ARmy Rumour SErvice

I think a big change should be that you don't get a yes/no on PAABs or SJARS but points towards an overall grade that your assessed on at the loading board in a similar way to promotion boards. This way even if you have a bad day on your PAAB you still have a chance of being selected. I still believe as many do that one days assessment by people who most likely have never met you before should not decide that you do not get selected for a full year or longer.

I dont agree Icarus and dont think that there are many qualified to give a decent, well rounded answer here on ARRSE.

I took the 3 day PAAB and have been DS on the 1 day PAAB. Not knowing the candidates had nothing to do with failing some and as for having a bad day, its effectively a job interview. If you screw it up, you dont get the job, simples. There is no real excuse, the pressure is on for a reason.

Perhaps we should be asking why so many choose not to do their PAAB after their Class 1 or come back after failing the first attempt.

Considering that Artisan SSGT's and Tiffy's essentially do the same job in a unit, with the exception of the obvious rank jump and higher pay band, what is the benefit of being a Tiffy? An Artisan trade can still gain the same Civilian Qualifications as his Artificer counterpart, albeit studying in their own time.

Why can a board of REME Officers decide that you aren't suitable to be an ASM, yet the same person can be suitable to serve as RSM/RQMS/CSM etc. What are we saying as a Corps about the latter appointments if 'going Tiffy' is seen as the best thing to do in the REME?

Why not make the PAAB similar to a CLM with 12 months 'on the job' training in the Unit directly after the Class 1 course? By virtue of the fact that we're already in the REME in a technical trade, now a Class 1, and have the associated responsibility already on our shoulders, perhaps a 1 day 'snapshot' isn't the way forward. Do we even need the PAAB other than to keep some people in a job?

You could add to this the fact that, as REME, we rarely do the Infantry type exercises (Yes, I know we're supposed to do them annually, but honestly, how often do we with work load, courses etc?) that teach us all Command & Leadership and bring a person out of their shell in the 4 years between a Basic and Class 1 course. Why not, in the same way as a tradesman is deemed ready for their Upgraders course, develop that person into an Artificer as part of their natural trade progression? Shooting a person down after completing their Class 1 seems a bit counter productive, especially as there is no time bar.

Some might think that this is just my opinion and that I'm just bitter at failing my first attempt at PAAB, but the above points aren't just my own and have been discussed by myself and other NCO's in my LAD. The point was also raised that, after the recent 'trimming' of Artificers in Tranche 1 of the SDSR, what is the point of working our arses off studying for 18 months if Artificers aren't that valuable after all! It's also probably not a good selling point to the junior Cfn aspiring to be JNCO's and future ASM's if the Tiffy's (who should be the ones pushing the benefits) walk around looking miserable all day and complain that being a Tiffy 'is shit'.

I was in Bordon recently on a Maintainers course and got chatting to a friend of mine who had just finished his Class 1 course. I asked if he was looking forward to his PAAB and he told me he'd opted not to do it, as had 6 others from his course. When I asked why, he said he just wasn't interested and neither were the others who'd chosen not to do it. Not a problem, it is our choice after all to opt out and it's not for everyone.
However, upon explaining that they had chosen not to attempt PAAB, the 7 of them were made to stand to attention outside the Platoon office whilst the Pl Tiffy had a go at them for 5 minutes, whilst everybody else stood and watched. Their punishment was Guard Duty whilst the rest of their course were on the PAAB. Hardly the way to be treating our own is it?

I'm sure that there are plenty of people ready to jump on here to defend the PAAB and give the usual comments on 'weak individuals' etc etc blah blah, personally, unless somebody can persuade me otherwise, I'm chinning off my 2nd PAAB and going Artisan. After all, I'm perfectly happy as a Sect Commander for now and really, who wants to work weekends and after 5pm doing spreadsheets?

I don't get it...does everybody get to attempt tiffy now? I did the 3 day board in 1989, but it took a bit of effort to get on it...oc's nod, decent confidentials, epc a good JMC etc. Is it now like a media studies degree from an ex polytechnic??

Never saw what was wrong with the 3 day/ 4day PAAB. The right amount of tasks (that did require some preparation). The right amount of interviews and the right amount of time off. I think by PAAB stage in REME you should have experience of working under pressure whatever that means nowadays. Sometimes it was a bit of a pisser for the OC or ASM if their fave boys didn't get through but it did wonders for the ones who passed first time. Some people do make very good Tiffys without having to be the Unit lickarse.
Just my 2p in there.
The loading board for Pot Arts would have been driven by demand to fill the trade posts, does anyone really think that if there was a dire shortage in a certain area that the previous years overall performance would have played a crucial part?
Incoming expected.

I couldnt give a fuck about the paab selection process being the crusty artisan that i am! What fucks me off is the fact that any cunt who has passed their class 1 can attend a tiffy course 2 Yrs after and then with fuck all experience thinks they know everything about running a fitter section, they then decide they can make career changing decisions about people they dont know anything about, but because the MPARS / SJARS are due they feel the need to input their 2 cents worth... loads of other shite i could argue like a certain tiffy being sacked on medman for being absolute fucking shite at their job and a waste of fucking space, but it makes no difference to that persons career and though they were sacked as a tiffy in charge of a fitter section that person is working as an AQMS today and because of the shortage of WO1's because most people have fucked off V'eng will most likely be wearing an ASM slide very soon! hoooray for the fucking Corps!!

Well at least you are not bitter

If we didn't get sproggy Tiffies into Fitter Sections who have had no experiences of running a Section prior to the Tiffy course who the fuck would make the coffee.

I agree with Sparky though it should be on the performance during the PAAB and DS shouldnt know the individual, I do feel the 3 day one was more beneficial as you can get more of an idea of the candidate and put more pressure on them in that time.
I do as well request there should be at least a hour coffee making session in there as some of the shite brews the young sproggy Tiffies are making us crusty Artisans lately taste like shite........and probably is.