Officers vs Common Soldiers... what exactly IS the difference...

[woopert]

I had the misfortune to stay in the Worthy Down Officer's mess, just after leaving (invited by a friend to the AGC Xmas (I think) ball. Some time in Winter, anyway.

The rooms had no heating (it had broken a week or two before), all single beds, and the ablutions were the shared 'Jack and Jill' type, between 2 rooms (each had a door to the bath/loo). There was no shower, just a perished rubber connector that went onto the two bath taps one end, and a shower head the other.

The water was Orange.

It was so grim, I had to trap off with a fattie to stay warm.

That's were my esteemed mob moved HQ to after leaving Deepcut. Apparently lots was spent on it which means we will be mothballing it in a year or two.

 

[Stibbon]

Gift horse? You mean you would struggle to cope on civvie street?

Mate, FTRS (HC) virtually is civvy street.

 

[stacker1]

Mate, FTRS (HC) virtually is civvy street.

Good to have that comfort blanket though, eh?

 

[Stibbon]

Strange how you neglected to mention these perks.

Here you go fella. Have a look at this. Save me (once again) typing out the friggin obvious for you to ignore:

Discover my Benefits

This tool helps you find out what benefits and allowances you could be entitled to as a Service person. You’ll be able to check your exact eligibility on some. Speak to your Unit HR to find out exactly what you’re entitled to and how to make a claim.

discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk

Incidentally, it's also strange how when asked, you neglected to state what rank/job you had. Instead you simply posted up how long you "did".

Shame issues or something?

 

[Stibbon]

Good to have that comfort blanket though, eh?

Pfhuck yeah!! Totally!! What's not to like? (Is this "comfort blanket" comprised of all the army perks which you reckon don't exist by the way? )

A 35 hour week (give or take), no deployments, no bullshit, and £40+k a year.

Why in the name of buggery pfheck would I want to hurl myself into civvy street where I haven't been since 1984 in return for probably 2/3 of the money?

 

[Kroneit44]

Here you go fella. Have a look at this. Save me (once again) typing out the friggin obvious for you to ignore:

Discover my Benefits

This tool helps you find out what benefits and allowances you could be entitled to as a Service person. You’ll be able to check your exact eligibility on some. Speak to your Unit HR to find out exactly what you’re entitled to and how to make a claim.

discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk

Incidentally, it's also strange how when asked, you neglected to state what rank/job you had. Instead you simply posted up how long you "did".

Shame issues or something?

He'll respond accordingly in a moment, as Mr Jekyll or Mr Hyde. Either way he has a point and you've yet to substantiate yours.

 

[stacker1]

Here you go fella. Have a look at this. Save me (once again) typing out the friggin obvious for you to ignore:

Discover my Benefits

This tool helps you find out what benefits and allowances you could be entitled to as a Service person. You’ll be able to check your exact eligibility on some. Speak to your Unit HR to find out exactly what you’re entitled to and how to make a claim.

discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk

Incidentally, it's also strange how when asked, you neglected to state what rank/job you had. Instead you simply posted up how long you "did".

Shame issues or something?

Im going to hazard a guess here and suggest most people on here would know what a Stackers trade is...
Ive also stated my old rank many times on here, it was SSgt.
So why allude to some made up bollocks that I was avoiding saying either?

Did you bother your arse actually reading those "benefits"?

Language training!!!! Wow, except its only for certain roles and even then its obviously for the benefit of the Army, not the individual.

Annual leave!!!! Wowee because noone else gets holidays, but wait they do, civvies get a minimum of 28 leave a year. The army gets 10 days extra though, do those 10 days make up for all the lost days on guard/exercises/other bollocks that fall on a weekend?

Paternity leave!!!! Errr that the same for civvies

Medical care!!!! In the small print
You’ll receive medical care of a standard equivalent to that enjoyed by UK civilians. It is provided free of charge and there is no personal contribution. So the same as civvies then, except prescriptions are free. And as long as you are not bedded down, the Army will try to make you work even if its not your core role.

Basically most of what you grandly called benefits are fairly shite arent they? There are are few worth having if you want/need them. But its nowhere near the fantastic deal that you allude to.

Incidentally I'll get 49 days normal holiday this year (and I want either double bubble or 2 x TOIL if you are thinking of making me work a weekend) and my work place provides medical insurance, no matter where I am in the world.

But hey, day to day perks, right?

 

[Stibbon]

He'll respond accordingly in a moment, as Mr Jekyll or Mr Hyde. Either way he has a point and you've yet to substantiate yours.

On the contrary. I've more than made mine.

Bleeding hearts and moaners never really have a point.

I'm guessing the army was so brutal, uncaring and oppressive, that it only took him 24 years to realise it ..

 

[stacker1]

Pfhuck yeah!! Totally!! What's not to like? (Is this "comfort blanket" comprised of all the army perks which you reckon don't exist by the way? )

A 35 hour week (give or take), no deployments, no bullshit, and £40+k a year.

Why in the name of buggery pfheck would I want to hurl myself into civvy street where I haven't been since 1984 in return for probably 2/3 of the money?

After 37 years do you not think you might actually be qualified to do better than 27k a year?
Like countless other ex soldiers manage to?

 

[Portree Kid]

Language training!!!! Wow, except its only for certain roles and even then its obviously for the benefit of the Army, not the individual.

I don't think my 2 German courses had anything to do with my role and I certainly know that they had no benefit whatsoever to the Army.

Annual leave!!!! Wowee because noone else gets holidays, but wait they do, civvies get a minimum of 28 leave a year. The army gets 10 days extra though, do those 10 days make up for all the lost days on guard/exercises/other bollocks that fall on a weekend?

Cant think of any year that I only received 38 days leave a year. I don't recall the Army being a Mon - Fri, 0900 - 1700 job either.

