Spacies.

[Spearmint]

Eaxctly right - here is an example of how said abuse begins whilst on CCS at secret midlands training establishment:

Regiment Cpl - "Is everyone happy with the plan for today?"

Course all nod bar ex spacey who raises his hand authoritatively

Regiment Cpl - "Yes, what's the matter"

Ex Spacey - "I'm actually a qualified ATC marksmen (cue anticipatory pause), does that mean I'm exempt from the shoot?"

Room erupts with uncontrollable laughter

Regiment Cpl (Unmoving straight face) - "Is that a serious question?"

Ex Spacey - "Errr - Yes?"

Regiment Cpl - "No (sighs) you are not you f***in' geek

Henceforth said spacey was ridiculed for his remaining 11 months training - and deservedly so DT_Xtremez_19:

I remember being stood outside our block with the rest of the Tabbers one sunny Wednesday afternoon at Cosford when a Spacey Zob walked past, stopped and tried to bollock one of the lads for not saluting him.

Suffice to say, the discussion became very heated and it took most of my strength to hold SAC Bloggs from pummeling the little dipstick into a pulp.

 

[vim_fuego]

I remember being stood outside our block with the rest of the Tabbers one sunny Wednesday afternoon at Cosford when a Spacey Zob walked past, stopped and tried to bollock one of the lads for not saluting him.

Suffice to say, the discussion became very heated and it took most of my strength to hold SAC Bloggs from pummeling the little dipstick into a pulp.

You couldn't have saluted him as you were smoking therefore sans hat.

 

[Oberon305]

Change "can't" to "shouldn't" and I agree with you. DS at Cranditz freely admit that Term 1 of IOT would be much longer if it wasn't for ex-rankers. Using the same logic, even the gobbiest "I could have been a pilot but turned it down so I could be a steward" ex-spacey brings some degree of service knowledge which I suspect the staff at Halton rely upon.

Swinderby was a long time ago so my memory may be failing but I don't recall any specific lessons on rank structure, for example. I think the ex-spaceys were expected to impart their wisdom to everybody else, which they duly did. Usually along the lines of "last week I was a cadet warrant officer so Cpl Whoever would have had to call me sir". DT_Xtremez_35:

Well I'm not sure when you went through TBJ, but in 88 we had General Service Knowledge which covered rank structure and basic history and organisation. It was only a small aspect of basic training, but it was definitely covered.

For what it's worth, I was a spacey, and loved it. I'd been a Cub scout and moved to Scouts which I hated. ATC was a great crack, had some great times and even if I hadn't wanted to join up (which I did), it would definitely made me have considered the RAF as a career.

Whilst I can see the point of the argument, I think it would be a shame to see the ATC/CCF be binned. Surely, the money could be saved elsewhere? Benefite to dole-scroungers for starters.....or bin a few Air Officers!DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[I Look Like Kevin Costner]

For what it's worth, I was a spacey, and loved it. I'd been a Cub scout and moved to Scouts which I hated. ATC was a great crack, had some great times and even if I hadn't wanted to join up (which I did), it would definitely made me have considered the RAF as a career.

Exactly the reasons why The ACO will not be binned. It will have its budget cut (like everywhere else), no avoiding that.

 

[Stuck in a rut!]

Haha, hahahahahahahahaha, hahahahahahaha.

And odd, don't forget odd.

Ah, sh1t forgot this wasn't quite as anonymous as I would hope! A geek maybe, but Weebl, odd I will never be....(well not as odd as you anyway!!).

 

[Shugster]

I know that money is tight, but binning the spaceys would be a big mistake and give kids even less to do. That in turn could lead to a rise in anti social behaviour etc.... Money spent removing graffiti, repairing bus shelters etc etc etc.....

I was a spacey and loved it, I got to do things most in my school could only dream of and I joined up at 16, (almost 17).

Anyone who chops this organisation knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

It would be a big mistake to close it. The side effects would be more expensive in the long run. IMHO.

 

[Spearmint]

I know that money is tight, but binning the spaceys would be a big mistake and give kids even less to do. That in turn could lead to a rise in anti social behaviour etc.... Money spent removing graffiti, repairing bus shelters etc etc etc.....

I was a spacey and loved it, I got to do things most in my school could only dream of and I joined up at 16, (almost 17).

It would be a big mistake to close it. The side effects would be more expensive in the long run. IMHO.

Agreed, I would rather my son was in such a group with all its benefits rather than hanging on the street corner getting upto mischief.

