Cyprus Anyone?

Has anyone else heard that the GSSR branch may be undertaking training in Cyprus in the not too distant future?

I genuinely can't remember all the details and can't remember if i heard it on the recent skill at arms weekend but i'm sure that a ship was mentioned and very regular training being undertaken in Cyprus.

 

Get your flips flops and shorts ready...Ayia Napa here we come!!!!

 

I believe Limasol is lovely this time of year!

It looks like this rumour mabe unfounded judging by the response i've got?

 

Limassol is lovely even in early January (lots of places are compared to here!) Must be even better if someone else is paying!

 

Are you and trehorn/trehorn2 the same person sooty?....... 8O

 

cyprus is the dogs bawz what ever time of year been based there and it was the best time of my life

 

I can confirm that trehorn and trehorn 2 are one and the same. If you would like to pm me and i'll explain why.

As for sooty i have a feeling he's from the same region, possibly even unit but he aint me.

 

You have a PM Magoo.

 

ok guys as i have explained it was a tongue in cheek question/comment, as i seem to have caused offence,consider my wrist well and truly slapped!. BUT! while we are on the subject of PM's do you both really think we should be discussing potential (note the word) training area's for our branch in a public forum?

MM

 

G'day all.

Being from the old school when we did get all round the world (COULD BE A SONG THERE WITH A COUPLE O HAUFS 'O the CRATER )

If you like water sports and I don't mean in your "Grouse" , then Limassole bay would be the cleanest water I have ever seen.

We were anchored in over thirty fathoms whilst on the Cumberland taking on troops {Gurkha Regiment} and standing on the fo'xcle, as the ship turned and cast a big shadow over the water (which was like glass}, you could follow the Anchor cable all the way down, see it along the sea bed and faintly make out the anchor lying there on the sand.

I think Cumberland was about 10,000 tonnes, so you can see we had to be in that depth of water. No where else have I seen water so clear. Ashore wasn't so funny as the trouble was on there and we had to go shore in fours and armed.The good old days :roll: :roll:

regards pingbosun

 

While i think that discussing times, dates, units and actual locations should not be discussed i'm not sure how this compromises security? I have friends in cyprus and my parents spend alot of time there. I'd jump at the chance for a couple of weeks on the lash erm, i mean hard training!

 

well, if you put it that way, i'll see you in the bar shippers!

 

Lets just hope that the bag meals are better in Cyprus than they are at Excellent!

 

so..........YES or NO?

Is it true or what?
You lucky sods!

 

Yes, it's definately being looked into. But nothing definate as yet.

 

Now is it just me, or would Cyprus be an ideal location for a permanent RN shore establishment or a training base? It would strengthen our relations with a fellow European country, not too far from the Middle East where all the action is happening now anyway, and the weather is very nice.

I propose that we should call this new shore establisment HMS Butlins!

 

Apparently the Cyprus training deployments are not filling up particularly quickly.

Anyone have any ideas why?

 

And you'll be in the shite should you get caught by the numerous 'Red Caps' in civvys patrolling the area. Most areas of Napa are out of bounds to all service personnel. A very heavy punishment ensues should you get caught!

 

Probably not filling up very fast because RNR units are doing their usual trick of keeping all the "nice" ORT trips in a drawer somewhere and advertising all the "2 weeks in Harwich" trips instead!
Bitter and Twisted? Me? NEVER!

 

The buzz from my unit is that people wanted to put their names down for it, but knocked the idea on the head once they found out that a certain individual was going to be running the show who (in some circles) has become a joke/anachronism over the last few years and (if the word is correct) would run things in such a way as to cause the trip to consist of largely monotonous training and do things in such a way as to cause general groans and misery whilst doing so.

Hope no-one sees this as an attack on an individual. (It certainly isn't from this callsign's perspective), however in today's climate, (i.e. deployments to FPGRM and the like), constant re-runs of baton handling training and APWT's don't become any less mind-numbing in the sun than at Whale Island. The job has to have foundations in the aforementioned training, but sadly a lack of imagination or acceptance that the job requirements are starting to move on, not to mention deliberate obstructiveness to accept the need for further skill training hampers people who already have those base skills from improving on them and adding to them. When you add to this the fact that many of the more serious commited individuals in the branch are currently mobilised, have been, or are about to be, it's not really any wonder that there aren't too many takers at this point in time.

Maybe the rumoured cutbacks in the reserve forces will get rid of the deadwood and allow for a more dynamic RNR, but only time will tell. One thing is for sure, as long as individuals who don't have, nor never will have any experience of doing the job for real are telling everyone else how things should be done, things aren't going to improve, as those individuals tend to be unwilling to embrace requirement for change, or the need for additional capability, nor appear to accept or understand that if the FP branch is to survive, it has to become (imho) more than security guards with a gun.

This, by the way is not in any respect a rant by me, but is the considered professional opinion of quite a few marines up at Faslane, who believe we can and should be capable of taking up more of this kind of responsibilty from them, thereby releasing valuable marines for more of the kind of work they're trained for. (An example of this being that the marines have mentioned that they want us all to be able to do the job as they do it onboard, including current moves to have us all carry 9mm as well as 5.56). It is a feather in the cap for those who have already deployed in support of the marines that they believe we are good enough to do this, so let's not waste an opportunity to shine further and keep the momentum of what those individuals have achieved going, rather than allow it to stagnate over the next couple of years.

While i'm on this subject a very big BZ should go to the current CPO at Faslane who is doing sterling work in integrating the branch with FPGRM. He knows who he is, as do many in the branch. A QVRM should be in the post in the not too distant future.