Out Ranking

Part of that is to guard against this exact scenario, as you may have students who are CWOs being looked after by a QAI who is a Sgt for example. It is also made clear at the start of the course that if anyone tried to pull rank on a QAI (or another student), they would be;
A) a bit of a throbber
B) on the next train home.

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To be fair, i operate the same policy when on AT. It allows natural leadership skills and qualities to develop without being overshadowed by forced and artificial squadron centric appointed leaders destroying the party!!!

That goes for staff too! :wink:

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I certainly remember the SWO in my basic training saying “I calls you ‘Sir’ 'cause I have to, you calls me ‘Sir!’ 'cause you (expletive deleted) well means it!”

I wonder where WO O’Leary ended up.

We have the same ruling on my AEF. Staff cadets have more authority over visiting cadets and staff irrespective of rank as they are working and have more knowledge of how we operate.

As long as they are polite when ‘re-aligning’ visitors, then I have no issue. If said visitor becomes a ham shanker then I deal with it. I’ve re-educated a few barky Sqn Ldrs and Wing Commanders in my time.

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Had to sort several of those out when SDO at Bruggen, As always, started at in the early hrs, this particular one, SAC Jones, father VSI (“very seriously ill”), maybe not going to live another day.

Called the Duty Movements Off at RAFG HQ (happened to be a wg cdr holding the fort from home), eventually the plan was a seat on an already scheduled flight from Wildenrath to Northolt, leaving at 0800 hrs, car to Heathrow, airline ticket to Dublin. All signals written, sent, job done.

The experienced ex-mils might see a little snag building up…

Anyway, SAC Jones went off to see his pa, I went back to bed for a late morning start. About an hour later, a knock on the door - very urgent call from RAF Police WO. He started to berate me for not get the required 24 hrs in advance security screening clearance to go to Eire. My words were polite, but after several attempts to explain (different ways) the urgency / timescale, nothing was getting through. So, the final input from me was something on the lines of “If you can’t understand that “maybe dying in less than 24 hrs” negates all aspects of waiting around, go & ask one of your dogs to explain it. I going back to bed, please do not disturb…”

Less than 5 mins later, very urgent call from OC Plod - he got the same input, with one extra fact - it was the Stn Cdr’s driver - the Stn Cdr had already commended me on my swift action. Poke off! :wink:

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Totally believable, and still happens when opportunity arises - they don’t get the concept that while they’re sat in the cheaper seats their rank may as well be Private. It’s one of the reasons the Army could never do any other aviation than limited amount they do now. They wouldn’t get their heads around the whole concept of rank/authority and how it can often work upwards (although far less so nowadays perhaps).