Civilianise the CDT Teams

[Captain Kirk]

Lame, war dodging and subsistence claiming.
It has been put forward via my MP that we let the troops go back to worthwhile employment and let civilians do the job for 1/2 of the salary cost.
The blessed naysayers will cry about blue suit jobs, respite and career opportunities. My MP was fully onside, the RAF Chief Clerks still do the ‘don’t turn up and you’re out’ bit, the RAF Police do their bit and CAS gets to star in a new Xmas vid… but salary wise the RAF saves a significant amount, and more importantly gets to recruit more engineers.
The RN are about to bit tackled by the same reasoning and a different MP.
The ar5ehole team member that lived near Waddington obviously ticked off enough people. Did you know Waddington was hit 36 times in 2 years? (Edited this but because, as pointed out, it could have been taken two ways)
In sum, you cannot argue that the RAF needs front line people, not a chilled out bunch of cowboys, on good money taking up valuable manpower numbers. Something has to give.

 

[Rugby-Jock-Lad]

And how's the EXIT strategy from the RAF going? This part of the plan CK? If it is I love it ;-)

 

[Captain Kirk]

Haha, I left and got a fairly decent job driving.
I don’t think the idiots at the top of you guys are getting any better- and now lacking a war to justify their breeding they are going to look inwards and further Fock what is left, all for recognition and evidence of outstanding leadership!
For those that wonder about the outside- do not fear it. Banter and laughs are the same now, the RAF prepared me for humourless clone syndrome over the last few years…. They resettled me perfectly.

 

[Oldstacker]

I have no reason to defend nor oppose the current CDT structure or practices, however Captain Kirk, perhaps you could put some more numbers behind your case - how many personnel are actually employed on CDT duties at any one time? How does 36 times in 2 years for Waddington (a large operational base) stack up against other similar units - BZN, for example,? Does Lincoln or the surrounding area have a particular problem with drugs - a hotbed of county lines perhaps? On the 36 visits the CDT team have made there, how many individuals have been caught? - the more often people are caught, the more often a unit is likely to (indeed, should) be revisited. Have you been caught (or at risk of being caught)? - because you are protesting quite loudly about what, I suspect is small beer financially.....

 

[Captain Kirk]

I have no reason to defend nor oppose the current CDT structure or practices, however Captain Kirk, perhaps you could put some more numbers behind your case - how many personnel are actually employed on CDT duties at any one time? How does 36 times in 2 years for Waddington (a large operational base) stack up against other similar units - BZN, for example,? Does Lincoln or the surrounding area have a particular problem with drugs - a hotbed of county lines perhaps? On the 36 visits the CDT team have made there, how many individuals have been caught? - the more often people are caught, the more often a unit is likely to (indeed, should) be revisited. Have you been caught (or at risk of being caught)? - because you are protesting quite loudly about what, I suspect is small beer financially.....

Old stacker. Never caught, but you clearly missed the bit about my exit. I wholeheartedly agree on the testing.
FOI for your needs, if you’re interested.
There are 24 people involved, from the team AND support side.
You are obviously from an era when manpower wasn’t an issue on the line. The engineers don’t want to watch swans when they need engineers fixing aircraft etc,so again clearly the call isn’t just about just the money. On the money front, if someone offered you the chance to save £11 a month on your gas/ electric, would you scoff at it?
When did you leave, just out of interest? Did the line you worked on instantly go to 1/3 strength when the CDT teams arrived? Short to start with, then starved with jets about to go. It wasn’t much fun, but maybe you had better dealings?

 

[Talk Wrench]

Civilianise the CDT Team? That's just taking the p1ss

 

[Downsizer]

I thought they were all FTRS anyway? So they aren't war dodging at all, they are fulfilling the commitment they signed up to.

 

[Captain Kirk]

I thought they were all FTRS anyway? So they aren't war dodging at all, they are fulfilling the commitment they signed up to.

Still expensive compared to a civilian. Average salary outside is below £30k, FTRS may lack X factor but they’re accruing pensions on a salary. I don’t think they’re all FTRS, but whatever- they are expensive, and no use for any other purpose.

 

[Downsizer]

I have no bone in this fight - but the team is very small and are all FTRS.

However in the grand scheme of things that rage me, this is very low.

