Is the RNR(Air Branch) Relevant to the FAA...

Is the RNR(Air Branch) Relevant to the FAA today?

If Yes, why... and if No, what changes would you like to see?

(Posted on the FAA Thred rather than the RNR thread hoping for a regular viewpoint... but RNR's please chip in)

 

Whether we like it or not we do need the RNR .... but I do wish they would stop pinching some of the best jobs.

 

fair one!!

 

Judging by the current stretch associated with all the Armed Forces, perhaps the time for a general mobilisation of the FAA (RNR) is not that far away.

I realise that some of the RNR have visited sandy climes recently, how long before they get a country ending in 'stan in their passport?

 

Its nearer than you think according to a phone call I received today!!

 

The RNR (Air Branch)? - little more than a sports and social club dedicated to granting non operational medal and promoting each other to ranks that they were unable to reach before PVR from the service.

fido

 

oohhh Fido, put your toy's back in your pram. Most Air Branch don't want any more medals(cant fit them in from all the regular service they did!!) and most of us completed 22 years not PVR'ing. Stand fast officer Corps. With regards to promotion dont lump us poor ratings in that category as we aren't allowed to be prommoted. The officer corps though is a different matter. Something to do with time served or reserved rights. Very Strange.

 

Didn't mean to offend you Bisley - it is, though, the RNR officers with whom I take exception. Can't hack it in the RN - PVR and join the RNR!

fido

 

Fido - with this we are in complete agreement. We have certain officers did a few years in RN now got a full stripe or more in being in the RNR. Does seem a bit top heavy.

 

Bisley - witness the current Head of the Branch. And, come to that, the last!

Regards,

fido

 

Oops, for a minute there I thought the thread was "Is the RNR relevant"?
Nuff said :wink:

 

Lingyai

For someone who claims to be in Thailand, you appear to be pretty up to date on the current RNR Orbat.

 

Bisley. Can I take it you mean list 2 RNR officers? I would hate to think you were refering to all of them.

 

How VERY dare you! I could hack it, I just .... er ... couldn't be ... er .. yeah fair enough.

Seriously though, the RNR Air Branch is much-maligned and misunderstood, especially the pilots and observers. However, the powers that be use us a lot to fill gaps in various NAS (or, more often, to fill second line jobs temporarily while the previous incumbent goes to somewhere sandy), and under the new(ish) pay regulations, even the higher paid commitment-dodgers turn up for duty.

We just have very little to do with the rest of the RNR and on drill nights we can't by definition do our core training, but we must be one of the few RNR branches that trains for our reservist job in our day-to-day job at zero extra cost to pusser. Seems like a good deal for the taxpayer to me!

 

Would you agree that much of the the regular RN (and by that I mean FAA as we're talking Air Branch) has got so used to using the RNR to fill everyday gaps it has lost sight of how it can employ them operationally?

IMHO, it's become little more than a Temp Agency. One that I admit I've had recourse to sign-up to... but, not really what having a Reserve is all about?

 

Pierre - we know each other and it was good to see you recently thus I won't bother with an apologia. You are right in identifying that the FAA has become used to filling gapped billets with (especially FTRS) RNR(Air) personnel. What inexcusable, however, is the apparent 'job creation agency' being run by the RNR Air Branch to re-employ non aircrew RNR officers. What should really be addressed by DNR and DNCM is the shortfall in recruiting and career progression - with the exception of specialist aircrew, it seems to me that many FAA officers have the ability and capacity to become multi-skilled and thus appointable throughout a wide range of jobs (look at aircrew and SUY(AV) I remain convinced that for many RNR Officers (Air) it is a job opportunity with the rank and status of the RN but with none of the disadvantages. It's a bit like virginity really, you either are or you're not - there is no half way.

Regards,

fido

 

Try getting a billet as Serco are taking everything over and once the section is civilianised there go the billets. VL has very few billets available. ETS i heard is being Sercoised, ERS will be by October. Even the OOD is now a civil servant wearing a uniform.The duty Flying supservisor is also being advertised as civil servant in uniform The Navy has gone completly bonkers.

 

Spot on Bisley - all OOW at VL are now MSF civil servants carrying the rank and uniform in which they left the service and it's probably cost effective. It is also true that the Duty Flying Supervisor role is also carried out by MSF civil servants; in uniform and, supposedly, in the rank in which they retired although one of them has promoted themself to Lt Cdr even though he/she left the RN as a Lt! As you may imagine, this has not gone down well with either serving officers or traditional ROs in civil service posts. It is important to note, however, that this issue has stuff all to to with the RNR(Air) branch but undoubtedly fuels some of the discontent. Doubtless this post will be construed by those 'for whom the cap fits' as sour grapes but who cares. It's about time that the RNR(Air) branch started recognising the FTRS contribution of ratings rather than providing job opportunities for officers.

 

Fido - completely agree that ratings are undervalued in the Air Branch as it does still seem to be an officers club. Ratings contributions. not just FTRS, but all, seem to be overlooked. With ref to the orignal subject, i believe the air branch is highly relevant but as already stated most of the work goes unseen mostly by the lower deck. Even more startling i have just heard another commanders post has been created within the branch topromote another 2 1/2 to commander. This time under the premise of Commander Air Enginering. Too many chiefs not enough indians. Us poor ratings cannot even get promoted with 1 or 2 execptions.