Edit: Of course if he was ever as stupid as the prat in my previous example I'll give him an extra clip round the ear! DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[252]

I know that money is tight, but binning the spaceys would be a big mistake and give kids even less to do. That in turn could lead to a rise in anti social behaviour etc.... Money spent removing graffiti, repairing bus shelters etc etc etc.....

I was a spacey and loved it, I got to do things most in my school could only dream of and I joined up at 16, (almost 17).

Anyone who chops this organisation knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

It would be a big mistake to close it. The side effects would be more expensive in the long run. IMHO.

Dont think anybody would like to see ATC binned out of principle,the question appears to be who should pay for them.

If their existence leads to better citizenship and lowers anti social behavior mabye the money should come out of the budgets that send persistantly offending toerags on forgein holidays,adventure training and the like?DT_Xtremez_25:

 

[spike7451]

I was a young 19 year old SAC posted to Kinloss back in 1985,I was on gate guard around lunchtime when a Spacey Sgt,FS/WO* or whatever he was, coming thru the gate.
He asked me where the Sgt's Mess was...I asked why & he replied "I am a Sgt/FS/WO* & I eat in the Sgt's mess....
Being the keen young SAC that I was, I went to the SNEC on duty,told him,he went next door to see the SWO & I was then told to point said Spacey SNEC in the direction of the Sgt's mess....
About 5 minutes later,said Spacey SNEC,red faced,tearful & with a quivering bottom lip,walked past the Guardroom,looking quite sheepishly....

 

[252]

I was a young 19 year old SAC posted to Kinloss back in 1985,I was on gate guard around lunchtime when a Spacey Sgt,FS/WO* or whatever he was, coming thru the gate.
He asked me where the Sgt's Mess was...I asked why & he replied "I am a Sgt/FS/WO* & I eat in the Sgt's mess....
Being the keen young SAC that I was, I went to the SNEC on duty,told him,he went next door to see the SWO & I was then told to point said Spacey SNEC in the direction of the Sgt's mess....
About 5 minutes later,said Spacey SNEC,red faced,tearful & with a quivering bottom lip,walked past the Guardroom,looking quite sheepishly....

Why?was the food not to his liking?...sniggerDT_Xtremez_19:

 

[trotterdave]

Dont spacies do the jobs that if they were not there, we would have to do ourselves on top of our primary jobs?

I am talking about things like Air shows/families days. We had one recently and the spacies also did the litter picking/car parking/tent erecting, something that without them would have meant a SWO working party?

Ok, this isn't a reason on it's own to keep them, but it surely would get my vote.

 

[hugo_a_go_go]

And the FOD sweeps after air shows/families days

 

[spike7451]

Dont spacies do the jobs that if they were not there, we would have to do ourselves on top of our primary jobs?

I am talking about things like Air shows/families days. We had one recently and the spacies also did the litter picking/car parking/tent erecting, something that without them would have meant a SWO working party?

Ok, this isn't a reason on it's own to keep them, but it surely would get my vote.

Allowing us to attend more important prayers,like beer calls....

 

[Webbo]

I was a young 19 year old SAC posted to Kinloss back in 1985,I was on gate guard around lunchtime when a Spacey Sgt,FS/WO* or whatever he was, coming thru the gate.
He asked me where the Sgt's Mess was...I asked why & he replied "I am a Sgt/FS/WO* & I eat in the Sgt's mess....
Being the keen young SAC that I was, I went to the SNEC on duty,told him,he went next door to see the SWO & I was then told to point said Spacey SNEC in the direction of the Sgt's mess....
About 5 minutes later,said Spacey SNEC,red faced,tearful & with a quivering bottom lip,walked past the Guardroom,looking quite sheepishly....

when I was a Junior Magician, at a secret Nofolk camp, we were all in the mess at lunch when all the spacies were queueing up behind us when my mate Stevo turns to spacie WO and tells him that he should be in the Sgts mess to eat, off wanders WO while we sit down and wait..............10 minutes later said WO comes back very very sheepish to applause and abuse from 4 tables of linies!!!!!!!!!!!! DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[spike7451]

when I was a Junior Magician, at a secret Nofolk camp, we were all in the mess at lunch when all the spacies were queueing up behind us when my mate Stevo turns to spacie WO and tells him that he should be in the Sgts mess to eat, off wanders WO while we sit down and wait..............10 minutes later said WO comes back very very sheepish to applause and abuse from 4 tables of linies!!!!!!!!!!!! DT_Xtremez_30:

Feck...at Kinloss JR mess when the was a Spacie camp on,the was about 50 of the runts queueing for food,one of the lads I worked with went to the front of the queue where a Spacie complained about said liney pushing in line,to which said liney replied "I pay for my grub..you dont...so f**k off!" (or words to that affect.IIRC the chap in question was the laste Stevie W,who sadly passed away a year or two back.)

