Returning from Ops - how do i get home?!

[Dan_Brown]

I'm due back from the 'stan soon and have a question! I will have my personal weapon with me and need advice on the best solution to get me home as my J1 clerk is of the chocolate fireguard variety.

I need to get from BZN to my home Unit (3hr odd drive) to drop my IW and then onto my home address approx a further 20 miles from my home Unit.

Can i get a hire car - BZN - Unit - Home?

MT - BZN - Unit and then it's up to me to get home?

Any other suggestions (no family/friends available to pick me up from BZN or Unit).

 

[the lovetoad]

I'm due back from the 'stan soon and have a question! I will have my personal weapon with me and need advice on the best solution to get me home as my J1 clerk is of the chocolate fireguard variety.

I need to get from BZN to my home Unit (3hr odd drive) to drop my IW and then onto my home address approx a further 20 miles from my home Unit.

Can i get a hire car - BZN - Unit - Home?

MT - BZN - Unit and then it's up to me to get home?

Any other suggestions (no family/friends available to pick me up from BZN or Unit).

From last years experience.

Your parent units MT will have to meet you. You cannot take a personal weapon in a private car and you are not allowed to drive an MT ordered hire car after flying from theatre.

If your clerk is that bad contact your Section at home and get yr boss to sort it at their end. Keep MT advised as much as you can with any flight updates.

Then follow it up with a complaint to the useless clerks boss in the hope someone will take the high payband fcukwit to task.

 

[Dan_Brown]

For R&R the boss signed off a waiver for some of us that got around the driving hours issue and we got hire cars.

But as this time i am coming from decompression, after 24hrs resting, driving hours shouldn't be problem.

Also, whilst doing PDT etc, transporting weapons via service corsas etc was not an issue, would this not extend to hire cars? ie under service use?

As you can see, i really need some guidance here!!

 

[the lovetoad]

Talk to your chief clerk at your parent unit.

It is their responsibility to sort it!!

 

[feckinG RANT]

What's your IW? Is it your gun? You can drop it off at Brize armoury and it will come up by road at a later date, least that's what I've done in the past. As for getting home, will MT take you the extra 20 miles for a box of biscuits?

 

[unruly1986]

Similar question - if I wish to travel to my leave address (GYH(T) address as it happens) following an OOA, are the RAF in any way able to help with this, or are they purely responsible for getting me to my parent unit? As it happens it is quicker and easier to get to my leave address from BZN, plus if I get to my parent unit (North Yorks middle of nowhere), I have no personal transport and therefore will be stranded on my PODL.

Any info gratefully received.

 

[BillyBunter]

I`m shocked and in disbelief there is people returning back from war with no transport arranged. The guys have given the perfect solution , call home base and get them to arrange.

 

[Joe_90]

Things must have changed over the past two years, last time I was away it was up to the Det to arrange ongoing transport from Brize. Last time I had a weapon was quite a while ago but as has been said already Brize armoury used to take them and send them on. It may be worth finding out if that still happens.

 

[KingGuin]

Talk to your chief clerk at your parent unit.

It is their responsibility to sort it!!

Nope, it is the responsibility of theatre to sort it. A1 Ops direction is quite clear on that as are Pt 1 Orders. However invariably Unit Travel Cells are happy to assist.

Weapon - put it into BZN armoury, they will forward it on.

Hire Car - rules are related to travelling time. There is no such thing as a waiver, there is a certificate which can be signed to say that an individual understands that Pt 1 Orders state hire cars are not to be driven without 8 hours rest at BZN. It is not unknown for spot checks of hire cars leaving camp to see if this rule was breached.

Return Address - Do you have to return for decompression? If not then MT should take you to a leave address providing that destination is en route to your PU. Again dependent on your MT.

Good luck and stay safe.

 

[liverpool1]

Brize armoury won't forward your weapon on unless your a Scotland camp. It's your own responsibility to get your weapon back to your unit. A hire car is classed as an mt vehicle so it can be transported in that.

 

[Downsizer]

Brize armoury won't forward your weapon on unless your a Scotland camp. It's your own responsibility to get your weapon back to your unit. A hire car is classed as an mt vehicle so it can be transported in that.

What he says is 100% correct. Brize will not and cannot move your weapon onwards. If you are from a scottish camp, then Leu/Lossie/Kinloss will come and collect it for you.

 

[XVR RA RA RA]

I`m shocked and in disbelief there is people returning back from war with no transport arranged.

