I'd be interested to know what Bilal sees as a 'proper job' - flogging mobile phones? working in a call centre? diversity officer? Tosseur!

I seem to remember Changing Rooms did a remake of a messdeck onboard a ship a couple of years ago (I think it was a carrier). Anyway, as soon as they were gone, they ripped it all out and returned it to its original state due to it being a fire risk.

Where I am at the moment is a fcuking disgrace. I'm living in a portacabin and have been waiting for over 2 months to get a radiator fixed. I haven't got a drying room to use either! The RSM where I am is fully aware of the problems but doesn't give 2 shits about it. Whilst I can appreciate a lot has been done to the accomadation, why is it that every place I've been, the Juniors have far better accomadation?

One has only got to look at Chicksands to see this...

Get snapping - with your phone if you haven't got a camera - and send your pics to campaigns @ baffhq.co.uk

I will do when I return off leave. I'll probably end up outing myself though as I'm the only gay in the vill,err, I mean Matelot in the accomadation block!

Just for the record, the origin of any images/comments shown on the BAFF website will be kept confidential and unattributable.

Most of the comments on the BBC 'Have your say' pages have been well-informed and sensible.

Perhaps there should, however, be a competition for the most wilfully stupid.

This is my personal favourite so far:

That's exactly the point; they are moving on and the General Staff are now bricking it

The BBC website included this little gem too:


Courtesy of:

Username: chillyDerek

Name: Derek Spear

Registered: 04/01/07

Total Posts: 1

I hope this is not Derke Twigg's alter-ego...

Accommodation is appalling, we all know this and there are a lot of reasons for this:

1. Management of the MQ accommodation is awful. There is no joined-up solution for the cleaning and handover of a MQ on march-out for a start We have gone backwards in this respect...

Any faults are dealt with by contractors whose guidelines generally allow for two possible outcomes:

a. The contractor can carry out hugely expensive jobs on condemned electrics etc earning their company a fortune at call-out rates for a fault that was probably reported many times before but ignored in the name of budgets.

b. The contractor earns a large call-out fee but does nothing other than issue a temporary heater or stops a leak whilst not actually sorting out the fault, which is actually then returned to the routine system and sorted out after many weeks.

(these situations assume you have kids, which provide leverage, if not you are truly fecked...)

2. When SLA is discussed the government will quickly change the subject to the many projects on the go, which are by far the exception rather than the rule and even if new accommodation has been built/updated in a location there is rarely enough and the remainder has been let go to such a degree it is like something out of Stalingrad.

If the Government are content and the public have the same reaction as Mr Spear (fatherless) above perhaps a photo of accommodation from each and every barracks and MQ area should be submitted to the media with the location and date taken.

Would this embarrass anybody?

Anyone have the misfortune to reside in the Sgts Mess transit accom in Thiepval Bks Lisburn. That place was also a fekkin disgrace. Portacabins with double bunks, door-less lockers, no keys for the front doors, heaving sinks and showers that didn't work. Vitez in the 90's was superior to that shiite hole.

Liam Fox has just been on News 24.

He condemned the situation with regards to accomodation but refused to say if the Tories would give the Armed Forces more money for getting them up to scratch.

How VERY Conservative

Some of the comments are horrid on the BBC's site, if those people had someone in the forces they would change their tune. Round them up, hand them a pair of C95's and tell them to go defend their nation.

The question is, what's going to be cut from the defence budget to pay for said improvements?

I am quite, quite confident we're not going to get any more cash to cover it!

The comments on the BBC website had me raging... I know I am an ex-servicemen , but this website and my reserve liability still make me feel very much part of the Army family... so I was utterly shocked at some of the comments on there... and I was also ashamed that students (a group that I am now a member of) actually think it is logical to compare their situation with that of serving members of the forces.

It was the Kent. I had to do a SSC on her a couple of months after, it was all falling to bits. MDF aint jack-proof!

I was concerned that the accom shown on the BBC albeit tatty wasnt scrubbed by the out going unit. In my day we moved into weeton camp which the RAF had condemned in 1965 so the Army took over. We could see outside without opening the windows (good as they usually fell out if you tried) and the ablutions were straight out of get some in. The blocks were though kept immaculately clean and the standard of cleanliness went down I believe when we got the new buildings next door a year later.
This smacks as much of poor planning and admin by the Army as tight fistedness by the MOD. If the quarters or seniors mess were so poor something would have been done about it. I have lived in far worse holes in the ground than have been shown. Most transit accom only needs living in permanently for it to be brought up to scratch.
I am concerned that the Army is letting standards slip possibly due to massive overcommitment on operations. The money was never an issue it usually required time and the effort of the lads to keep the accom in order. My discharge cert should have graded me as a housewife, house refurbisher and litter picker!
I suppose the lad doesnt want his substandard accom payments then.

Heaving sinks are a cleaning problem and I am surprised that senior ranks let them get to that state!
Lisburn, short term on ops then that is normal, my first tour I didnt change my bedding as I didnt sleep between the sheets for 4 months!

It would be interesting to find out how much money is being wasted on demolishing a serviceable (correct me if i'm wrong) (at least adequate) office block at DLO Andover to make way for a gucci new build office block for HQs AG and LAND under Project Hyperion.

And, the criminal waste of money lighting bldg 300 day and night at Andover, including all over the Xmas period.

You can't polish a fcuking turd. Some people may be skiprats but many of us still live in houses that we keep clean but have serious problems that DE and MHS are SUPPOSED to take care off. Many problems we are unable to sort ourselves. I'm no pluber/sparky and we arn't allowed to carry out building work or even go into our own atticks. I've been waiting 12 months to get insulation in my house and paying through the arrse to keep the place warm.

ADUX,

Unfortunately it seems you may be part of the problem and not the solution.

I assume you are talking about demolishing Bldg 200 or parts of 300. However, it matters not. Running on 'serviceable' and 'adequate' facilities is what has brought us to the current position, not only in terms of infrastructure, but with fighting equipment and vehicles too.

PAW

Last edited by pombsen-armchair-warrior on Thu Jan 04, 2007 5:05 pm; edited 1 time in total

post from the BBC

As a former Royal Marine, I am standard of personal admin held by these army ranks. If any of these serving ranks were to catch a disease from this unhygienic squalor then they would not be able to perform the job that they are all paid (Volunteered) to do. Get a grip lads and clean up after yourselves. The government should channel their money on supporting the front line troops with equipment and rations. After all this is where moral really matters.
No comment regards the student accom.

Dennis, Arbroath

Just a cheap shot from this cabbage head. I hope this hom chokes on his boyfriends c0ck!