As some of you may already be aware HQ Air Cmd have issued instructions to all RAF Clothing Stores that with immediate effect all issues to the ACO of berets, Light blue shirts, jerseys, GPJ Jackets and trousers are to cease. This is due to the increasing number of expiring contracts and the subsequent gaps in provisioning during the re-let process. Air Cmd have been requested to provide if possible, some idea of the time scale these measures will remain in place and dispensation has also been requested for the issue of uniform for those individuals (who still require kitting) already booked onto courses at ATF. If you have anyone who sits within this category please let me have their details. Would you also inform any Officers or SNCOs(ATC) in your respective areas who have recently been issued with Kitting Forms not to contact their unit Clothing Stores until further notice. This policy should be applied to all subsequent issues of these documents to SNCOs by Wing HQs. The issue of documentation for Officers will be reviewed and instructions issued in due course. Uniform requirements for cadets should be submitted to Clothing Stores only after all other stocks held on Sqn’s/CCF Sections have been issued. Demands will be met only once adequate re-provisioning has taken place. Situation updates will be issued as soon as possible.
Already been posted in another thread, but kept open if we want to discuss this specifically rather than shoes which is the subject of the other thread.
Obviously someone within Air Command hasn’t been doing their job if a number of contracts are coming up to expiring and they haven’t sorted out new contracts or extensions to current ones, especially for something as fundamental as uniform in a military organisation.
[quote=“glass half empty 2”]
Obviously someone within Air Command hasn’t been doing their job…[/quote]
Not Air Cmd, Defence Equipment & Support Clothing Team. But, yes, someone hasn’t done their job.
We’ve seen this before though and it seems to crop up every few years with different bits of kit. I know of people years ago who couldn’t get all of their cold weather kit to go to the Falklands and were given ‘deficiency chits’ instead; very useful in the South Atlantic winter.
I would have thought someone in Air Cmd should have been giving someone else a nudge, I would like to think they haven’t just walked into this and woken up one morning and found out things weren’t quite right.
But as you say lack of kit seems to be a recurring problem, IMO largely because the people needing to make decisions aren’t the ones needing the kit.
This isnothing new,Think it was boots last time or was itCS95, funny thoughhow at thetimewecould not issue boots, the staff at MOD allgot given nice brand new office chairs witth 5 feetinstead of fourfor health and safety reasons…■■■■■■ thehealthof goys in the desert who couldnt get new bootsor body armour.
All about priorities and keeping track ofcontracts…
As the ACO probably used a fairly hefty chuck of the RAF clothing stores budget for blues perhaps they should think of reorganising it differently, such as having a central ACO warehouse for clothing, issuing some sort of stock control system and ordering system for Squadrons that would automatically issue clothing to cadets when measurements are added (with over ride of course)or order non stock sizes for them. Then the warehouse would send them via courier. Surely it would be a cost saving in the long term rather than Squadrons having to rely on local bases to help them, some of them several hours drive away just to collect the stuff when half of it is out of stock anyway.
I have heard of some Squadrons having more in stock than RAF Marham!
35,000 “blue” cadets (Not including CCF) needing uniform as well as 10k officers and SNCO’s is a huge budget for clothing!
Any sort of warehousing would mean having stock available to keep stock levels up, the problem here, apparently, there is little available as someone hasn’t been doing their job. I agree that some form of computerised ordering system and courier despatch would make things easier, afterall the online merchandisers wouldn’t have a business without it. You could actually put a demand in and if the stock was properly managed, know if the sizes and or number required were actually available. It works for every major retailler so why not the MOD?
At work, OK it’s only 2, I have ensre that our consumables supplier contracts are in place year on year and if necessary find new suppliers. I have to produce a costing by the end of July for budget setting meetings and next year’s contracts sorted out by the end of September. I don’t think it would go down well with customers if we ran out of consumables and we couldn’t do the work we need to.
UK Border Force ( the bastard* offspring of Immigration and Customs trying to live together) has had its new style Uniform held up by Customs…in China :lol: :lol:
to be interpreted as the literal meaning, not the derogatory term
On my SSIC we were told in no uncertain terms that the RAF are moving as fast as possible from blue to MTP and that any blue uniform will be for regulars first and foremost.
Kind of to be expected I suppose. Maybe it’s cheaper to make MTP than it is to make blue uniform. If it is, then…
[quote=“Racing Stick” post=14088]On my SSIC we were told in no uncertain terms that the RAF are moving as fast as possible from blue to MTP and that any blue uniform will be for regulars first and foremost.
Kind of to be expected I suppose. Maybe it’s cheaper to make MTP than it is to make blue uniform. If it is, then…[/quote]
People have been saying this for years at one point the rumor going around the RAF when we first got badges on CS95 was because they were getting rid of blues but shock horror it didnt happen
Sorry to re-engage an old thread but out of curiosity is there a national problem in the Corps of getting hold of uniform for both Cadets and initial kitting of staff??
We are having massive issues I.e. getting nothing currently and we are being told that there is no time frame to resolve this issue.