The RAF - No room for 'Guys'

Last week WO Sara Catterall, Command Senior Enlisted Leader at NATO AIRCOM, RAF Diversity Ally & Gender Advisor (try fitting that on a name-tag) announced via Twitter that RAF personnel should refrain from using the term 'guys' when addressing groups of people (post since archived by her).

Her tweet has attracted interest and one comment in particular:

Imagine Sara’s average day at the base. Busy supervising an aircraft refuel? Er... no. Organising a bit of enthusiastic PT for the other ranks? Being RAF, definitely not. Perhaps a bit of weapons training? Ditto.

No, Sara’s day consists of sitting behind a very important desk in a very important office trying desperately to find an unhappy someone of Diversity she can be an ‘ally’ to, so that she can be seen to be fulfilling her role and to further secure her utterly pointless, but very lucrative, place on the gravy train.

Sara spends her days in her big, very important office, chewing pencils. Every time the door opens, she bolts upright and quickly shuffles papers across her important desk to look busy.

But the truth is, Sara isn’t busy. There just aren’t enough gender and diversity issues in the RAF to warrant her role, and any that do exist, will be dealt with at unit level. Sara knows this, the Head Shed know this and everyone dressed in pale blue knows this. Sara isn’t there because she is needed, or even because she has a role. No, Sara is there so that the RAF can trumpet it’s diversity credentials to the mountain tops, so that it can deflect any criticism that the Guardian might throw it’s way that there seem to be more men than women in its ranks for reasons that can only be sexist.

So Sara sits in her important office, behind her important desk chewing pencils, frantically trying to think of things to say that make her seem relevant and not just the window dressing she actually is, a sop to a media machine which itself sits chewing pencils, desperately trying to find things to write about.

But look! Sara has found something! Girls are being called ‘guys’! At last, she has something, something that will (accidentally) get in the papers. Her day-long campaign will make the RAF glow with inclusive righteousness, will make Air Vice Marshalls smile indulgently and will possibly make Sara’s very lucrative role a little safer.

But that’s this month’s story from Sara, what abomination is she going to uncover next month to justify that lovely salary? Thirty long days racking her brains trying to find offence in an organisation that is already achingly Woke.

With a sigh, in her empty, but very important office, Sara opens a drawer, pulls out another pencil and with a furrowed brow, starts chewing.

 

[Rugby-Jock-Lad]

All I can say is I am glad I am out of it now. Not completely the reason but 51ht like this is part of it. Completely losing any sight of actual issues to be sorted. Instead the MOD and RAF have adopted Corporate B5 in an effort to justify many staff in their NON-JOBS!!!!

 

[Spearmint]

I think the RAF need to adopt the USAF term 'NONNER'

Urban Dictionary: nonner

Shortened form of Non Sortie Producing Motherfucker. Term created by the "working" side of the U.S. Air Force. A sortie is one take-off and landing of an aircraft. Those that don't work on the flightline do not produce sorties and are thus labelled nonners.

www.urbandictionary.com

Used to describe anybody in the Air Force not actually directly involved in punching holes in the sky.

 

[busby1971]

I always like to ask people in non jobs to explain what their output is, after the first “erm” I ignore everything else they say.

There are some in these roles who do know what they are doing and add value, they tend to do it the right way, a way that takes people with them. Then there are those appointed because they fit the preconceptions of what a diversity champion looks like, but haven’t got a scooby about what to do.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

I used to very often go into the tea bar and say to the team "OK Ladies, lets get the jet sorted".

No one batted an eyelid. Terms of endearment I believe. Utter nonsense.

 

[unruly1986]

Where was the quote from?

 

[Quagmire]

Where was the quote from?

The RAF - No Room For Old 'Guys'

Mornin' All. What's wrong with that ?.

www.arrse.co.uk

 

[vim_fuego]

What a brilliant and crushing response. Someone has sat at their desk and really had some time to put that together and kudos to them. It's right...there are as many if not more nonners out here as well. I give them the ignoring they deserve. I conduct myself with appropriate levels of empathy and understanding for the role and world I live in...and that's enough.

 

[StickyFingers]

I always like to ask people in non jobs to explain what their output is, after the first “erm” I ignore everything else they say.

I'm having that

 

[Gonterseed]

On a more historical note, can anyone give any credence to an old crew-room story of 617sqn turning up at Giant Voice with the call-sign of N****r 1,2 ,3 and 4 and they were forced to change it. According to the story I heard it was Chalky.

 

[Rugby-Jock-Lad]

Imagine Sara’s average day at the base. Busy supervising an aircraft refuel? Er... no. Organising a bit of enthusiastic PT for the other ranks? Being RAF, definitely not. Perhaps a bit of weapons training? Ditto.

