Some shooting types buy electronic ear defenders. Does it improve their shooting or their ability to coach/run a range?
No. But if they want them…
No. I don’t believe that anyone is suggesting we should expect cadets to have them. I’m assuming that the Sea Cadets issue the boots to their cadets.
Anyone who wears ammo boots or studded shoes on a delicate floor is a wally.
Anyone who wears ammo boots or studded shoes outside of drill & ceremonial is a wally.
Mine come out for parades. They were free, all I put into them was time.
The only people I see getting ‘excited’ over it are the ones who are dead against it.
What worries me more are the people who get such a sad on over it and find it “worrying”. It’s almost as if telling everyone how worried they are makes them feel they are ‘better’ than those who don’t really care.
Like I said earlier. The RAF don’t worry about whether their DIs are wearing shiny boots. Why do ATC people consider it to be a such a problem?
Personally I couldn’t care less if a DI wears ammo boots or not. Just like I couldn’t care less if an RCO gets himself fancy ear defenders, or a fieldcraft instructor gets a shiny new Mk7 helmet…
Some shooting types buy electronic ear defenders. Does it improve their shooting or their ability to coach/run a range?
No. But if they want them…
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I appreciate that you’re not bothered if people do buy their own Electronic Ear Defenders but I think this is a poor example as they can make it easier to run a range. You can hear what other supervisors are saying to you without having to damage your hearing and so improves your comms especially on a gallery range. I suppose a better example might be getting a large optic scope but not using it for more than 25 yards.
I still don’t understand why anyone would have studs/drill boots apart from bragging rights. Bearskins & Sashes are traditional for parades but if you don’t take part in those parade surely then you don’t need the footwear. Then again I don’t see the point with people in the ACO having pace sticks as our DIs (most of them) have only done the week long one ATF and not a proper military course (although I imagine this a similar argument to the studded footwear).
incubus: Someone on my Arms Drill Course asked about sashes. The answer we got was “it was discussed. However, it was squashed as there isn’t enough budget for it” the same person said couldn’t we private purchase like we do hats, pace sticks and white belts? ATF Shrugged shoulders
I see the point in it because it’s a tool and I often use mine for that purpose.
However, it also has the connection of being ‘earned’ after hard work and I personally feel that the bar is set far too low on ATC DI courses. I’ve seen some terrible DIs who’ve pass the course in the past.
I’d fully support a far more difficult series of courses to bring ATC DIs up to standard.
As I understand it, the course is being reworked to set a higher standard.
I wore ammo boots as an extra on a film earlier this year. Stepped on a plastic floor a little too aggressively, fell right on my ■■■■ (spectacularly, I must say) right in front of Bill Murray.
Most interesting thing in this thread so far :)[/quote]
During the making of a film called ‘Hanover Street’ in 1977, Harrison Ford elbowed me in the chest (he was turning round whilst signing autographs - he couldn’t apologise enough) but the painful bit came when Christopher Plummer stood on my foot whilst wearing German jackboots which are fitted with steel plates on the heels and toes!
Apparently, they had to edit my screaming out of the dialogue…
Excuse my ignorance here. So do RAF DI’s wear a blue coloured sash during instruction periods and parades? I have to confess I was unaware blue sashes existed.
Could I also point out there are actually two types of stick.
Wide wood sticks are predominantly used by Royal Artillery and historically is where they originate from for measuring out the distances between guns on the battlefield.
Racing Sticks are used by DI’s as they are lighter and easier for “sticking”
I have heard the argument regarding ATC DI’s carrying a stick. Indeed a guy at my old Sqn was mega-anti it. I think it’s OK to be honest, providing they know what it’s for and how to use the basics of it. The Pace Stick is not an accoutrement and shouldn’t be carried if that’s the case. It’s a training aid and a functional tool in the instruction of drill and preparation of parades. As long as that is adhered to then fine.
As you’ll come to find that pace sticks, like boots, are a bone of contention for many in the ATC.
You have some people complaining because they think DIs simply swan about with them to make themselves feel important; other people under the impression that ATC DIs are forbidden from using the pace stick open ‘because they’re not RAF DIs’; people who think that all DIs must stop at the edge of the parade square and hand their paces sticks to the SWO ‘because he’s the only man who can carry a pace stick off the square’… :unsure:
Seriously, I’ve heard all sorts of weird rubbish!
The irritation is that it’s mostly from people who’ve got no interest in drill and have little to do with it. Why they can’t be content to leave drilly things and the ‘DI quirks’ that go with it to those who are interested in that sort of thing is beyond me.
Perhaphs in an alternate universe somewhere there’s an ATC where people complain about climbing instructors buying chrome plated figure 8’s and fancy belay devices…
[quote=“wdimagineer2b” post=11108]Why they can’t be content to leave drilly things and the ‘DI quirks’ that go with it to those who are interested in that sort of thing is beyond me.[/quote]Perhaps because seeing DIs, who supposedly are the shining example of the perfect ceremonial personnel, bigging themselves up with white belts, the occasional illegal hat and non-regulation boots strikes them as somewhat hypocritical?
A pace stick is a tool and there are perfectly legitimate reasons why a DI should have them. There are also perfectly legitimate reasons for anybody else involved in the teaching of drill (certain movements more than others) should be able to have and use them. That is very different from carrying it as some sort of badge-of-honour or merely poncing about with it; that, along with the other trappings mentioned above, is pure ego and is frankly unnecessary.
Some people seem far more concerned sometimes with their status and sense of self-importance than they do with actually doing a good job. Don’t get me started on canes for RWOs!
We should all endeavour to adhere to the published regulations, but we should also aim to have a set of regulations which accurately represents what “they” wants us to do. I have no inherent problem with DIs wearing comedy boots if they wish (though the RA will rule them out in many locations) but I do wish that the dress regs actually reflected permissible practice - ignoring them (even if the RAF do) renders them pretty much pointless.
Most interesting thing in this thread so far :)[/quote]
During the making of a film called ‘Hanover Street’ in 1977, Harrison Ford elbowed me in the chest (he was turning round whilst signing autographs - he couldn’t apologise enough) but the painful bit came when Christopher Plummer stood on my foot whilst wearing German jackboots which are fitted with steel plates on the heels and toes!
Apparently, they had to edit my screaming out of the dialogue…[/quote]
I met one german re-enactor whose group all wore ww2 brit kit for a dinner/dance do of an evening. For a laugh one of the group had the DJ play Mel Brooks’ Hitler Rap, to which the crew all had a dance routine. They all immediately rushed to the dance floor to give it a go forgetting that being in Battledress they were wearing ammo boots. They then proceeded to absolutely wreck the dancefloor and cause several hundred pounds worth of damage.
