ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

*They should not have pooh-pooed the pooh-poo...

But they do, they do; even I understand that.

I suppose the moral of this thread is that if they call you the 3rd foot and mouth and give you a new badge, you will live with it.

Originally Posted by chocolate_frog

Jolly good. You wont mind being in 3 Regt, RAC then? You can stay in the Regt for your career, minus slots at depots, training schools or HQs. Should you come off a board and there are no PIDs i 3, you can move to 5 (for example).

After all, it's whatever regiment you are in, no matter what its called.

Nope I will be gone, 22 years done.

I'm f#ckin' loving this thread (among a number), because I'm reading dozens of posts advocating things I was being told were heretical, unprofessional, unconscionable, and dangerous less than a decade ago.

I just hope the grown ups* are really paying attention.
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*Stonkernote: Grown up? My arse. I haven't seen a man-sized strategic decision in more than a decade. The. 2RRF debacle is just another line in a story of senior officers rolling over to get their tummy tickled, rather than take a stand.

Integrity? Send them all to Specsavers - I'm sure they think it's "Intercity"

Originally Posted by CaptainPlume

Thanks for that. Having been in two Regiments which amalgamated and one which disbanded* I think I may understand a little about this even if I am now retired.

*They should not have pooh-pooed the pooh-poo...

Do you get the nickname 'lucky'?

Originally Posted by tally_target

Thank god you guy's are no longer serving or have never served. You just dont really get it. The regimental system is what makes the British army, thats whatever regiment you are in or whatever your regiment is now called.

Actually I am still serving, but I have the benefit if having spent much of my career away from RD in jobs where I have seen both the wider RAC and Army. My view is that with the RAC as the size it is shortly to become, coupled with the real danger of it degrading into a two tier organisation with regiments permanently garrisoned at locations in the UK, it is vital that we allow ourselves to become less wed to the ideals represented by the regimental system. In my view (under the new reactive/adaptive forces structure) we must either go towards a system of freer posting across the RAC (be this under a single capbadge or not) or perhaps a three regiment structure where each regiment has three regular and one TA Bn, one regular regiment in each role and posting between them tied to promotion to ensure that soldiers and officers gain the requisite breadth of experience as part of their career development.

Ultimately if we don't maintain sufficient breadth of experience through arms plotting or at least trickle posting (tied to promotion) we will wither and die, starting with those regiments in the adaptive force.

Great retorts re the regiment, I would like to point out that the regiment may mean something to the CO, RSM or the next in line but for the average Tom is his mates that count. Yes you might march faster on parade but when a bloke from a different capbadge or service takes of his socks and gives them to you because he is vehicle mounted and you arent and yours are shredded that gets noticed. Thats the sort of bloke who wont be jack, will risk his own to save yours and can generally be relied on rather than some vague ethos!

As it goes I like the Regimental System in theory. The idea of having a local regiment that young lads join following their dad/granddad's footsteps and serving with lads from the same area worked for a long time. Unfortunately the Army's just too small and too riven with politics and interests to make it work in practice.

The regiment can be realigned, it happened with Cardwell and it happened in the 1960s and again since.
It just takes a little time for things to settle.