raf station rules

My last job I was an instructor and even Phase 2 Recruits lived in the same block - albeit with segregated corridors.

It's still not allowed and is against Station Standing Orders, but these days it's not easy to deliver a charge. Only the P1 section can deliver one and it has to be sorted to the legal ninth degree or it will get thrown out before it's even started. This is all since the Human Rights Act came in.

For a long time it wasn't possible to give some one a cr@ppy job because of being late etc. They had to be charged with all the paperwork and rigmerole that that entailed. As a consequence, seeing someone walking around in a boiler suit has become a rarity.

We now have the Armed Forces Act which has replaced the Manual of Air Force Law and the equivalents with the other services. It has now been reinstated that we are allowed to issue cr@ppy jobs for misdeameaners, but charges are still a right royal pain to get through.

I recently had a former member of staff get posted back to the UK (I'm in Cyprus), he didn't clear from the unit, didn't sell his car (as per the rules) and didn't hand back his room from the block. We got requested to attend his room by the accomodation manager because of a smell. When we went into his room, it was like nothing I have ever seen before. There was rubbish everywhere, tins of food with things living in them, old pizza boxes, empty cans of beer. It was gut wrenching.

Upshot was, he got recalled back to Cyprus and I had to hold his hand the whole time he was here to make sure everything was done. But the most amazing thing - he wasn't charged!!! The response from P1 was that he had recently returned from the desert and had issues. Believe me, after wasting two weeks holding his hand - he wasn't the only one that had issues!
Anyway, just my two pennies worth.

Tim

Timbo: I really sympathise with you. Years ago, as an NCO, I could dish out F252 whenever I wanted (didn't do it very often though) and minor issues were dealt with by the miscreant 'volunteering' to spend three hours of his own time filling sandbags, painting kerb-stones or whatever. I can well imagine all the nause there is now over discipline - must be worse than 'elf & safety.

I believe now that beyond basic trianing that nobody can be oredered what to do, only asked?
Also the old punishment of the SWOs gang seems to have gone by the by.

MM: Disgraceful! What has the world come to? Talking of the SWO, at Honington you could always remember his phone number - Extn 252!

Cleaners !! ...........for goodness sake, what ever next. Monday night was always "Bull night" or "Domestic Evenings" as I believe they were later called. Is the Station Warrant Officer still feared? They used to scare the hell out of me....lol

thanks for all your posts, so can we ultimately say that there is a 95 per cent chance that this is probably not allowed without prior request and authorization??

I would say it's 100% not allowed. For starters, his girlfriend is living in a place free of charge - the military certainly don't like that.

Some SWO's are still feared. at my last base - Shawbury, the previous SWO was a pussy cat. We as instructors would be constantly telling permanent staff do do up their jacket, tuck their shirts in, get their hair cut and get hands out of pockets etc, but he seemed to turn a blind eye to it. We then received a new SWO. Old school in all his ways and a breath of fresh air. He upset LOTS of people initially, because people had gotten used to a lax way of life. But, we suddenly felt supported and the station rapidly tidied itself up. A top man in my opinion and the way the RAF should be. Listening to an old salt telling stories about when he was an LAC in Aden is what recruits need to be hearing.

Life is a lot harder in the RAF today. A lot of the fun has gone out of it due to PC, H&S, Human Rights etc. But, after 20 years I still enjoy it, well MOST of it anyway. We go away a lot more often than we used to. When I joined, it was rare that anyone had been anywhere and the only medals you saw were LS&GC. I came back from one deployment in Sep 2007 and I'm away again next week for three months. You certainly need an understanding wife! Also, everything is tri-service and working with the Army brings it's own set of challenges, the Navy less so. We are all fundamentally different in how we work and trying to get us to work together is like trying to drink tea with salt - it can be done, but tastes bloody awful.

Incidentally, just to add more Sheeeshes of amazement, whilst I was instructor an edict came out that all recruits would be issued duvets. My question was how are we going to get the recruits to turn them into bedpacks??? I'm sure you can guess the answer.

Just my two pennies worth.

Tim

In the mid 70's a chap with me in Berlin got 2 weeks in a military prison in the UK ( yes, they escorted him all the way back to Colchester) for being caught in a WRAF block, he got drunk and wandered in by mistake and tried to get into what he thought was his room. The blocks were identical and next to each other. I did the same thing once, but got out before anyone noticed.

PS, Forgot to add that all charges were conducted under "Active Service" in Berlin because of the unique set up, Allies in Occupation, therefore the charge always read "Whilst on active service" etc

ok thanks for all the information, update: spoke to my son who after some verbal acrobatics, came clean and told me that his girlfriend had a day visitors pass for the week but that it was indeed against regulations for her to stay overnight at the station, however he assures me that he is one of many that do this and he considers himself an adult (at 19!) so its his risk to take! how lax has the RAF got! i always considered it to have high moral standards which it would instill into its members, obviously that ship has sailed. be expecting a grandchild soon then!! lol and i wonder still about security if any RAF personnel can invite anyone to stay ON STATION without so much as a request! i have to go through a nightmare every time i want to simply step foot on a station to take some photos or look around. but as my son said 'dad, its not 1940 anymore'

RAF Upavon WAAF quarters

Civilians ground floor

Squadies first floor

Paras top floor.

The ground floor windows always seemed too high for me to get out in a hurry, I hate to think what it was like for the Paras.

We never bothered about the squadies.

Good old days at the disco on Thursday & Saturday nights. Pissed as newts driving the back roads home across Salisbury Plain to avoid the Police.

Just remembered 'The Avon Club' in a Nissen hut which I believe is listed. For all thats worth.