It's your own responsibility to get your weapon back to your unit.

You should turn up back to your parent unit a year late and without your weapon, that'll teach them When they ask what the f happened? Just shrug your shoulders and say you had to walk back after being abandoned at Brize.

You'd think that if wondering the streets, on your own, with a lethal firearm is that important then Brize would be all over taking it off you and putting it in their armoury.

Civvy bill once told me that firearms can only be transported while locked away in a secure safe / gun cabinet in the vehicle. Because what happens if you have a car accident and you're knocked unconscious? Anyone can grab the weapon out of your car. There must be some law against "driving around in a car with 1) Knife 2) Truncheon or 3) A 5.56mm fully automatic assault rifle".

 

[KingGuin]

What he says is 100% correct. Brize will not and cannot move your weapon onwards. If you are from a scottish camp, then Leu/Lossie/Kinloss will come and collect it for you.

Nope disagree. Returning from Ops not so long ago I am aware of weapons left at BZN and then moved/collected by English Units. Regardless I would still ask.

 

[tats]

You cannot travel in a vehicle with your weapon by yourself, whether it is an MT vehicle or otherwise, you also need paperwork for the movement of weapons with you.

 

[liverpool1]

Jsp 440. You can travel in a service vehicle on your own as long as its your personal weapon. If you fill out the appropriate paperwork and get it signed off you can take a weapon in your own car!

Brize doesn't have capacity or manpower to store then deliver everyone's weapons. I've been there 8 years and we've never delivered anyone's weapons. Scotland units arrange to collect weapons from Scottish units that is about all the storage the station has.
As said its your own responsibility to return your weapon to your station, your unit hr should organise your units mt to collect you.

 

[Downsizer]

Nope disagree. Returning from Ops not so long ago I am aware of weapons left at BZN and then moved/collected by English Units. Regardless I would still ask.

They may have been collected by an English unit if the individual had sorted this with prior arrangement with the PU. It does not happen routinely. The only units who will regularly pick up weapons are the three scottish camps. Brize will not and cannot arrange onward movement of weapons, it is the weapon owners responsibility.

All that being said they will store anybodies IW safe custody so they can get away, it will just sit on a rack collecting dust.

 

[Mag2grid]

Short answer is get your parent station to arrange for a wagon with driver, I spent 7 months arranging This for R&R and lads returning for courses. If they won't help then your boss (if he/she is worth their salt) will get involved and arrange it. As for transporting your pers wpn you do need another with you to transport it.

 

[True Blue Jack]

So what's the definitive answer to the OP's question?

My understanding is that onward travel from the arrival airhead is a matter for the parent unit (this is backed up by the parenting statement for my current unit) and MT are responsible for return to the parent unit only. Years ago I was able to self-drive an MT vehicle complete with IW but only because the journey I was undertaking (Coningsby to Cosford) was short enough that I could do it in one hop, is that still the same? Going further back, I was told I could not book hire cars for people returning from Saudi because the flight time was greater than 6 hours, is that still the case?

Assuming all that is still true and there is no capacity for weapon storage at Brize, I believe the answer is that the parent unit MT should collect the OP and his weapon from Brize and take him back to the unit where he should make his own arrangements for the final leg of his journey. However, towards the end of my time at Waddo, MT were finally getting the message that people returning from Ops have been messed around enough by the time they got to Brize so they are usually quite happy to do the extra mileage to take people home if required.

 

[Dan_Brown]

My experience:

For R&R there was a waiver that could be signed off by your boss allowing you to drive (at your own risk) over the regular driving hours. This was not offered on return from completion of the Op - i was told they have clamped down on this. So hire car was not offered/available (but if you decompress for 24hrs in Cyprus, you aren't over your driving hours, your Cyprus > BZN is about 4 1/2 hours - but i'm not going to argue!).

Clerk in theatre contacted my parent unit and they in turn booked MT to collect me and my IW, to transport me to my home Unit to drop off weapon and then convey me to my home.

What did actually happen was fortunately one of the lads from my section collected me from Brize.

Thanks all.

 

[Mag2grid]

When I left the gates of The Den of Gen just over 14 months ago they weren't allowing self drive returning from Ops, I had to arrange transport for them. As Dan has said by the time you've got back to BZN having been either by Oman,or Aki you don't need to be dicked around driving.

Ultimate answer seems to be the parent unit conveying pers with wpns, however this is only my experience having worked with a formed unit, rather the. Nfu pers.