and get paid a lot less for being treated a lot worse than a civi is beyond me.

 

[xldeane]

If you dont think your getting paid enough then jack it, come out...and go private security ?

 

[Edrof]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

 

[lemonkettaz]

For me it only seems worthwhile staying in to go one particular career route. If that fails then plan B is to leave.

I guess for new people coming in the pay structure doesn't mean much, but for all the people currently trained its cutting their overall wage.

I personally lose out £700 a year from the old to new system as I am maxed out in this rank straight away, so now I am on a pay freeze til I move on or promote and then the next rank level 1 isn't much more. I'm not sure who the pay model worked out well for. Maybe not for RE.