Top Mast - your thoughts please!

[Jenny_Dabber]

Right, this is a topic that is open to all views!

TopMast was just put into action before I left the RN but from what I had seen it looked pretty crap (excuse the language). I can remember that the RN's presentation team had visited HMS Drake and held a seminar regarding how TopMast would work and how it would affect the RN's warfare branch for the better.

However, seeing a few of the TopMast OM's coming onboard, it seems to me the promotion rate was alot faster than it was of the previous OM trade. As a baby OM starting out as a 2, it could take you any where up to 6yrs to become an OM1 and awaiting a leadership course. The TopMast way had changed this.

I know a lot of people were unhappy as they basically had to retrain after 2/4yrs of being in the Andrew.

I am unsure if this is still running but if it is, has the way that the TopMast branch is being run, changed?

It would be good to hear of some serving members commenting about this, as you would have 1st hand experience.

Jenny

xx

 

[sootblower]

Hi Jenny, thought I'd help kick this one off.

There have been problems with personnel in Devonport. The troops get bored, trash the accommodation & hit the bottle. Believe the Topmast record is 2 bottles of vodka before the dogs. HMS DRAKE Base WO1 has introduced both watches every morning just to find out who is here and started patrols in the base to maintain standards.

As a sea rider I have seen people on one Guzz ship doing an OST appear on another one doing OST a few weeks later. That really builds morale. I believe that Topmast is being looked at in light of many problems. I have heard (anyone know better) that certain warfare drafting plots are unsustainable under Topmast.

A lot is hearsay - lets have some hard facts from those affected.

 

[brigham600]

Agree totally with sootblower and see my reply regarding the 'source branch to warfare' for more information.

Topmast is pants and does not work. You still get the usual sicknotes, compassionate, cant work wont work types and then the remainder suffer big time. Even to the stage where some lads and lassies do all the HAT, SATs, work up etc and are then drafted off so that matey boy or girl who have done sod all get the cream of a decent trip and then go back to waterfront manning when the ship gets back and the same people then go back aboard for more OST stuff. Its a flipping joke.