No, Sara’s day consists of sitting behind a very SELF-important desk in a very SELF-important office trying desperately to find an unhappy someone of Diversity she can be an ‘ally’ to, so that she can be seen to be fulfilling her role and to further secure her utterly pointless, but very lucrative, place on the gravy train.

Sara spends her days in her big, very SELF-important office, chewing pencils. Every time the door opens, she bolts upright and quickly shuffles papers across her important desk to look busy.

But the truth is, Sara isn’t busy. There just aren’t enough gender and diversity issues in the RAF to warrant her role, and any that do exist, will be dealt with at unit level. Sara knows this, the Head Shed know this and everyone dressed in pale blue knows this. Sara isn’t there because she is needed, or even because she has a role. No, Sara is there so that the RAF can trumpet it’s diversity credentials to the mountain tops, so that it can deflect any criticism that the Guardian might throw it’s way that there seem to be more men than women in its ranks for reasons that can only be sexist.

So Sara sits in her important office, behind her SELF-important desk chewing pencils, frantically trying to think of things to say that make her seem relevant and not just the window dressing she actually is, a sop to a media machine which itself sits chewing pencils, desperately trying to find things to write about.

But look! Sara has found something! Girls are being called ‘guys’! At last, she has something, something that will (accidentally) get in the papers. Her day-long campaign will make the RAF glow with inclusive righteousness, will make Air Vice Marshalls smile indulgently and will possibly make Sara’s very lucrative role a little safer.

But that’s this month’s story from Sara, what abomination is she going to uncover next month to justify that lovely salary? Thirty long days racking her brains trying to find offence in an organisation that is already achingly Woke.

With a sigh, in her empty, but very SELF-important office, Sara opens a drawer, pulls out another pencil and with a furrowed brow, starts chewing.

Still a brilliant retort by this guy. Hopefully my upgraded version will add a bit more oomph....

 

[Rigga]

As the term “guys” has indeed been “gender neutral” for some years now I would have thought:
a. The Warrant Officer should have known the above - if she at all knew her business and the use of English as a language.
b. If the Warrant Officer had known about reference a. she might have actually endorsed its more frequent use???

 

[muttywhitedog]

I take it that Sara wont mind junior ranks calling her "Sara", rather than "Ma'am", seeing as she doesnt want to be treated as male or female.

 

[Rocket_Ronster]

I think the RAF need to adopt the USAF term 'NONNER'

Urban Dictionary: nonner

Shortened form of Non Sortie Producing Motherfucker. Term created by the "working" side of the U.S. Air Force. A sortie is one take-off and landing of an aircraft. Those that don't work on the flightline do not produce sorties and are thus labelled nonners.

www.urbandictionary.com

Used to describe anybody in the Air Force not actually directly involved in punching holes in the sky.

I feel the same way about WFH.
If you can WFH, you've a non-job.

Now, where's me tin hat.

 

[fourteen2two]

PC bullshit glad I am retired now

 

[Rigga]

I'll have been WFH for almost 6 months tomorrow and my work (from my home), particularly, has expanded the company's profile gaining more customers during this lockdown period, meaning that we can employ more LAEs than the company has ever done. Please don't forget that, even n the military, the little line guys only do the work that the back room guys say needs doing.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

jealousy is a green eyed monster...

just because I can sit in my skids all day and work, is not a bad thing. The bonus about WFH is that you don’t come into contact with the section knob (unless it’s you of course)

I was always told if there isn't a section knob then it's you.

Oh, and always punch the second person to talk to you on your new squadron as the first person is usually the WO and the second person is usually the Sqn knob.

 

[vim_fuego]

I'll have been WFH for almost 6 months tomorrow and my work (from my home), particularly, has expanded the company's profile gaining more customers during this lockdown period, meaning that we can employ more LAEs than the company has ever done. Please don't forget that, even n the military, the little line guys only do the work that the back room guys say needs doing.

Same here. I have landed more contracts in the past 6 months that at any other time with this mob. MIght just be down to luck or it could be that I am more focused more quickly in the morning...that and working whilst wearing just a thong has been found to be quite inspirational...

 

[mad_collie]

I feel the same way about WFH.
If you can WFH, you've a non-job.

Now, where's me tin hat.

Agreed, it just depends where you are on the intellectual ladder.

After all, those burgers won't flip themselves - same goes for needing a chimp to pick up a spanner.

 

[UlsterExile]

Honest to god she spouts some sh*te on twitter. Just done a bit of social media stalking. Most of it is self appreciation stuff. Your right she needs to get a job where she is delivering output!!!!!!!!!!!!!