Fallschirmjager:
Don't hold your breath. We're hardly going to starts riots and smash our accommodation up like prisoners and asylum seekers. We are lowlife so get treated like such.
The MoD doesn't like us improving our accommodation does it?
Seadog:
And right on cue, on comes the Government 'Spinister' Twigg to say what a wonderful programme of improvement is ongoing.
Not enough and not fast enough.
The programme for improvement is slow because its being handled as a defence wide issue, bit by bit so that by the time its all done the first to be improved will be ready for demolishing.
Until the programme is broken down into smaller chunks were stuck with it. A university wouldnt wait for the department of education to instigate an improvement programme for its halls of residence. The money would be raised locally, from both government and private sources and the project for improvement would be handled locally.
Why are we not doing this? I dont mean at individual barrack level, but Brigade or Divisional level. Surely breaking the project up would mean speedier results? Or is the money or will just not there?
And quite predictably, alot of the comments being made to the BBC suggest that the soldiers clean the bath!!
Interceptor:
My opinion?
Peeling paint and mould, broken doors and ripped carpets should be dealt with immediately by the system. Underinvestment is rife and is shameful.
Dirty baths? Clean it yourselves you fezzing bastards. Who do you think cleans my quarter?
Interceptor - if you had taken a walk round your soldiers accommodation as I have you would well appreciate that some facilities are in such rag order that they cannot be cleaned. If the resources aren't there to fix stuff the rest of the facilities get over used and break even more quickly.
tearsbeforebedtime:
"One soldier mentioned that there was a large mushroom growing above his bed. Pick it off and wipe the area with some bleach and it will be gone."
Steve Jones, Plymouth Steve is assuming that the soldier is not living in a Victorian barrack room with a ceiling 3 metres high - but yes he could cut it down and do a bit of simple self-help
Think he missed the point that I have no mushrooms growing in my flat due to central heating keeping the place warm and more importantly DRY.
That assumes that the barrack's central heating works, that it can be controlled by the individual and that the roof hasn't been leaking for the last two years (like my current mess)
"The BBC should come to see my classroom. I am a teacher.Its appalling. What is more improtant? Our next generation is having to be taught in this slum which passes as my teaching base. The army's whingeing doesnt hold water with me."
Kibster
I fear with teachers like this the battle for the next generation is already lost...
Yep - you are right
Major_Blink:
This is what life is like in Dalton Barracks, Abingdon
The Officers’ Mess needs work to comply with current fire legislation (est 70k), that money has not been found despite it being on a works services priority for the last two years. The consequence has been the closure of a complete wing. The Commanding Officer has to take the health and safety of his officers at risk. The decision point is about to be reached, where the CO has told the chain of command that unless rectification work is started in the next month 35 living-in single officers will be moved into private accommodation in Abingdon, (at a cost in the first 6 months that far exceed the work required to the Mess), needless to say there is rarely any hot water either.
The soldiers are in just as bad accommodation. Only one block is Grade 1, so 150 solders have the ‘jam tomorrow’ promised accommodation. The vast majority live in accommodation not changed since being built in 1932, except that no money has been spent since.
Let me give you just one example of the service we have to put up with and manage in terms of the soldiers expectations. New white goods were purchased under a budgetary funding line to provide new washing machines and dryers for every wing of every block. They arrived brand new, but when they were placed in the accommodation it was found that the plumbing and water pressure in the accommodation could not sustain their usage – so they were withdrawn and remain in our QM’s store! No money to update the plumbing.
We were informed at the beginning of this FY that all works services (ie infrastructure repair) was to be frozen within Abingdon (it actually was much more wide spread within the region). The impact of this was that simple repairs, loo seats, broken showers went un-repaired. I had to explain this to my soldiers. The position changed in the second half of the FY and we now have a slightly improved situation.
Finally the most disgraceful situation is that our medical centre is not fit for purpose. The Army Primary Health Care service has stated that the med centre it is not fit for its clinical need, yet monies needed for refurbishment or replacement do not exist. We have to employ a corporal to drive a mini bus of sick soldiers to Aldershot to be treated in Frimely Park instead. Yet both regiment are trying to generate fit soldiers for Iraq and Afgan next year. Commander Field Army has visited Abingdon, it remains 4 Div’s highest priority, yet all we see are aspirations and promises. I will not discuss the holes in the roads, no lighting across the camp, but guess what the chain of command’s solution is – they are trying to squeeze another Regiment in here in 2008!!
Thanks for posting that, it gives a real insight for those of us on the outside.
Regards,
Ex STAB
luke:
What an awful choice of picture from the beeb, that bath isn't due to poor accomodation (of which there are thousands of images to more suitably illustrate this), it's because some minger(s) haven't bothered cleaning it for months.
Great that this is getting some exposure, but not like this.
I would have to agree; you would need to be an ayslum seeker to have a bath like that in your accommodation.
Please don't don't tell me standards have slipped that much since I have been out.
Good Word could put that in any sentence describing MOD/Govt spending. 