 

[Tin basher]

Lame, war dodging and subsistence claiming.......... the RAF needs front line people, not a chilled out bunch of cowboys, on good money taking up valuable manpower numbers. Something has to give.

Not sure the lame, war dodging subsistence claiming fits all sizes and yes it would seem, in the first instance, that it makes sense to give the job to civvies. Probably though Civvies would want extra money for unsocial hours working, would want decent hotel accommodation supplied by the company, travelling rates per trip, bonuses for numbers processed each shift etc etc. It may at first appear they work for a smaller salary but add in the benefits and perks a civvy expects and the cost may well be higher.

But yes in principle it's one of the RAF jobs out there that need not be done by a blue suit.

 

[mad_collie]

The ar5ehole team member that lived near Waddington obviously ticked off enough people. Did you know Waddington was hit 36 times in 2 years? (Edited this but because, as pointed out, it could have been taken two ways)

I did my last tour at Waddington. You do realise that Lincoln has a university and a large student population? Youngsters now think nothing about tooting a couple of lines while on a night out. The hit rate at Waddo was high, hence the amount of visits. I remember a classic when they turned up on the Thursday before payday, caught a couple and then pitched up again Monday morning. Guess what? Loads of people tested +ve. It was a problem camp & got the treatment it deserved.

At the end of the day, if everyone stopped taking drugs, get rid of the teams. Until then they have a valid role.

 

[Tin basher]

I did my last tour at Waddington. You do realise that Lincoln has a university and a large student population? Youngsters now think nothing about tooting a couple of lines while on a night out. The hit rate at Waddo was high, hence the amount of visits. I remember a classic when they turned up on the Thursday before payday, caught a couple and then pitched up again Monday morning. Guess what? Loads of people tested +ve. It was a problem camp & got the treatment it deserved.

At the end of the day, if everyone stopped taking drugs, get rid of the teams. Until then they have a valid role.

Similar at Cosford most years the week after the nearby "V" festival at western park the CDT team would turn up, also regular visitors the week after long student grant periods. You'd think there was a plan

 

[Quagmire]

Similar at Cosford most years the week after the nearby "V" festival at western park the CDT team would turn up, also regular visitors the week after long student grant periods. You'd think there was a plan

That's probably why they don't make it civvy, you need to be flexible to service needs.

 

[Captain Kirk]

That's probably why they don't make it civvy, you need to be flexible to service needs.

Pretty sure you get more than 8 weeks notice for things like that.

 

[Downsizer]

There are bigger wastes of blue suits than an FTRS drug testing team.....

ASTRA team anyone....

 

[ERT]

Other trades can have the chop first, and the savings will be greater..

Leave the poor CDT guys alone, one of my favourite things is sitting behind the chair, reading out the same script over and over again .

"Pour your piss into the two bottles, equally! Dispose of the plastic container in the bin. Put the lids on tight, and sanitise the tops. Check these barcodes all match and sign the form. I will now seal the bottles with these barcodes".

Primary job? Naa, not required...at the drop of a hat, go sit in the stn gym for the next 6-7 hours. Everyone else will pick up your work..

 

[mad_collie]

Pretty sure you get more than 8 weeks notice for things like that.

I've been at a unit where a complete SLAM block was the attention of the CDT, 24hrs after someone reported 'suspicious smells' in the corridor.

 

[Talk Wrench]

I've been at a unit where a complete SLAM block was the attention of the CDT, 24hrs after someone reported 'suspicious smells' in the corridor.

In the early 1990's there was a whole course of DE A Tech E's at Halton who were busted for drugs. A lot of them went and did jail time with some of them being summarily dismissed and some being recoursed dependent upon the level of involvement. A few others became instant GD dogsbodies pending discharge. Therefore a CDT team is a good idea IMHO.

 

[Tin basher]

a CDT team is a good idea IMHO.

Agreed regardless of who actually mans the CDT teams. Tests aimed at catching those in uniform abusing illegal chemical compounds needs to be carried out by someone. RAF folk have been affected by Alcohol products for decades no need to add anything else to the list of permitted mind altering substances.

 

[Captain Kirk]

In the early 1990's there was a whole course of DE A Tech E's at Halton who were busted for drugs. A lot of them went and did jail time with some of them being summarily dismissed and some being recoursed dependent upon the level of involvement. A few others became instant GD dogsbodies pending discharge. Therefore a CDT team is a good idea IMHO.

Who has disputed that?