Having read this very informed and well-debated thread, I feel that there is a rich vein of bitterness flowing here that is probably the subject for another thread if it isn't already, and that is how unhappy people seem to be if another trade group seems to enjoy some percieved advantage over one's own, ie movers cutting about in gucci 4x4s and Wankley sunglasses.

I encountered similar reactions while Company medic for several teeth arm units while on range packages. They seemed to object to crawling around on the firing point in the p1ssing rain while I observed from the amby at the safety point mit brew and heater. My reaction to this was "WE ALL CHOOSE OUR CAP BADGE!".

This brings me to the point of my post. If you join a unit which has a role which will involve discomfort/tiredness/lack of supplies, ie RAC recce regts, Para Regt etc etc ad nauseam, then you cannot complain when that role brings those conditions down upon you. Anybody who does those jobs has my utmost respect but you volunteered for them. You then cannot complain about people who you think have it easy. Those people have chosen what could be construed as an "easy" life and no, they couldn't do the job of recce comd etc, but that isn't their job. If their job involves cutting about in 4x4s while living in hotels then good for them and one up on the Government.

I'd wager money on the fact that the RAC Cpl gets a fcuk sight more money a day than a Mover Cpl, the general idea being in the Army is the sh1ttier the job, the more money you get paid. You take your perks where you find them.

At the end of the day (it gets dark) we all have a job to do, a job we all chose at the ACIO. If you don't like it, transfer.

Actually don't a lot of the "cushy" jobs come with better wage packets too by dint of the extra training etc you require to do the job? Wouldn't a more appropriate response be "If you want the cushy life you shopuld have done better on your BARB" ?

This could well be true and I am open to correction by those who are well informed, however at the risk of pulling up a sandbag when I was in the RCT in the early 90s, Movers were one of the lowest paid members of the Corps when compared to, say, Dvr Rad Ops, Tk Tptr Dvrs, Air Despatchers and the Seaman trades. One of the blatantly plugged perks of the job was the unusual promotion pyramid (more of a diamond) and the fact that dets were often cushy. "Back in the day" the Mov Con Cl3 cse didn't even attract trade pay and potential Movers straight from Buller were sent on first an HGV cse and when this was discontinued, a Clks Cse purely to qualify as Class 3 soldiers, and far from being a high scorer on the BARB test, Trogs who wanted to be Movers only had to sit a one day selection panel at Depot RCT.

Anyway, again I digress....the point of my previous post was not really to debate who should be paid what, merely that we all have/had free choice in what we joined up to do. I chose to sit in the back of a warm amby lifting scabs and writing sick chits. Those who freely chose the more "glamourous" or arduous trades are not really in a position to object when others choose differently and may gain in doing so. :D

Yet another quality display by both Crab Air and the RLC.

Whilst trying to return home from Telic, we were told the flight was delayed because of a repatriation parade at Brize.

Fair enough - we were going home, they were going home for the last time. No complaints at all, understandably.

Next announcement - Youre flight is now delayed by 5 hours, and you are flying into Birmingham International instead of Brize. Cue a stampede to the desk to find out details.

Shortly - "If you have a hire car at Brize, it will be transferred to Birmingham. If you cannot arrange transport at short notice, then rail warrants will be issued."

So the questions started:

"Birminghan is a civial airport - i'm in uniform!"

Announcement:"All passengers must change into civian clothes. If your civiaian clothes are within your hold baggage, then you must change into civilian clothes in Birminghams arrival lounge toilets after reciept of your hold baggage"

"Fine, i'm in civvies. What about my Bergan?"

Announcement: (eventually) : Passengers that require to disguise items of baggage will need to report to (blah blah) on arrival at Birmingham where suitable covers will possibly be made available.

"OK, i'm in civvies, got my Bergan covered, and can go through the civialian airport and onto the train. Now, WHAT DO I DO ABOUT MY FUCKING RIFLE?????!!!!!!

Crab answer: Errrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmm.. let me get back to you!
RLC answer: Errrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmm... let me get back to you!

Thankfully for them (not for us!) The flight was delayed yet again (not their fault this time) and we eventually landed at Brize, although a day late.

Movers? You suck fcuking c0ck, the lot of you.

Never have i seen two separate systems (RLC/RAF) working so closely to fcuk every deployable soldier up before he has even reached the warzone.
Cnuts.

Cnuts

Cnuts.

Cunts!

Cnuts.

I dont know the job of a mover. I dont know the job of his boss. I dont even know how it all "works" so that we can fly from A - B.

What i do know is that out of the 21 times i have been through Brize coming or going. I have never been on time and there has always been problems.
Surely with the frequency of these problems a contingency plan would be made to deal with these eventualities.

Two words for movers... "Actions On"

I am not a Mover and am no longer in the Army so I am no longer subject to the constant fcuking about that I agree happens when a body of soldiers travels more than a walking distance, however;

I do not believe any of the soldiers posting here believe that the responsibility for delayed/cancelled/re-routed flights rests with a Pte/JNCO or even SNCO mover. I would imagine (and again I'm open to correction) that the decision to delay or re-route a flight would rest with the duty Ops Officer of the RAF Squadron in question, and we all know what Biggles thinks about rain or a slight breeze. Therefore surely it is incumbent on the RAF Ops CoC to desseminate this revised info to all concerned. While nobody is perfect Movers can only act on info given, like any of us, especially Army ones, as they only hear what Crab tells them. I completely agree that the sytem is hugely flawed and I often think that the RAF forgets it's a fighting(?) force designed to aid warfighting, such was it's ability to use the slightest excuse to not fly. I think this whole thread is purely an excuse to shoot the messenger, any of us can only act on information recieved.

No No movers are great that's why we have to escort all our kit between locations because when we freight it the movers keep losing it. 100's of thousands of pounds worth of comms kit lost in the urloo by movers.

So now we have to take someone of shift to carry the kit as luggage and hand deliver it because the movers can't do their job.

Nice one fellas

Originally Posted by smoojalooge

No No movers are great that's why we have to escort all our kit between locations because when we freight it the movers keep losing it. 100's of thousands of pounds worth of comms kit lost in the urloo by movers.

So now we have to take someone of shift to carry the kit as luggage and hand deliver it because the movers can't do their job.

Nice one fellas

Don't forget all the damage they do making nice big holes in the airframe.

Stupid mover making a hole in plane=Worried Techies + 5 hour delays

Originally Posted by fish-head

Poor movers!

They get blamed for everything. I've seen them pull out all the stops for comp/cas and for guys who get stranded because Air ops fck something up, like shift an a/c early!

I like movers, I like movers, I like movers
(PS can I get home on that C17)

As I am home now, in the words of Dr Evil:

"How about no, you crazy Dutch Bastard.."

Oh alright ask them and use my name in vain old man!