Originally Posted by eodmatt

A war that will never happen? You obviously weren't there in '68 or '69 (I forget exactly which year) when the Russian army was hurling itself against the iron curtain again and again and turning off at the last moment, having invaded Czland.

Sorry Matt - not playing the Cold War down at all - I was simply talking about the period in question that the OP referred to (late 80s).

Or like my mess, as the parent unit did not have anyone off the board they didn't bother at all. Although there were people attached who got promoted. Nice to belong to a family isn't it.

Originally Posted by DavidCameron

Sorry Matt - not playing the Cold War down at all - I was simply talking about the period in question that the OP referred to (late 80s).

No need to apologise, but ... you weren't there, man

Originally Posted by eodmatt

A war that will never happen? You obviously weren't there in '68 or '69 (I forget exactly which year) when the Russian army was hurling itself against the iron curtain again and again and turning off at the last moment, having invaded Czland.

That was before Tropper showed them how to drink the antifreeze!

To my mind the power and kudos of the messes died with the Glasnost defence review. In the flurry of brown envelopes officers suddenly felt the need to justify their existence. They also used the LE Commision as a weapon against the messes, this carrot was dangled to ensure compliance with the wishes of the officers. I'm glad that I'm out of it!

It's just another example of how all fringe benefits and 'fun' has, and continues, to be sucked out of the Army.
2 years left and counting......

My unit still do this. Though it slightly different for Lcpls and Lsgts tha it is for SNCOs/WOs.

SNCOs/WOs have their promotion drink when the results of the boards are released.
Lcpls and Lsgst have their drinks after they've gone in front of the CO to get promoted. Everyone getting promoted goes in at the same time* and once they've been rifted out of the COs office they get formed up outside Bn HQ and are then either marched to the Sgts Mess by the RP Sgt or the Lcpls Mess by one of the RP Cpls. Chaos normally follows at about 2 in the morning.

*All Gdsm/Pte/Cfn - Lcpls go in together.
All Lcpl/Cpl - Lsgts go in together.

Our Mess was open at 0930 yesterday - 3 line whip for the announcements, with tea and toast, then if you had clearance from boss and could afford time off, "get on it" was the instruction from the RSM.

Only instruction was, as usual, no booze if you were going back into work for any reason.

I think the last ones left at about 4 this morning!

MB

From my experience, most Messes at RD still try and keep spirits up, but agree it depends a lot on the RSM. Garrison Messes and the like are a different breed. Things have changed. I remember being promoted to LCpl in the mid 80s, and was amazed at the Cpls Mess. You had your 22 year Cpl who downed 6 pints at lunch before going and sleeping in the stores all afternoon. Just as well the Russians never came knocking then!

Originally Posted by yellowbelly

From my experience, most Messes at RD still try and keep spirits up, but agree it depends a lot on the RSM. Garrison Messes and the like are a different breed. Things have changed. I remember being promoted to LCpl in the mid 80s, and was amazed at the Cpls Mess. You had your 22 year Cpl who downed 6 pints at lunch before going and sleeping in the stores all afternoon. Just as well the Russians never came knocking then!

They did, got told to fuck off like everyone else!

It all depends on how much spleen people display and just because the shutters go down it doesn't close the public rooms. Have crates will party, once again dependent on the liquidity of the PMC's backbone

We are an army of 100,000 (and reducing), contrary to the impression some would like to portray, there are plenty of people not on ops who can spare a couple of hours every couple of months to share in the good fortune of others, however, like with lots of things it is far easier to not bother