Handing back rank

[Downsizer]

We were having a hypothetical conversation at work the other day...

Can you hand "rank" back? You hear plenty of times, "if you want to be one of the lads, hand back your tapes/third/Chf/FS/etc", but can it be done? Is there a process to do it? Know anyone who has? Urban Myth?

I know plenty of people who have been reduced in rank for disciplinary reasons or refused promotion for personal reasons but in 25+ years never heard of someone do it voluntarily....

 

[rocket scientist]

That was always the phrase used when someone complained about having to pay mess fees

 

[Witty_Banter]

Of course you can, just throat-punch your nearest Stn Cdr....

 

[Past Engineering]

Don't know whether it is/was written down anywhere, but within half an hour of being promoted to Cpl I was constantly being 'spoken to' by the Flt Sgt about doing things the way the Sqd always did things, his response to the question: 'is this the way it goes from now on', his reply was 'yes I expect you to set an example', I went back to the boss, handed back my tapes put on the J/T tabs and went back to work. Several hours later I was summoned back and told I could not give back what I had not accepted, apparently I signed the paperwork in the wrong block (I had refused my promotion, apparently), anyway words were had, paperwork correctly completed and tapes put back on, had no issues with Flt Sgt again.

 

[Robby]

Topic Drift

Topic Drift

Not wishing to drift too far but didn't Leonard Cheshire get Demoted/Hand back rank to become OC 617 Sqn late in the war? He was a Group Captain Possibly Air Cdr and was a Wg Cdr on 617? Nothing like a precedent!

Sorry if this drifted too far!

 

[222]

You can relinquish rank even once substantive. Sgt firefighter did that not that long ago. (Probs, seven yrs ago) Didn’t like the job as a Sgt and went back to JNCO, like promotion it came with a posting. He did subsequently get picked up again but was some time later.