Hi,

I am due to start at a certain education establishment in September.

Without wishing to be too 'thrusty' I have obtained a copy of last years Black Bag list, and have had a look at a few jobs.

I wish to be based in the North, so Catterick sounds quite appealing. However, I have heard rumours that 19 Lt Bde may as well be renamed 19 'Shite' Bde for a number of reasons (future roles etc). Is this true?

Also, I have heard that the quality threshold for the Bde staff will be lowered to take this into account and be equivalent to a Regional Bde. Is this also true? Am I better off applying for a post in 42 (NW) Bde?

Many thanks.

There is a plan to relocate 19 to NI as soon as normalisation takes place (2006????), 4 Mech Bde will then take its place in Catterick.

I'd probably take the "Fat Rat" over "Shite" anyday!

Haven't heard the rumour on the "quality threshold", could be a good one to run with on the course!

It looks as if 'The Peice' is already making a play for 'top' student. He's already started to try and psych out the opposition. I bet he turns up on day one of the course with all his reading material already flagged up. Typical combat indicator.

He's welcome to it - at least I will have enjoyed my summer holiday!

Right, enough arrsing. POETS.

Why would I be thinking of 'top student' and 19 Bde at the same time? I know my limits!!

I do have lots of sticky tags ready to go.:oops:

Piece, you had better not let commander 19 hear you speaking like that or he'll be down to give you a slap. After all he did win the Falklands War single handed.

8O. I was only 11. Do you think he'll punish me for being a bit young to fully remember his exploits?

When 4 Bde takes over from 19 Bde in Catterick does that mean that Osnabrück garrison including Münster will close down. Or will there be still a military presence there.

You may want to run the concept of the threshold being lowered past the Comd (des) currently COS 3 Div. He may disagree with you. How many Regional Bdes get CsOS of active Divs as Comds?

You don't appear like a thruster, only a throbber.

Well p-man, when you think how much it costs to accomodate us in Germany, when we could be pumping that money in to our own economy......do the maths!!

As for any validity to the rumour - it's more of a personal aspiration of mine, if only to see the looks on the faces of some those companies who exist in BFG to solely rip off the average squaddie.

(I'm not say they're all bad - some are really very good and useful, but some are complete charlatans.....)

Time for a bit of crystal ball gazing! The time frames for these moves are so long i.e. 2010 - 2015, that with FAS still not fully agreed, let alone funded, by the really important people, I guess these 2 sites may or may not remain.

There must be some considerable savings from closing down one of our 5 Germany Garrisons so I wouldn't be surprised if the really bright sparks in HQ UKSC(G) or their oh-so-enlightened ubermeisters in HQ Land were thinking along these lines.

It's a moot question though as we'll have had yet another Defence Review focussing on becoming operationally more effective (and also save money but only as a by-product of the review, of course) and that will have changed whatever studies have been conducted with FAS.

quote]

You may want to run the concept of the threshold being lowered past the Comd (des) currently COS 3 Div. He may disagree with you. How many Regional Bdes get CsOS of active Divs as Comds?

.[/quote]

Absolutely. The duty rumour from MS(A) was that Comd des of 19 is going considerably further than 1 star. There will therefore be dutiful attempts to ensure that he gets a decent run off the OCP for late 06.

Still an extremely worthwhile place to work.

Ptlman - slightly off topic - but I can tell you plans are well advanced to......
well, it's all v. hush hush at them moment. Don't want to upset the locals dontcherknow: is that a big enough hint? However, despite being warned off about how this one was to be kept quiet, some bright spark at LAND published the whole plan on their website! Tee Heeeeeee

Piece, given that you think it is shite place to work with a 3rd XI boss, you might want to look elsewhere. Although, in fairness, if it goes third eleven, with your highly developed analytical skills and military genius, you might just be the third eleven officer they are looking for....

Hi Storeman Norman,

thanks for the info, have u got the internet link for the above

Sorry Ptlman - it's on the intranet, at work. We're not one of those classy outfits that have been de-castigated.........

Any chance you can remember the location? Will try later on today or monday to find it. Ta VM.

For those who remain interested - the whole shooting match goes under the title project HALIFAX. Bung that in a search engine at work and you should get what you want. Sorry - that's the limit of my 'expertise!'

Ta VM Stmn.

I understand that 19 Bde will still be available as a light brigade, deployable for medium scale peace keeping ops and that there will be a fourth inf bn attached to it to make it a viable option.