 

[Joe_90]

There appears to be some rather proud people on here boasting about humiliating children because that's what the ATC is, a youth organisation. It also proves a very useful recruiting tool for us as it can be difficult nowadays to talk to teenagers about the military any other way as we are all now warmongers. Perhaps the money should come out of the recruiting budget (that always has to be spent to keep the people coming through the door we need) instead of being squandered on typhoon mockups and the like?

To stop funding it would be a huge mistake but the RAF should take a much bigger role in what it does other than sending the Officers to Cranwell for a couple of weeks once 20 years ago and then ignoring them until they come to Camp. If a Squadron is on or near camp they usually have all the help they need but it's the ones further away that don't, the chuffing Army spend more time in the ATC talking to them than we do in some cases.

As for the statement that most people have never heard of ex cadets actually joining up, look at the posts of how grown men enjoy bullying children and think what they would do to workmates. If a cadet winds you up tell them tactfully what they are doing is wrong or tell their staff, they only know what they've been told by others and they're a bit like puppies, dying for you to like and love them and no idea why they've wound you up.

And Spike, they do pay for their grub and have done for a long long time when on camp.

 

[Ex-Bay]

I understand cadets now have to march "gently" as stamping their feet could cause injury!

Oh yes. All of us old sweats had a right giggle over this when we heard about it.
It now seems that when raising one foot (or the other), the toe should point downwards (like a flamingo) and then put smartly to the floor, toe first (thus reducing potential damage to the ankle).
They don't always manage it, mostly cos' they think it's barmy as well.

Oh, for the days when a pair of good boots, 'worn in' in countless puddles, mud and almost anything else unpleasant and fitted with lots of metalwork, joined with 599 others and crashed to the deck in perfect unison; thus stirring the blood and raising a smile on lots of faces, particularly those of proud parents.

PS. Joe, thanks for putting Spike right about meal costs.

As to what the Spacies DO, I take the liberty of drawing the Goaters attention to events like Fairford, where the Comms is/was run by Spacies and helping out with whatever they could (and there was a lot of it).
The annual Fun Day Out at a secret West Midlands base also calls on the services of several local ATC squadrons to assist with parking and cleaning up afterwards; jobs which, despite the traditional loads of idle trainees, still gets help from the Spacies.

 

[spike7451]

And Spike, they do pay for their grub and have done for a long long time when on camp.

Something I am well aware of,being an ex Spacey myself as well as being involved with the ACF since 2003.When I was a Spacey circa 1979-83,we paid 50p dues per parade night,the ACF currently pas £6 per training weekend & £xx per camp depending on location,usually around £50 mark.
..My post above being a memory of what happened in the JR Mess one day a long time ago,I suggest you re-read it in the context of how it was posted.

PS. Joe, thanks for putting Spike right about meal costs.

A fact I was well aware of,again what I posted above was an anecdote.

 

[OldMedic]

Ex-Bay - "Oh, for the days when a pair of good boots, 'worn in' in countless puddles, mud and almost anything else unpleasant and fitted with lots of metalwork, joined with 599 others and crashed to the deck in perfect unison; thus stirring the blood and raising a smile on lots of faces, particularly those of proud parents."


Slightly off-topic, but this brought back memories of square bashing when the whole squadron was going on parade and we were No 3 Flight. As we crossed an area of concrete our Sgt told us to "dig in" and the racket we made caused the two flights in front of us to break step much to the fury of their NCOs!

All the "metalwork" had to go for those of us who then went on to the MTE, also any marksman badges as in those days medics were classed as non-combatant.

Reminiscing - sure sign of old age!

 

[Was Baldrick]

I have not long got in from spending the last two days, and will be for the next two, recruiting for the Air Cadets at the air show in Bournemouth alongside the RAF Careers team in the "RAF Village". I have spoken to many kids and their parents all looking for something worthwhile to join. The cadets we have there, have been helping everyone from the event organisers, the RAF benevolent Fund and RAFA. At many events they are, as far as many of the general public are concerned, the public face of the Royal Air Force. A point I always make before we go to an event. I am sure that any budget cuts will find their way down to the ACO. I am sure that at Sqn level we will contiue to fund rais to keep going. in the long term I can see ATC unit merging and the smaller ones disapearing all together. it would be a great loss if the ACO was to be disbanded, not only to the RAF but to society in general. if just a small percentage of cadets join up there must be some worth to the forces.