VM A or B

I start my foundation course at Bordon next week and im still unsure which spec to be, A or B.

I want to work more on tanks which is A but we have been told postings are alot better with B's around the world and to Afghanistan and plus i want to go 16 Air Assualt Brigade..

So could anyone please shed some light on the pluses on each spec..

Help is appericated.

 

16 Air assault don't have many tanks thats for sure. A mech is better if you want to serve in a mans army as opposed to a womans army. Downside is if you get typecast in role you will alternate between first and second line postings. Upside is you will have a whole lot of real fun working with tanks.
Your choice mate Though B mech does have a lot more open rools.

 

Still the same then... B = Dinky Toy Mechanic..

 

Why the **** would you want to be a betty mech ?

Real men fix tanks

 

Yawn, we havent had a thread like this for a while..........

 

John

Not like in our days, cold war soldiering was all about back deck parties on the ARV/ARRV or 434, with the odd smoker thrown in

Nobby

 

The happy memories come flooding back.

 

Days spent clambering over the stinking oily back decks of Chieftains that would break down on a whim, couldn't have survived that without being sh*tfaced most of the time.

For those who question the difference between A & B Mechs, you get far greater satisfaction seeing an armoured beast motoring back to towards the front than yet another landrover. Times have changed & the vehicles have changed, but you will never replace that feeling of satisfaction.

Nobby (a dinosaur from years ago - lol)

 

Nobby stop it I'm getting a stiffy on thinking about it.......

 

*Yawn... pack out, pack in... bore off fatlads.

 

Spaz now your at it. How I am I going to get any work done today? I think I'm going blind!

 

ok deacon91 serious answer for you that will annoy some but is my oppinion...

B Mechs do indeed get a larger scope of postings, u will get B Mechs at every unit even tanks, arty, engr and armd inf units in the HQ's working on B Veh's and at FR units and sigs etc working on CVR(T) and 432's (Bulldog now isnt it?) You will also have much more chance as a B Mech doing cyprus and belize and those other postings that A Mechs dont generally get.

As an A Mech you will probably be destined as has been said already with 2nd Line (as u would as a B Mech) and 1st Line Armd units. Think UK, Germany, Canada if your lucky and all the op tours Afghan and Iraq that go with those units.

Training is very similar but i do believe as an A Mech you delve heavier into engineering that will stand u in better stead long term. Most A Mech's will happliy turn thier hand to B Veh's and trailors if they need to. Show a B Mech a hydraulic system on a CRARRV an he will probably not have an igloo through no fault of his own.

Spaz you can do the pack in pack out arguement all you want. As a B Mech they stop you doing in depth repairs just as they do A Mechs.

When did you last do a syncro change on a LR gearbox? When did you last change a crownwheel in an axle or set up the back lash? When did you last change a valve on a TUM cos it had dropped one? U do the same major assy changes as an A Mech does, Gearboxes, Axles, Engines etc etc.
Could you fault find a gearbox problem on a Wr or a CR2? Or on a CRARRV winch that will not free spool? No, i doubt it. And before you come back yeah i am quite positive i could diagnose a fault on a DROPS gearbox or a Foden Winch, and they are B Veh. A Mechs do go on and do a slightly more complicated level of VM'ing. As much as you will no doubt come back and argue to differ.

Changing brake pads, axles, engines is stuff that any decent tradesman could do and im sure most B Mechs could change a pack on a Wr or a CR2 if they had to. Most B Mechs when i was about however would not have anything to do with armour. And as a VM in an armd unit, we did do electrics also due to a lack of electricians. Though i admit with assistance from the ECE's for confirmation.

The last part again no doubt some will come back and argue about, but i can assure you that anyone that knows me will back up the fact that i would flip if a VM went running to an ECE to try and solve an electrical problem on a tank if it was in the hull. It was our job and we would diagnose and if it was maybe not 100% we would go to the ECE with the facts and figures before we condemned a part to save time wasting and demanding of a wrong part. It was good for the learning process.

 

Excuse my naivety... Could someone enlighten me?
Also why is there, such a different outlook towards B Mechs?

 

Deacon91, I don't think it matters long term if you go A or B at Bordon. There are so many VM's who get posted to unit that has mainly A vehicles when their VM B's and vice versa. Plus when you go on tour you end working on anything and everthing from my experience. If you really don't like which you have chosen you can try and change on second posting on when you go for Class 1.
Saying that I am fed up of VM A's "we do everything VM B's do plus more" not having a clue when given p*ss easy jobs to do when working on Land Rovers. VM B's are alot better all round mechanics and will adapt to anything without whinging, unlike A Mechs do when asked to do something other than a Pack!