RAF recruitment, has it gone a bit too far...

ianh said:
I'm currently a civvy 'pointy end' instructor running Phase 3 Q-Courses and I would say that the Phase 2 trainees we receive from Cosford currently fall into two very distinct groups - Mature, common sense filled people who want to learn who make up about 10% of the total, and the other 90% are varying degrees of infantilised "adults" who, despite spending a year in the Military so far, still have no concept of what is expected of an 'aviator' (another great name change) and treat it like they're still at school, not expecting to work at all and being very disengaged during lessons, usually with 'undiagnosed' ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia etc being given as the reasons why they find everything so hard to do, rather than the far more likely cause for most of just being tired from playing xbox/PS5 til 3am every night (keeping others in the corridor awake with their comms chat too) and surviving on Monster drinks through-out the day.



Yeap, when I was last at Marham in 2010 for a Tornado Q-Course, the camp despite being in the middle of nowhere (maybe because of that) was alive with about half a dozen bars, clubs, groups, bowling alley, 'cinema', families bar etc and yet now, despite being rammed with new F-35 people, it's mostly dead at night/weekends. Then there's issues with some of the accommodation being very unreliable (no water/heating etc) even for the SNCO/WO mess, too small of a gym, very few local amenities or nearby pubs etc (20-30min one way to nearest town) and so for people who see this base as their first proper "home" as a new entrant to the RAF, its no wonder they quit so quickly, disillusioned with literally everything about the RAF that they've seen, which is a massive shame.
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What trade do you instruct?
 
ianh said:
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I might be seeing you around at some point then, it's Marham I'm returning to. Though I'm already Q'd so no courses required for me.

If you're in the school then you'll be working along side a lot of people I know that used to work with on the sqns there before they moved to BAE. I've been told about the mess as well being closed for refurb, at least thats time in a hotel with rates for a little while. Though I'm sure that will get old fast.

I spent a year of my time at Cosford doing 'Welfare/Line Management' of trainees, and it was an absolute minefield. Whilst we had some genuine personnel who required that bit of extra help which Cosford is very well setup to provide. 8 or 9 times out of 10 the issue was mainly because of poor attitude, tiredness and just not wanting to engage with the subject matter.
 
drakulton said:
Whilst this is an interesting topic, would it not be a good idea to explain the RAF acronyms to non blue suiters? FADs and C/S and ETing.
There wasn't a Greggs at Cosford in 86 but it did have vending machines full of snacks, and bars full of drunken trainees. In 06 the vending machines were full of brufen and antidepressants!!!! The bar was full of kids on laptops.
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FAD - Future Availability Date ie when your posting date is up at your current Unit.
C/S - Radio Call Sign ie "This Call Sign is getting on the beer tonight". In this context, i was referring to myself.
ET'ing - Early Termination ie leaving the Service before your contract end date. AKA PVR (Premature Voluntary Release), Pushing the Button, 7 Clicks to Freedom.

BLUF: gotta exfil. OC House and COS are trying to get in Comms and me being a mere OR means when the CoC shouts, i come running (if i don't, i'll be CaseEvac'd and in front of the Stn Cdr for been AWOL when they can't find my body!)

It seems my MRE is ready (RTM was 0800!), so no bimbling, OC House will be giving me IDF if i'm late! You should see the portion size though - i'm going to be the size of a Fat Albert. Need some R&R after this.

I'll give you a SitRep when EndEx.

BZ!
 
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@Begbie - I'm Avionics as core trade.

@Mad_Jay - Yeap I'm in the school.

Mad_Jay said:
Whilst we had some genuine personnel who required that bit of extra help which Cosford is very well setup to provide. 8 or 9 times out of 10 the issue was mainly because of poor attitude, tiredness and just not wanting to engage with the subject matter.
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As mentioned, its still the same once they get here and get onto either Sqn. Its very obvious to see the difference in responses given to the Learning Styles sheets we give them between new Phase 3 students (who joined during COVID) and the various "old & bolds" who've been in for 5-10 years already. I am continually surprised at how (despite it being a military meme) un-military the new RAF entrants are, even for the widely acknowledged "un-military RAF" as I'm 100% sure that when I joined my first Sqn I wasn't telling Chief Techs to "Chill mate" in the crewroom if they told me to take my feet off the table etc (amongst many, many other similar stories I've heard/seen recently), but thats where we are sadly and I'm just a grumpy "old & bold" nowadays like Uncle Albert :D
 
Just had pics from George of the work he has done on mine and a colleagues miniatures - really impressed with the work and the customer service:

George McKay, ex-Master Stitch for both Scots Guards and HDiv: McKay's Kilts. Kilts hand made by the Master Kiltmaker of the Scots Guards

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If anyone else is thinking of getting their medals mounted :)

£12 per medal + p&p.
 
I was about to make a new thread, but this one will do.

Do we have any active forum members currently living on an RAF base? Need to verify something I was told last week.
 
25 Years of uncaught crime (LSGC + Clasp) is one of the most impressive there for me :D

The work is also extremely neat looking. Mine got done by the tailors at Brize before I left and she made a right pigs ears on them. They're still back in my sisters house wrapped up safely but ultimately a bit forgotten about as I always wanted to redo them but never really thought about them again in the decade since I left.
 
ianh said:
The work is also extremely neat looking. Mine got done by the tailors at Brize before I left and she made a right pigs ears on them. They're still back in my sisters house wrapped up safely but ultimately a bit forgotten about as I always wanted to redo them but never really thought about them again in the decade since I left.
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Yeah, i sent in mine and a mates set. George pointed out that my mates are mounted in the wrong order! That was from the Stn Tailor at Leeming.

Get them redone, prices will only continue to rise. George will clean them too. You can even put them in wall cases or a desk case. Or do what other do and put them in the back of a draw somewhere :)
 
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