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IT provision for Junior Officers

Question: Why do all Junior Officers by their own computers?

Possible Answer: Because, it is now a commonly accepted trend, and no one wants to "rock the boat". Are we the leaders or the lead?

There are CO's that believe that junior Officers have no need of computers at all!!! :mad:

Are they out of touch or just not concerned? :-/

Some CO's also believe that Pl/Tp Commanders don't need phones in their offices.  :D
 
Other than the very valid points made about porn surely this is symptomatic of the Army's approach to IT in general (I am told that at Regt/Bn level only 4 PCs for official use). This obviously does not extend down to junior Officers and hence the need for self purchase.

All other large organisations have some sort of IT infrastructure to aid communication and the passage of information. The Army is somewhat behind the curve. (I speak as an IT professional who has both Reg and TA experience).

Let's take UNICOM for example. Why live in a modern house when (apparently) a cave will do?

My TA Regt is about to be connected to the TA.net. This will allow sensible communication between Sqns and the majority (I appreciate not all) of Officers and soldiers. There is a question of security for restricted information but I understand that guidelines are being put together for this.

The best bit of all, of course, is that I will be able to do TA stuff whilst at work!
 
Have you any idea how much fcuking money the MOD wastes on IT systems, old snowy can probably furnish figures but it is a horrendous amount. As a tax payer I say sod off and buy your own, next you’ll be whinging about having to buy your own service dress!!  ;D ;D ;D
 
Having recently left the service and spent my last couple of years at a particularly big HQ, I can gaurantee that people making decisons on how much IT Units need certainly don't practice what they preach!!!

Apparantly G stands for "Gadget"!!!
 
Lack of IT is one of my biggest gripes. My key job in camp is the administration of my soldiers, and it's doing them an injustice if that administration has to be conducted on a shared 386.

Having bought my own laptop, I can now do my job properly, but it's just another bit of kit that should be provided.
 
In reply to the last, if he sees his key job as an administrator in camp he is doing it wrong.

I seem  to remember that we all managed for the last 1000 years before computers came along and fcuked everything up.

If the little darlings really want laptops, how often do they propose the Army should change them, would a Celeron do or would it have to be a Pentium 4 (Mobile).

Should they be waterproof so that they can take them on exercise?

There is of course a need for quality IT support in the Army but giving them to YOs to lose,  break or joust with is not and should not be on anybodies list of priorities.

Off to polish the Jaguar and recharge my company laptop.
 
(Well to assume the YO's are inept or incapable of(looking after IT equipment is naive and smacks of "ignorance and arrogance" towards YOs.

Firstly, in my experience it is that the more Senior officers that demonstrate the ineptitude with IT you talk about. I am no expert by my competence, which by some senior to me is seen as expertese, is constantly called upon.

Secondly, the gripe held by almost all YOs is that there is a significant expectation by almost all Sub Unit Commanders and above of YOs to prodcue endless pieces of paper (in the correct SD format). BUT, we are not provided with any means to do so, unless we purchase it ourselves.

(On that note, we have little or no instruction on it at RMAS and as an Infanteer we are expected to learn it by osmosis.)

When we YOs (as graduates as the majority are) look to our contempories we are rediculed when we explain the state of IT within the Army.

My complaint covers more than the fact that YOs don't have LAPTOPs, there are many "email" type systems in use within the Army but in my experience none seem to have filtered down to Bn/Regt level. (UNICRASH doesn;t count because no one knows how to use it/ or uses it.)

Having to use "snail mail" in transit envelopes is pathetic. :mad:
 
(On that note, we have little or no instruction on it at RMAS and as an Infanteer we are expected to learn it by osmosis.)

We're not taught Defence Writing formally until AJD/JDSC/whatever it's called now, but presumably with the new Length of Service Terms of Service, and the Professional Studies package replacing JOTES I and II, junior officers will be taught it then?

The material is all there if people want it - every unit has JSP 101.  It's not massively difficult to photocopy the relevant bits - junior officers are likely to be writing Memos, Loose Minutes, Routine Letters and Demi-Official Letters - four types, in total.

Secondly, the gripe held by almost all YOs is that there is a significant expectation by almost all Sub Unit Commanders and above of YOs to produce endless pieces of paper (in the correct SD format). BUT, we are not provided with any means to do so, unless we purchase it ourselves.

My complaint covers more than the fact that YOs don't have LAPTOPs, there are many "email" type systems in use within the Army but in my experience none seem to have filtered down to Bn/Regt level. (UNICRASH doesn;t count because no one knows how to use it/ or uses it.)

Having to use "snail mail" in transit envelopes is pathetic.

...Agree with you completely.  If it's any consolation, though, my unit moved to the old RAF Bruggen in Germany in Feb 02 and, as it was being vacated by the RAF, there was no Army IT infrastructure.  In an amazing feat that leaves me still wondering what the catch is, DCSA(G) installed networked computers on LANDCSS(R), which has transparent gateways to CASH, CHOTS, OLTIS (Bosnia), OATIS (Kosovo), and yes, even UNICOM.  Not only that, but every single OC, Sergeant-Major, 2IC, Tp/Pl Comd, and Tp/Pl SSgt has one each.  MT even have one, so one can reserve one's transport by email  ;).  Almost everyone has an LCD monitor, too...  :eek:

It would appear that the need for IT provision is accepted by "The Powers That Be", but for the funding only becoming available when there's a budget in to which it can be subsumed (i.e. when you can slope shoulders on to another Top Level Budget holder).

So, hopefully, this suggests that we are gradually moving toward being a more IT-aware organisation.  Best commercial practice here we come!  (ten years late...)
 
Jelly-Baby....

We have a company net too, that's been running for over a year. I believe the boss does want to make it regimental, but security was an issue, especially with e-mail.

To this end, I have written an e-mail encrypter, that uses an algorithim that Mossad would get sleepless nights over :) This programme, will also encrypt ANYTHING on the fly, including Graphics, PP, XL docs, just anything.

I'd like to trial it on MOD boxes, does anyone know the best people to talk to?
 
YeoTanky - you've missed my point. I don't think the army should provide me with a laptop, as you're right, it would get trashed. What I'm suggesting is that the Troop Leaders of an Armoured Squadron should not be required to work off an ancient computer which is too old to be of any more use than a glorified typewriter.

...and what do you think I should be doing when in camp, instead the administration of my troop?
 
PTP - there is an Army IT deparment responsible for overseeing web content etc however I'm not sure of it's proper name. As far as I understand you should have a Regt/Bn/Unit IT rep. Perhaps they could help?
 

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