**British Armed Forces Discussion Thread**

I don't know any of you have seen this:

www.army.mod.uk

New drone degree for soldiers unveiled

Aspiring Defence engineers will be fast-tracked to careers in cutting-edge military technology through a new defence-focused undergraduate drone degree.
www.army.mod.uk www.army.mod.uk

New drone related degree as the UK attempt to upskill on what's been learnt from Ukraine.
 
NickK said:
I don't know any of you have seen this:

www.army.mod.uk

New drone degree for soldiers unveiled

Aspiring Defence engineers will be fast-tracked to careers in cutting-edge military technology through a new defence-focused undergraduate drone degree.
www.army.mod.uk www.army.mod.uk

New drone related degree as the UK attempt to upskill on what's been learnt from Ukraine.
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I'm lucky to be able to go to DSEI every two years (a UK defence and armaments show). I'm not in the armed forces at all, purely a civilian. But it's fascinating to see the drone technology on display each time. Last time they had air and sea drones. This year I noticed a few land drones too. No doubt some of it is/has been tested in Ukraine.
 
www.bbc.co.uk

Two Army officers to face court martial over handling of Jaysley Beck sexual assault case

Gunner Beck, 19, was found dead at her barracks at Larkhill camp in Wiltshire in 2021. She had complained she had been sexually assaulted.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Its good to see the officers in command at the time of this tragedy actually have to answer for this in some way at least. They were quite happy to just sweep it under the rug at the time. Hopefully their pensions get the same treatment. They had the power to deal with this properly at the time, they chose to protect the predator rather than young Jaysley.

Col Sam was our CO back 10 year ago or so. I didnt rate her has a CO. Lovely lass but from our perspective her priorities were completely in the wrong place and the Regt fell to pieces under her command.
 
Don't get these comments about someone being a lovely lass or nice guy.. you're talking from emotions rather than logic. Seen other instances where someone has commited a crime and people are like ohh he's a lovely lad, well why's he commited a crime then? There's forgiveness for some people but not others.. double standards and no discipline.

If stuff was sweeped under the rug that's appalling and in this instance could have saved a life.

Part of the problem is letting things pass and slide instead of holding people accountable.
 
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dacads said:
Don't get these comments about someone being a lovely lass or nice guy.
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Alright mate whatever. She genuinely was. I worte that because that was my genuine experience of her. She was really friendly, mothering type, handed out CO's grant days, CO's coins like they were going out of fashion, **** she'd even bake a cake and bring it over if she was visiting your department...
She was however NOT a good Commander in my opinion and this clearly went on to show in very clear and tragic circumstances. Both things can be true. Hopefully she will be held accountable.
 
One of the many reasons the UK military has gone so wrong, too busy building LGBTQXYZ rainbow crossings, ticking all the D&I boxes iot get their next promotion, instead of being a Commander.

www.bbc.co.uk

Jaysley Beck: Ex-sergeant jailed for sexual assault on soldier

Michael Webber admitted sexually assaulting Jaysley Beck, 19, who later took her own life.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
Gunner Beck claimed Webber said he had been "waiting for a moment for them to be alone" before grabbing her leg, pinning her down, and trying to kiss her. This guy got an MAA and was later promoted to WO1! Only through the family pursuing this was he eventually sentenced to six months in prison (he will serve three) and to be recorded on the sex offender’s register for seven years.

What grips me is 2 senior officers did try to sweep this under the rug, the Major who thought she was trying to get out of an exercise and a Colonel who said she didn't think it was sexual assault, but now does. Absolute BS, we have annual mandatory D&I trg and have done for many years and her herself as a woman and top of the chain in the Unit cannot claim she did not know that being pinned down, grabbing your leg and trying to kiss you was not sexual assault.

Their pensions won't get touched, but being hauled in front of a Court Martial in a very media interested event, i hope they get the book thrown at them. The only losers are Jaysley and her family.
 
3 years NI in one stint in the 90's (This alone got me the ACSM)
2 years NI in the 00's right up to the end of Op Banner
First Iraq tour was telic so only about 2.5 months
Second Iraq was telic 6 and only 4 months.
Afgan was around 2010 and just under 7 months.

All adds up to over 6 years but hey-Ho. I've been out 12 years now so I don't think it's happening :D
 
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dessimpson said:
3 years NI in one stint in the 90's (This alone got me the ACSM)
2 years NI in the 00's right up to the end of Op Banner
First Iraq tour was telic so only about 2.5 months
Second Iraq was telic 6 and only 4 months.
Afgan was around 2010 and just under 7 months.