All in all Stacker - All I can say is thank f**k I was Infantry, because your life as a Stacker must have been absolute sh!te.

 

[Stibbon]

DIm going to hazard a guess here and suggest most people on here would know what a Stackers trade is...
I also stated my old rank many time on here, it was SSgt.
So why allude to some made up bollocks that I was avoiding saying either?

Did you bother your arse actually reading those "benefits"?

Language training!!!! Wow, except its only for certain roles and even then its obviously for the benefit of the Army, not the individual.

Annual leave!!!! Wowee because noone else gets holidays, but wait they do, civvies get a minimum of 28 leave a year. The army gets 10 days extra though, do those 10 days make up for all the lost days on guard/exercises/other bollocks that fall on a weekend?

Paternity leave!!!! Errr that the same for civvies

Medical care!!!! In the small print
You’ll receive medical care of a standard equivalent to that enjoyed by UK civilians. It is provided free of charge and there is no personal contribution. So the same as civvies then, except prescriptions are free. And as long as you are not bedded down, the Army will try to make you work even if its not your core role.

Basically most of what you grandly called benefits are fairly shite arent they? There are are few worth having if you want/need them. But its nowhere near the fantastic deal that you allude to.

Incidentally I'll get 49 days normal holiday this year (and I want either double bubble or 2 x TOIL if you are thinking of making me work a weekend) and my work place provides medical insurance, no matter where I am in the world.

But hey, day to day perks, right?

Typical cynical response.

"Blanket stacker" you may have been and the fact you were RLC was fairly obvious but the term is a generic one for your Corps. (maybe you didn't know that?).

As for your rank - show me on this thread where you've stated that. (maybe I missed it?).

I notice you haven't mentioned the salary paid to you during your time which, as an uneducated "blanket stacker" I'm guessing was far in excess of what you could hope to earn as a civvy with the same "qualifications". You didn't mention any of the raft of allowances etc that a civvy wouldn't get either did you? Funny old thing.

Yes, 10 working days leave a year more than a civvy gets. Maybe the guards, exercises and "other bollocks" are a compensator for all the Wednesday afternoons you had off doing sport or for every time you knocked off at 12 on a Friday?

You're clearly a bitter and twisted individual. I alluded to no "fantastic deal" either. Instead of being able to formulate a clear and cohesive response, you've resorted to sarcasm and making shit up to try and emphasise a point which you don't really have - outside of moaning. All the fun, enjoyment, camaraderie, financial perks and everything else that go hand in hand with a 24 year career and all you can do is bitch about "officers robbing the lads" and a feckin £3-£5 monthly subs fee - which by the way, they still can't be AGAI'd for - not that you'd ever have known that.

You've already demonstrated your lack of general military knowledge (outside of your little RLC stacker bubble), but I await with baited breath your next revelation about the British army and it's oppressive menacing totalitarian regime which you clearly still seethe about.

 

[Stibbon]

After 37 years do you not think you might actually be qualified to do better than 27k a year?
Like countless other ex soldiers manage to?

27k? Not sure what you're reading on here but it isn't what I'm on chap.

 

[Stonker]

Ye gods and little fishes..... one would hope that an officer wouldn’t ever use the word ‘toilet’ at all.

Dunny?
Bog?
Crapper?

 

[Nornironman]

Dunny?
Bog?
Crapper?

There you go. U and non U English. The stuff that really grips my shit... "oh so you buy your own furniture", that sort of complete arse twaddle the English use to perpetuate their class system. I don't care if you say lavatory or toilet, living room or sitting room, tea or supper, I know what you bloody mean. And if you say it an RP accent with a patronising twang, sorry I just want to deck you.
Went to university with tossers like that, army was full of them. Normally as thick as Tim nice but dim, and about as much use.
Officers lead. Don't give a hoot if they are NQoC, public school educated, or whatever. Oh rubber soled shoes, brown in town, or fecking the one that really got me was officer's have ladies and OR's have wives... WTF.
Yes I have anger issues.....

 

[MoleBath]

 

[Richard Headicus]

Yes I have anger issues.....

Never.

 

[stacker1]

I don't think my 2 German courses had anything to do with my role and I certainly know that they had no benefit whatsoever to the Army.



Cant think of any year that I only received 38 days leave a year. I don't recall the Army being a Mon - Fri, 0900 - 1700 job either.

All in all Stacker - All I can say is thank f**k I was Infantry, because your life as a Stacker must have been absolute sh!te.

This was the infantry where if you had a minor injury you were confined to camp, that sounds mega.

 

[HCL]

Here you go fella. Have a look at this. Save me (once again) typing out the friggin obvious for you to ignore:

Discover my Benefits

This tool helps you find out what benefits and allowances you could be entitled to as a Service person. You’ll be able to check your exact eligibility on some. Speak to your Unit HR to find out exactly what you’re entitled to and how to make a claim.

discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk

Incidentally, it's also strange how when asked, you neglected to state what rank/job you had. Instead you simply posted up how long you "did".

Shame issues or something?

Best wind up all week!
Shame its not Fri night.

 

[stacker1]

27k? Not sure what you're reading on here but it isn't what I'm on chap.

2/3 of 40k if you left.
I know toms who have done better.

 

[Stibbon]

2/3 of 40k if you left.
I know toms who have done better.

Ah! I see now. In truth, a realistic figure would be £30k (based on my actual current salary).

So you say (about the toms).

Me? I'll just happily stick to doing what I prefer in the environment I've worked in all my adult life for a decent salary and pension at the end of it.

So sorry for you that you weren't able to. Still, chin up. Sounds like you're living it up and bringing in the big bucks now you've left such a brutal and oppressive organisation. Good on you I say.