I would say so, yes.
There might me scope for that DI carrying the stick if acting as a parade marshal alongside the parade (borderline instructional duties)
There could also be scope if the DI in question was the WWO and was in the parade as they may carry one as a badge of office.
It sounds like there is photo somewhere waiting be unleashed !!! A quick look on various social media sites confirms that many pace sticks were out on parade! tut tut…
I used to on my local remembrance parade (and only on that parade) by request of the Parade Marshal. He wanted them carried to help with squaring away the different units on parade, so he carried as did the TA (as was) RSM, and myself.
How did the stick assist? Did you prod or shepherd people with it? did you snap it together at them in an imposing manner? Did you use it to measure the comparative sizes of your drill expertise?
is squaring away the same as instructional duties?
When i completed SSDIC with the current training team (Not Mitch) it was drilled into us the pace sticks were for instructional purposes only and not to be carried on parade, that is reserved for the WWO taking part in Wing parades only.
The carrying of Pace Sticks is absolutely forbidden on any kind of ceremonial parade.
Eight people in the ACO may carry canes (as seen in Blackadder for the suppression of enemy machine gun fire), and, err… that’s it.
Find a stick wielding cretin and run them through with the thing.
There used to specifically be a line in the pre-AP1358C dress regs that stated that they were not to be carried on parades. I miss that line, though it was often ignored.
And probably still is
Just remember that those rules are only for you guys and not for us green folk. The carrying of pace sticks for CSMs and RSMs is actually stipulated in some dress regulations (unless you are carrying a rifle of course!).
We’ve…er… had problems with others trying to apply their own regulations to us before.
Oh dear, and I was reprimanded for making a light hearted quip about greatcoats in an email to my local DI and WWO (and others) where they were preaching about regulations - then I see said DI carrying a pacestick on Sunday and today I read this.
Oh dear, it seems Mr Regulation has been naughty - practice what you preach I say.
Send him an email that just quotes the relevant regulations.
That’s it. no comments, no nothing.
And CC it to Aunty Dawn, her stick-wielding monkey and your wing commander.
Once a few dozen of these cretins have been sacked, and no one steps forward to take up their posts because they know that eventually they’ll be strung up on their own gallows, the ACO might recover some of its sanity…
Thanks everyone for your input
It confirmed what I had said and thought.
this has all originated from an email received regarding a cadet being “incorrectly dressed” from a pacestick monkey, yet the same monkey and the rest of his troop were on parade with pacesticks and posing for pictures on social media afterwards trying to look all official and scary. Before the person responded they wanted me to confirm the regs with them.
So thanks again👍
Might be worth ccing the WWO…make it w little bit awkward for them…
Its already been done but no comment from the WWO
Out of sheer morbid curiosity, what was the cadets “infraction”?
Such people stick together, they know that an attack on one is an attack on all - thats why you need to bring out the big guns: class hatred.
It’s the key to winning any fight within the armed forces - if your target is an Officer you use the SNCO’s as the weapon, if it’s an SNCO you use Officers.
Cadet Sgt was on way to lay a wreath (sqn had been split all over the place) and gets their shirt damaged, parents decide best course of action is too get a new shirt, knew the staff were no where near the sqn but at other parades. They go buy a shirt as near as they can get on a Sunday morning… it was short sleeve light blue with buttons on the collar, cadet is pictured in the local press showing a great double page picture of the cadet laying a wreath but the jumper never hid the shirt… snot nosed SNCO sees the picture and sends an email.
email asks why the shirt… OC explained… that should of been the end of the matter…
Nope, email response with phrases of embarrassment to the wing, have the cadet demoted are being demanded… I have seen the picture it wasn’t uniform but it was fine and given they were the only cadet it was not as if they stood out
the OC gave me a call to confirm their understanding, they will be responding copying in OC wing, CACWO and anyone else they can think of along with attaching the numerous pictures of same SNCO posing wearing No5s with hat indoors in a selfie, carrying pacestisks on parades, pictures of them on field craft with no RAFAC identifiers on their MTP just SNCO tapes and asking shall you be resigning then??
utterly pathetic!
There are some utter cretins in this Organisation I’m afraid.
My response to said NCO not from my unit would be “WTF has it got to do with you?”
Sounds like the cadet was in a no-win scenario and made the best of it.
They’ll add it to the WWO conf rogues gallery but hopefully with an explanation. I’m not sure there was a better solution given what has been said. Option B would have been to switch to smart civvies.