All adds up to over 6 years but hey-Ho. I've been out 12 years now so I don't think it's happening :D
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Without wanting to get too nerdy, I reckon you’d easily qualify for the Bar to the ACSM and you can apply after you’ve left service too.


Edited as I got it ass-backward: as all the service on Telic and Herrick is prior to 2011 it counts toward the the Bar for the ACSM 08, and is easily over the 720 days when added to the 2 years extra on Op Banner.

Thats my interpretation of it anyway - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-medals go here, fill it out with rough dates and the medal office at Innsworth round the corner from me will confirm all the dates against JPA etc.

Worth a try if it bothers you but it would be a good excuse to get them cleaned and remounted! It’s an awesome set and you should be proud!
 
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dessimpson said:
3 years NI in one stint in the 90's (This alone got me the ACSM)
2 years NI in the 00's right up to the end of Op Banner
First Iraq tour was telic so only about 2.5 months
Second Iraq was telic 6 and only 4 months.
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What were your dates?!

NI - 92 (6 months).

Telic (Basra) Jul - Nov 07. Height of the rockets attacks - which messed me up :(
 
Currently bouncing around, due to the current climate. Can't help but resent those that always have an excuse never to go away anywhere! Our OOA turnaround time was bad before all this! But now, it's laughable!
 
30+yrs done and this never changes, there are always those will pull their laminated biff chit. I have had people who have blatantly said they pulling a fast one and even one who declared they are going to go sick the next year and then ET, so not to bothering dicking them with them with stuff :cry: :mad:. Also overheard one of my team ask if they had taking all their sick days, as "why not? It's free leave"

Compounding the issue is the med centre makes it easy these days to go sick - a quick phone call from your warm bed, 48hrs sick, "still not feeling well", another 48 hrs sick, 1 days leave = a week off for 1 days leave. System sucks.

Should they lose their X Factor if they can't deploy? But then, what about those who have done their time away, should they be punished for genuine injuries?

It's crap, but i don't have an answer.
 
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Yeh it’s a difficult one to resolve I think. The whole X Factor thing baffles me, how they justify that as a bit of a positive is a joke. On the flip side, there already is a financial incentive to go away (LSA), and people still “avoid” going away.

It’s peaks and troughs I guess, I think I had an 8 year period where I was away every year for a good chunk of each year, then I was static for 2 year… got bored ha then my last unit I was in the UK about 4 month in total from a 2 year posting. Now I am very much in a static job again. Which tbh come at the right time and I started of really enjoying regular home/work balance.

But now I’m getting itchy feet again and getting FOMO of people going away again ha

It’s a nightmare. I love going away, but then too much of going away I want to be home… then too much of home I’m like… get me away.

I think what the main issue I believe is the inconsistency now. In the past things were more “organised” with regiments on an operational tempo , train, deploy, off. Now it’s all very last minute all the time, and lots of VHR. Doesn’t appear to be much of a cycle. But I’m assuming it’s all very different I bet dependant on capbadge etc and who is aligned to what.
 
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lemonkettaz said:
It’s a nightmare. I love going away, but then too much of going away I want to be home… then too much of home I’m like… get me away.
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Yes! I really relate to that! This will hopefully be my last one for a couple of years at least. I have a heavily pregnant Mrs, and i've not been there for the majority of it. I was on a pre-fragged deployment and just happen to be in situ when tensions have flared and we've ended up in this mess again.

I'd never try and convince anyone, that everyone that can't go away is playing the fiddle. However, nobody can convince me that there isn't at least some people taking advantage.

I have to bite my tongue when i walk past people back home, who have not done a day outside the UK for in excess of 10 years. They insulate themselves with all the secondary and associated duties and ultimately are the ones that glide through the ranks whilst others are always on the hook for deployments and training for said deployments.

We're scrambling for SQEP as we've not taken advantage of the flex that we've enjoyed prior to all this. Now all of a sudden, secondary duties don't seem important. As i've not seen them as a criteria on the many FGENs being thrown about! We rely on a minority of personnel to bail out the complacent majority. Though it just feels like nobody is willing to engage in the difficult discussions required get people to where they need to be. Deployable & professional.

A bit of a rant, though trying to do the right thing seems to get harder and harder haha! :)
 
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