Astra Clothing Programme

Everyone Uniform and Drill
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basically answered by this…

there are items used on the camp which can’t be bought of the GP funds or out of RAFCTE.

as a for instance, the canteen and bar have a selection of fridges (10-12) for stock and also slushy machines. these are paid for out of the “profits” made by selling products (both on products sold in canteen and the bar, and any merch)

There are other elements which make the camp easier, like the microphone and speakers set for briefings etc.
i think some of the RAFAC owned 12x12/18x24 tents as part of the RIAT stock were purchased with this money too

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225

It does happen in Scotland.
When Leuchars shut for varying reasons there was no parent station stores so this was the answer.

Lowland RFCA and highland RFCA had their own atc person appointed to do the uniform stores.

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Just to add to the rumour mill on this, a post on Reddit suggests that the new working No.2 uniform may be a polo shirt and cargo trousers (presumably á la PCS).

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Would look gash

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228

Just let me wear a long sleeve wedgwood without a tie and I’ll be happy.

This guy has it spot on.

Also a jumper without a tie too

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RN style PCS as working uniform, with “Royal Air Force” badges and identifiers.

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I think the argument is that as a working dress, for the very few who actually do labour style work, that’s overkill. And I’m inclined to agree.
Polo shirt for hangars and offices, MTP if you need to get dirty, with coveralls as a back up.

Don’t know where it would leave us, though.

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Trialed this at Leeming… It was a no

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In reality for working in a hanger you have overalls.

RAF working dress is mostly “what’s suitable for an office”.

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That’s exactly why the blue PCS idea was abandoned the last time… There isn’t sufficient need to justify the cost of introducing yet another uniform.
Office people wear No 2. Warry people wear MTP. Greasy people wear coveralls.

Sure, it might look nice to have a blue PCS uniform for those few tasks which sit beyond the office but not at war, and which aren’t engineering… But looking nice for no audience but ourselves isn’t worth spending loads of money on.

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kidding Just No in so many ways
Call me old school but just looks so naff - especially with vneck jumpers

Never thought I would turn into the Old Boy who sits in the corner of the Mess Bar going ‘Was never like this in my day…’

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Ties should be banned. It’s not the 18th century anymore and they serve no purpose.

I have a similar opinion on hats that aren’t protective headwear.

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236

I get where you are coming from, but trying to teach fieldcraft basics such as cam and concealment would ring a little hollow when little Johnny or Jane are trying to blend in to the shrubbery dressed all in blue.

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237

Yeah a good point, but I think we countered blue ft reasonably 12 months ago:

(and others)

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i think it works best with the Vneck jumper as the collars can sit neatly outside the jumper

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240

With ref to this post I was most intrigued by the following bit:

  • Uniform – as above, do not stock your sqn stores; please just request what you need (by named cadet) – future options aligned with RAF is an app enabled amazon-style delivery service, but will be by personal allocations. Check sector/local sqns for sizes too (sqns do not own it).

(my bold)

I think it was further back in this thread where we discussed potentially moving over to an amazon-style system. This is the first I’ve heard about it from an official source though!

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241

Yeah but I don’t want my uniform left with a neighbour who denies having ever seen it, or chuckled in a puddle

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242

But it is issued to Individual Sqn Inventories…Therefore its Mine All Mine

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243

That is actually a valid point, if it is issued to Sqn A’s inventory, and they give it to Sqn B and the parent station recalls all stock, who is responsible? It would be Sqn A. It’s not issued to Wings. Maybe it should be.