[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=6611]One thing I would love to see done is remove, what is essentially an admin task, 6 monthly WHTs. In all my time as cadet or staff even as an RCO there was never a requirement to re-train on .22 or .303, only SLR and that was more as a game devised by the armourers or Rocks at camp. I can’t ever remember forgetting how to shoot a rifle, clean it, or what to do if it didn’t work properly.[/quote]Considering the number of (non-initial) WHTs I’ve failed people on, I’d say that six-monthly WHTs serve a valid purpose.
[quote=“glass half empty 2” post=6611]One thing I would love to see done is remove, what is essentially an admin task, 6 monthly WHTs. I can’t ever remember forgetting how to shoot a rifle, clean it, or what to do if it didn’t work properly.[/quote]If people are shooting regularly and being kept correct by competent range staff then you might have a point, but that is rarely the case. Some people may shoot once in a while and we all know that skills atrophy, so having a fairly recent check of competency seems like an acceptable control to permit someone to operate a firearm within the organisation.
That said, there is plenty of other nonsense admin imposed up on us in the shooting world that we would be well rid of without actually affecting safety but I fear that is out of our control.
PiPE’s - what a waste of time, effort and energy.
Why should I have to put in a request to attend Remembrance Sunday or a Battle of Britain Parade.
[quote=“397k” post=6620]PiPE’s - what a waste of time, effort and energy.
Why should I have to put in a request to attend Remembrance Sunday or a Battle of Britain Parade.[/quote]
Err, you don’t. These are already centrally authorised.
[quote=“Operation Nimrod” post=6623]Err, you don’t. These are already centrally authorised.[/quote]They are?
Equally, why do I need permission to pay a company some money to do one of their activities. For something we’ve organised I understand, but it makes no sense to me to have to require permission to go to Thorpe Park say, or bowling, or anything else!
[quote=“Operation Nimrod” post=6623][quote=“397k” post=6620]PiPE’s - what a waste of time, effort and energy.
Why should I have to put in a request to attend Remembrance Sunday or a Battle of Britain Parade.[/quote]
Err, you don’t. These are already centrally authorised.[/quote]
In our neck of the woods you do. Parades, church stuff, social outings, museum visits and provide proof of PLI even if is covered by the ACO insurance.
We have to do affiliated military visits forms as well - so visits to stations etc - you have to do forms and they have to be approved by Wing/Region.
I think it is less about insurance and more about knowing what units are doing what and when and how.
[quote=“Operation Nimrod” post=6623][quote=“397k” post=6620]PiPE’s - what a waste of time, effort and energy.
Why should I have to put in a request to attend Remembrance Sunday or a Battle of Britain Parade.[/quote]
Err, you don’t. These are already centrally authorised.[/quote]
O no there not… well not in this wing.
[quote=“xab” post=6640][quote=“Operation Nimrod” post=6623][quote=“397k” post=6620]PiPE’s - what a waste of time, effort and energy.
Why should I have to put in a request to attend Remembrance Sunday or a Battle of Britain Parade.[/quote]
Err, you don’t. These are already centrally authorised.[/quote]
In our neck of the woods you do. Parades, church stuff, social outings, museum visits and provide proof of PLI even if is covered by the ACO insurance.
We have to do affiliated military visits forms as well - so visits to stations etc - you have to do forms and they have to be approved by Wing/Region.
I think it is less about insurance and more about knowing what units are doing what and when and how.[/quote]
I do wonder why they bother commissioning people as VR(T) officers if they then won’t allow those officers to take any independent responsibility. This sort of pointless micro-management is precisely what causes the admin burden.
[quote=“GOM” post=6643]I do wonder why they bother commissioning people as VR(T) officers if they then won’t allow those officers to take any independent responsibility. [/quote]Because time and time again some have shown that they are not capable of exercising that responsibility correctly?
No because things might actually happen and there is a loss of control up the chain. God forbid that the civil servants who continually display ineptitude and lack of understanding of the organisation, would lose their controlling influence.
There is another aspect that if you’re not allowed to make decisions, take responsibility etc, then you don’t make mistakes and learn, like so many revered military leaders in history. If these people hadn’t made mistakes many of which cost lives, victories wouldn’t have happened.
[quote=“Operation Nimrod” post=6623
Err, you don’t. These are already centrally authorised.[/quote]
Not in my wing, never have been. Thats why I wrote it.
Yet another example of no coherent policy. Just like Fieldcraft course in North region, but tat is another forum discussion
They were down our way until SMS came in!! :? :ohmy:
Plus now every PIPE, with the exclusion of parades has to have PLI, regardless of the level of participation. Before SMS it was only specifically required where you did car parking.
Welcome to the past.
even Parades have to have PLI for us.
Even have to do one for any event that takes cadets beyond our fenceline where transport is involved eg going to the local swimming pool
also have to do one this year for our transport arrangements just to go to Wing Training day
[quote=“397k” post=6692]even Parades have to have PLI for us.
Even have to do one for any event that takes cadets beyond our fenceline where transport is involved eg going to the local swimming pool
also have to do one this year for our transport arrangements just to go to Wing Training day[/quote]
Someone in your Wing needs an enema or failing that one between the eyes.
this is true for us in our Wing, or certainly our Sqn.
anything that is outside the normal parade nights has to have a SMS record, and anything that takes out “out the wire” on a parade night (rouders at the local playing fields, or Road Marching prcatise) all requires an SMS record…of what type (PIPE/FC/AT/Sqn other) as appropriate i presume!
Just wrote a long post and lost it. I’ll re-write what I can remember:
No automatic certificate requests. Previously with paper exams this was organised at Wing level. Now it’s delegated to us. This is annoying and time-consuming. In my wing, to gain 1st class badges these must also be logged on sharepoint (not sure why), from which WHQ will issue certificates and badges (giving us 2 certificates per person last time).
Having to then log on SMS the changes in classification because Ultifail can’t do that for us is another time waste.
Entering cadets on SMS is irritating since changing the 3822a. Now the form doesn’t correspond with the order of the wizard, and the form is very hard to read! The wizard asks for information the form doesn’t have and it makes it more frustrating and time consuming than it needs to be. I raised this on the helpdesk and got a polite “not going to help you mate, not my decision” back.
I suppose a lot of these issues could be down to communication. I feel that streamlining as much as we can would help, but still not make it perfect.