Bolshie rocks

Seems the rocks aren't best pleased with their lack of utilisation in the Kabul airport pull out. (All allegedly of course)

RAF commander is blasted by officers who said he had 'no clue'

Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, the head of the RAF, has been accused of damaging morale and showing a lack of moral courage by members of the RAF Regiment.

www.dailymail.co.uk

"Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston, the head of the RAF, has been accused of damaging morale and showing a lack of moral courage by members of the RAF Regiment. The attack came in a letter signed by 63 senior and junior non-commissioned officers serving in the regiment's No 1 Squadron based at RAF Honington in Suffolk.......It describes the failure to use the RAF Regiment in Afghanistan as an 'embarrassment' and proof that Air Chief Marshal Wigston had 'no clue' how to use the RAF Regiment, "

So have we really got 63 rock NCO's who all think the same thing and have had the minerals to sign, number, rank, name on the paper.

 

[Captain Kirk]

In the 80s and 90s the Regiment NCOs that did GDT seemed to be dicks.
After 2001, they seemed to get much better, and more friendly. During my last 15 years I had a great time with them, actually enjoying the day with them.
They teach the same thing day in day out, but no gripes from me they are professional guys with interesting types of humour.
I don’t miss the chamber, u I do miss the crack with them.

 

[vim_fuego]

Possibly the dumbest thing they, as Rocks, will ever do under a blue lid. Whilst it’s caused a very minor ripple with the National press and on military forums, it’s gone now, and he’s still in charge and they, if they actually had no plans to leave, are best advised to make some now. The system as it stands won’t be affected by this one hit and those signatories will be branded as troublesome will all the ‘treats’ that will go with that.

 

[muttywhitedog]

I had a tour with a rock sqn early on in my career. Whilst there was the odd knuckle dragger, I found the vast majority very intelligent, articulate, and desperate to not be put in the same category as the rock who belittled everyone on their annual trip to the Regt sect for GDT.

I understand their frustration, in that their relevance in the eyes of the rest of the RAF and beyond, is again being eroded. Writing to their OC and then leaking the letter suggests that they feel their CoC has not provided them with an answer. Its very hard to follow a leader who cannot/will not articulate the reason why we are doing/not doing a particular task.

 

[norfolkred1]

I see no WO or F/S stuck their name at the bottom of that letter. They must have known about the letter but don't have the ballax to condone it.
Spent 2 years as a driver for the Rock Training Groups between 2008-2010 and once again the odd knob but also some decent guys pretty much the same in the RAF. And to be fair after 28 years in I found them 2 years to most exciting due to seeing kids being formed into men over a few months.

 

[Oldstacker]

I see no WO or F/S stuck their name at the bottom of that letter. They must have known about the letter but don't have the ballax to condone it.

I would imagine that either they understood the fact that the Sqdn isn't part of 16AA (see my earlier posts) and therefore was unlikely to ever 'get the call' for the Op or any similar such Ops so didn't support the letter at all or they supported it but chose to do so via private representations to the CoC which have not been published.

 

[norfolkred1]

I would imagine that either they understood the fact that the Sqdn isn't part of 16AA (see my earlier posts) and therefore was unlikely to ever 'get the call' for the Op or any similar such Ops so didn't support the letter at all or they supported it but chose to do so via private representations to the CoC which have not been published.

There is a thread on the Arsse site RE: The Regt and its need. If this is how they are not used in any capacity they may as well disband them completely or be a permanent Guard at the Palace. I bet the boys and girls feel absolutely let down and worthless.

 

[Oldstacker]

Which comes back to a point made in the letter; a requirement for a clear doctrinal direction backed up by relevant training and exercises, with better integration into joint force structures. The rocks (& the RAF more generally) doesn't have sufficient mass anymore to put out an expeditionary force of its own.

 

[Spearmint]

I found them 2 years to most exciting due to seeing kids being formed into men over a few months.

Ooh err.....Jumpers for goalposts, one side shirts the other side skins....

 

[Witty_Banter]

I would imagine that either they understood the fact that the Sqdn isn't part of 16AA (see my earlier posts) and therefore was unlikely to ever 'get the call' for the Op or any similar such Ops so didn't support the letter at all or they supported it but chose to do so via private representations to the CoC which have not been published.

Or, they deemed themselves too close to the end of the pension trap to get involved - particularly as nothing's likely to change in the Regt (on the back of this letter, anyway) for a good couple of years - they do need doctrinal support, but doctrine takes a long time to churn through the system.

 

[StickyFingers]

I see no WO or F/S stuck their name at the bottom of that letter. They must have known about the letter but don't have the ballax to condone it.
Spent 2 years as a driver for the Rock Training Groups between 2008-2010 and once again the odd knob but also some decent guys pretty much the same in the RAF. And to be fair after 28 years in I found them 2 years to most exciting due to seeing kids being formed into men over a few months.

There is probably a reason why they are FSs and WOs.

The yes man is a dangerous man.....