I think the Scrolling News announcement is a little economical with the truth regarding recent changes to the JSP, as kitkat has pointed out, the last amendment was some time ago, so why bring this out now? So, it could be argued that if the last amendment introduced this requirement, it has been ignored for a few months, if it has been a long-standing requirement, someone has chinned it off for considerably longer.
What is important though is the text of the relevant para of the JSP and there could be a get out for us:
MANDATORY
All personnel - whether military, civilian or contract - whose duties involve regular unsupervised access to weapons, ammunition or explosives are not to be permitted to assume such duties until they have achieved SC vetting level. Where, however, the responsible PSyA considers it operationally essential, personnel holding BPSS and full CTC clearance can undertake these duties while they undergo the SC process. (my italics)
Lets hope that someone at HQAC is making sufficiently robust representation to HQ Air to permit the status quo whilst changes are effected. However, it all depends on whether HQ Air agree that the ACO is ‘operationally essential’ and I have my doubts on that, especially if the requirement has been there for a while and we’ve effectively done nothing!
Will look at this more closely tonight officially… but the timing couldn’t be better! Rather than spending the next week on a dingy army camp, I might just prop myself up in the garden with a stack of beers!
I suspect my forthcoming week on a dingy army camp (with frequent visits to a “nearby” RAF station) will be secure despite this ruling, despite being heavily reliant on weapons.
MANDATORY
All personnel - whether military, civilian or contract - whose duties involve regular unsupervised access to weapons, ammunition or explosives are not to be permitted to assume such duties until they have achieved SC vetting level. Where, however, the responsible PSyA considers it operationally essential, personnel holding BPSS and full CTC clearance can undertake these duties while they undergo the SC process.
The matter has been referred to HQ ACO who have made an urgent request to the PSyA at Air Command for a dispensation to allow ACO staff to continue to conduct shooting activities whilst we transition from BPSS, CTC clearance to SC clearance. This request was yesterday evening and we await a response.
In the meantime, and as being promulgated across other Regions, it is with the reluctance that I must institute immediately a complete ban on all shooting and weapons related activity – including arms drill – for all units of Central & East Region, whether “at home” on Wing or Region premises, or deployed on Summer Camps.
We hope this is a (very) temporary measure; as highlighted above, HQAC staff have been made aware of the problem and we hope for resolution sooner rather than later.
One has to ask, why the same branch keeps on being the focus of such operational mistakes and errors, coupled with very poorly worded communications. I trust that this performance management issue is the subject of active attention by the relevant manager(s).
[quote=“Plt Off Prune” post=25882]Admit what? The ATC has probably taken it one way, and the army another. Now the ACF are laughing at us what with the flying and FC stuff, they’ve whispered in their parent service ear and got us told off in the attempt to drive us into the ground so the ranks of the ACF increase and we don’t become a threat anymore.
Oops. Have I said too much…[/quote]
Pull the other one. You have been having things easy for years. Things are just catching up with you!
[quote=“Plt Off Prune” post=25884]
This could cause an interesting paradox. Any documents we handle, can only be stored on Squadrons up to and including OFFICIAL (and it’s sub categories). This also applies to SharePoint. So, what and how has anything in the shooting fraternity become SECRET?[/quote]
A friendly member of the Slime told me that weapons are regarded as SECRET for security purposes. I can’t check this as I don’t have access to JSP 440 so have no idea if it is actually true… ACF units cannot hold weapons unless a member of staff has a SC, and they hold the keys.
[quote=“Plt Off Prune” post=25882]Admit what? The ATC has probably taken it one way, and the army another. Now the ACF are laughing at us what with the flying and FC stuff, they’ve whispered in their parent service ear and got us told off in the attempt to drive us into the ground so the ranks of the ACF increase and we don’t become a threat anymore.
[quote=“talon” post=25896]
A friendly member of the Slime told me that weapons are regarded as SECRET for security purposes. I can’t check this as I don’t have access to JSP 440 so have no idea if it is actually true… ACF units cannot hold weapons unless a member of staff has a SC, and they hold the keys.[/quote]True, that is.
The action date has arrived, still with CFAVs waiting for the SC to be actioned = cannot run ranges on their own, have to be supervised by an RCO with SC…
So is that a case of the CFAV waiting for SC to be actioned or waiting for CFAV to action SC online.
The process is easy but it means the CFAV needs to do things online. The initial paperwork requires a CFAV to complete a form, send to WHQ to input basic details online to give CFAV access, then its all down to CFAV to complete the process. If there is a problem it is with receiving the clearance.
In our Wing it has been proven that the process can be sorted within a couple of days!! And TBH, staff have been pushed to complete since December; so if they haven’t got sorted by now, serves them right.
the first i officially heard was after then 4th Jan deadline (2 weeks later) although unofficially i know my OC found out at the OCs conference in November. neither he, nor Wing Shooting officer pass on any request to get cleared, although it would seem some OCs did mention it to their shooting Staff…but only so far that it was “coming in” not deadline pending!
